AP Courses

1 Credit
Available to Grades 10–12

U.S. Government and Politics is a full-year course designed for students aspiring to take AP examination and to better prepare for undergraduate studies. The course is formatted to expand the students’ understanding of the U.S. government structures and explain the bedrock of policy formations. Students will enhance their knowledge of the fundamental principles governing our nation, the origins of political parties, and factors impacting the public opinion. This course will closely analyze the nature of American liberties and the ways in which American citizens influenced political change. Students will be closely acquainted with the Law of the Land (i.e. the Constitution) and peruse through difficult, landmarking cases of the Supreme Court.

Upon completing this course, students will further enhance their knowledge of the nature of American political pluralism and the peculiar strengths and weaknesses of democracy. This course has been built around the practices published in the AP U.S. Government and Politics Course and Exam Description.

Topics Discussed:

• The Founding Fathers and the Constitution
• Political Culture and Polarization
• Civil Liberties
• The Struggle for Equal Rights
• Congress: Duties and Responsibilities
• The Executive Branch
• The Bureaucratic Form of Government
• The Judicial Branch and the Legal System
• Quantification of Public Opinion
• Political Parties and their Relationship to the Government
• Purpose and Definition of Interest Groups
• Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
• Origins of the Media and Its Potential

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Learn more about the AP U.S. Government & Politics teacher.