AP®︎ U.S. Government & Politics Unit 2: Notes & Study Guide
Prepare for your quiz, test, or the AP exam with a comprehensive review on Unit 2 of AP U.S. Government & Politics – Interactions Among Branches of Government.
Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government
This unit examines how the legislative, executive, and judicial branches interact to shape policy and exercise constitutional powers, including checks and balances and the role of federal bureaucracy.
Begin with Topic 2.1: Congress: The Senate and...To review Unit 2, go through each of the 15 topics below.
Everything you actually need to know for your Unit 2 test, pulled directly from the AP® U.S. Government & Politics curriculum.
Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives
Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives
- Bicameralism and Republican Representation
- The House and the Senate Compared
- Separate Powers of Each Chamber
Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress
Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress
- How Congress Is Built to Make Policy
- Committees and Leadership as Gatekeepers
- House Rules and Senate Rules
Congressional Behavior
Congressional Behavior
- Why Members of Congress Vote the Way They Do
- Models of Representation
- Partisanship, Polarization, and Gridlock
Roles and Powers of the President
Roles and Powers of the President
- What Presidential Power Is
- The People and Offices That Help the President
- Legislative Powers and Influence
Checks on the Presidency
Checks on the Presidency
- Why the President and Congress Clash
- Senate Confirmation as a Check on Appointments
- Judicial Appointments and the President’s Longest-Lasting Influence
Expansion of Presidential Power
Expansion of Presidential Power
- What Expansion of Presidential Power Means
- Formal and Informal Powers Presidents Use
- How Presidents Justify Their Power
Presidential Communication
Presidential Communication
- Presidential Communication as Informal Power
- Agenda Setting, Framing, and the Bully Pulpit
- The State of the Union
The Judicial Branch
The Judicial Branch
- Judicial Review and Why It Matters
- Article III and Judicial Independence
- Federalist No. 78
The Role of the Judicial Branch
The Role of the Judicial Branch
- Legal Precedent and Stare Decisis
- How Courts Use Earlier Decisions
- Supreme Court Precedent in Action
The Court in Action
The Court in Action
- Life Tenure and Judicial Independence
- Why the Framers Wanted an Independent Court
- Controversial Decisions and Debate About Court Power
Checks on the Judicial Branch
Checks on the Judicial Branch
- Judicial Review and Why Supreme Court Power Is Debated
- Judicial Activism and Judicial Restraint
- Formal Checks by Congress, the President, and the States
The Bureaucracy
The Bureaucracy
- What the Federal Bureaucracy Is
- Types of Bureaucratic Organizations
- How Bureaucracies Carry Out Policy
Discretionary and Rulemaking Authority
Discretionary and Rulemaking Authority
- Delegated Authority, Bureaucratic Discretion, and Rulemaking
- How Agencies Turn Statutes into Policy Outcomes
- The Rulemaking Process
Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable
Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable
- Why the Bureaucracy Has to Be Held Accountable
- How Congress Oversees the Bureaucracy
- The Power of the Purse
Policy and the Branches of Government
Policy and the Branches of Government
- Public Policy and Bureaucratic Accountability
- How Each Branch Controls the Bureaucracy
- Legislative Veto and Chadha
Notes
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