Government and Civics
What the domain tests
Government and Civics tests the Constitution, institutions, federalism, civil liberties, political participation, and how citizens influence policy.
Core rules
- Separation of powers: Congress legislates, the president executes, courts interpret; each branch checks the others.
- Federalism: enumerated powers belong to the national government; reserved powers to states; concurrent powers are shared.
- Amendments: the Bill of Rights limits the national government; the 14th Amendment’s due process clause has applied most protections to states.
- Elections: the Electoral College selects the president; state law administers elections; reapportionment follows the census.
- Civic action: voting, jury service, petitioning, campaigning, and interest groups are channels for influence.
Worked example
A law limits campaign spending. A student claims it violates free speech. The stronger analysis asks whether the restriction is content-neutral, what government interest it serves, and how courts have treated political spending as protected expression. It also notes that rights are not absolute and are balanced against compelling interests.
Traps
Saying the Bill of Rights applied to states from 1791; confusing reserved and concurrent powers; treating the elastic clause as unlimited; assuming the popular vote directly elects the president; equating civic knowledge with voting only.