AP® U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Big Ideas
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ABOUT THE BIG IDEAS
The course focuses on five big ideas which allow students to create meaningful connections among concepts across the units. Connecting these big ideas across the different course units will help students develop a deeper conceptual understanding of the course content. Big ideas are spiraled throughout the curriculum through the topics. Below are the big ideas of the course and a brief description of each.
#1 CONSTITUTIONALISM
The U.S. Constitution establishes a system of checks and balances among branches of government and allocates power between federal and state governments. This system is based on the rule of law and the balance between majority rule and minority rights.
#2 LIBERTY & ORDER
Governmental laws and policies balancing order and liberty are based on the U.S. Constitution and have been interpreted differently over time.
#3 CIVIC PARTICIPATION IN A REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
Popular sovereignty, individualism, and republicanism are important considerations of U.S. laws and policymaking and assume citizens will engage and participate.
#4 COMPETING POLICYMAKING INTERESTS
Multiple actors and institutions interact to produce and implement possible policies.
#5 METHODS OF POLITICAL ANALYSIS
Using various types of analyses, political scientists measure how U.S. political behavior, attitudes, ideologies, and institutions are shaped by a number of factors over time.
A compilation of topics and big ideas is included in the College Board's offical U.S. Government and Politics Course and Exam Description.
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