Advanced Placement (AP) United States Government and Politics (often shortened to AP Gov and sometimes referred to as AP American Government or simply AP Government) is a

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...

-level course and examination offered to high school students through the College Board's

Advanced Placement Program Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

. This course surveys the structure and function of American government and politics that begins with an analysis of the United States Constitution, the foundation of the American political system. Students study the

three branches of government Separation of powers refers to the division of a state's government into branches, each with separate, independent powers and responsibilities, so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with those of the other branches. The typic ...

, administrative agencies that support each branch, the role of political behavior in the democratic process, rules governing elections, political culture, and the workings of political parties and interest groups.

Topic outline

The material in the course is composed of multiple subjects from the Constitutional roots of the United States to recent developments in civil rights and liberties. The AP United States Government examination covers roughly six subjects listed below in approximate percentage composition of the examination.

Foundations of American Democracy (15-22%)

* Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution *

Separation of powers Separation of powers refers to the division of a state's government into branches, each with separate, independent powers and responsibilities, so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with those of the other branches. The typic ...

* Federalism * Theories of democratic government

Interactions Among Branches of Government (25-36%)

* The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power; the

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, the

Presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...

, the Bureaucracy, and the Federal Courts

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights (13-18%)

* The development of civil liberties and civil rights by judicial interpretation * Knowledge of substantive rights and

liberties Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society f ...

* The impact of the Fourteenth Amendment on the constitutional development of rights and liberties

American Political Ideologies and Beliefs (10–15%)

* Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders * Processes by which citizens learn about politics * The nature, sources, and consequences of

public opinion Public opinion is the collective opinion on a specific topic or voting intention relevant to a society. It is the people's views on matters affecting them. Etymology The term "public opinion" was derived from the French ', which was first use ...

* The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life * Factors that influence citizens to differ from one another in terms of political beliefs and behaviors

Political Participation (20-27%)

* Political parties and

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative ...

** Functions ** Organization ** Development ** Effects on the political process ** Electoral laws and systems * Interest groups, including political action committees (PACs) ** The range of interests represented ** The activities of interest groups ** The effects of interest groups on the political process ** The unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the political process * The

mass media Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets. Broadcast media transmit informati ...

** The functions and structures of the media ** The impact of media on politics

Public Policy (Part of the Units, embedded within all 5 units)

* Public policy making in a federal system * The formation of policy agendas * The role of institutions in the enactment of policy * The role of the bureaucracy and the courts in policy implementation and interpretation * Linkages between policy processes and the following: ** Political institutions and federalism ** Political parties ** Interest groups **

Public opinion Public opinion is the collective opinion on a specific topic or voting intention relevant to a society. It is the people's views on matters affecting them. Etymology The term "public opinion" was derived from the French ', which was first use ...

Elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative ...

** Policy networks

Required Supreme Court cases and Foundation Documents

Supreme Court cases

Starting from 2019 Administration of the Test, the College Board requires students to know 15 Supreme Court cases. After the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization, Roe v Wade was removed from the required case list. The 14 required Supreme Court cases are listed below:

Foundation Documents

Same as Supreme Court Cases, the College Board requires students to know 9 Foundation Documents. The 9 Documents are listed below:

Exam

The Multiple-Choice section is analytical and the Free-Response questions are fairly consistent. * Section I: Multiple-Choice (80 minutes, 55 questions, 50% of Total Exam Scores) * Section II: Free-response (100 minutes, 4 questions, 50% of Total Exam Scores)

Grade distribution

The grade distributions since 2007 were:

References

External links

AP United States Government and Politics at CollegeBoard.com
{{College Board Political science education Advanced Placement Politics of the United States