AP US Government & Politics — Cheatsheet
Formulas, exam-day tips, and key terms on one page.
On the exam
- When a free-response prompt names a foundational document, do not just summarize it — **apply its argument** to the scenario. For Federalist 10, name factions and the large-republic remedy; for Brutus 1, name the fear of a distant, consolidated government and the small-republic ideal.
- Pair the cases as a contrast: **McCulloch expanded** federal power (implied powers + supremacy), while **Lopez limited** it (commerce power has bounds; reserved powers matter). Free-response prompts love asking you to compare a required case with a non-required one, so know which direction each pushed.
- Anchor the House–Senate contrast on **debate**: the House limits it (Rules Committee, majority rules), the Senate does not (filibuster, cloture needs 60). Many exam items reduce to which chamber’s rules apply, so lead with that distinction.
- Link the documents to the cases: **Federalist 78** theorizes judicial review and the "least dangerous branch," and **Marbury v. Madison** makes it real. If a prompt asks how the judiciary became co-equal despite lacking sword or purse, cite both together.
- On accountability questions, name a check for each branch: **Congress** (funding + oversight hearings + rewriting the law), **president** (appointments + executive orders), **courts** (reviewing agency actions). Listing all three earns broader credit than naming just one.
- Sort the First Amendment cases by clause: **Engel** (Establishment), **Yoder** (Free Exercise), **Tinker** (symbolic speech), **Schenck** (limits on speech — clear and present danger), **NYT v. US** (press, no prior restraint). Naming the clause and the standard together earns the point.
- Both **Gideon** (right to counsel) and **McDonald** (right to bear arms) are incorporation cases decided under the **Fourteenth Amendment**. If a prompt asks how a Bill of Rights protection came to bind a *state*, "selective incorporation through the Due Process Clause" is your framework.
- Keep the concepts distinct: **civil liberties** are freedoms *from* government interference (speech, religion, due process); **civil rights** are protections *by* government against discrimination (equal protection). Brown and the Equal Protection Clause are civil *rights*; the First Amendment cases are civil *liberties*.
- When a prompt describes shared beliefs, reach for the core-values list — **individualism, equality of opportunity, free enterprise, rule of law, limited government**. Naming the specific value (not just "American values") is what earns credit.
- On poll-interpretation items, always compare the candidates’ gap to the **combined margin of error**. If the lead is smaller than (or within) the margin, call it a **statistical tie** — that phrase is frequently the intended answer.
- Watch the two axes separately: a person can be economically conservative but socially liberal, or vice versa. When a prompt describes a stance, ask whether it is about the **economy** or **social/moral** issues before assigning a label.
- Pair the districting cases: **Baker v. Carr** opened the courthouse door (justiciability → one person, one vote), and **Shaw v. Reno** limited *racial* gerrymandering (strict scrutiny). Prompts often ask you to distinguish which case did which — keep them separate.
- Distinguish the money types cleanly: **direct contributions** to candidates are **limited**; **independent expenditures** (post-Citizens United, often via **Super PACs**) are **unlimited** but must not be coordinated with the campaign. Exam items frequently test the "independent and uncoordinated" condition.
- Keep the media roles distinct: **gatekeeper** (what gets covered), **watchdog** (exposing wrongdoing), **agenda-setter** (what the public treats as important), **framing** (how an issue is portrayed). Scenario questions usually map cleanly onto one of these four terms.
How to get a 5
- For SCOTUS comparison FRQs, always identify the constitutional clause or amendment that links the two cases.
- Understand the difference between civil liberties and civil rights.
- When discussing federalism, use terms like mandates and grants-in-aid.
- Remember that the President's informal powers are often more frequently used than formal powers.
Key terms
Federalism — A system of government in which power is divided between a central (national) government and regional (state) governments.
Tenth Amendment — Reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people.
Commerce Clause — Article I, Section 8 clause giving Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce.
Necessary and Proper Clause — Also known as the Elastic Clause; allows Congress to pass all laws necessary and proper.
Stare Decisis — The legal principle of determining points in litigation according to precedent.
Judicial Review — The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional.
Filibuster — A procedural practice in the Senate to delay or prevent a vote.
Cloture — A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate.
Gerrymandering — The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party.
Incumbency Advantage — The electoral edge afforded to those already in office.
Iron Triangle — The mutually advantageous relationship among an executive agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group.
Selective Incorporation — The process by which provisions of the Bill of Rights are brought within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment.