1. Explain the notion of “higher law” by which the colonists felt they were entitled to certain “natural rights.” List these rights.

2. Compare the basis on which the colonists felt a government could be legitimate.

3. List and discuss the shortcomings of government under the Articles of Confederation.

4. Compare and contrast the Virginia and New Jersey plans, and show how they led to the “Great Compromise.”

5. Explain why separation of powers and federalism became key parts of the Constitution.

6. Explain why a bill of rights was not initially included in the Constitution and why it was added.

7. List and explain the two major types of constitutional reform advocated today, along with specific reform measures.

8. Explain the difference between federal and centralized systems of government, and give examples of each.

9. Show how competing political interests at the Constitutional Convention led to the adoption of a federal system that was not clearly defined.

10. Outline the ways in which national and state powers have been interpreted by the courts.

11. State the reasons why federal grants-in-aid to the states have been politically popular, and cite what have proven to be their pitfalls.

12. Distinguish between categorical grants and block grants.

13. Distinguish between mandates and conditions of aid with respect to federal grant programs to states and localities.

14. Discuss whether or to what extent federal grants to the states have created uniform national policies comparable to those of centralized governments.

15. Evaluate the effect of devolution on relationships between the national and state governments.

16. Assess its implications for citizens as taxpayers and as clients of government programs.

OBJECTIVES

1. Explain the differences between a congress and a parliament and delineate the role that the Framers expected the United States Congress to play.

2. Pinpoint the significant eras in the evolution of Congress.

3. Describe the characteristics of members of Congress and outline the process for electing members of Congress.

4. Identify the functions that party affiliation plays in the organization of Congress.

5. Describe the formal process by which a bill becomes a law.

6. Identify the factors that help to explain why a member of Congress votes as he or she does.

1. Explain the differences between the positions of president and prime minister. 

2. Discuss the approach taken by the Founders in regard to executive power.

3. Sketch the evolution of the presidency from 1789 to the present.

4. List and describe the various offices that make up the executive branch.

5. Review discussions of presidential character, and explain how these relate to the achievements in office of various presidents.

6. Enumerate and discuss the various facets—formal and informal—of presidential power.

1. Explain what judicial review is and trace its origins.

2. List and comment on the three eras of varying Supreme Court influences on national policy.

3. Explain what is meant by a dual court system and describe its effects on how cases are processed, decided, and appealed.

4. List the various steps that cases go through to reach the Supreme Court and explain the considerations involved at each step.

5. Discuss the dimensions of power exercised today by the Supreme Court and the opposing viewpoints on an activist Supreme Court.

1. Discuss the relationship of the Bill of Rights to the concept of majority rule, and give examples of tension between majority rule and minority rights.

2. Explain how the civil liberties may at times be a matter of majoritarian politics and offer several examples.

3. Explain how the structure of the federal system affects the application of the Bill of Rights.

4. Describe how the Supreme Court has used the Fourteenth Amendment to expand coverage in the federal system.

5. Discuss changing conceptions of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

6. List the categories under which the Supreme Court may classify “speech.”

7. Explain the distinction between “protected” and “unprotected” speech and name the various forms of expression that are not protected under the First Amendment.

8. Describe the test used by the Court to decide the circumstances under which freedom of expression may be qualified.

9. State what the Supreme Court decided in Miranda v. Arizona, and explain why that case illustrates how the Court operates in most such due process cases.

10. Contrast the experience of economic interest groups with that of African American groups in obtaining satisfaction for their interests from the government.

11. Indicate why in most circumstances the African American civil rights movement involved interest group rather than client politics.

12. Describe the strategies used by African American leaders and explain why the civil rights movement has become more conventional.

13. Summarize the legal struggles of African Americans to secure rights under the Fourteenth Amendment, and indicate how the Court construed that amendment in the civil rights cases.

14. Discuss the NAACP strategy of litigation, and indicate why it was suited to the political circumstances.

15. Summarize the rulings in Brown v. Board of Education and compare them with those in Plessy v. Ferguson.

16. Discuss the rationale used by the Supreme Court in ordering busing to achieve desegregation.

17. Explain the apparent inconsistency between Brown and Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

18. Indicate why these decisions are not inconsistent and explain why the courts chose busing as an equitable remedy to de jure segregation.

19. Trace the campaign launched by African Americans for civil rights laws.

20. Discuss the conflict between the agenda-setting and the coalition-building aspects of the movement.

21. Demonstrate how civil rights advocates overcame resistance in Congress.

22. Describe the differences between the African American civil rights movement and the women’s movement.

23. Indicate the various standards used by the courts in interpreting the Fourteenth Amendment, and explain how these standards differ depending on whether African Americans or women are involved.

24. Explain why the Equal Rights Amendment was not ratified, despite strong congressional and popular support.

25. Discuss the changing agenda of the women’s movement.

26. Explain what is meant by “affirmative action,” and discuss how the ideals of equality of opportunity and equality of result play roles in the debate surrounding affirmative action.

27. What is meant by “gay rights”? 

28. Discuss the role of the states in the gay rights movement. 

29. Explain the difference between gay marriage and civil unions.