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AP® U.S. Government and Politics

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Course Summary

Acquire a deep understanding of the foundations and systems of the U.S. government in this non-partisan introductory course. Examine key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, and roles of the constitutional system and the political culture of the United States. In this course, students complete a research project and learn invaluable analytical skills through reading and interpreting data, making comparisons, and engaging in evidence-based arguments from Supreme Court decisions and U.S. foundational documents. 

This course prepares students for the AP® U.S. Government and Politics exam.

Curriculum

This is a 1-semester course.

UC Scout courses (except language courses) are conducted entirely in English, including all lessons, assignments, and exams. Students are expected to complete all coursework — including proctored midterm and final exams — in English. Translation tools and browser extensions (such as Google Translate) are not permitted during proctored exams. Students who rely on translation tools to complete coursework should be aware that these tools will not be available during proctored assessments.

Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy
  • The Basic Function of Government
  • American Democracy
  • Constitutional Foundations
  • The Declaration of Independence
  • Building the Constitution
  • The U.S. Constitution
  • The Basic Principles of the Constitution
  • Inside the Constitution
  • The Bill of Rights
  • Powers Divided
  • Evolution of Federalism
  • The Anti-Federalists and Brutus 1
  • The Federalist Papers
Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government
  • The House of Representatives
  • The Senate
  • Bills and Resolutions
  • Legislation to Law
  • The Nature of a President
  • Presidential Roles
  • The White House
  • The Budget
  • The Nature of the Bureaucracy
  • The Cabinet
  • Other Bureaucratic Bodies
  • Checks on the Bureaucracy
  • State and Local Courts
  • The Federal Court System
  • Historical Supreme Courts
  • The Nature of the Supreme Court
  • The Modern Supreme Court
Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
  • Incorporation
  • Freedom of Religion
  • Freedom of Speech
  • Freedom of the Press
  • The Fourth Amendment
  • Due Process and Criminal Rights
  • The Civil Rights Movement
  • Civil Rights Legislation
  • Equality Before the Law
Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs
  • Political Participation
  • Party Identification
  • Politics, Polls, and the Press
Unit 5: Political Participation
  • The Two-Party System
  • Third Parties
  • Party Function and Structure
  • Political Party Eras
  • Voting Behavior and Intensity
  • Financing Elections
  • Congressional Elections
  • The Electoral College
  • Presidential Elections