AP US GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Course Outline
I.
Overview of Course
The AP United States Government and Politics course will give students an analytical perspective on
government and politics in the United States . This course includes both the study of general
concepts used to interpret U .S . government and politics and the analysis of specific examples . It
also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U .S .
government and politics . Throughout the course of the year, students should become acquainted
with the variety of theoretical perspectives and explanations for various behaviors and outcomes .
II.
Subject Areas Covered
A. Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government
1. Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution
2. Separation of powers
3. Checks and balances
4. Federalism
5. Theories of democratic government
B. Political Beliefs and Behaviors
1. Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders
2. Processes by which citizens learn about politics
3. The nature, sources, and consequences of public opinion
4. The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life
5. Factors that influence citizens to differ from one another in terms of political beliefs
and behaviors
C. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media
1. Political parties and elections
a. Functions
b. Organization
c. Development
d. Effects on the political process
e. Electoral laws and systems
2 . Interest groups, including political action committees (PACs)
a. The range of interests represented
b. The activities of interest groups
c. The effects of interest groups on the political process
d. The unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the political process
3. The mass media
a. The functions and structures of the news media
b. The impacts of the news media on politics
c. The news media industry and its consequences
D. Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy, and the
Federal Courts
1. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power
2. Relationships among these four institutions and varying balances of power
3. Linkages between institutions and the following:
a. Public opinion and voters
b. Interest groups
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c. Political parties
d. The media
e. State and local governments
E. Public Policy
1. Policymaking in a federal system
2. The formation of policy agendas
3. The role of institutions in the enactment of policy
4. The role of the bureaucracy and the courts in policy implementation and interpretation
5. Linkages between policy processes and the following:
a..Political institutions and federalism
b. Political parties
c. Interest groups
d. Public opinion
e. Elections
f. Policy networks
F. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
1. The development of civil liberties and civil rights by judicial interpretation
2. Knowledge of substantive rights and liberties
3. The impact of the Fourteenth Amendment on the constitutional development of rights
and liberties
III.
Methodology
A. Teacher lecture and discussion
B. Student reading and discussion
C. Research
D. Student independent writing
E. Small group work
IV.
Instructional Objectives
A. To prepare students for their future role as intelligent and active citizens in our democratic
society.
B. To provide students with an understanding of human interaction through time.
C. To study the human condition in historical, political and cultural context.
D. To know important facts, concepts, and theories pertaining to U .S . government and
E. politics
F. To understand typical patterns of political processes and behavior and their consequences
(including the components of political behavior, the principles used to explain or justify various
government structures and procedures, and the political effects of these structures and
procedures)
G. To be able to analyze and interpret basic data relevant to U .S . Government and politics
(including data presented in charts, tables, and other formats)
H. To be able to critically analyze relevant theories and concepts, apply them appropriately, and
develop their connections across the curriculum.
V.
Academic Expectations/Required Proficiencies
A. Students will complete all reading and homework assignments.
B. Student will complete independent and small group research.
C. Students will write analytical essays in response to primary sources
D. Students will pass all quizzes, tests, and the final examination.
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E. Students will take the AP Government & Politics examination.
VI.
Texts and other Materials
A. American Government: Institutions & Policies (13th Edition) (2013)
B. American Polity
C. Teacher prepared materials
Revised 8/13
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