AP Government and Politics
Welcome Panthers! Below is the course syllabus, summer work assignment, and college board links that give you more information about our course and the AP exam. All course assignments will either be given in person or provided through google classroom.
Textbooks will be provided for the course but we will use a supplemental reader. It will be very helpful for students to purchase their own copy either in print or digital format. The reader is Advanced Placement United States Government & Politics, 3rd Edition
Remind Codes:
1st Period- text @k78cda to the number 81010
2nd Period- text @bd88f3 to the number 81010
6th Period- text @kce2fc to the number 81010
7th Period- text @2dkf466 to the number 81010
Google Classroom Codes:
1st Period- iymm5ix
2nd Period- 5xak3un
6th Period- gvcrvqy
7th Period- noxxu6k
This course is designed to give you a college level, non-partisan, look into “the key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States.” (College Board) To be successful in AP Government, you will need a strong work ethic and a commitment to hone your research and study skills. The goal is to provide you with not only the tools to earn college credit on the AP Exam in May, but also the knowledge and skills to be more informed and engaged civic leaders in our nation.
Five principles at the core of the course:
1. Command of the Constitution lies at the center of this course, the touchstone for informed citizenship and scholarship.
2. Students are not spectators but analysts; they must analyze the documents and debates that formed our republic and animate public life today.
3. Knowledge matters
4. We cannot avoid difficult topics, but we can insist on a principled attention to the best arguments on both sides.
5. Civic knowledge is every student’s right and responsibility.
Themes for the Course:
1. Foundations of Democracy – constitution and political ideologies behind it.
2. Interactions among branches – Congress, the presidency, the courts.
3. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights – Bill of Rights and how the government protects groups from discrimination.
4. American Political Ideologies and Beliefs – Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, Conservatives…
5. Political Participation - Voting, lobbying, etc
AP Exam
55 questions 1hr 20mins 50% of Score
The multiple-choice section includes individual, single questions as well as sets of questions. You’ll be asked to:
Describe, explain, and compare political concepts and processes
Apply Supreme Court decisions in real-life scenarios
Analyze data in graphs, charts, tables, maps, or infographics
Read and analyze foundational documents and other text-based and visual sources
4 questions 1hr 40mins 50% of Score
In the free-response section, you’ll respond to four questions with written answers. The section includes:
1 concept application question: You’ll describe and explain the effects of a political institution, behavior, or process, and apply concepts in a new situation.
1 quantitative analysis question: You’ll analyze data in the form of a table, graph, map, or infographic to find patterns and trends and reach a conclusion.
1 SCOTUS comparison question: You’ll compare a nonrequired Supreme Court case with a required one, explaining how information from the required case is relevant to the nonrequired one.
1 argument essay: You’ll write an evidence-based essay supporting a claim or thesis.