US Government & Politics Study Library.

Constitutional Convention and the Philadelphia debates · Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation · Separation of powers and checks and balances · Federalism: enumerated, implied, reserved, and concurrent powers · Supremacy Clause and the federal-state relationship · Popular sovereignty, limited government, republicanism · The Preamble and the purposes of the Constitution · Brutus No. 1 and Anti-Federalist concerns · Federalist No. 10 (factions), No. 51 (checks and balances), No. 70 (executive energy), No. 78 (judiciary)

Congressional structure: bicameralism, committees, party leadership, House Rules Committee · Legislative process: how a bill becomes law, filibuster, cloture (60-vote threshold) · Congressional oversight: hearings, investigations, budget power · Presidential formal powers: veto, pocket veto, pardon, treaty-making, appointment · Presidential informal powers: executive orders, signing statements, executive agreements · Bureaucracy: iron triangles, issue networks, regulatory agencies · Federal court structure: district courts, courts of appeal, Supreme Court · Judicial review and landmark SCOTUS precedents · Required Supreme Court cases: Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, U.S. v. Lopez

Selective incorporation doctrine: 14th Amendment Due Process Clause applying Bill of Rights to states · First Amendment: speech (clear and present danger, symbolic speech), press, religion (Establishment, Free Exercise) · Fourth Amendment: unreasonable searches and seizures (Mapp v. Ohio) · Fifth Amendment: self-incrimination, double jeopardy (Miranda v. Arizona) · Sixth Amendment: right to counsel (Gideon v. Wainwright) · Due process: procedural and substantive · Equal protection clause and heightened scrutiny · Tinker v. Des Moines · New York Times v. United States · Required civil rights cases: Brown v. Board of Education, Engel v. Vitale

Political socialization: family, school, media, peers, religion, geography as agents · Public opinion: formation, measurement, and influence on policymaking · Polling methodology: random sampling, sampling error, margin of error, question wording effects, response bias · Political ideology: liberal vs. conservative positions across policy domains · Ideological distribution and political polarization · Demographic factors in political belief: race, gender, age, religion, income, education · Ideology and policy preferences on economic, social, and foreign policy issues

Types of elections: primary, general, caucus, initiative, referendum, recall · Electoral College: mechanics, winner-take-all vs. proportional allocation, 270-vote threshold, faithless electors · Single-member plurality (first-past-the-post) vs. proportional representation systems · Political parties: functions, party realignment, dealignment, New Deal coalition, Southern strategy · Interest groups: pluralism, elitism, iron triangles, revolving door · Campaign finance: PACs, Super PACs, Citizens United v. FEC · Media: traditional and social media as political actors · Voter turnout: factors affecting participation (education, age, income, registration laws) · Linkage institutions connecting citizens to government