HHHCSD
Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics
Summer Assignment, 2016 - 2017
This assignment is designed to prepare you for the type of work that is required
in this college-level course. This assignment is due on Friday September 9,
2016. (Note: You will receive the textbook for this course in September; the
textbook is not needed for the summer assignment).
The summer assignment consists of two mandatory components. They are as
follows. Both parts should be handwritten and legible.
Part I
Watch a sampling of the politically-oriented talk shows / public affairs
programs and set up a journal where you will record the following:
a. name of show
b. date of show
c. guests (if any)
d. topic or topics discussed (ex. U.S. policy towards Iran, the economy
etc.)
e. brief summary of the show's highlights (8 -10 sentences)
Your journal must have entries for a minimum of five shows. A partial listing
of appropriate programs with the relevant times and channels appears below.
(Note: the times listed here are subject to change.) You may want to record the
shows and watch them at your convenience. (Note: Only 1 of your 5 shows can
be “infotainment” type shows like The Daily Show or The Colbert Report).
Sunday Morning Shows
Face the Nation - CBS - 10:30 am
Meet the Press - NBC - 10:30 am
This Week - ABC - 10:00 am
Fox News Sunday - Fox (Ch. 5) 10:00 am
Other public
include:
affairs
programs
The McLaughlin Group - Ch. 2 11:00 am Sunday
Hardball – MSNBC – weeknights
at 7:00
The O'Reilly Factor - Fox News
Channel - weeknights at 8:00 pm
Washington Week in Review - Ch.
13 - 8:00 pm Friday
Part II
Read the US Constitution and print out and then complete the Constitution
Questionnaire. Note, some of the questions will require you to think (and possibly
to do a little research) and/or share your opinion. For these questions, there is no
right or wrong answer as long as you can explain your reasoning/thought process.
Name: ___________________________________________
Period: _______
U.S. CONSTITUTION QUESTIONNAIRE
1. What is the general purpose of each article?
Article I
Article II
Article III
Article IV
Article V
Article VI
Article VII
2. What is the purpose of the Constitution according to the Preamble?
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3. Which article is the longest? Why?
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ARTICLE I
4. What is meant by “legislative power”?
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5. How long is a Representative’s term?
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6. What are the qualifications to be a member of the House of Representatives?
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7. How long is a Senator’s member’s term?
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8. What are the qualifications to be a member of the Senate?
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9. Describe the impeachment process involving the House and Senate.
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10. According to Article I Section 4, which level of government is responsible for the time,
place, and manner of congressional elections?
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11. According to Article I Section 7, what sorts of laws must begin in the House or Senate?
Why?
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12. Describe the legislative process outlined in Article I Section 7.
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13. Summarize the powers granted to Congress in Article I Section 8, other than those related to
war.
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14. Describe the powers granted to Congress in Article I Section 8 associated with national
defense and war.
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15. Explain why the wording of the “Necessary and Proper Clause” (Article I, Section 8,
Paragraph 18) has led people to believe that it gives the government too much power? What part
makes it seem limited in scope?
______________________________________________________________________________
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16. Article I Section 9 of the Constitution limits the powers of Congress. Choose 3 that
demonstrate that this section of the Constitution has been effective.
1.
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2.
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3.
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17. What are states not allowed to do according to Article I Section 10?
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ARTICLE II
18. What is meant by “executive power”?
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19. How long is a presidential term? ____________________________
20. What are the qualifications for president?
______________________________________________________________________________
21. What are the formal powers of the president and the limitations of those powers?
(Note: While most powers have limits, not all do. Also, the chart does not need to be filled
completely.)
POWERS
LIMITATIONS
22. Under what conditions may the president be removed from office?
______________________________________________________________________________
23. Based on the powers of Congress and the Presidency outline in the Constitution, which
branch do you believe was given more power? Explain.
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ARTICLE III
24. What is meant by “judicial power”?
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25. What are the qualifications of a Supreme Court Justice?
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26. Describe the process for someone to become a Supreme Court Justice?
______________________________________________________________________________
27. Under what conditions may a Supreme Court Justice be removed?
______________________________________________________________________________
28. How long is a judicial term? ____________________________________
29. According to Article III Section 2, what is the “original jurisdiction” of the Supreme Court?
(Meaning, what cases are they supposed to take?)
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30. Can judicial review, or a justification for it, be found in Article III? Explain.
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ARTICLE IV
31. What does the Full Faith and Credit Clause require of states?
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32. What does the Privileges and Immunities Clause require of states?
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33. How do the “Full Faith and Credit Clause” and “Privileges and Immunities Clause” work
together? How can they come into conflict?
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34. How can states be added according to Section 3?
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35. What is purpose of the Republican Government Clause? What historical event led to the
creation of this clause, and arguably the Constitutional Convention itself?
______________________________________________________________________________
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ARTICLE V
36. Describe the amendment process, including both ways to propose, and both ways to ratify
amendments, and the proportions necessary in each case.
Propose ______________________________________
______________________________________
Ratify
______________________________________
______________________________________
ARTICLE VI
37. Why was important that the new Constitution would make the national government
responsible for all prior debts?
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38. What is the requirement of the Supremacy Clause?
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39. Why could someone argue that the Supremacy Clause creates judicial review?
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40. How is the requirement of Senators and Representatives to be bound by “oath or affirmation”
related to the subsequent requirement that there be no religious tests to hold office?
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ARTICLE VII
41. How many states were needed to ratify the Constitution? ________ Does this requirement
undermine any of the purposes of the Constitution laid out in the Preamble? Explain.
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AMENDMENTS
Create a short summary of all 27 amendments.
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________________________
6. ____________________________________________________________________________
7. ____________________________________________________________________________
8. ____________________________________________________________________________
9. ____________________________________________________________________________
10. ___________________________________________________________________________
11. ___________________________________________________________________________
12. ___________________________________________________________________________
13. ___________________________________________________________________________
14. ___________________________________________________________________________
15. ___________________________________________________________________________
16. ___________________________________________________________________________
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17. ___________________________________________________________________________
18. ___________________________________________________________________________
19. ___________________________________________________________________________
20. ___________________________________________________________________________
21. ___________________________________________________________________________
22. ___________________________________________________________________________
23. ___________________________________________________________________________
24. ___________________________________________________________________________
25. ___________________________________________________________________________
26. ___________________________________________________________________________
27. ___________________________________________________________________________
1. Why are amendments necessary? Explain and give at least one example.
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2. What is the Bill of Rights? ______________________________________________________
1st Amendment
2. What is the purpose of the Establishment Clause? Why is this clause controversial?
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3. What is the purpose of the Free Exercise Clause? When does this clause become
controversial?
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4. Other than religion, what freedoms does the 1st Amendment protect?
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5. How may laws may Congress pass in order to regulate the liberties mentioned in the 1st
Amendment? Does the U.S. government follow this provision? Do you generally agree with the
U.S. government on this issue? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________
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2nd Amendment
6. In your opinion, does the 2nd Amendment create an unconditional right to bear arms? Explain
your reasoning.
______________________________________________________________________________
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3rd Amendment
7. Why does the 3rd Amendment make it so that the government cannot quarter troops in the
homes of citizens?
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4th Amendment
8. What are the requirements of a legal search?
______________________________________________________________________________
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9. Does the 4th Amendment protect a right to privacy, in your opinion? Explain.
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5th Amendment
10. What is meant by “due process”?
______________________________________________________________________________
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11. If due process procedures are followed, can you be denied your right to life, liberty, or
property? YES / NO
12. What is a grand jury? ________________________________________________________
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13. What is the purpose of the “double jeopardy” provision?
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14. What is eminent domain? What is required for the government to exercise this power?
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6th and 7th Amendments
15. Compare the rights of the 6th and 7th Amendments.
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8th Amendment
16. What is the difference between a cruel punishment and an unusual punishment? Give
examples.
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9th Amendment
17. Give two examples of rights the Supreme Court added beyond those mentioned in the Bill of
Rights. _______________________________________________________________________
10th Amendment
18. How does the 10th Amendment define the powers of states?
______________________________________________________________________________
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13th Amendment
19. Why was the combination of the 13th Amendment’s abolition of slavery and Article IV’s
Privileges and Immunities Clause supposed to be enough for former slaves to be treated equally?
______________________________________________________________________________
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14th Amendment
19. What was the original intent of the 14th Amendment?
______________________________________________________________________________
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20. How does one become a citizen according to the 14th Amendment?
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21. What is the purpose of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause?
______________________________________________________________________________
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22. What is the purpose of the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause?
______________________________________________________________________________
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23. How have the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the 14th Amendment been used
by the Supreme Court to expand the rights of Americans? Give examples.
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22nd Amendment
24. How does a two-term limit lead to a decrease, and increase, in the power of the presidency?
______________________________________________________________________________
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