Master the AP Government and Politics (Peterson's Ap U. S. Government & Politics)

360 Pages·2007·1.11 MB·English

by  Peterson's

Peterson’s
M AP
ASTER
U.S. G
OVERNMENT
& P
OLITICS
Margaret C. Moran
W. Frances Holder
2nd Edition
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Previously published as Peterson’sAPSuccess: U.S. Government & Politics © 2005
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Gary Rozmierski.
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ISBN-13: 978-0-7689-2471-8
ISBN-10: 0-7689-2471-5
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 09 08 07
Second Edition
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CheckoutourWebsiteatwww.petersons.com/publishingtoseeifthereisanynewinformationregardingthetestand
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OTHER RECOMMENDED TITLES
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Master AP U.S. History
Contents
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Before You Begin ..................................... ix
How This Book Is Organized .......................... ix
Special Study Features ................................ x
Appendix .......................................... x
You’re Well on Your Way to Success ................... xi
Give Us Your Feedback .............................. xi
Quick-Reference Guide ............................... xi
Key Supreme Court Cases ............................ xii
Top 10 Strategies to Raise Your Score .................. xiv
PART I: AP U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
BASICS
1 All About the AP U.S. Government & Politics Test 3
10 Facts About the AP U.S. Government & Politics Test ... 3
Scoring the AP U.S. Government & Politics Test ......... 7
Study Plans for the AP U.S. Government & Politics Test ... 9
Summing It Up ...................................... 15
PART II: DIAGNOSING STRENGTHS AND
WEAKNESSES
2 Practice Test 1: Diagnostic ........................ 25
Section I ........................................... 25
Section II ........................................... 37
Answer Key and Explanations ......................... 38
Self-Evaluation Rubric for the Advanced Placement Essays .. 51
PART III: AP U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
STRATEGIES
3 Answering the Multiple-Choice Questions ........ 55
Practice Plan ........................................ 55
vi Contents
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Basic Information About Section I .................................. 56
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. Pacing ......................................................... 58
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. Analyzing Questions ............................................. 59
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. Educated Guessing ............................................... 63
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Practicing ...................................................... 63
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. Exercise 1 ...................................................... 64
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. Answer Key and Explanations ..................................... 66
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. Exercise 2 ...................................................... 68
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Answer Key and Explanations ..................................... 71
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. Exercise 3 ...................................................... 73
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. Answer Key and Explanations ..................................... 75
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. Summing It Up .................................................. 76
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.4 Writing the Essays ............................................ 77
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. Practice Plan .................................................... 78
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. Basic Information About Section II ................................. 78
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Some Practical Advice ............................................ 79
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. What to Expect in the AP Essays ................................... 79
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. The Essay: A Quick Review ....................................... 82
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. Writing an Outstanding Essay ..................................... 84
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Techniques for Acing Section II ................................... 86
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. A Word of Caution .............................................. 88
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. A Word of Encouragement ........................................ 88
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. Practicing ...................................................... 88
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Exercise 1 ...................................................... 89
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. Exercise 2 ...................................................... 90
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. Exercise 3 ...................................................... 91
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. Exercise 4 ...................................................... 92
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Suggestions for Exercise 1 ........................................ 93
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. Suggestions for Exercise 2 ........................................ 95
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. Suggestions for Exercise 3 ........................................ 98
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. Suggestions for Exercise 4 ........................................ 100
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Self-Evaluation Rubric for the Advanced Placement Essays ............. 102
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. Summing It Up .................................................. 104
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.PART IV: AP U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS REVIEW
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.5 Constitutional Foundation of the Federal Government .......107
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. Section 1: Theories of Government ................................ 107
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. Section 2: Adopting the Constitution ............................... 109
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. Basic Facts About the Constitution ................................. 116
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Section 3: Form of Government ................................... 121
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. Summing It Up .................................................. 127
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Contents vii
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6 Institutions of the Federal Government .......................129 .
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Section 1: Congress ............................................. 129 .
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Section 2: The Presidency ........................................ 139
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Section 3: The Federal Bureaucracy ................................ 144 .
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Section 4: The Federal Judiciary ................................... 148 .
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Summing It Up .................................................. 153 .
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7 Political Behavior and Political Groups .......................155 .
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Section 1: Political Behavior, Public Opinion, and the Mass Media ...... 155 .
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Section 2: Interest Groups, Political Parties, and Elections ............. 158 .
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Summing It Up .................................................. 164
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8 The Public Policy Agenda .....................................165
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Section 1: Economic Policy ....................................... 165
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Section 2: Social and Domestic Policy .............................. 168 .
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Section 3: Foreign and Defense Policy .............................. 170 .
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Summing It Up .................................................. 173 .
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9 Civil Liberties and Civil Rights ................................175 .
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Section 1: Civil Liberties ......................................... 175 .
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Section 2: Civil Rights ............................................ 180 .
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Summing It Up .................................................. 189
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PART V: THREE PRACTICE TESTS
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Practice Test 2 ....................................................199
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Section I ....................................................... 199
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Section II ....................................................... 211 .
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Answer Key and Explanations ..................................... 212 .
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Self-Evaluation Rubric for the Advanced Placement Essays ............. 227 .
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Practice Test 3 ....................................................235 .
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Section I ....................................................... 235 .
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Section II ....................................................... 248 .
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Answer Key and Explanations ..................................... 249
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Self-Evaluation Rubric for the Advanced Placement Essays ............. 264 .
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Practice Test 4 ....................................................273 .
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Section I ....................................................... 273 .
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Section II ....................................................... 286 .
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Answer Key and Explanations ..................................... 288 .
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Self-Evaluation Rubric for the Advanced Placement Essays ............. 303
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viii Contents
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.APPENDIXES
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.Appendix A: College-by-College Guide to AP Credit
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and Placement .....................................307
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Appendix B: Glossary of Terms ..................................329
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Before You Begin
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HOW THIS BOOK IS ORGANIZED
Whetheryouhavefivemonths,nineweeks,orjustfourshortweekstoprepare
for the exam, Peterson’s Master AP U.S. Government & Politics will help you
developastudyplanthatcaterstoyourindividualneedsandtimetable.These
step-by-step plans are easy to follow and are remarkably effective.
• Top 10 Strategies to Raise Your Score gives you tried and true
test-taking strategies.
• PartIincludesthebasicinformationabouttheAPU.S.Government
& Politics Test that you need to know, as well as practice plans for
studying.
• Part II includes a diagnostic test to determine your strengths and
weaknesses. Use the diagnostic test as a tool to improve your
objective test-taking skills.
• Part III provides strategies for answering different kinds of
multiple-choice questions you will encounter on the test, as well as
for writing great essays.
• Part IV provides a comprehensive review of U.S. government and
politics from the Constitution to civil rights to the present.
• Part V includes three additional practice tests. Remember to apply
thetest-takingsystemcarefully,workthesystemtogetmorecorrect
responses, and be careful of your time and strive to answer more
questions in the time period.
• The Appendixes provide you with the new Peterson’s College-by-
College Guide to AP Credit and Placement (for more than 400
selective colleges and universities) as well as a quick review of
government and policy terms.
ix
x Before You Begin
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SPECIAL STUDY FEATURES
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.Peterson’s Master AP U.S. Government & Politics was designed to be as user-friendly as it is
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.complete. It includes several features to make your preparation easier.
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.Overview
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Each chapter begins with a bulleted overview listing the topics that will be covered in the
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chapter.You know immediately where to look for a topic that you need to work on.
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.Summing It Up
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.Eachstrategychapterendswithapoint-by-pointsummarythatcapturesthemostimportant
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.points.Thesummariesareaconvenientwaytoreviewthecontentofthesestrategychapters.
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Bonus Information
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.NOTE
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.Notes highlight critical information about the test.
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.TIP
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.Tipsdrawyourattentiontovaluableconcepts,advice,andshortcutsfortacklingtheexam.By
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.reading the tips, you will learn how to approach different question types, pace yourself, and
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.remember what was discussed previously in the book.
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.ALERT!
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.Whenever you need to be careful of a common pitfall, you’ll find an Alert! This information
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.reveals and eliminates the misperceptions and wrong turns many people take on the exam.
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.BytakingfulladvantageofallfeaturespresentedinPeterson’sMasterAPU.S.Government&
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.Politics, you will become much more comfortable with the exam and considerably more
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.confident about getting a high score.
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APPENDIX
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.Peterson’s College-by-College Guide to AP Credit and Placement gives you the equivalent
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.classes,scores,andcreditawardedatmorethan400collegesanduniversities.Usethisguide
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.tofindyourplacementstatus,credit,and/orexemptionbasedonyourAPU.S.Government&
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.Politics score.
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