AP Government Review Guide Chapter 1: Introducing Government in America

Directions: Answer the following questions in your notebook. These will come in handy when it is time to study for the exam and also
can be used on Monday Reading Quizzes. T he set of words at the bottom to identify or compare and contrast are not
required but HIGHLY recommended, also you can find a link to already made digital flashcards to study with in
the ABOUT section of Google Classroom.

Objective 1: Identify the key functions of government and explain why they matter.
1. Define the term government.
2. What are the two fundamental questions about governing that serve as themes throughout the
textbook?
3. List the five functions that all national governments perform.

Objective 2: Analyze how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to its failure.
4. Define the term politics.
5. Give examples of the who, what, when, and how of politics.

Objective 3: Assess how citizens can have an impact on public policy and how policies can impact
people.
6. Draw a diagram of how a policy system works.
7. List four key linkage institutions in a democratic society,
8. Define the term policy agenda.
9. How does a governments policy agenda change?
10. List the four major policymaking institutions in the United States.
11. Define the term policy impacts.

Objective 4: Identify the key principles of democracy and outline theories regarding how it works in
practice and the challenges democracy faces today.
12. Define the term democracy as used in the textbook.
13. List the five cornerstones of an ideal democracy.
14. Explain what is meant by majority rule and minority rights.

Objective 5:Outline the central arguments of the debate in America over the proper scope of
government.
15. Complete the following table comparing pluralist, elite and class, and hyperpluralist theories according
to who holds the power and how policy is made. (Copy this chart onto a separate sheet of paper!)

Theory Who Holds Power How Policy is Made

Pluralist
Elite and Class
Hyperpluralist

16. List the four major challenges facing American democracy.

I.Identifyanddescribe: Policyimpacts II.Compareandcontrast:

government Democracy governmentandpolitics
Collectivegoods Majorityrule policyagendaandpublicpolicy
Politics Minorityrights policymakingsystemandlinkageinstitutions
Politicalparticipation Representation policymakingsystemandpoliticalissue
Singleissuegroups Pluralism democracyandtraditionaldemocratictheory
Policymakingsystem Elitism majorityruleandminorityrights
Linkageinstitutions Hyperpluralism democracyandrepresentation
Policyagenda Policygridlock
 Politicalissue Politicalculture pluralisttheory,eliteandclasstheory,and
Policymakinginstitutions GrossDomesticProduct hyperpluralism
Publicpolicy