<p>1) can someone explain the court system: like the differnece between appellete and district etc…</p>
<p>2) what are the main positions on the white houses staff that we should know?</p>
<p>1) Constitution created only one court; the Supreme Court, but gave Congress the power to create additional inferior courts. It created 2 types of courts to handle cases that the Supreme Court did not have original jurisdiction over; constitutional courts and legislative courts. Constitutional Courts deal with constitutional law (US District Courts, etc) and legislative deal with specialized trials (Court of Military Appeals, etc). District Courts hold federal trials and have jurisdiction in that area. The appellate courts are for appeals; they decide whether the inferior courts followed the law and Constitution when deciding cases. They have appellate jurisdiction. The Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction over matters such as those but original jurisdiction when there is a case between two states, two citizens from different states, a citizen versus the US, or the US versus a foreign nation/person.</p>
<p>2) Office of Management and Budget - prepare budget for president
Council of Economic Advisors - advise and help coordinate economic policy</p>
<p>On the sample responses for Barron’s FRQs they go into a ton of detail, including names of Senators/Reps that I’ve never even heard of and statistics I wouldn’t remember even if I had studied them.</p>
<p>I’m assuming since they stress concise answers that Barrons is just being an overachiever?</p>
<p>Yeah Barrons, PR, and Kaplan tend to go overboard. A ton of miscellaneous information is added for enrichment.</p>
<p>What’s the difference between ideological parties, third parties, and factional parties? What makes the Libertarian Party one, Reform Party one, and Green Party one?</p>
<p>Ideological parties are parties-based on particular set of beliefs, a broad view of social,economic, and political matters, e.g. the communist party or the libertarian party which believes in individualism. Third parties are smaller parties that oppose the typical U.S. two party system and may include the Green party, other independent parties. They are influential to the two party system because they provide new ideas and, voice for fringe, safety valve for discontent, enhanced participation, and room for critical voices. Factional parties is a group of individuals who are united in a common goal or set of common goals, and their only purpose is to advance their agenda, and organization.</p>
<p>Campaign Financing anyone? PAC’s, soft money???</p>
<p>I don’t think we need to know all the details of campaign financing.</p>
<p>Just know what PACs are and that they had a limit before the recent SC ruling.</p>
<p>Does anybody else think this test will be a lot easier compared to the stuff being asked? Like I, personally, doubt that they’ll ask about ideological parties and whatnot.
Or maybe I’ve just convinced myself it will be easier :/</p>
<p>for PACs just know that they donate money to campaigns and that money is limited</p>
<p>for campaign finance you should be familiar with the McCain-Feingold Bill (Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act)
the biggest provision of it was that banned soft money contributions to national parties and that soft money contributions to state and local parties are limited</p>
<p>and finally for soft money just know that it is money that is given to a party for general party building purposes versus hardmoney which is used to elect people (hardmoney is regulated money)</p>
<p>What are the types of ways that a person in Congress will vote, and what are independent regulatory agencies, independent executive agencies, and government corporations?</p>
<p>whats the best way to study for FRQ’s?? I will do fine with multiple choice but when I get the questions in FRQ form the questions are always worded so strangely and I blank out and don’t have any clue what to put when in reality it can be something relatively easy. What to use to best prepare for FRQ’s? I made 128 flash cards from my crash course key terms, key court cases , and key acts of congress.</p>
<p>^^ The types of ways that a person in Congress will vote:
- Trustee - relies on his own judgment for most voting, and his constituents will allow him to because they “trust” that his decision is best (ex. Ted Kennedy).</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Delegate - votes to appease his constituents, keeps his own opinions out of most voting</p></li>
<li><p>Partisan - votes along party lines always</p></li>
<li><p>Politico - combination of delegate/partisan</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Independent Regulatory Agencies are government agencies that have the power to regulate certain sectors of the economy/society and set mandates that will protect public interests. Examples would be the FCC (regulates television, radio, etc.), the SEC (monitor stock market policy), etc.</p>
<p>Government corporations are agencies that provide services and usually charge for them (the post office, Amtrak, TVA).</p>
<p>Independent Executive Agencies are basically the rest - they aren’t cabinet departments, regulatory agencies, or corporations - they are agencies that are funded by the government and have their head appointed by the president (ex. NASA).</p>
<p>^ My review book and teacher used completely different terms:
representational
organizational
attitudinal</p>
<p>Something to worry about?</p>
<p>i’m self studying with some old material, so can someone tell me the stuff i need to know from the mccain feingold act?</p>
<p>mccain feingold act is defunct now I think</p>
<p>Nope. McCain-Feingold = Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002.</p>
<ul>
<li>banned soft money contributions</li>
<li>limited independent expenditure</li>
<li>increased limit of individual donations from $2000 to $2300</li>
</ul>
<p>I just did the first practice exam’s MC in Barron’s; I was only half-heartedly paying attention though because my cat thought that the book was a chair or something and kept laying on it and my hand was falling asleep.</p>
<p>I got a 49/60; some of the ones I missed were stupid, though, and would not be asked (or at least not in that format) on the AP exam.</p>
<p>I have taken the 1999 and 2009 practice tests as well and got 57/60 on both of those. I’m guessing that I’m still in good shape for a 5?</p>
<p>"Can anyone explain how the president appoints bureaucracy heads? Is it the same as cabinet members? And which agencies does he appoint? "</p>
<p>too lazy to add quote tags but what he said^</p>
<p>is it necessary to write full blown essays on the free response section?</p>
<p>deb83r: No it is not necessary to write full essays. Just label your answers as a) b) c) and so on and answer the question and thoroughly yet concisely as you can. (if that makes any sense)</p>
<p>examples are your friend!</p>