American Government: study guide and practice
Also known as: pols 101, govt 2305, psc 101, pols 1101, govt 2306, pol sci 101, american government, federal government, us government, introduction to american politics, american politics, political science 101
What you will be able to do
- Explain the structure and key principles of the US Constitution
- Describe how power is divided between national and state governments
- Identify the main civil liberties in the Bill of Rights and the key cases that applied them
- Trace the development of equal protection and voting rights
- Explain how Congress is organised and how a bill becomes law
- Describe the powers of the president and the role of the federal bureaucracy
- Explain how the federal courts are organised and how judicial review works
- Describe how elections, parties and interest groups influence policy
Topics
- Constitutional foundationsThe structure of the Constitution: separation of powers, checks and balances, and how it is amended.
- FederalismHow power is shared between the national government and the states, and how that balance has changed.
- Civil libertiesThe Bill of Rights, incorporation against the states, and landmark cases on speech, religion and criminal procedure.
- Civil rights and equal protectionThe struggle for equal treatment under law: key amendments, cases, statutes and levels of judicial scrutiny.
- CongressStructure, powers and procedures of the House and Senate, and how a bill becomes law.
- The presidency and the bureaucracyPresidential powers and limits, succession, and how federal agencies make and carry out rules.
- The federal courtsStructure, jurisdiction, judicial review and how the Supreme Court chooses and decides cases.
- Elections, parties and policyHow elections work, why the US has two major parties, the roles of polls and interest groups, and the policy cycle.