AP® U.S. Government and Politics
Course details
Duration
18 weeks or less
Lectures
32
Video
None
Level
Intermediate
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AP U.S. Government and Politics studies the operations and structure of the U.S. government and the behavior of the electorate and politicians. Students will gain the analytic perspective necessary to critically evaluate political data, hypotheses, concepts, opinions, and processes. Along the way, they’ll learn how to gather data about political behavior and develop their own theoretical analysis of American politics. They’ll also build the skills they need to examine general propositions about government and politics, and to analyze the specific relationships between political, social, and economic institutions. The equivalent of an introductory college-level course, AP U.S. Government and Politics prepares students for the AP exam and for further study in political science, law, education, business, and history.
This course has been authorized by the College Board® to use the AP designation.
*Advanced Placement® and AP® are registered trademarks and/or owned by the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product.
Length: One semester
Course Materials Required
Unit 1: Foundations of American Government
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1
Lesson 1: Politics in a Democracy- Study - Introduction to Politics: Explore political issues that concern Americans, the study of politics, and three theories of American democracy.
- Discuss - Your Political Background: Discuss your political interests and background, your political biases in terms of how you view democracy, and your community in terms of its groups and its politics.
- Practice - Reading Political Science Material: Research theories of governance in America (Mills, Dahl). Complete study questions based on the reading and compare your work to an answer sheet.
- Discuss - What Is Unclear from the Reading? Discuss the readings by Mills and Dahl with your classmates and instructor to help you prepare for writing your first course essay.
- Practice - Outlining and Writing Essays: Outline an essay answer in preparation for writing your first course essay.
- Practice - Theories of American Democracy: Decide which of three theories of democracy is the most accurate analysis of current American politics. Write a short essay supporting your choice with examples from the readings.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 2: Constitutional Foundations
- Study - The Debate Over Ratification: Examine the process of ratification, the federalists and the anti-federalists, and the great debate.
- Practice - Federalist No. 10: After tackling this key reading, prepare to write an essay with the help of study questions and an answer sheet.
- Discuss - What Is Unclear from the Reading? Discuss Federalist No. 10 with your classmates and instructor.
- Practice - The Constitutional Convention: Write a short essay on the following question: What were the principal events and factors that led to the call for a Constitutional Convention?
- Study - Completion of the Constitution: Explore the following: ratification by the states, the amendment process, the rise of the federalists and anti-federalists, national vs. state government rule, separation of powers, and the development of judicial review.
- Discuss - Amending the Constitution: Discuss with your classmates whether you think it's too difficult to amend the Constitution.
- Practice - How Democratic is the Constitution? After reading about the intentions of the framers of the Constitution, write an essay on the following question: Is the Constitution an elitist document?
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 3: Federalism
- Study - Federalism: Examine the establishment of federalism in the Constitution, the evolution of federal-state relationships, and federalism in the twentieth century.
- Practice - Returning Power to the States: Answer the question: How has the debate over federal-state relations been affected by efforts to increase homeland security?
- Practice - The New Federalism: Write a short essay on the Supreme Court's views on new federalism. Include a discussion of recent rulings on federalism.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 4: Wrap-Up
- Review - Foundations of American Government: Review your studies of American politics, the Constitution, and federalism. Complete a question-outlining exercise.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to check your mastery of the content.
- Test (CS) - Foundations of American Government: Take a 20-minute test covering American politics, the Constitution, and federalism.
- Test (TS) - Foundations of American Government: Take a 40-minute test covering American politics, the Constitution, and federalism.
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Lesson 5: Diagnostic
- Diagnostic - Foundations of American Government: Test your understanding of the key concepts.
Unit 2: Political Beliefs and Attitudes
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Lesson 1: Political Culture
- Study - Political Culture: Examine political culture, political ideology, and political socialization.
- Practice - Liberal and Conservative Views: Identify liberal and conservative positions on a range of issues. Explain how you characterize your own views on these issues.
- Discuss - Ideological Positions: Take an ideological test. Discuss your findings. (How did you rate? Were you surprised?)
- Practice - Liberty and Equality: In a short essay, discuss the tensions between liberty and equality in American political culture. Include an example from current events where these two values are in conflict.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 2: Public Opinion in America
- Study - What Is Public Opinion? Explore public opinion and how it's measured, the nature of the public, and the results of studying public opinion.
- Practice - Public Opinion Polls: Examine poll results relating to the issue of genetic research. Interpret the results and write an essay commenting on the advantages and disadvantages of using polls to gauge public opinion.
- Discuss - Public Involvement in Politics
- Support your opinion about what role public opinion should play in our political system.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 3: Wrap-Up
- Review - Political Beliefs and Attitudes: Review your studies about political culture and public opinion in America. Complete a question-outlining exercise.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to check your mastery of the content.
- Test (CS) - Political Beliefs and Attitudes: Take a 20-minute test covering political values in America, the process of political socialization, liberals, conservatives and public opinion polls.
- Test (TS) - Political Beliefs and Attitudes: Take a 40-minute test covering political values in America, the process of political socialization, liberals, conservatives and public opinion polls.
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Lesson 4: Diagnostic
- Diagnostic - Political Beliefs and Attitudes: Test your understanding of the key concepts.
Unit 3: Political Parties, Elections, Interest Groups, and the Media
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10
Lesson 1: Political Parties
- Study - Political Parties: Explore the history of American political parties, their organization, how they work, and the changing nature of party identification.
- Discuss - Party Differences: Locate Web sites for the Republican and Democratic parties. Explain how both parties are changing, why they're changing, and if there remains much of a difference between the two.
- Practice - Decline of Political Parties: Compose an essay about whether the role of political parties is in serious decline.
- Discuss - Third Parties: After reviewing a Web site for an American third party, discuss why their views are considered extreme or "not in the mainstream."
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 2: Campaigns and Elections
- Study - Elections and Voter Turnout: Examine what elections mean to Americans, low voter turnout in America, and eight factors that explain low voter turnout.
- Practice - Voter Behavior: Bring together information about voting expectations. Compare the opinions of people you know to the opinions of most Americans.
- Study - Electoral Systems: Look at the plurality, majority, and plurality runoff electoral methods. Examine proportional voting systems, and consider our controversial electoral college system.
- Discuss - Alternative Voting Systems: Look at Web sites about voting issues and electoral methods. Discuss whether you think low voter turnout is a problem and what you think might be done to increase turnout.
- Study - Campaigns and Voting: Examine the process of running for office. Consider the role and function of primaries, caucuses, and conventions, and look at how voting behavior is analyzed.
- Practice - Campaign Finance: Analyze data on congressional candidates and read about campaign financing (Sullivan and Cressman). Answer the question: What are the intended and unintended consequences of legislation designed to reform our system of campaign finance?
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 3: Interest Groups
- Study - Interest Groups: Explore the roles of interest groups, why they form, participation in interest groups, and the types of interest groups.
- Practice - Interest Groups and the Democratic Process: After reading about the influence of interest groups on our democracy, answer the following question: How relevant is Madison's discussion of the "mischiefs of faction" to an analysis of contemporary interest groups?
- Study - Interest Group Strategies: Examine the direct and indirect techniques used by interest groups and political action committees in the democratic process.
- Practice - Interest Group Research: Find Web sites for three political interest groups. Report on what their missions are, what techniques they use, what their budgets are, who their target audiences are, whether they have a PAC, and so on.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 4: The Media
- Study - The Media: See the development of a free press in the United States, the rise of print and broadcast media, government regulation of broadcast media, and the media's effect on government.
- Discuss - The Free Press: Discuss and compare your opinions about the free press with your classmates.
- Study - The Media and Politics: Examine the national media's interest in political campaigns and political leaders' interest in the media.
- Discuss - The Media and Campaigning: After reading about the media's role in campaigning (Sabato), comment on the following: Should the media's notion of "a marketplace of ideas" include everything, or are there subjects the media should avoid?
- Study - The Media and Campaigns: Examine media coverage of presidential campaigns and evaluate the media's role in the same.
- Practice - The Media and Voter Education: Answer the following question: Does the mass media do a sufficient job of educating voters during campaigns?
- Practice - Comparing Media Coverage: Locate three articles from the mainstream media and three articles from alternative media sources covering a topic of your choice. Compare coverage of the topic.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 5: Wrap-Up
- Review - Political Parties, Elections, Interest Groups, and the Media: Review your studies of political parties, elections, interest groups, and the media. Complete a question-outlining exercise.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to check your mastery of the content.
- Test (CS) - Political Parties, Elections, Interest Groups, and the Media: Take a 20-minute test covering political parties, elections, interest groups, and the media.
- Test (TS) - Political Parties, Elections, Interest Groups, and the Media: Take a 40-minute test covering political parties, elections, interest groups, and the media.
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Lesson 6: Diagnostic
- Diagnostic - Political Parties, Elections, Interest Groups, and the Media: Test your understanding of the key concepts.
Unit 4: Institutions of American Government
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Lesson 1: Congress
- Study - Congress: Part 1: Explore the characteristics of the members of Congress and the powers and functions of Congress.
- Discuss - Congressional Demographics: After using the Web to identify and characterize members of Congress, comment on how representative you think they are.
- Study - Congress: Part 2: Learn about congressional organization and leadership, the committee system, and how a bill becomes a law.
- Practice - Congressional Voting Decisions: Based on the readings about serving in Congress (Mayhew, Fenno, Starobin), explain the primary factors influencing legislative voting behavior.
- Practice - Researching Legislation: Select an issue that interests you. Using the Web, find a piece of congressional legislation that might affect your issue. Briefly summarize the legislation and track its legislative history.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 2: The Presidency
- Study - The Presidency: Part 1: Examine the president's role as Chief of State and Chief Executive. Consider other formal presidential roles, informal presidential roles, and public expectations of the president.
- Discuss - The President's Roles: Support your opinion about President Bush's effectiveness in carrying out his many roles as president.
- Study - The Presidency: Part 2: Explore the executive branch resources, presidential resources, and constraints on presidential power.
- Practice - Presidential Power: After reading about presidential power (Neustadt), write an essay analyzing the effectiveness of presidential rhetoric.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 3: The Bureaucracy
- Study - The Bureaucracy: Part 1: Explore the theories of bureaucracy, the functions and organization of the federal bureaucracy, the size and cost of the bureaucracy, and the selection and characteristics of federal employees.
- Discuss - Bureaucratic Organization: Participate in a discussion about the bureaucratic challenges confronting the new Department of Homeland Security.
- Study - The Bureaucracy: Part 2: Examine the pathologies of the federal bureaucracy and their causes, the efforts to reform the bureaucracy, and the concept of incrementalism.
- Practice - Bureaucratic Reform: Based on readings about bureaucracy and efforts to reform it, respond to the following questions: Why are Americans frequently critical of government bureaucracy? In what ways should the bureaucracy be reformed?
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 4: The Courts
- Study - The Courts: Part 1: Explore the three types of laws, the organization of the judicial system, and the judicial process.
- Discuss - You Be the Judge: Read about how the Supreme Court ruled in an important case. Do you agree or disagree with the court's decision?
- Study - The Courts: Part 2: Examine the processes of judicial review, appointment of Supreme Court justices, Supreme Court decision-making, judicial activism, and judicial restraint.
- Practice - The Power of Judicial Review: Read about the Supreme Court's power of judicial review (Rostow) and excerpts from the Supreme Court's decision in Bush v. Gore. Write about whether you think the power of judicial review is antidemocratic.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 5: Checks and Balances
- Study - Checks and Balances: Examine Congress and the presidency, domestic and foreign policy, Congress and the bureaucracy, and the courts. Consider these in terms of the Madisonian vision.
- Practice - Do Checks and Balances Work? After reading Federalist No. 51, write an essay on whether our contemporary system of checks and balances is working as Madison intended.
- Practice - Line-Item Veto: Write a short essay on whether the line-item veto is constitutional. Does it give the president too much power? Defend your position.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 6: Wrap-Up
- Review - Institutions of American Government: Review your studies about the institutions of American government and complete a question-outlining exercise.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to check your mastery of the content.
- Test (CS) - Institutions of American Government: Take a 20-minute test covering Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, the courts, and the system of checks and balances.
- Test (TS) - Institutions of American Government: Take a 40-minute test covering Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, the courts, and the system of checks and balances.
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Lesson 7: Diagnostic
- Diagnostic - Institutions of American Government: Test your understanding of the key concepts.
Unit 5: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
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Lesson 1: Civil Liberties
- Study - First Amendment Civil Liberties: Explore civil liberties and selective incorporation, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press.
- Discuss - National Security and Civil Liberties: Read about changes in our civil liberties since the 9/11 attacks (Posner). Discuss what you think the proper balance should be between individual liberty and national security during times of war or crisis.
- Study - Rights of the Accused: Examine the concepts of unreasonable search and seizure, the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, and capital punishment.
- Practice - Civil Liberties Cases: Read summaries of 12 Supreme Court cases. Complete a worksheet identifying the issue and principle established in each case, and the decision of the Court.
- Practice - Rights of Criminal Defendants: Read about two famous Supreme Court cases. In an essay, explain whether you think the Supreme Court went too far in protecting the rights of the criminal defendants involved in these cases.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 2: Civil Rights
- Study - Civil Rights in America: Explore the process of defining civil rights, the movement from slavery to separate but equal, the history of school desegregation, the civil rights movement, and affirmative action.
- Practice - Civil Rights Cases: Read summaries of seven civil rights court cases. Complete a worksheet identifying the issue and principle established in each case, and the decision of the Court.
- Discuss - Affirmative Action: Read excerpts from Cornell West and Bron Taylor. Discuss whether you think affirmative action is still necessary.
- Study - Rights for Women: Examine the history of women's rights, women in the political arena, women in the economic arena, and the politics of rights.
- Practice - Equality for Women: Review Web-based information on women's issues. Write a short essay in response to a series of questions.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 3: Wrap-Up
- Review - Civil Liberties and Civil Rights: Review your studies about civil liberties and civil rights. Complete a question-outlining exercise.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to check your mastery of the content.
- Test (CS) - Civil Liberties and Civil Rights: Take a 20-minute test covering civil liberties and civil rights.
- Test (TS) - Civil Liberties and Civil Rights: Take a 50-minute test covering civil liberties and civil rights.
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26
Lesson 4: Diagnostic
- Diagnostic - Civil Liberties and Civil Rights: Test your understanding of the key concepts.
Unit 6: Public Policy in American Government
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Lesson 1: Domestic Policy
- Study - Public Policymaking: Examine the policy cycle and the three types of policies, and consider a case study of tobacco policy.
- Practice - Implementing Public Policy: Research the techniques the government employs to implement public policy.
- Study - Distributive Policies: Look at distributive policies and politics and consider two examples: agricultural policy and defense policy.
- Discuss - Entitlement Programs: Discuss solutions for reforming the social security program.
- Study - Redistributive Policies: Examine redistributive policies and politics and consider two examples: welfare policy and tax policy.
- Discuss - Government Involvement in the Economy: Discuss and support your opinions about the government's involvement in the economy.
- Study - Regulatory Policies: Explore regulatory policies and politics and consider two examples: business regulation and environmental policy.
- Practice - Tax Policy: Research and write about the politics of tax cuts. Have recent tax cuts accomplished their intended goals? Do you agree with the policy of cutting taxes as a means of stimulating economic growth?
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 2: Foreign and Defense Policies
- Study - Foreign and Defense Policies: Examine the general principles of American foreign policy, how foreign policy is made, and how military policy is made.
- Discuss - American Foreign Policy: After reading the introduction to the U.S. National Security Strategy, discuss what role the U.S. should play in world affairs. Do you support the Bush Administration's strategy document?
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to assess your understanding of the content.
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Lesson 3: Wrap-Up
- Review - Public Policy in American Government: Review your studies of domestic and foreign policy in preparation for a test. Complete a question-outlining exercise.
- Quiz - Check-Up: Answer questions to check your mastery of the content.
- Test (CS) - Public Policy in American Government: Take a 20-minute test covering American domestic policy and foreign policy.
- Test (TS) - Public Policy in American Government: Take a 50-minute test covering American domestic policy and foreign policy.
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Lesson 4: Diagnostic
- Diagnostic - Public Policy in American Government: Test your understanding of the key concepts.
Unit 7: Preparing for the AP Exam
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Lesson 1: Review and Exam
- Study - Study Tips and Strategies: Go over study tips and strategies for taking the Final and AP Exams.
- Review - U.S. Government: Review the topics and create exam questions based on your studies of U.S. Government.
- Discuss - Studying for the AP Exam: Discuss any concerns you have about the material, your own study strategies, and so on.
- Practice - AP Exam Practice 1: Practice AP-style, multiple-choice questions.
- Practice - AP Exam Practice 2: Practice AP-style, free-response questions.
- Practice - AP Exam Practice 3: Take a self-proctored, full-length AP-style practice test.
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Lesson 2: Final Course Exam
- Exam - Final Course Exam: Take the Final Exam for U.S. Government.
- Final Exam - Final Course Exam: Take the Final Exam for U.S. Government.
When will this course begin?
Processing time is 1-2 business days. Courses begin each week on Mondays, except for holidays.
Will this class give high school credit?
Yes! Our high school courses are accredited.
Is this course recognized by universities?
Yes! The transcript you receive will come from a fully accredited online school.
Will this class end up on my high school transcript?
Yes, it can! You will need to speak with your academic counselor to get an outside approval request. We will work with you and your school to make sure your high school recognizes our accredited course for placement on your high school transcript.
What if my high school doesn’t give outside credit approval but I still want to take courses that my school doesn’t have to stand out?
No problem! You can still self-report to universities that you took this high school credit course and shine like the shining star that you are.
Will I get support from a live teacher?
Yes! This course comes with support from a certified, experienced teacher available for personalized feedback and assistance Monday-Friday via email and Zoom.
How long does it take to have coursework graded and returned?
Teachers return assignments graded with personalized feedback within 3 business days.
How long will I have to complete this course?
A semester course is scheduled for 9 weeks of access in the summer (May – July) and 18 weeks during the school year (August – April). When you purchase semester 1 and semester 2 courses together, the course is scheduled for 18 weeks in the summer term and 36 weeks during the school year. Students are always welcome to work ahead or add additional time to summer courses (up to 18 weeks for a semester or 36 weeks when semester 1 and semester 2 are purchased together).
Can I finish this course early?
You can complete this course at your pace; so if you get through the coursework quickly, then you can finish early.
What if I need more time to complete this course?
All of our courses are available year-round, and the course content is the same for summer school. Our summer school course duration is set to 9 weeks for semester courses and 18 weeks when semester 1 and semester 2 are purchased together; however, this duration can be extended several weeks upon request.
How can I order my transcript?
All transcripts are available through Parchment, the industry leader in education credentials technology. Parchment is used widely by high schools, colleges, and other academic institutions such as the NCAA. It is a secure service for sending credentials. Transcripts take 1 to 2 business days to process, and you can check online to view the progress of the transaction.
You can use Parchment to order transcripts for multiple institutions at once (including the NCAA). You will automatically receive an unofficial copy for your personal records, and you can track your official transcript. Each Parchment electronic (emailed) transcript costs $5.40, and hard copies sent by mail cost $7.90.
You can use Parchment to order transcripts for multiple institutions at once (including the NCAA). You will automatically receive an unofficial copy for your personal records, and you can track your official transcript. Each Parchment electronic (emailed) transcript costs $5.40, and hard copies sent by mail cost $7.90.
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