Study Guide
Overview and Test Objectives
Field 010: Political Science
Test Overview
| Format | Computer-based test (CBT) |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions | 100 multiple-choice questions |
| Time | 2 hours 30 minutes* |
| Passing Score | 220 |
*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial
Test Objectives
| Subarea | Range of Objectives | Approximate Percentage of Questions on Test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Political Science Concepts and Skills | 001–002 | 15% |
| 2 | Foundations and Operation of Government in the United States | 003–007 | 40% |
| 3 | The Political Process and U.S. Citizenship | 008–009 | 15% |
| 4 | Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 010–013 | 30% |
Hover over each subarea for details of subtest content or see table above.
Sub area 1 15%, Sub area 2 40%, Sub area 3 15%, and Sub area 4 30%.
Subarea 1—POLITICAL SCIENCE CONCEPTS AND SKILLS
Objective 001—Understand political science terms and concepts and recognize different forms of contemporary and historical government.
Includes:
- basic political science terms and concepts (e.g., judicial review, executive privilege, nation-state, power, legitimacy, authority, sovereignty, political socialization, interest group theory, social contract theory)
- the origins and purposes of government
- analysis of historical documents related to the development of political thought (e.g., Aristotle's Politics; Magna Carta; Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince; the English Bill of Rights; John Locke's Two Treatises of Government; Baron de Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws; the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen; the Communist Manifesto; the writings of Sun Tzu, Mohandas Gandhi, and Václav Havel)
- characteristics of different systems of government (e.g., monarchy, autocracy, oligarchy, theocracy, representative democracy, direct democracy, authoritarianism, totalitarianism, limited and unlimited government)
- similarities and differences between the political system of the United States and other contemporary (e.g., presidential, semi-presidential, parliamentary) and historical governments
Objective 002—Apply methods for conducting political science research and analyzing and interpreting political science information.
Includes:
- steps in the research process (e.g., formulating questions, choosing a research design, collecting data, organizing and communicating results)
- resources and techniques used in political science research (e.g., qualitative vs. quantitative research, public opinion polls, census data, congressional records, electoral results, demographic databases, surveys, questionnaires, content analysis)
- acquisition and organization of political science data (e.g., gathering sources, note taking, file maintenance, preparation of bibliographies) and the use of electronic technologies to assist in assessing and managing information
- analysis of political science documents and interpretations (e.g., recognizing purpose, point of view, and central questions; distinguishing between fact and opinion; making inferences and drawing conclusions)
- evaluation of political science information (e.g., assessing evidence, identifying underlying assumptions, recognizing bias)
- interpretation of political science issues represented in graphic formats (e.g., charts, diagrams, maps, political cartoons, graphs)
Subarea 2—FOUNDATIONS AND OPERATION OF GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
Objective 003—Understand fundamental principles of government in the United States.
Includes:
- basic principles and fundamental values of American democracy (e.g., limited government; popular sovereignty; federalism; the rule of law; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) and key articles and major amendments to the U.S. Constitution
- analysis of documents related to the historical and philosophical origins of American constitutional government (e.g., Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers)
- major debates and compromises underlying the formation and ratification of the U.S. Constitution
- analysis of documents related to the evolution of democratic ideals in the United States (e.g., the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments, the Gettysburg Address, Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
- historical and contemporary conflicts over competing constitutional principles or fundamental values
- landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions (e.g., Marbury v. Madison, Gibbons v. Ogden, McCulloch v. Maryland, Brown v. Board of Education, United States v. Nixon)
- instructional strategies and resources for promoting the acquisition of political science knowledge, applying techniques for assessing student understanding of political science, and utilizing knowledge of professional standards and technology in political science instruction
Objective 004—Understand the principles and operation of the U.S. legal system.
Includes:
- basic legal terms (e.g., injunction, writ of habeas corpus, discovery, indictment)
- functions of law in U.S. society, and major sources of U.S. law (e.g., constitutional, statutory, case, administrative)
- operation of the U.S. legal system (e.g., criminal law, civil litigation, alternative dispute resolution)
- landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions related to the U.S. legal system (e.g., Gideon v. Wainwright, Miranda v. Arizona, Mapp v. Ohio)
- instructional strategies and resources for promoting the acquisition of political science knowledge, applying techniques for assessing student understanding of political science, and utilizing knowledge of professional standards and technology in political science instruction
Objective 005—Understand the organization, functions, and operation of the federal government in the United States.
Includes:
- purposes, organization, functions, and processes of the legislative branch of the federal government
- purposes, organization, functions, and processes of the executive branch of the federal government
- purposes, organization, functions, and processes of the judicial branch of the federal government
- the separation of powers and the operation of the system of checks and balances in U.S. constitutional government
- lawmaking processes in the United States (e.g., how a bill becomes law, the role of lobbyists and special interest groups in the legislative process)
- organization and functions of government corporations, independent regulatory agencies, and executive agencies in the federal government
- financing of governmental functions at the federal level
- instructional strategies and resources for promoting the acquisition of political science knowledge, applying techniques for assessing student understanding of political science, and utilizing knowledge of professional standards and technology in political science instruction
Objective 006—Understand state and local government in the United States and the organization, functions, and operation of state and local government in Michigan.
Includes:
- granted, concurrent, and reserved powers of state governments in the United States
- relations between federal, state, and local governments in the United States (e.g., models of federalism)
- basic principles and major components of the Michigan Constitution
- purposes, organization, functions, and processes of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government in Michigan
- types, powers, and responsibilities of local governments in Michigan
- the electoral process in Michigan at the state and local levels
- operation of the initiative, referendum, recall, and ratification processes in Michigan
- financing of governmental functions at the state and local levels in Michigan
- instructional strategies and resources for promoting the acquisition of political science knowledge, applying techniques for assessing student understanding of political science, and utilizing knowledge of professional standards and technology in political science instruction
Objective 007—Understand international relations and the formation and execution of U.S. foreign policy.
Includes:
- fundamental concepts of international law (e.g., sovereignty, natural rights) and major theories and concepts of international relations (e.g., realism, isolationism, balance of power)
- formation of U.S. foreign policy (e.g., constitutional powers of the president and Congress, foreign policy tools available to the president, factors influencing the formation of U.S. foreign policy)
- major U.S. foreign policy initiatives and doctrines
- the effect of major political, economic, technological, and cultural developments in the United States on other parts of the world
- the organization and dynamics of global politics (e.g., United Nations, NATO, the European Union, nuclear proliferation, global economic relationships)
- major events and developments in post–World War I world diplomacy (e.g., Treaty of Versailles, Yalta Conference, arms race, Korean and Vietnam wars) and their impact on the United States
- issues in contemporary international relations (e.g., human rights, globalization, environmental concerns, global terrorism) and their impact on the United States
- instructional strategies and resources for promoting the acquisition of political science knowledge, applying techniques for assessing student understanding of political science, and utilizing knowledge of professional standards and technology in political science instruction
Subarea 3—THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND U.S. CITIZENSHIP
Objective 008—Understand political parties and the electoral process in the United States.
Includes:
- the development of political parties and their role in the U.S. political process
- major features of the U.S. electoral system (e.g., reapportionment, primary elections, nominating conventions, the Electoral College)
- historical developments that have expanded voting rights in the United States
- factors influencing the conduct of political campaigns and the outcome of elections (e.g., the roles of money, the media, advertising, polls, voter registration laws, special interest groups)
- public opinion and voter participation in the U.S. political system
- instructional strategies and resources for promoting the acquisition of political science knowledge, applying techniques for assessing student understanding of political science, and utilizing knowledge of professional standards and technology in political science instruction
Objective 009—Understand the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.
Includes:
- methods of attaining citizenship in the United States
- constitutional rights guaranteed to U.S. citizens (e.g., due process, equal protection under the laws)
- legal obligations and responsibilities of citizenship
- the role of civic engagement in U.S. society and ways in which citizens can participate in the political process
- events and developments in U.S. history that have increased or diminished individual civil liberties and ways in which democratic procedures can affect social change and secure individual liberties
- instructional strategies and resources for promoting the acquisition of political science knowledge, applying techniques for assessing student understanding of political science, and utilizing knowledge of professional standards and technology in political science instruction
Subarea 4—INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES
Objective 010—Understand the relationship between history and political science.
Includes:
- chronological relationships between major events and eras in Michigan, U.S., and world history
- evaluation of causes, consequences, and relationships between major events in Michigan, U.S., and world history from diverse perspectives
- multiple interpretations of major events and developments in Michigan, U.S., and world history that have shaped the evolution of political thought and governmental institutions (e.g., Athenian democracy, the European Enlightenment, the Great Depression)
- the causes and consequences of major political revolutions in U.S. and world history
- the effect of influential political ideas (e.g., classical liberalism, fascism, communism, progressivism, conservatism) on U.S. and world history
- uses and limitations of various historical source materials (e.g., oral histories, newspapers, diaries, artifacts, probate data, tax lists, census data, correspondence, materials accessed through information technology)
Objective 011—Understand the relationship between geography and political science.
Includes:
- the influence of geography on the development of government (e.g., the growth of representative government in Great Britain's North American colonies)
- the impact of geography on the evolution of political thought (e.g., the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, Frederick Jackson Turner's frontier thesis)
- the location of political boundaries and the geographic factors that have influenced them
- ways in which the forces of cooperation and conflict (e.g., cultural and political divisions within and between places, major international organizations) influence the division and control of the earth and its resources
- the geographic context of global issues involving political stability and change
Objective 012—Understand the relationship between economics and political science.
Includes:
- basic principles, components, and controversies of international economics (e.g., comparative advantage, free trade and protectionism, exchange rates, major international economic organizations) and the political dimensions of economic globalization
- the role of government in the U.S. economic system (e.g., sources of government revenue, types of government services, government regulations, fiscal and monetary policy)
- historical and contemporary concepts and debates about the role of government in the economy (e.g., classical economics vs. Keynesian economics, command economy vs. market economy)
- how economic factors have shaped political ideas and the evolution of government institutions (e.g., free enterprise and evolution of democratic government, economic nationalism and the emergence of fascism)
Objective 013—Understand core democratic values, recognize the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society, and apply methods for analyzing public policy questions.
Includes:
- core democratic values of America's constitutional republic and ways in which pivotal decisions and major debates in U.S. history reflect those values
- ways in which conduct by a member of a democratic society reflects core democratic values
- steps in the decision-making and problem-solving processes (e.g., identifying decisions to be made or problems to be solved, gathering information, identifying alternative courses of action)
- ways of engaging in constructive conversation about matters of public concern (e.g., clarifying issues, considering opposing views, applying democratic values, anticipating consequences, working toward making decisions)
- ways of making reasoned and informed decisions on public issues (e.g., stating issues clearly, tracing the origins of issues, analyzing various perspectives people bring to public policy debates, recognizing factors to be considered when formulating resolutions to public issues, evaluating possible solutions)
- criteria used to analyze evidence and position statements (e.g., logical validity, factual accuracy and/or omission, emotional appeal, credibility, unstated assumptions, logical fallacies, distortions, appeals to bias or prejudice)
- ways of using reasoned arguments and pertinent evidence to compose coherent essays that express positions on public issues