• One Semester Course

     

    AP U.S. Government and Politics Course -  AP U.S. Government and Politics provides a college-level, nonpartisan introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students will study U.S. foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to gain an understanding of the relationships and interactions among political institutions, processes, and behaviors. They will also engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments. In addition, they will complete a political science research or applied civics project.

     

    College Course Equivalent -  AP U.S. Government and Politics is equivalent to a one-semester introductory college course in U.S. government.

     

    Prerequisites - There are no prerequisite courses for AP U.S. Government and Politics. Students should be able to read a college-level textbook and write grammatically correct, complete sentences.

     

    Project Requirement -  The required project adds a civic component to the course, engaging students in exploring how they can affect, and are affected by, government and politics throughout their lives. The project might have students collect data on a teacher-approved political science topic, participate in a community service activity, or observe and report on the policymaking process of a governing body. Students should plan a presentation that relates their experiences or findings to what they are learning in the course.

     

    Units Exam Weighting

    • Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy 15–22%
    • Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government 25–36%
    • Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 13–18%
    • Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs 10–15%
    • Unit 5: Political Participation 20–27%