FRQ Topics From Past AP Tests 1999-2013
*SBQ questions are graphs, charts, or other data driven questions
1999
1. 1990’s Presidential Campaigns
2. National interest groups
3. Congress and oversight of the federal bureaucracy
4. Growth of Mandatory Spending in the Federal Budget (pie charts SBQ)
2000
1. The Constitution and The Articles of Confederation/decentralization
2. Supreme Court/appointment of Supreme Court justices
3. Voting patterns in 92 & 96 presidential elections (map SBQ)
4. Congress in enacting campaign finance reform (obstacles)
2001
1. Constitution (formal and informal ways to amend it)
2. Reelection rates for incumbents in the House and Senate (SBQ)
3. 14th Amendment (due process/equal protection provisions)
4. Political factors that make it difficult for the federal government to enact public policy
2002
1. “Divided government” and the problems is poses for the President in making federal appointments
2. Distribution of Government Benefits (SBQ)
3. Political institutions (obstacles and opportunities to racial minority groups)
4. Declining voter turnout in elections but higher in presidential elections than in midterm elections
2003
1. Presidential approval ratings over the course of a presidential administration
2. Citizens participating in the political process in ways other than voting
3. (SBQ) Change in number of Government employees, relation to block grants or federal mandates
4. Party leadership and committees in Congress and the legislative process
2004
1. Formal and informal powers of the President and the advantages over Congress in foreign policy.
2. Interest Groups (techniques used based on their resources, characteristics, and goals)
3. (SBQ) Minor parties (third parties)
4. Trust and confidence in government (divided government) (increased cost of election campaigns)
2005
1. Judicial branch insulated from public opinion, why not deviating too far from public opinion
2. Federal vs states. Tax and Spend, “Necessary and Proper Clause, Commerce Clause.
3. Selective incorporation and civil rights.
4. Describe/debate various campaign finance reforms
2006
1. Interest Groups and Political Parties- role in the U.S., how they differ in goals
2. (SBQ) Entitlement programs and the federal budget and the role of Social Security.
3. Relationship between Congress and the President and the bureaucracy. Policy-making discretion for agencies.
4. Bicameral legislative system. Powers given to each chamber and why the given that specific power.
2007
1. Electoral College and winner-take-all system. Third-party candidates. Why the electoral college still?
2. The First Amendment and the freedom of religion. Reference Supreme Court cases.
3. The War Powers Resolution (1973). Congress vs President over war making.
4. Federalism. When/why/how national increases power via states, and vice-versa.
2008
1. Congressional reapportionment and gerrymandering. Congressional redistricting.
2. Factors that enable presidents to exert influence over Congress in the area of domestic policymaking
3. Fiscal and monetary policy. The Federal Reserve Board.
4. 15th Amendment, civil rights policies and African American voter turnout.
2009
1. Federalist 10 majority and minority factions.
2. Linkage connecting citizens to the government. Age and education and how you vote.
3. Congress and lawmaking. Rules of each chamber and passing legislation. House and majority party advantages, House and Senate Rules that allow legislation to pass 1 chamber and not the other.
4. (chart question) Media influence through agenda setting.
2010
1. Interest Groups, how they influence over policy. Federal government regulation of interest groups.
2. The federal bureaucracy, the merit system. Bureaucratic independence and provisions to check the bureaucracy.
3. The demographic makeup of Democratic and Republican parties and how they have changed.
4. Limited government and restricting the powers of the national government. Federalism, checks and balances, establishment clause, public trial, citizenship clause, selective incorporation.
2011
1. Define judicial review, checks and balances on court, writ of certiorari, stare decisis, judicial activism
2. Characteristics of valid poll, how polls effect voting by legislators, limits on voting by legislators
3. Open primary, caucus, winner-take-all system, superdelegates, strategies to win nomination/general
4. President vs Congress, veto power, executive orders, commander-in-chief, legislative oversight, advice-and-consent, budgetary powers
2012
1. Congress: Filibuster, House Rules Committee, Conference committee, casework, and oversight.
2. Minority representation: Voting Rights Act of 1965, 24th amendment, barriers to representation (SBQ).
3. Judicial branch: process/motivations of appointment and confirmation. Checks on judicial branch.
4. Interest groups: influence elections, amicus curiae briefs, use of the media, iron triangles.
2013
1. Direct democracy, republican form of government, why republican, different models of congressional representation, trustee vs delegate.
2. Function of political parties, direct primaries, candidate-centered campaigns, party polarization.
3. (data table) Factors in nominating candidates to federal courts, including demographics and party polarization. Factors affecting confirmation.
4. Formation and implementation of public policy. Media, elections, congressional committees, executive orders, bureaucratic discretion, iron triangles, issue networks.
2014
1. Constitution ratification and the compromise between the Federalist and Anti-Federalist. The different view on government power, growth in power of national government in the original Constitution, Anti-Federalist concerns and the 1st and 10th Amendments, Equal Protection and Due Process and the 14th Amendment and how they have altered the balance of power between the national and state governments.
2. Voter turnout. The effect of the 15th, 19th and 26th amendments and the electorate. Motor Voter laws and Photo ID and how they affect voter turnout. Demographic features of age and education and there effect on turnout. Differences in turnout in Presidential vs. mid-terms and primary vs. general elections.
3. Congress and the President and foreign policy. Enumerated powers of Congress and expressed powers of the President in making foreign policy. Executive agreements expanding the president’s power. Elections and mid-term elections and how they limit the president’s power in foreign policy.
4. Graph Question on party polarization. Identify a trend on the graph, 2 causes of party polarization in Congress, 1 effect of party polarization on congressional policy making.
2015:
1. Power of the president as chief legislator, presidential public policy with civil servants and court justices and explain divided government and policy making
2. Federalism describing Articles of confederation, expansion of power of federal gov using commerce clause and mandates, and devolution with block grants and court decisions
3. Electoral College, explain why some states are more important, why big states do not matter, presidential campaign tactics in swing states
4. 14th Amendment: civil rights vs liberties, what part of 14th amendment extends civil rights (EPC), legislation passes to extend civil rights to women and disabilities, Part of 14th amendment that extends civil liberties (DPC) , two court cases explaining due process