AP United States Government and Politics Summer Assignment |1
Student Name:________________________________________________
ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS:
Your summer assignment is to read the United States Constitution (a PDF version is online on our site for
you to print out and read/annotate. You should have the Constitution with you on the first day of
school) and complete the enclosed handout. You will have to use the internet also to find some answers.
1) You may type or write the answers in the handout. HOWEVER, either way, your writing must be
legible, neat, and properly formatted. This will be collected the first day of class.
2) Do not just “skim” the Constitution and write down answers without thinking about what you
are reading/writing. Your test on this material will require COMPREHENSION of what you have
read, not only memorization. Take your time, read slowly, and take notes thoughtfully.
There will be a Constitution Test the first week of school to ensure that students know this information,
which is foundational to this course. Be sure to take your time with the assignment and read the
Constitution closely. On the test you will be expected to have read, studied, and memorized this
information, which includes the preamble, 7 articles, 27 amendments, and key vocabulary terms.
In addition to the packet, you must bring to school with you on the first day of class 27 notecards, one
for each amendment which follows the template below. You should make the notecards well before
school starts so that you have time to start studying them before the first day of school.
Lined side of notecard:
Bullet point each specific part of the
amendment—some amendments include
several items, some only one.
Blank Front Side of Notecard:
Write the Amendment Number and the
year it was ratified beneath it in
parentheses.
Save 3 lines at the bottom of the card for a
section of the card for Supreme Court cases
I have done the 3rd amendment for you below, so you have an example. You still need to make this
notecard also. All notecards MUST look exactly like this and be neatly written. Sloppy, last minute
looking notecards will receive a poor grade. This is the standard of an AP class and will be the standard
for all our written assignments for the semester. You will need a notecard plastic holder, so purchase
this and store you amendment cards in it and bring it with you on the first day of school.
FRONT OF CARD:
BACK OF CARD:

3rd Amendment
(1792)
places restrictions on the quartering of
soldiers in private homes without the
owner's consent, forbidding the practice in
peacetime
S.C. Cases:
AP United States Government and Politics Summer Assignment |2
The United States Constitution
Part I: The Preamble:
List the goals of the preamble:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Part II: The Articles
Article I: Refers to the _____________________branch of government.
The________________________ branch of government consists of two houses:
1.
2.
How many representatives does each state at least get? ____
Who has the sole power of impeachment? __________________________
Who has the sole power to TRY all impeachment cases? __________________________
Who is the leader of the House of Representatives? _______________________________
Internet Check: Who is the current leader of the House? ________________________
Who is the leader of the Senate? ______________________________________________
Internet Check: Who is the current leader of the Senate?________________________
Under what conditions is the Senate leader able to cast a vote?_________________________
How many times a year must Congress meet? ______________________________________
Bills for raising revenue must originate where?________________________________________
If the President veto’s a bill, what fraction is needed to override the veto? ________________
How many members are in the House of Representatives? _____________
How many members are in the Senate? _______________
How old must you be to serve in the House? __________ Senate?___________
How long is a term of service in the House?___________ Senate?___________
AP United States Government and Politics Summer Assignment |3
Section 8: List the powers of Congress: You may bullet point.
Section 9: Explain each of the restrictions placed on Congress.
1. “Migration and Importation of ‘such Persons’”______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. “Writ of Habeus Corpus”_______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. No Bill of Attainder___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. No ex post facto Law__________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. No Capitation/ Direct Tax_______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to Ports of various States_________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7. The Treasury_________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
8.Titles of Nobility______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
AP United States Government and Politics Summer Assignment |4
Section 10 lists the denied powers of the states. List the 9 powers that states are denied:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Article II: Refers to the _____________________ branch of government
How old must one be to hold the office of President? ___________________________
Residency Requirement? __________________
How are Electors for the Electoral College chosen?
How many Electors does each state get?_____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What happens if more than one candidate for president receives a majority of ballots? How is the
president chosen?_______________________________________________________________
Who is our current president? _________________________________
Section 2 discusses the powers of the President. List those powers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
AP United States Government and Politics Summer Assignment |5
For what reasons can the President, Vice President, and all civil officers be removed from office?
Article III: Refers to the ____________________branch of government.
How many courts does the Constitution actually establish?__________
Who is responsible for the creation of all other “inferior” courts?_________________
What is the only crime mentioned in the Constitution? ___________________
What is the title given to the highest ranking judge in the Supreme Court? __________________
List the names of all 9 justices that currently serve on the Supreme Court below; next to their
name write their political party/bias in parentheses (i.e. Republican/ Democrat or
Liberal/Conservative)
1.__________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________________
5. __________________________________________________________________
6. __________________________________________________________________
7. __________________________________________________________________
8. __________________________________________________________________
9. __________________________________________________________________
Judicial review is the greatest power of the Supreme Court: Define this term below:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Is this term actually in the Constitution? _____________
AP United States Government and Politics Summer Assignment |6
Article IV:
Summarize each section into 1-2 sentences.
Section 1:_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Section 2: _____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Section 3: _____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Section 4: _____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Article V:
What is the purpose of Article V?
Congress can propose an amendment with ____________ fraction of a vote.
State legislatures/conventions can ratify an amendment with __________ approval of state
legislatures/conventions.
What are some issues have been pursued for amendment but failed? Use the internet to find.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
AP United States Government and Politics Summer Assignment |7
Article VI: Summarize the key ideas in each of the three main clauses.
Clause I:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Clause II:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Clause III:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Article VII: Summarize the purpose of Article VII:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
The last part of the Constitution is the amendments. You are doing this part via the notecards.
AP United States Government and Politics Summer Assignment |8
Essential American Government Vocabulary Terms:
You should already know most of these from your previous social studies courses, so this might
be a review. However, please look up an accurate and detailed definition for each term. Do not
just “guess” or write something down if you think you “kind of” know it. Write in complete
sentences.
1) democratic republic:
2) checks and balances:
3) separation of powers:
4) legislative branch:
5) executive branch:
6) judicial branch:
AP United States Government and Politics Summer Assignment |9
7) Articles of Confederation:
8) Shay’s Rebellion:
9) Declaration of Independence:
10) John Locke:
11) Federalist Papers:
12) Bill of Rights:
A P U n i t e d S t a t e s G o v e r n m e n t a n d P o l i t i c s S u m m e r A s s i g n m e n t | 10
13) Three Fifths Compromise:
14) Federalists:
15) Anti-Federalists:
16) United States Constitution: (Yes, this is a term! What is the Constitution? What is it
supposed to do? Why is it significant?)