LECTURE #1: Introduction to U.S.

Government & Politics

Derrick J. Johnson, MPA, JDAdvanced Placement United States

Government & Politics,School for Advanced Studies

Why Should You Know about U.S. Government and Politics?

The study of government and politics in the United States is an important and intriguing sojourn. After all, democracy will not work if a citizenry does not understand political issues and process.

Why Should You Know about U.S. Government and Politics?

The main objective of this course is to provide the student with the instruction, tools, and learning environment needed to develop the knowledge and skills to earn college credit upon taking the Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics Examination.

All students registered for the course are required to take the test. AP United States Government & Politics is a highly demanding college-level course. This is not a course in which the student can afford to wait until the last minute to catch up on readings and assignments.

What Skills and Abilities Should You Acquire?

First, you need to know your facts, concepts, and theories. Content knowledge is very important.

Next, you need to understand patterns, principles, and consequences of political processes and organizations. For example, what consequences do voter

patterns have on those who get elected to office?

The fact that people with higher levels of education are likely to vote does make a difference on who gets to make policy in this country.

What Skills and Abilities Should You Acquire?

Why is it important that each state is represented equally in the Senate and in proportion to population in the House of Representatives?

You can memorize those facts, but you also need to be able to consider what effect that organization has on policy decisions.

You must be able to analyze and interpret data on charts, graphs, and tables, and to occasionally interpret political cartoon.

What Skills and Abilities Should You Acquire?

Pay close attention to structure and wording of the free response questions and allow the structure and wording to guide your answers. Never begin to answer a question until you are absolutely sure that you know what the question is asking. For example, don’t read through a question and say to yourself, “This question is about campaign finance reform,” and just begin writing. Be sure that you are absolutely sure that you answer precisely and completely what the question is asking. Answer the whole question and nothing but the question.

What is the Format of the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics

Exam? The A.P. U.S. Government & Politics Exam will

test how well students are able to grasp American political issues and processes.

There are two sections on the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics Examination. Multiple choice section Free response section

There are 60 multiple choice questions (45 minutes time limit).

There are 4 free response questions (100 minutes time limit).

There are six units that will appear on the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics Examination. They are as follow:

Constitutional Foundations of United States Government

5 – 15% Constitutional & Democratic Theory Federalism

10 – 20% Political Culture Political Participation Public Opinion Voting Patterns

Beliefs and Behaviors about Government

Political Parties, Interest Groups, and the Mass Media

10 – 20% Political Parties Campaigns & Elections Interests Groups Mass Media

35 – 45% Congress

The House of Representatives

The Senate

Institutions of Government

The Presidency The President The Vice President The Cabinet

The Bureaucracy Agencies The Military

The Judiciary The Supreme Court Lower Federal Courts

Civil Rights & Liberties

5 – 15% Civil Rights

Racial Equality Movements African Americans Hispanic Americans Native Americans Asian Americans

Women’s Rights Movement Americans with Disabilities Gay & Lesbian Rights Affirmative Action

Civil Liberties Freedom of Religion

Establishment Clause Free Exercise Clause

Freedom of Speech Freedom of the Press Freedom of Assembly and Petition Property Rights Right to Privacy Rights of the Accused

Search and Seizures Self-Incrimination Right to Counsel Cruel & Unusual Punishment

Public Policy

5 – 15% Domestic Policy Economic Policy Foreign Policy

Scoring the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics Exam

The composite score for the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics exam is 120 points.

The composite score is determined by adding the score from the multiple choice section to the essay section score and rounding that sum to the nearest whole number.

There are five possible categories of the scores on the exam (1-5). The categories correlate with the composite scores in the following manner:

Scoring the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics Exam

Composite Score Range

AP Score Interpretation

Mid 80s – 120 points 5 Extremely qualified for college credit

Mid 70s – Mid 80s points 4 Well qualified for college credit

High 40s – Mid70s points 3 Qualified for college credit

High 20s – High 40s points 2 Possibly qualified for college credit

0 – High 20s points 1 Not qualified for college credit

THE END OF LECTURE #1