AP US Government and Politics
High School
Social Studies
Course Description:
AP U.S. Government and Politics provides a college-level, nonpartisan introduction to
key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States. Students will study U.S. foundational documents, Supreme Court decisions, and other texts and visuals to gain an understanding of the relationships and interactions among political institutions, processes, and behaviors. They will also engage in disciplinary practices that require them to read and interpret data, make comparisons and applications, and develop evidence-based arguments. In addition, they will complete a political science research or applied civics project.
Semester 1
Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy
Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government
Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Semester 2
Note: if the following section is blank the course is 1 semester long
Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs
Unit 5: Political Participation