Advanced Placement US Government and Politics
Course Number: #2724
Designed as a college level survey/ seminar elective in the study of American government. This course is very demanding, and recommended for students interested in careers in law and/or government. Its purpose is to discuss and demonstrate the American system of government. The AP American Government course provides an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States, involving both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. politics and the analysis of specific case studies. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U.S. political reality. Specifically, students will review the Constitutional underpinnings of United States government; political beliefs and behaviors; political parties, interest groups, and mass media; institutions of national government, including Congress, the Presidency, the executive bureaucracy, and the federal courts; public policy; and civil rights and civil liberties. The student will learn to evaluate the role of the national government in its relationship with the American people. This course is intended to prepare a student to successfully complete the Advanced Placement American Government and Politics Test that is offered in May of the school year.
Prerequisites: 90% in Civics, World History, and American History; or successful completion of AP World History of AP United States History.
Credit(s): 1
Open to Grade(s): 11 and 12
Texts and Materials: American Government: Institutions and Policies