The material in the course is composed of multiple subjects from the Constitutional roots of the United States to recent developments in civil rights and liberties. The AP United States Government examination covers roughly six subjects listed below in approximate percentage composition of the examination.
Foundations of American Democracy (15–22%) •
Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution •
Separation of powers •
Federalism •
Theories of democratic government Interactions Among Branches of Government (25–36%) • The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power; the
Congress, the
Presidency, the
Bureaucracy, and the
Federal Courts Civil Liberties and Civil Rights (13–18%) • The development of
civil liberties and
civil rights by
judicial interpretation • Knowledge of
substantive rights and
liberties • The impact of the
Fourteenth Amendment on the constitutional development of rights and liberties
American Political Ideologies and Beliefs (10–15%) • Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders •
Processes by which citizens learn about politics • The nature, sources, and consequences of
public opinion • The ways in which citizens
vote and otherwise
participate in political life • Factors that influence citizens to differ from one another in terms of political beliefs and behaviors
Political Participation (20–27%) •
Political parties and
elections • Functions • Organization • Development • Effects on the political process •
Electoral laws and systems •
Interest groups, including
political action committees (PACs) • The range of interests represented • The activities of interest groups • The effects of interest groups on the political process • The unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the political process • The
mass media • The functions and structures of the media • The impact of media on politics
Public Policy (Part of the Units, embedded within all five units) •
Public policy making in a federal system • The formation of policy agendas • The role of institutions in the enactment of policy • The role of the bureaucracy and the courts in policy implementation and interpretation • Linkages between policy processes and the following: •
Political institutions and
federalism •
Political parties •
Interest groups •
Public opinion •
Elections • Policy networks ==Required Supreme Court cases and Foundation Documents==