1. Conflict, its sources and solutions-
2. Core beliefs of classical liberalism, liberalism, conservativism, and libertarianism
3. What are different types of rules? Endogenous, exogenous, structural, and policy rules
4. Enumerated powers, reserved powers (textbook)-
5. Full Faith and Credit clause, the necessary and proper (elastic) clause, establishment clause, and free exercise clause
6. Differences between Articles of Confederation and 1787 US Constitution; what led to the abolishment of one in favor of the other?
7. What does the Constitution and its amendments say about slavery and slaves?
8. How are constitutional amendments proposed and ratified?
9. Differences between unitary systems, federal systems, and confederate systems
10. Different types of federalism
11. Constitutional bases of federalism
12. Evolution of federalism: dual federalism and cooperative federalism
13. Specific civil liberties and the corresponding constitutional amendments
14. How did liberties protected in the Bill of Rights apply to the states?
15. Different standards of free speech and related Supreme Court decisions, strict scrutiny (textbook)
16. Polling method, what are keys and challenges to accurate polls?
17. What are disenfranchisement of African American voters, black codes, and Jim Crow laws?
18. Important legislations and Supreme Court decisions on civil rights
19. De jure and de facto discrimination
20. General level of Americans’ political knowledge
21. What is ideology? How ideological are Americans?
22. Three common values of Americans (textbook)
23. Formation of political orientation: nature (genes) and nurture (socialization)
24. Why are policies not always in line with public opinion?
25. Issue public, easy and hard issues
26. Determinants of voter decision
27. Conventional and unconventional participation, specific forms
28. What explains the voter turnout rates in one election, over time, and across countries?
29. What is cognitive dissonance and its effects
30. What are PACs? Specific types ad functions
31. Barriers to forming an interest group: collective action problem and solutions
32. Reasons for a two-party system
33. Party realignment: the summary table in lecture and the section in the textbook
34. The trend of parties’ power
35. Three dimensions of parties’ existence
36. Characteristics of each form of news media
37. Effects of media: framing, priming, and agenda setting
38. Which types of media are subject to greater federal regulation? (textbook)
39. Gerrymandering, meaning and tactics
40. Descriptive representation, substantive representation, delegate representation, trustee representation
41. Causes and effects of incumbent advantages of members of Congress.