Study Guide

Test Design and Test Objectives
Field 06: Political Science/American Government

Test Overview

Table outlining the test format, number of questions, time, and passing score.

Format	Computer-based test (CBT) and online-proctored test
Number of Questions	100 selected-response questions
Time	2 hours and 30 minutes (does not include 15-minute tutorial)
Passing Score	240

Test Objectives

Table outlining test content and subject weighting by sub area and objective

Subareas		Range of Objectives	Approximate Test Proportions
I	Concepts and Skills	01–04	21%
II	Political Thought, Comparative Government, and International Relations	05–08	21%
III	United States and Arizona Government	09–19	58%
			100%

 

Subarea I–Concepts and Skills

Objective 0001: Understand political science terms, concepts, and theories.

For example

• using basic concepts of political science (e.g., power, justice, natural rights) to analyze general political phenomena and specific political issues
• examining the origins and purposes of government (e.g., to organize society, to control territory, to manage conflict)
• comparing major theories in political science (e.g., classical republicanism, totalitarianism)

Objective 0002: Understand methods for locating, gathering, and organizing social science information.

For example

• understanding the characteristics and uses of social science materials (e.g., encyclopedias, research studies, bibliographies)
• applying research procedures in the social sciences (e.g., formulating questions and hypotheses)
• organizing information into logical and coherent outlines
• applying procedures for retrieving information from traditional sources and new technologies (e.g., CD-ROM, video discs, the Internet)

Objective 0003: Apply methods for evaluating and interpreting social science information.

For example

• analyzing factors affecting the reliability of source materials
• distinguishing between primary and secondary sources
• analyzing the purpose or message of a political poster or editorial cartoon
• interpreting information presented in print, visual, and multimedia material (e.g., models, charts, tables, and other graphic representations)

Objective 0004: Understand how to frame questions, analyze and synthesize information, make generalizations, and reach and communicate valid conclusions.

For example

• assessing alternative formulations of a research problem
• evaluating social science materials (e.g., identifying central questions in public policy debates, distinguishing between differing interpretations)
• analyzing issues in the social sciences from multiple perspectives
• determining whether conclusions or generalizations are supported by multiple sources of evidence
• evaluating the appropriateness of written and graphic formats for conveying a specific body of information

 

Subarea II–Political Thought, Comparative Government, and International Relations

Objective 0005: Understand the history of political thought through the modern era.

For example

• analyzing the influence of ancient Greek and Roman political philosophies on the development of modern government
• understanding the development of the English constitution and parliamentary system through the seventeenth century
• identifying the contributions of major political philosophers (e.g., Sun Tzu, Plato, Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Karl Marx, Mahatma Gandhi)
• analyzing the relationships between various historical developments and the evolution of political thought (e.g., the Enlightenment and democratic liberalism, the Industrial Revolution and socialism)

Objective 0006: Understand various governmental systems.

For example

• comparing historical and contemporary forms of government
• analyzing the roles of political parties and the influence of historical and cultural traditions on various governmental systems
• recognizing the characteristics of a totalitarian state
• comparing the functions of legislatures in modern governmental systems
• understanding the disparities between the theory and the practice of various political ideologies
• comparing various forms of democratic government

Objective 0007: Understand the nature of diplomacy and the role of international organizations.

For example

• understanding the history, basic principles, and functions of diplomacy
• examining major events in twentieth-century diplomacy
• analyzing the structure, functions, and goals of the United Nations and other international agencies (e.g., NATO, European Union, World Court)

Objective 0008: Understand U.S. foreign policy.

For example

• demonstrating familiarity with the foreign policy decision-making process
• understanding the changing role of the United States in world affairs before, during, and after the Cold War
• analyzing domestic and international political and ideological influences on foreign policy decisions
• understanding major U.S. foreign policy initiatives in various parts of the world

 

Subarea III–United States and Arizona Government

Objective 0009: Understand the historical development of government in the United States.

For example

• demonstrating familiarity with the structure and function of colonial governments
• understanding influences in the development of colonial governments (e.g., Iroquois Confederation, Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, Massachusetts Body of Liberties)
• examining political relations between the colonies and England and the colonies and other political entities (e.g., Native American nations, France, Spain)
• analyzing debates surrounding the abandonment of the Articles of Confederation and the adoption of the U.S. Constitution
• examining major events and trends in U.S. political history since 1789

Objective 0010: Understand the United States Constitution.

For example

• demonstrating familiarity with major constitutional principles (e.g., federalism, checks and balances)
• evaluating basic elements of the Bill of Rights
• examining constitutional limits on political power
• analyzing ways in which the Constitution has been adapted and amended to meet the nation's changing needs and goals

Objective 0011: Understand the structure, organization, and operation of the federal government.

For example

• analyzing the structure, functions, and powers of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government
• demonstrating familiarity with major steps in the legislative process
• analyzing interactions among lobbyists, bureaucrats, and congressional staff in the modern legislative process (i.e., the iron triangle)
• analyzing the roles and duties of the president and executive branch
• analyzing the role and function of the federal courts (e.g., judicial review)

Objective 0012: Understand the relationship of government to the United States economic system.

For example

• understanding basic elements of federal fiscal and monetary policy
• recognizing the functions of federal regulatory agencies
• analyzing factors that have influenced the enactment of social legislation and development of the welfare state
• assessing the significance of the national debt
• demonstrating familiarity with the federal budget-making process

Objective 0013: Understand the development of political parties in the United States.

For example

• analyzing the functions of parties in the U.S. political process
• examining significant developments in the evolution of political parties in the United States (e.g., the declining role of parties relative to interest groups and media)
• understanding the structure and operation of political parties
• analyzing the role of third parties in U.S. political history
• comparing the U.S. party system with the party systems of other nations (e.g., one-party systems, multi-party systems)

Objective 0014: Understand the election process in the United States.

For example

• demonstrating familiarity with basic components of the U.S. electoral process (e.g., primary elections, general elections, the electoral college)
• understanding the evolution of the candidate nomination process
• recognizing major steps and processes in political elections
• analyzing factors influencing the outcome of elections at the local, state, and national levels
• examining factors that encourage and discourage voting

Objective 0015: Understand the role of political culture, public opinion, and the media in United States politics.

For example

• recognizing ways in which citizens participate in and influence the political process in the United States
• examining the social, cultural, and economic determinants of political beliefs
• identifying various ideologies (e.g., conservative, liberal, socialist)
• analyzing the effect of public opinion on government policy
• understanding the organization of the mass media
• evaluating the newsworthiness of various media sources
• analyzing the influence of the media on U.S. political life (e.g., agenda setting, issue framing)

Objective 0016: Understand state and local government in the United States.

For example

• demonstrating familiarity with the forms and functions of state, tribal, and local governments
• demonstrating knowledge of social and economic issues confronting state, tribal, and local governments
• analyzing the operation of the system of checks and balances in state government
• understanding structural and political influences on state policy (e.g., level of economic development, interest groups)
• analyzing the modern relationship between state and local governments

Objective 0017: Understand the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.

For example

• analyzing the political, legal, and personal rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution
• understanding the duties of U.S. citizenship
• analyzing the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for successful participation in democratic self-government
• analyzing participation at different levels of government

Objective 0018: Understand basic features of democratic government in the United States.

For example

• examining efforts to remove barriers to political, legal, and social equality in the United States
• analyzing factors that have expanded or limited the role of individuals and groups in U.S. political life (e.g., federal court decisions, amendments, social movements)
• understanding how democratic procedures can be used to promote social change (e.g., civil rights movement, expanding suffrage, labor reform, equal rights movement)
• analyzing the relationship between majority rule and minority rights
• demonstrating knowledge of the roles played by diverse groups in the evolution of democracy in the United States
• analyzing the role of dissent in a democratic society

Objective 0019: Understand state government and government of American Indian nations in Arizona.

For example

• examining the roles of state government and the government of Native American nations in the federal system
• recognizing the progressive principles contained in the constitution of the state of Arizona (e.g., referendum, recall, initiative)
• understanding the structure and functions of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the Arizona state government (e.g., plural executive)
• recognizing ways in which citizens can participate in the Arizona political process
• analyzing relations among state, federal, tribal, and local governmental bodies in Arizona
• comparing the structure of Arizona and federal governments