AP Government and Politics
Syllabus
This information comes from APClassroom.collegeboard.org except for the grading information and other classroom policies.
AP U.S. Government and Politics is a nonpartisan course and has been endorsed by the National Constitution Center as well as a range of conservative and liberal scholars for its political balance.
The required readings are:
The Declaration of Independence
the Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
Representative Federalist Papers
Brutus No. 1 (An Anti-Federalist arguement)
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
In addition, there are 15 required Supreme Court cases.
Additional readings and assignments that teacher selects to supplement the course curriculum.
Units
Unit 1 Foundations of American Democracy
-1.1 Ideals of Democracy
-1.2 Types of Democracy
-1.3 Government Power and Individual Rights
-1.4 Challenges of the Articles of Confederation
-1.5 Ratification of the United States Constitution
-1.6 Principles of American Government
-1.7 Relationship Between States and the Federal Government
-1.8 Constitutional Interpretations of Federalism
-1.9 Federalism in Action
Unit 2 Interactions Among Branches of Government
-2.1 Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives
-2.2 Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress
-2.3 Congressional Behavior
-2.4 Roles and Powers of the President
-2.5 Checks on the Presidency
-2.6 Expansion of Presidential Power
- 2.7 Presidential Communication
-2.8 The Judicial Branch
-2.9 Legitimacy of the Judicial Branch
-2.10 The Court in Action
-2.11 Checks on the Judicial Branch
-2.12 The Bureaucracy
-2.13 Discretionary and Rule-Making Authority
-2.14 Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable
-2.15 Policy and the Branches of Government
Unit 3 Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
-3.1 The Bill of Rights
3.2 First Amendment: Freedom of Religion
-3.3 First Amendment: Freedom of Speech
-3.4 First Amendment: Freedom of the Press
-3.5 Second Amendment: Right to Keep and Bear Arms
-3.6 Amendments: Balancing Individual Freedom with Public Order and Safety
-3.7 Selective Incorporation
-3.8 Amendments: Due Process and the Rights of the Accused
-3.9 Amendments: Due Process and the Right to Privacy
-3.10 Social Movements and Equal Protection
-3.11 Government Responses to Social Movements
-3.12 Balancing Minority and Majority Rights
-3.13 Affirmative Action
Unit 4 American Political Ideologies and Beliefs
-4.1 American Attitudes About Government and Politics
-4.2 Political Socialization
-4.3 Changes in Ideology
-4.4 Influence of Political Events on Ideology
-4.5 Measuring Public Opinion
-4.6 Evaluating Public Opinion Data
-4.7 Ideologies of Political Parties
-4.8 Ideology and Policy Making
-4.9 Ideology and Economic Policy
-4.10 Ideology and Social Policy
Unit 5 Political Participation
-5.1 Voting Rights and Models of Voting Behavior
-5.2 Voter Turnout
-5.3 Political Parties
-5.4 How and Why Political Parties Change and Adapt
-5.5 Third-Party Politics -5.6 Interest Groups Influencing Policy Making
-5.7 Groups Influencing Policy Outcomes
-5.8 Electing a President
-5.9 Congressional Elections
-5.10 Modern Campaigns
-5.11 Campaign Finance
-5.12 The Media
-5.13 Changing Media
Grading:
Tests and Major Grades: 70%
Minor Grades: 30%
Cell phones, tablets, and smart watch functions other than telling time are not permitted in class.
Late Work Policy
Teachers reserve the right to alter this policy based on extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances
should be discussed with the administration.
• Late work is defined as work not completed/turned in on time even though the student attended the class.
• Any assignment which is not turned in on time will be deducted 10 points off of the original grade earned for
each school day the assignment is late up to five days.
• After five days, the student will be assigned a 0 for the assignment.
• Late work will not be accepted after the end of a grading period.
• Students who have 504/IEP/ESOL accommodations specifically allowing for extra time may exceed the 5 day
window to maintain compliance with their respective educational plan.
• Dual Credit courses may have varying late work policies that are aligned with their parent university.
• Students are encouraged to utilize the before and after school tutoring programs to complete make-up and late
work in a proactive manner.