AP US Government Summer Assignment 2018 Part 1-Weekly Journals Google Classroom Code rwz45t During the course of the summer (beginning the week of June 11-15 and ending the week of July 16-20), keep a current events journal through my google classroom. Once a week students will write a post, a minimum of two paragraphs (complete sentences; 500 words) about the major event or events in American government and/or politics from the current or past week. In the first paragraph, you should describe the event or events, and, in the second paragraph, you should analyze the significance of it/them and state any opinions, thoughts, or analysis that you might have about it/them. You must intelligently discuss one particularly important issue each week. Your journal should deal with issues that are of significant importance to American politics and government. Such things include what the President is up to, what Congress is debating or legislation that they are passing, constitutional issues or major federal court decisions concerning them, debates over political issues in America, international crises or foreign policy issues that somehow affect the US or that our government must deal with, etc. Students are also required to respond to at least one classmates post in a 250 word paragraph each week. With each week s entry, you must cite in MLA format any news media sources you used during that week. Part 2-Constitution Study Guide Please complete the Constitution Study Guide that starts on the next page of this document
AP US Government Constitution Study Guide: Summer 2018 Directions: Complete the study guide below in your own words using the Constitution, your brain, and other available resources including the Interactive Constitution available at www.constitutioncenter.org. To earn full credit, this study guide MUST BE HANDWRITTEN and CLEARLY LEGIBLE. Furthermore, all work must be your own. You are not allowed to share answers with other students, or else you risk earning a zero. **This is due the first day of school for a minor assessment grade and we will have a Constitution quiz the first Friday of school** A. PREAMBLE 1. Summarize the Preamble in your own words. 2. What are some concepts that you think were left out of the Preamble but should have been included? What are some things that you would not have included? Explain. (3-4 sentence response).
B. ARTICLES 1. How many articles are listed in the Constitution? 2. Summarize the general purpose or subject of each Article of the Constitution in the chart below: Article I Article II Article III Article IV Article V
Article VI Article VII C. LEGISLATIVE BRANCH 1. Based on what you know about the English political tradition and previous social studies classes, why do you think the Legislative Branch is listed first? 2. Read Article I, Sections 2 and 3, and complete the chart below: Position How they are Elected Qualifications Length of Term
Senator Representative 3. How are the numbers of Representatives for each state determined? 4. Based on what you ve learned, what factors account for the differences between the Senate and the House?
5. What specific powers are granted to the Senate exclusively? Why do you think that is? (enumerated powers) 6. Read Article I, Section 7, paragraph 1. What specific powers are granted to the House of Representatives exclusively? Why do you think that is? (enumerated powers) 7. Examine Article I, Section 8. What are four of the most important non-economic powers given to Congress? 8. What are the most important economic powers granted to Congress?
9. Article I, Section 8 is often referred to as the enumerated powers. What do you think this means? 10. The final clause in Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 18 is referred to as the necessary and proper clause. What do you think this means? Why do you think this section is sometimes called the Elastic Clause? Follow up: Why do you think the implied powers have been the center of controversy since the Constitution was first drafted?
11. Read Article I, Section 9. What non-economic powers are denied to Congress? 12. Read Article I, Section 9. What economic powers are denied to Congress? 13. Read Article I, Section 10. What are some economic powers denied to the states? 14. Read Article I, Section 10. What are some non-economic the powers denied the states?
15. In terms of representation, how are slaves counted? Where can you find this in the Constitution? D. THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH 1. According to Article II, Section 1, what are some of the Constitutional duties of the President? 2. What are the formal qualifications for the Presidency? 3. What do you think are some of the informal qualifications for the Presidency? Why? Explain. (2-4 sentences).
4. What does Article II, Section 3 describe? 5. What are the formal qualifications for Vice President? 6. What are the expressed powers of the Vice President? 7. Compare Article I with Article II. Which Article is more longer and more detailed? Why do you think this is the case? Explain. (3-4 sentences) E. THE JUDICIAL BRANCH 1. Describe the role of the Supreme Court, as per the Constitution:
2. Who determines how many judges are on the Supreme Court? Who is given the power to establish lower courts? 3. How does Article III compare with Articles I and II regarding length and detail? 4. What is original jurisdiction? In what types of cases does the Supreme Court retain original jurisdiction? 5. The Constitution has comparatively little to say about the structure and composition of the Supreme Court. Identify two aspects of the Court s structure and composition that the Constitution does not specify. (The Constitution does specify these two basic aspects of structure and composition for the other two branches). F. MISCELLANEOUS
1. Summarize Article IV, Section 1 and Section 2, paragraph 1 in your own words. What is this commonly known as? 2. Summarize Article VI, paragraph 2. What does this mean in your own words, and what is this commonly known as? 3. Describe the Electoral College in your own words. In what two parts of the Constitution is the Electoral College described? 4. What is the process for determining how many electoral votes each state receives? 5. If no candidate for the presidency wins a simple majority of the total number of electoral votes, what body has the power to choose the President?
G. CHECKS AND BALANCES According to the principle of checks and balances, each branch of the government must have control over the other branches. Look at the first three articles of the Constitution and identify one of each type of checks and balances. Indicate where each power is listed in the Constitution. a. A power that the executive branch has over the legislative branch: This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution: b. A power that the executive branch holds over the judicial branch: This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution: c. A power that the legislative branch holds over the executive branch: This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution: d. A power that the legislative branch holds over the judicial branch: This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution: e. A power that the judicial branch holds over the executive branch: This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution: f. A power that the judicial branch holds over the legislative branch:
This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution: H. CLAUSES 1. Where is the Commerce Clause in the Constitution and what does it say in your own words? 2. Where is the Supremacy Clause found in the Constitution and what does it say in your own words? 3. How might the aforementioned clauses have impacted the power of the federal government? Have they increased or decreased the power of the national government? Explain. 4. Where is the habeas corpus clause in the Constitution and what does it say in your own words? 5. Where are bills of attainder discussed and what does it say in your own words? 6. Where are ex post facto laws discussed and what does it say in your own words?
7. There are two due process clauses. Where are they? What does due process of law imply? 8. Where is the equal protection clause? What does this imply? 9. What is a real-world example or Supreme Court case that relates to the equal protection clause? Explain the connection. 10. Find the takings clause (aka eminent domain) of the 5 th Amendment. What does this mean? I. MAJORITIES AND SUPERMAJORITIES The Constitution requires a simple majority for some actions and a supermajority for others. A simple majority means more than half, while supermajority requirements can involve a 2/3 majority or a 3/4 majority. Most elections in the United States require a plurality, or the most votes, but not necessarily a majority. 1. a. What bodies have the power to override a presidential veto?
b. What margin is required to override a presidential veto? c. Where in the Constitution is the veto power described? 2. a. What body has the power to ratify treaties? b. What margin is required to ratify treaties? c. Where in the Constitution is the ratification power described? 3. To impeach means to bring charges against or to indict. a. What body has the power to impeach the president? b. What vote is required to impeach? c. What is the standard for impeachment (in other words, according to the Constitution, what can the President be impeached for)? d. Which two presidents in US History have been impeached? 4. Impeachment Continued.
a. What body has the power to convict the president of charges brought against him in the impeachment process and thereby remove him from the presidency? b. What type of majority vote is required to convict and remove a president? c. Where in the Constitution is the impeachment power described? d. What Presidents, if any, have been convicted? 5. a. What body has the power to accept or reject a president s nominations to the Supreme Court? b. What margins are required to elevate a president s nominee to a seat on the Court? c. Where in the Constitution are judicial nominations described? d. What language is used to describe the role of the Senate in Supreme Court nominations? 6. The Constitution specifies a three-fourths majority for just one process- identify and explain the process in your own words.
7. List all parts of the Constitution that require a supermajority. For each, explain why you believe there is a supermajority requirement. 8. What are two ways that amendments to the Constitution can be proposed? 9. What are two ways that amendments to the Constitution can be ratified (formally approved)? J. AMENDMENT PROCESS Some parts of the Constitution require a simple majority, others a supermajority, while still others protect citizens from the will of the majority. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights protect citizens from the will of the majority. In other words, no majority could vote to take these rights away. Read each amendment to the Constitution and answer the questions below. 1. Outline the general purpose of all 27 Amendments in your own words.
Amendment 1 Amendment 2 Amendment 3 Amendment 4 Amendment 5
Amendment 6 Amendment 7 Amendment 8 Amendment 9
Amendment 10 Amendment 11 Amendment 12 Amendment 13 Amendment 14
Amendment 15 Amendment 16 Amendment 17 Amendment 18 Amendment 19
Amendment 20 Amendment 21 Amendment 22 Amendment 23 Amendment 24 Amendment 25 Amendment 26
Amendment 27 2. Which amendment(s) of the Constitution protect the rights of women? 3. Which amendment (s) of the Constitution protect the rights of African Americans? 4. How were US Senators chosen before the Seventeenth Amendment? 5. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment describes the sequence of events that would install the vice president as acting president against the will of the president. Outline that sequence of events. 6. How many times is the word privacy mentioned in the Constitution (articles and amendments)? Explain. 7. Which amendment(s) pertain to the right of suffrage? Explain. 8. What are reserved powers and where are they found in the Constitution? What are examples of reserved powers?