AP United States Government and Politics

About the Course

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.

Skills You'll Learn

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

Equivalency and Prerequisites

College Course Equivalent

A one-semester introductory college course in U.S. government

Recommended Prerequisites

None

Exam Dates

Mon, May 4, 2020,
8 AM Local

AP United States Government and Politics Exam
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About the Units

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.

Course Content

Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy

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:

The ideals of democracy as shown in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
Federalist and Anti-Federalist views on central government and democracy
Separation of powers and “checks and balances”
The relationship between the states and the federal government (federalism)
How federalism has been interpreted differently over time

On The Exam

15%–22% of multiple-choice score

Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government

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:

The structures, powers, and functions of each house of Congress
The roles and powers of the president
The roles and powers of the Supreme Court and other federal courts
The roles of the federal bureaucracy (departments, agencies, commissions, and government corporations)

On The Exam

25%–36% of multiple-choice score

Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

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:

The intent of the Bill of Rights
The First Amendment (freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press) and how the Supreme Court has interpreted it
The Second Amendment (the right to bear arms) and how the Supreme Court has interpreted it
Supreme Court interpretations of other amendments
How the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment have motivated social movements

On The Exam

13%–18% of multiple-choice score

Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs

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:

How cultural and social factors affect citizens’ beliefs about government
How polls are used to gather data about public opinion
The ideologies of the Democratic and Republican parties
How political ideologies affect policy on economic and social issues

On The Exam

10%–15% of multiple-choice score

Unit 5: Political Participation

You’ll learn about the many ways that U.S. citizens can influence the decisions the government makes.

Topics may include:

Laws that protect the right to vote
Why it’s hard for third parties and independent candidates to succeed
Interest groups and their influence
Campaign finance and its role in elections
The media’s role in elections

On The Exam

20%–27% of multiple-choice score

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