AP GOVERNMENT: OVERVIEW



AP GOVERNMENT – REVIEW

(revised 4/10/06)

I. STRUCTURE OF EXAM

TIME # QUESTIONS TYPE OF QUESTION %GRADE

45 min. 60 Mult. Choice 50%

100 min. 4 Essay 50%

The Exam is 2 hours and 25 minutes long. The majority of this is devoted to writing four mandatory essays (100 minutes).

AP scores range from a low of 1 (No recommended college credit) to a high of 5 (Extremely well qualified). You need to obtain a 3 (Qualified) in order to be considered by most colleges for exam credit. To obtain a 3, you only need to answer 50 - 60% of the multiple choice questions correctly and score in the middle to upper range on the essay portion of the exam. If you spend the time preparing for this exam and learning the basics (i.e. at least 60% of the information), you will have no problem reaching a 3. Good Luck.

II. 6 TOPICS COVERED ON EXAM

1) Topic: Constitutional Underpinnings of American Government

Percentage of Exam: 5 - 15%

Objectives:

*Why did Madison fear factions?

*Why was the Bill of Rights adopted swiftly?

1. Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution.

2. Separation of Powers

3. Federalism

4. Theories of democratic government (republican gov’t, pluralism, and elitism)

2) Topic: Political Beliefs and Behaviors

Percentage of Exam: 10 - 20%

Objectives:

1. Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders

2. Processes by which citizens learn about politics (families, school, media)

3. The nature, source, and consequences of public opinion

4. The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life (voting, protest, mass movements)

5. Factors that influence citizens to differ from one another in terms of political beliefs and behaviors (demographics, race, wealth)

3) Topic: Political Parties, interest groups, and mass media

Percentage of Exam: 10 - 20%

Objectives:

A. Political parties and elections

1. Functions

2. Organization

3. Development

4. Effects on the Political Process

B. Interest Groups, including Political Action Comm. (PAC’s)

1. The range of interests represented

2. The activities of interest groups

3. The effects of interest groups on the political process

4. The unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the political process

C. The Mass Media

1. The functions and structures of the media

2. The impacts of media on politics

4) Topic: Institutions of National Government: Congress, Presidency, Bureaucracy, and Federal Courts

Percentage of Exam: 35 - 45%

Objectives:

*What are the conflicting interests and powers of Congress and the President which help explain the repeated struggles to adopt a national budget?

A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power

B. Relationships among these four institutions, and varying balances of power

C. Linkages between institutions and the following:

1. Public opinion and voters

2. Interest Groups

3. Political Parties

4. The media

5. Subnational governments

5) Topic: Public Policy

Percentage of Exam: 5 - 15%

Objectives:

*Iron Triangles

A. Policy making in a federal system

B. The formation of policy agendas

C. The role of institutions in the enactment of policy

D. The role of bureaucracy and the courts in policy implementation and interpretation

E. Linkages between policy processes and the following:

1. Political institutions and federalism

2. Political Parties

3. Interest Groups

4. Public Opinion

5. Elections

6. Policy Networks

6) Topic: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Percentage of Exam: 5 - 15%

Objectives:

*Marbury v. Madison -- judicial review

*Terry v. Ohio -- expanded police power to ‘stop & frisk’

*Mapp v. Ohio -- exclusionary rule

*Roper v. Simmons – death to ................
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