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High School AP U.S. Government and Politics

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Description

Within AP U.S. Government and Politics, students develop and use disciplinary practices and reasoning processes to explore political concepts, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students examine core principles, theories, and processes through direct study of U.S. foundational documents and Supreme Court opinions. They also participate in a civic project in which they research, study, and compile data on a political science topic and create a presentation that exhibits their findings and experiences.The AP U.S. Government and Politics course is structured around five big ideas outlined within the College Board Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics Course Framework. Each big idea is aligned to enduring understanding statements and learning objectives that focus on key concepts and essential knowledge about foundations of American democracy, civil liberties and civil rights, interactions among branches of government, American political participation, ideologies, and beliefs.

Module 01 - Constitutional Democracy

  • Founding documents, Supreme Court cases
  • Why Government?
  • Founding Principles
  • The Constitution
  • Federalists and Anti-Federalists
  • Separation of Powers
  • Federalism
  • The Power Debate Today

Module 02 - Civil Liberties, Civil Rights

  • Founding Documents, Supreme Court cases
  • The Bill of Rights
  • The First Amendment
  • Security v. Speech
  • Liberty v. Safety
  • The Accused
  • Due Process
  • Equal Protection
  • And Justice for All

Module 03 - Interaction Among Branches

  • Supreme Court cases
  • Congress
  • Congressional Behavior
  • The Presidency
  • Executive Power
  • The Supreme Court
  • The Bureaucracy
  • Checks, Balances, and Accountability

Module 04 - Political Culture and Participation

  • Supreme Court cases
  • Political Socialization
  • Ideology
  • Public Opinion
  • The Media
  • The Parties
  • Interest Groups
  • The Voters
  • Elections
  • Campaigns

AP Practice Exam