Essential Questions List All Chapters U.S.
Government
CHAPTER 1 (Types of Governments, Structures, and Economic Systems)
1) What are the most important services do governments provide to their citizens? (Evaluate)?
2) How does the United States define democracy? (Analysis)
3) As citizens, what should we expect the major roles /functions of government to be (Analysis)?
4) What kinds of government are best? (Evaluate)
CHAPTER 2 (Origins of American Democracy)
1) What were the major causes of the American Revolution? (Analysis)
2) Why was the Declaration of Independence considered to be such an important document
in American History? (Analysis)
3) What was the most important reason that the Articles of Confederation
failed? (Evaluation)
4) What ideas from historical documents influenced our standing Constitution? (Analysis)
CHAPTER 3 (Principles of Democracy)
1) Which of the 6 six principles of the Constitution is the most important to our country?
2) Why did the framers make it so hard to change the Constitution?
3) Of the informal ways of amending, which do you think has the most impact on our
Constitution?
CHAPTER 4 (Federalism)
1) What are the reasons that the federal and state governments often disagree about the division
of powers?
2) How much should the federal government should help the states?
3) Do you think the Privileges and Immunities Clause or the Full Faith and Credit Clause protects
citizens more?
CHAPTER 5 (Political Parties)
1) Which ideology is better, Liberal or Conservative? (Evaluation)
2) Why do American citizens tend to not vote for third parties? (Analysis)
3) What party do you believe has impacted America the most throughout history? (Evaluation)
4) Which of the positions within a political party do you think have the most effect on winning a
campaign? (Evaluation)
CHAPTER 6/7 (Elections)
1) What was the most influential expansion of the electorate? (Evaluation)
2) How did the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s and The Voting Rights Act benefit African Americans at
the polls? (Analysis)
3) Which factor do you think is most influential in determining if a person will vote? (Evaluation)
4) Which part of an election is most important, The Primary, Fundraising, or The General Election?
(Evaluation)
CHAPTER 9 (Interest Groups)
1) Do interest groups help or harm democracy? (Analysis)
2) Of the interest groups we discussed, which one do you believe has had the most impact on
society? (Evaluation)
3) Which of the direct or indirect approaches that interest groups use is the most effective?
(Evaluation)
Chapter 10 (Legislative Branch)
1) Whose views should members of Congress represent when voting? (Evaluation)
2) Is being a member of the House or the Senate more influential? (Evaluation)
3) How does the House differ from the Senate? (Analysis)
4) Of the requirements to be a member of Congress, which are the most important? (Evaluation)
CHAPTER 11/12 (Congressional Powers and Bill to Law Process)
1) Which of the specific given powers of Congress is the most powerful? (Evaluation)
2) Which set of Leaders has more responsibility, The House Officers or the Senate Officers?
(Analysis)
3) Which committee is most important to the bill to law process? (Evaluation)
4) What needs to be changed about the Bill to Law process? (Evaluation)
Chapter 13/14 (Executive Branch)
1. What qualities make a good president? (Evaluation)
2. Which two roles of the Presidency, do you believe are the most important? (Evaluation)
3. How is the vice president chosen in terms of balancing the ticket? (Analysis)
4. How much power should the president have? Defend or Argue about two powers that
president should or should not have. (Evaluation)
Chapter 18 (Judicial Branch)
1. How does the appellate process work if you are in the state courts? (Application)
2. How does the appellate process work if you are in the federal courts? (Application)
3. Which judicial philosophy do you believe the Framers would most likely agree with? Judicial
Restraint or Judicial Activism? (Evaluation)
4. Do you believe our court systems are effective? (Evaluation)
Chapter 19 (Civil Liberties)
1) Which of the Civil Liberties is most important? (Evaluation)
2) Should we have more or less freedom of speech in this country? (Evaluation)
3) How is the separation between Church and State practiced in the United States? In other words,
how does the United States include religion, but does not promote religion? (Analysis)
4) Create a situation where freedom of speech as well as freedom assembly would be limited.
(Application)
5) What is different about the freedom of speech versus the freedom of press? (Analysis)
Chapter 20 (Due Process)
1) The 4th amendment guarantees all citizens to a right to privacy; create two instances where a
person is protected under this law. (Application)
2) Create an instance where evidence would be excluded from a trial (Application)
3) What would happen if any step procedural due process was ignored? (Analysis)
4) Which of the 5th, 6th, or 8th amendment rights do you believe is the most important?
(Evaluation)
Chapter 21 (Civil Rights)
1) Do you believe the United States has been welcoming to immigrants throughout its history?
(Evaluation)
2) Should more or less immigrants be let into the United States? (Evaluation)
3) Who had the most difficult struggle for civil rights (equality under law)? (Analysis)