AP United States Government and Politics
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Learn all about the course and exam. Already enrolled? Join your class in My AP.
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Study the key concepts and institutions of the political system and culture of the United States. You’ll read, analyze, and discuss the U.S. Constitution and other documents as well as complete a research or applied civics project.
Connecting political concepts to real-life situations
Explaining the impact and implications of certain U.S. Supreme Court decisions
Analyzing data to find patterns and trends and draw conclusions
Reading and analyzing text and visual sources
Developing a claim or thesis and supporting it in an essay
A one-semester introductory college course in U.S. government
None
Mon, May 4, 2020,
8 AM Local
This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP United States Government and Politics Exam.
The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.
You’ll learn how the men who created the U.S. Constitution set up a structure of government intended to stand the test of time, and how the compromises they made left some questions unresolved that continue to be debated today.
Topics may include:
15%–22% of multiple-choice score
You’ll continue to explore how the government sets and administers policy, and you’ll learn about the complexities of this process.
Topics may include:
25%–36% of multiple-choice score
You’ll connect what you’ve learned about the founding principles of our government to the debates over how best to balance freedom and order.
Topics may include:
13%–18% of multiple-choice score
You’ll explore the various beliefs that U.S. citizens hold about government, how these beliefs are shaped, and how they affect which policies citizens support.
Topics may include:
10%–15% of multiple-choice score
You’ll learn about the many ways that U.S. citizens can influence the decisions the government makes.
Topics may include:
20%–27% of multiple-choice score
Find colleges that grant credit and/or placement for AP Exam scores in this and other AP courses.
AP United States Government and Politics can lead to a wide range of careers and college majors