Free University Project
Introduction to American Government
Last Update: May 10, 2004

The material covered in the CLEP exam in American Government (which is reflected in the lecture notes and study guide which follow) is generally considered equivalent to a one semester lower division college course.

Exam type:
CLEP: 100 multiple choice questions in two 45-minute sessions
Typical credits: 3 units
GRE: 220 multiple choice questions - Subject matter in American Government is included as part of the subject GRE in Political Science.
Typical credit: 3 - 30 units

More details about the GRE to come.

The CLEP Exam

NOTE: There are at least two on-line courses that appear to relate directly to the material in the CLEP Exam. In addition, there is an extensive amount of information available from book publishers, government entities, universities, and private organizations. Featured faculty and their home pages can be found at the end of this page.
(I didn't promise you a rose garden. See disclaimer.)

This suggested study guide is based on a few primary works from those who have generously posted their lectures and outlines on the Web, plus a small selection from the hundreds of American Government-related links.

The topics in bold face are those The College Board indicates will be found on the exams. Percentages given after the main topic headings are only approximate.Always check with The College Board for the latest information.

Getting Started

Here is one way that you can begin. (If you haven't read a general step-by-step guide, this might be a good time. See also How to Budget Your Time)

A) Go to a major encyclopedia and look up the Government section under United States. (The Columbia Encyclopedia is free, as are some entries in Encarta. You can often buy encyclopedias on CD-ROM at discount prices.)) You should find headings similar to these:

Read these selections and take notes.

C) Now explore an archival site which features two books related to American Government: The Politics of American Government
The Play of Power
The portions that are still useful includes brief chapter outlines and additional lecture material. Print out the Table of Contents for each book. After you have completed each Unit of the Study Guide find the chapter(s) of each book that covers the same material as that in the Unit and use the material as a way of reviewing the subject.

[VIDEO] If you have access to broadband connections, you can view related videos on demand from the Annenberg/CPB Channel (The Constitution: That Delicate Balance). These videos do not cover all of the material in the CLEP exam but do highlight some key points. It was shot some years ago so you will recognize many of the famous people who participated in the programs -- only much younger than they are now.
Scroll through the descriptions of the programs.

Before you begin, set aside a couple of study sessions to read The Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and all amendments. Then review the law-making process in both the House of Representatives and The Senate. (This background will help you better understand the role of political parties, pressure groups, lobbyists, public opinion, the media, etc. on the making of laws.)

Subject matter covered on the CLEP exam:

Constitutional underpinnings of American Democracy 15-20%

  • Federalism
  • Separation of powers
  • Checks & balances
  • Majority rule
  • Minority rights
  • Theories of democracy
  • Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution

    Federal courts, civil liberties, and civil rights 15-20%
  • development of civil rights and civil liberties by judicial interpretation
  • Structure & processes of the judicial system with emphasis on the role of the Supreme Court
  • The Bill of Rights
  • Equal protection and due process

    Political parties and interest groups: 15-20%
  • Political parties - function, organization, mobilization, historical development, and effects on political process
  • Interest groups (their activities & effects on the politcal process)
  • Elections and the electorial process

    Political beliefs and behavior 10-15%
  • Processes, political life, public opinion
  • Voting behavior
  • Influence of public opinion on political leaders

    Institutions and policy processes: Presidency, Bureaucracy, and Congress 30-35%
  • relationships between them and:
  • political parties,
  • interest groups,
  • the media,
  • public opinion

    • Study Guide

    Unit 1

    Introduction

    Read: the 8 part series: What is Democracy?
    Introduction
    Defining Democracy
    Rights
    The Rule of Law
    Elections
    The Culture of Democracy
    Democratic government
    Politics, Economics and Pluralism

    Lecture: Liberty and Order (G. Norton)

    Notes for Chapter 1. Government and the People (Barajas)

    Lecture Outline: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY (Bigelow)

    Unit 2
    Constitutional Underpinnings of American Democracy

    [VIDEO] Federalism How much power the federal government can wield over state and local affairs is debated in this final episode. Among those featured are Senators Orrin Hatch and Daniel Moynihan and Columbia University professor Diane Ravitch. Program 13 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    Read: Chapter 1
    The Constitution: An Enduring Document (OutlineAmGov)
    also:
    Benjamin Franklin's Rising Sun (OutlineAmGov)
    Washington and the Constitutional Convention (OutlineAmGov)
    The Bill of Rights (OutlineAmGov)
    The Debate Over Slavery (OutlineAmGov)

    Read: Chapter 1 The Constitution (Pink Monkey)

    Lecture: The Constitution (G. Norton)

    Lecture Outline: THE CONSTITUTION (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: Constitution (Rutledge)
    Lecture Outline: Majoritarian/Pluralist (Rutledge)

    Unit 3
    Explaining the Constitution

    [VIDEO] Executive Privilege and Delegation of Powers. Can the President's conversations with advisors remain secret when Congress demands to know what was said? Congresswoman Barbara Mikulski, former President Gerald Ford, and Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox bring first-hand experience to this topic. Program 1 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    Read: Chapter 2
    Explaining the Constitution: The Federalist Papers (OutlineAmGov)

    Read: Chapter 2 Federalism (Pink Monkey)

    Lecture: Separation of Powers (G. Norton)

    Notes for Chapter 3. The Federal System (pdf format) (Barajas)

    Lecture Outline: FEDERALISM (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: Federalism (Rutledge)

    Reference: Search or Browse through The Federalist Papers

    Unit 4
    Federal Courts and Civil Liberties

    [VIDEO] Crime and Punishments Cruel and unusual punishment, from overcrowding in prisons to the death penalty, is debated by U.S. Court of Appeals judge Arthur Alarcon, Federal Bureau of Prisons director Norman Carlson, government leaders, civil libertarians, and journalists. Program 6 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    [VIDEO] School Prayer, Gun Control, and the Right To Assemble A series of events embroils a small town in First and Second Amendment controversies. Featured are Griffin Bell, former secretary of education Shirley Hufstedler, and civil liberties counsel Jeanne Baker. Program 9 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    [VIDEO] Affirmative Action Versus Reverse Discrimination Are quotas based on sex or race unconstitutional? Participants include Ellen Goodman, former EEOC chair Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington Post columnist William Raspberry, and United Federation of Teachers president Albert Shanker. Program 12 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    [VIDEO] Right To Live, Right To Die Gloria Steinem, Joseph Califano, Rep. Henry Hyde, Phil Donahue, and others discuss the right to make intensely individual decisions about dying, abortion, personal freedom, and privacy. Program 10 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    [VIDEO] Criminal Justice and a Defendant's Right to a Fair Trial Should a lawyer defend a guilty person? This and other questions are debated by Bronx district attorney Mario Merola, former New York mayor Edward Koch, CBS News anchor Dan Rather, and others. Program 4 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    [VIDEO] Crime and Insanity Is a psychiatric evaluation precise enough to be allowed as testimony in a court of law? U.S. Court of Appeals judge Irving Kaufman, Hastings Center president Willard Gaylin, and others discuss the use of psychiatry in law. Program 5 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    Read: Chapter 5
    The Judicial Branch: Interpreting the Constitution (OutlineAmGov)

    Read Chapter 6
    Landmark decisions of the Supreme Court (OutlineAmGov)

    Read: Chapter 5 The Judiciary (Pink Monkey)

    Read: Chapter 12 Civil Liberties (Pink Monkey)

    Read: Chapter 13 Civil Rights (Pink Monkey)

    Lecture: Rights and Liberties, Pt. I (G. Norton)

    Lecture: Rights and Liberties, Pt. 2 (G. Norton )

    Lecture: The Supreme Court (G. Norton)

    Lecture: The Judiciary (Barajas)

    Lecture Outline: THE JUDICIARY (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: CIVIL LIBERTIES (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: CIVIL RIGHTS (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: Judiciary (Rutledge)
    Lecture Outline: Civil Liberties (Rutledge)
    Lecture Outline: Civil Rights (Rutledge)

    Unit 5
    Human Rights

    [VIDEO] Immigration Reform The rights of legal and illegal aliens to employment and to medical and educational services are debated by U.S. Court of Appeals judge Arlin Adams, Notre Dame president Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, and immigration officials and journalists. Program 11 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    Read: The pamphlet Introduction to Human Rights

    Unit 6
    Political Parties and Pressure Groups

    Read: Chapter 8
    Government of the People: The role of the citizen (OutlineAmGov)
    also:
    Political Parties (OutlineAmGov)

    Read: Chapter 7 Public Opinion (Pink Monkey)

    Read: Chapter 9 Political Parties (Pink Monkey)

    Read: Chapter 11 Interest Groups (Pink Monkey)

    Lecture: Public Opinion (G. Norton)

    Lecture Outline: (pdf format)PUBLIC OPINION (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: Public Opinion (Rutledge)

    Lecture: Political Parties and Interest Groups (G. Norton)

    Lecture Outline: POLITICAL PARTIES (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: Political Parties (Rutledge)

    Lecture Outline: INTEREST GROUPS (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: Interest Groups (Rutledge)

    Unit 7
    Institutions and Policy Processes: Congress

    Read: Chapter 4
    The Legislative Branch: The Reach of Congress (OutlineAmGov)
    also:
    The Committee System (OutlineAmGov)
    The Oversite Powers of Congress (OutlineAmGov)

    Read: Chapter 3 Congress (Pink Monkey)

    Reading: The Legislative Process -- Tying it All Together

    Lecture: Congress (G. Norton)

    Lecture: The Congress (Barajas)

    Lecture Outline: CONGRESS (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: Congress (Rutledge)

    Reference: How the Senate Works Note also the Glossary.

    Unit 8
    Institutions and Policy Processes: The President and the Cabinet

    [VIDEO] War Powers and Covert Action If the president, as commander in chief, decides to declare war, can Congress restrain him? Debating the issue are Gerald Ford, former CIA deputy director Bobby Inman, former secretary of state Edmund Muskie, and others. Program 2 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    [VIDEO] Nomination, Election, and Succession of the President A tangled web of issues is involved in electing a president. Edmund Muskie, former presidential press secretary Jody Powell, party officials, and others discuss the role of political parties, the electoral college, and what to do if a president becomes disabled. Program 3 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    Read: Chapter 3
    The Executive Branch: Powers of the Presidency (OutlineAmGov)
    also:
    The Presidency (OutlineAmGov)
    The Cabinet (OutlineAmGov)
    The Government of the United States (OutlineAmGov)

    Read: Chapter 4 The President (Pink Monkey)

    Lecture: The Presidency (G. Norton)

    Lecture: The President (Barajas)

    Lecture Outline: THE PRESIDENCY (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: Presidency (Rutledge)

    Unit 9
    Institutions and Policy Processes: The Bureucracy

    Read: Chapter 6 The Bureaucracy (Pink Monkey)

    Lecture: The Bureaucracy (G. Norton)

    Lecture: The Bureaucracy (Barajas)

    Lecture Outline: Bureaucracy (Rutledge)

    Unit 10
    State and Local Government

    Read: Chapter 7
    A Country of Many Governments (OutlineAmGov)

    Lecture Outline: State/Local Politics (Rutledge)

    Unit 11
    Political Beliefs and Behavior

    [VIDEO] Campaign Spending Do limits on campaign spending infringe on First Amendment rights? Political consultant David Garth, Washington Post columnist David Broder, Bill Moyers, and others explore the issues. Program 7 (Broadband Video on Demand) 

    Read: Chapter 8 Mass Media (Pink Monkey)

    Read: Chapter 10 Voting and Elections

    Lecture: Elections (G. Norton)

    Lecture Outline: ELECTIONS AND VOTING (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: Political Environment (Rutledge)

    Lecture: The Media (G. Norton)

    Lecture Outline: THE MEDIA (Bigelow)

    Lecture Outline: Media (Rutledge)

    Lecture: Public Policy Techniques (G. Norton)

    Read: Chapter 14 Public Policy (Pink Monkey)

    Lecture: Social Welfare Policy (G. Norton)

    Lecture Outline: Policy Making (Rutledge)

    Lecture Outline: Campaigns (Rutledge)

    Lecture Outline: Participation/Socialization (Rutledge)

    Unit 12
    Government and the Economy

    Read: Chapter 15 Economic Policy (Pink Monkey)

    Lecture Outline: Domestic Policy (Rutledge)

    Lecture Outline: Economic Policy (Rutledge)

    Lecture: Government and the Economy (G. Norton)

    Foreign Policy

    Read: Chapter 16 Foreign Policy (Pink Monkey)

    Lecture: Foreign Policy (G. Norton)

    Lecture Outline: Foreign Policy (Rutledge)

    Browse:
    Appendix:
    Additional Readings on U.S. Government (OutlineAmGov)

    Dont forget to keep your journal up-to-date
    Related On-Line Texts - to come

    Internet Resources
    Basic Readings in U.S. Democracy

    Offline Resources
    CD-ROM Time Almanac of the 20th Century (can frequently be found at discount prices) Faculty:
    Chief Justice Richard Barajas Cathedral High School
    Prof. Grace NortonWest Virginia Northern Community College

    Good Luck!

    and let us know how you are doing.

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