Instructions for Long Essay Questions of the AP Test (LEQ)
1. The Particulars
a. Students will write one essay. They will have two questions from which to choose; they
choose the one they prefer to write.
b. The LEQ will be scored on a 0-6 point analytic rubric.
c. They have 35 minutes to write. I would recommend they plan for five minutes, leaving
30 minutes to write.
d. The LEQ is worth 15% of the overall grade on the AP exam.
2. Structure of the Essay
a. Thesis: You must have a thesis. It must answer the question, addressing all parts of the
question. It must be defensible. It cannot simply restate the question. Make sure that
you include the “why” in your thesis. This is worth 1 point.
i. Keep in mind the historical thinking skill for the question.
ii. Underline your thesis statement to identify it for the reader.
iii. Make it the last sentence(s) in the intro.
b. Argument Development: Support your thesis with specific evidence/examples from
your knowledge of US history. You must clearly and consistently state how the evidence
supports the thesis. There are two components to this section.
i. The first component is Targeted Historical Thinking Skill. This is worth 2 points.
1. Apply historical thinking skills as directed by the question. There are
four types that students might encounter in an LEQ. They are…
a. Comparison
i. Describe similarities AND differences among historical
individuals, events, developments or processes. This is
worth 1 point.
ii. Explain the reasons for these similarities AND
differences. This is worth 1 point.
b. Causation
i. Describe causes AND/OR effects of a historical event,
development or process. This is worth 1 point.
ii. Explain the reasons for these causes AND/OR effects.
This is worth 1 point.
c. Continuity and Change Over Time (CCOT)
i. Describes historical continuity AND change over time.
This is worth 1 point.
ii. Explain the reasons for historical continuity AND change
over time. This is worth 1 point.
d. Periodization
i. Describes the ways in which the historical development
specified in the prompt was different from AND similar
to developments that preceded AND/OR followed. This
is worth 1 point
ii. Explains the extent to which the historical development
specified in the prompt was different from AND similar
to developments that preceded AND/OR followed. This
is worth 1 point
1. If the question discusses turning points, it’s a
periodization question
ii. The second component is Using Evidence. This is worth 2 points.
1. List specific examples of relevant evidence to support the topic. This is
worth 1 point
2. ??? speak with Geri
a. Synthesis: Discuss one of the two. This is worth 1 point.
i. Establishes a connection between the thesis and one of the following…
1. Connect your argument to a different historical time period, situation or
geographical areas
a. An example might be connecting the reform movements of the
1830s (temperance, abolition, women’s rights) to the reform
movements of the 1960s (freedom of speech, civil rights,
women’s rights)
2. Analyze a historical theme that is not the focus of the essay such as
political, economic, cultural, social or intellectual
a. An example might be if the question is discussing Hamiltonian
economics, you might tie in the cultural implications of
increased industrialization in the United States at the time.
ii. To earn the point, the writer must explain the connection between the synthesis
and the topic.
iii. The synthesis statement is a nice way to conclude the essay. I would
recommend it in the conclusion paragraph.
3. Tips
a. Don’t think of it as a four paragraph essay. You will have an intro paragraph that
addresses the thesis and a conclusion where the synthesis is done, but you can have as
many body paragraphs as you see fit to defend the thesis and address the historical
thinking portions.
Question: Evaluate the extent to which increasing integration of the United States into the world economy contributed
to maintaining continuity as well as fostering change in the United States from 1945 to the present.
Response:
The aftermath of WWII led to massive U.S. economic and political power as they emerged unscathed from the war.
The United States continued on a path of gradual economic globalization. However, after 1945, society shifted away
from a wartime economy and encouraged less government regulation in business. The increasing integration of the
US into the world economy had a massive impact on continued globalization and varied economic structures.
A main continuity from 1945 to the present was an increase in globalization. US factories had to compete with
Japanese and Asian markets in the years after WWII. A policy of isolationism perpetuated by strategic response of
Eisenhower through massive militaries gave way to a flexible response brought on by brushfire wars in Laos,
Vietnam, Korea, Grenada, and Angola. This flexibility forced the US to be more globally minded with military strategy
to appease and influence nations. After US support for Israel in the Six Days War, an Arab oil embargo imposed by
OPEC forced the US to rely on millions of barrels of oil for imports from the Middle East. Rare minerals coming from
China, a necessity of car batteries, coupled with billions in debt to China has forced the US to cooperate in a
globalized world.
A main change since 1945 has been the transition from a wartime economy. After WWII, the US saw unprecedented
growth that was furthered by Cold War defense spending that was based on nuclear weapons. The Vietnam War and
Nixon’s reliance on political bargaining kept millions of soldiers across the world. Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars
program, bent on dealing with the Soviets through hegemonic power faltered under reforms of glasnost under
Gorbachev. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the US economy fully shifted away from a military industrial
complex. The SALT II treaties dismantled missile arsenals and the US military shifted to one that was focused on
flexible response in an age of terrorism. Jobs transitioned from short term, integrating females and blacks to
industries that were set to compete long term by fostering energy and industry to compete in a globalized world. A
policy of isolationism ended as military armaments were being dismantled.
A final change as the US was integrated into the world economy was the encouragement of free market capitalism.
Unions saw their decline immediately after WWII as millions of jobs were short term or too prosperous due to the
effects of war to necessitate protection. President Eisenhower encouraged the TVA to be transitioned to the states
and Nixon and Reagan completely dismantled LBJ’s Great Society entitlements. Reagan encouraged supply-side
laissez-faire economics that necessitated global integration as well as investments into an economy following the
Keynes model. American business benefitted from a rising valuation of the dollar due to Nixon keeping interest rates
high, directly promoting free economics undercut the valuation of the Chinese Yen. Stock exchanges developed in
Lebanon and Jordan contributed to an increasingly free market where investors relied on foreign trade. Mergers of
big businesses opened up new markets as Toyota and Honda expanded into Asia while Exxon mobile advanced into
Africa. The repeal of Glass-Steagall in the 1990s led to an era of corporations free to invest consumer money and
expand through mergers. Even after the 2008 collapse, the failure of Dodd-Frank due to 400 unpassed amendments
has reduced government resumption of the economy to stay afloat in a global economy where businesses have
political clout behind them.
This essay earned a score of 6, placing it in the highest category.
This essay provides the reader with a solid piece of argumentative writing supported by a very impressive command
of historical information that is continually linked back to the thesis.
The thesis addresses all parts of the question without simply restating the question and earns 1 point. Some
examples from the thesis are: “the U.S. continued on a path of gradual economic globalization” (which shows
continuity); “society shifted away from a wartime economy and encouraged less government regulation in business”
(showing change}; and increasing integration of the U.S. into the world economy had a massive impact (which shows
to what extent).
Because the essay supports the thesis and makes an argument using a plethora of specific examples that are clearly
linked back to the thesis, the essay earns 2 points for argumentation. Some examples of this are the movement away
from the military industrial complex, SALT II treaties, the decline of labor unions, the repeal of Glass-Steagall, and the
failure of Dodd-Frank. The over-generalization - “Nixon and Reagan completely dismantled LBJ’s Great Society” does not detract from the strongly developed argument embedded in the essay.
The essay receives 2 points for application of the historical thinking skill, not only because it describes historical
change and continuity over time, but also because it analyzes many specific examples that illustrate the extent to
which increasing integration of the U.S. into the world economy contributed to maintaining continuity as well as
fostering change.
The argument appropriately connects the topic of the question to other historical time periods by discussing the
repeal of the New Deal era Glass-Steagall Act and explaining the impact of the repeal on U.S. society. Therefore it
receives 1 point for thesis.