AP U.S. Government and Politics

B1, B3, and B4

By utilizing student-centered discussions, debates, and cooperative learning activities, this college-level year-long course teaches students to think critically about the government and politics of the United States in preparation for the AP exam. Students analyze foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other writings to enhance their comprehension of politics. Current political events and other provocative topics are explored through research, analytical writing, and discussions. This course closely examines Congress, the White House and the Supreme Court. Additional studies focus on civil liberties, civil rights, campaigns, elections and a variety of public policies.

AP U.S. Government and Politics Summer Reading Assignment:

Please read Federalist Papers 1, 5, 9, 10, 23, 48, 51, 67, 78, and 84. Then select five additional Federalist Papers to read closely. Your selections can be determined by which of the three authors you particularly enjoy, the pursuit of a particular topic, or any other method that you find to be suitable. Students will write an essay in response to an AP Free Response Question about one of the ten specified Federalist Papers toward the beginning of the academic year. While there are many places to access the Federalist Papers, this website effectively organizes the essays by topic: The Federalist Papers.

Yale Law School Professor Akhil Reed Amar on The Federalist:

“After the Convention, he (Madison) worked tirelessly for ratification. He orchestrated the successful defense of the Constitution in all-important Virginia. He also brilliantly collaborated with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay under the pen name Publius to produce eighty-plus essays comprehensively analyzing and defending the Constitution. Most of Publius’s essays first appeared in mid-1788 as a two-volume book The Federalist. These essays were the most impressive and comprehensive analysis of the Constitution available to Americans deciding whether to vote yes or no. Centuries later, The Federalist remains the first thing that any thoughtful American who wants to understand the Constitution in historical context should read."

(The Words that Made Us, page 202)

U.S. History I

A3 and A4

This is the first course of a two-year sequence that meets the state and local requirements for graduation. Through extensive use of primary-source material, this course investigates the American experience from European colonization through the early 20th century. Featured events include the foundations and development of the United States, the American Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, the Progressive Era, and World War I.