AP® U.S. Government and Politics
Course Description
AP® U.S. Government and Politics is a rigorous, college-level course of study designed
to give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States.
It is expected that students who complete this course of study will also take the AP®
Government and Politics exam sponsored by The College Board.
Texts and Supplemental Readings
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Wilson, James Q., John J. Dilulio, Jr., American Government: Institutions and
Policies, 10th ed. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006)
Ruckman, P.S., Jr., Student Study Guide to American Government, 10th ed.
(Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006)
U.S. News and World Report (Specific articles assigned on a weekly basis)
Selected Federalist Papers
Other readings as assigned
Course Website: http://www.wfps.k12.mt.us/teachers/friezet/apgov/
(Includes news feeds from major political news sources for weekly summary and
analysis assignments)
(CR-8)
Current Events
In addition to readings from the textbook and other sources, students are assigned
relevant articles from each week’s edition of U.S. News and World Report (a copy of
which is provided to each student on a weekly basis). Students are also required to read
an article of their own choosing (and clearly relevant to the study of U.S. Government
and politics) from some other source and write a short summary and analysis each week.
(CR-8)
Writing Workshops (Free-Response Writing)
In addition to the free-response question on each chapter exam, students are required to
answer an analytical and interpretive free-response question during the course of study of
each chapter or unit. Whenever possible, relevant free-response questions are chosen
from past College Board sponsored AP® U.S. Government and Politics exams and the
released rubrics are used to score student writing. “Writing workshops” incorporate peer
editing and re-writing opportunities, as well as instructor feedback, to facilitate the
development of skills necessary to become proficient at this type of writing activity.
(CR-9)
Assessment
Exams are given for each unit/chapter. Quizzes over daily assigned readings from the
primary textbook are given two or three times per week. Each exam includes multiplechoice questions as well as at least one free-response type question.
(CR-9)
Major Units/Activities
Unit
Readings
Activities
Introduction
Wilson, Chapter 1
John Locke’s Second
Treatise, On Civil
Government
The Declaration of
Independence
(CR-8)
Role Play: The Island
(students imagine life
without government)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
The Constitution
(CR-1)
Wilson, Chapter 2
Federalist #15
Federalist #51
Federalist #10
Landmark Supreme Court
Case Summary: Marbury v.
Madison (1803)
(CR-8)
Outline Federalist #10
(Students read and complete
an analytical outline of
Federalist #10 following
skeleton template provided
by instructor
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
Federalism
(CR-1)
Wilson, Chapter 3
Federalist #39
Landmark Supreme Court
Research-based essay
assignment: The effects of
federal mandates on state
Case Summaries:
McCulloch v. Maryland
(1819); Gibbons v. Ogden
(1824)
Democracy in America: The
Federal Constitution, by
Alexis de Tocqueville
(CR-8)
and local governments
(CR-9)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
Political Culture
(CR-2)
Wilson, Chapter 4
Landmark Supreme Court
Case Summary: Roe v.
Wade (1973)
Washington’s Farewell
Address
(CR-8)
Researched-based essay
assignment: Abortion and
the Culture War
(CR-9)
Video: Is America #1?
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
Elections and Campaigns
(CR-2)
Wilson, Chapter 10
Landmark Supreme Court
Case Summary: Bush v.
Gore (2000)
(CR-8)
Chart: Realignments
(students chart critical
elections)
(CR-7)
Group Activity/Role Play:
Campaign Strategists
(students give campaign
strategy advise to
candidates)
Web-based exercise: Money
Campaigns and Elections
(CR-7)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
Civil Liberties
(CR-6)
Civil Rights
(CR-6)
Wilson, Chapter 5
Landmark Supreme Court
Case Summaries:
Schenck v. U.S. (1919
Gitlow v. New York (1925)
Map v. Ohio (1961)
Tinker v. Des Moines
School District (1969)
Gideon v. Wainwright
(1963)
(CR-8)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Wilson, Chapter 6
Landmark Supreme Court
Case Summaries:
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Brown v. Board of Ed.
(1954)
Heart of Atlanta Hotel v.
U.S. (1964)
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Bakke (1978)
(CR-8)
Document-Based Question
Project: Why was the Equal
Rights Amendment
Defeated?
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
Public Opinion
(CR-2)
Wilson, Chapter 7
Selections from J.S. Mill’s
On Liberty
Libertarian Party Statement
of Principles
(CR-9)
Webquest: Ideologies
Analyzing Libertarianism
Web-based politicalopinion surveys
(CR-7)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
Political Participations
(CR-2)
Wilson, Chapter 8
Research and Essay
Assignment: Voter Turnout
(Demographic analysis of
participation rates)
(CR-9)
Game-Theory Activity: The
Prisoners Dilemna/The
Voter’s Paradox
(CR-7)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
Political Parties
(CR-3)
Wilson, Chapter 9
Group Project (research and
present): The Rise and
decline of Political Parties
(students work in groups
researching political parties
throughout American
History and present to class)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
The Congress
(CR-4)
Wilson, Chapter 13
Web-based exercise
Role-Play: Mock Congress
(Students role-play
committee assignments;
write bills; vote)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
The Presidency
(CR-4)
Wilson, Chapter 14
U.S. News Report: The 10
Worst Presidents
Federalist #70
(CR-8)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
Research-based essay:
Presidential v.
Congressional Power
(CR-9)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
The Judiciary
(CR-4)
Wilson, Chapter 16
The Federalist #78
Scalia’s Dissent to Planned
Parenthood v. Casey (1992)
The Tempting of America
(Excerpt), by Robert Bork
“For Loose Construction”
(address by William
Brennan, Jr.)
(CR-9)
Mock Supreme Court Case
(students write briefs and
present oral arguments)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
The Media
(CR-3)
Wilson, Chapter 12
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
The Bureaucracy, Interest
Groups, and Public Policy
(CR-3)
(CR-5)
Wilson, Chapter 11
Wilson, Chapter 15
Wilson, Chapter 17
Public-Policy Project*
(CR-5)
Activities from Student
Study Guide, including
“Data Check” activities
requiring analysis and
interpretation of data.
(CR-7)
Writing Workshop
(CR-9)
*The Public-Policy Project is an intensive research, writing, and cooperative learning
project. Students study the Public policy making process in general, and then are
assigned one policy area in particular to research thoroughly (Economic policy,
Foreign and Military policy, Social Welfare policy, or Environmental policy). In
addition to writing a research paper related to one of these policy areas, students work
together in “committees” to design a presentation related to their assigned policy area
and then present this to the entire class, thus ensuring that all students are exposed to
all policy areas.
(CR-5)