AP Government and Politics: 2024/25 Review

Exam Date

• May 6th, 12:00PM

Exam Preparation

• Approach preparation like training for a marathon, not cramming.
• Work at a reasonable pace until test day.

Exam Format

• 55 Multiple Choice Questions: 80 minutes (50% of grade)
• 4 Free Response Questions: 100 minutes (50% of grade)

Key Topics Covered in the Exam

• Unit I: Foundations of Democracy: 15-22%
• Unit 2: Interaction Among the Branches: 25-36%
• Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights: 13-18%
• Unit 4: Political and Ideological Beliefs: 10-15%
• Unit 5: Political Participation: 20-27%

Required Supreme Court Cases

• Marbury v. Madison (1803)
• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
• Schenck v. US (1919)
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
• Baker v. Carr (1962)
• Engel v. Vitale (1962)
• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
• Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
• NY Times Co. v. US (1971)
• Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
• Shaw v. Reno (1993)
• US. v. Lopez (1995)
• McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
• Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Required Documents

• The Declaration of Independence
• The Articles of Confederation
• The Constitution of the United States
• Federalist Papers #10, #51, #70, #78
• Brutus #1
• Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy

• Compromises in the Constitution balance liberty, equality, and order.
• Key Concepts:
  • Natural Rights: Basic rights that are given naturally.
  • Popular Sovereignty: The authority of the government is created by the consent of its people.
  • Republicanism: A government ideology centered on citizenship in a state organized as a republic.
  • Social Contract: Agreement among individuals to form a society.
• Representative democracies, Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist views, and foundational documents.

Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government

• Legislative branch structure and operations.
• Different powers/functions of the Senate and House of Representatives.
• Policy making complexity and checks and balances.
• Roles in Congress: Speaker of the House, Filibuster, Cloture, Rules Committee.

Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

• Protection of individual liberties and balancing power.
• Bill of Rights and 14th Amendment interpretations.
• Key Supreme Court Cases impacting civil liberties.
• Civil Rights Movement and key legislative acts like the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs

• Core beliefs and their impact on public policy.
• Political culture, political socialization, and public opinion.
• Influence of major political ideologies on policy debates.

Unit 5: Political Participation

• Rule by the people and citizen engagement.
• Voting rights protections and models of voting behavior.
• Influence of political parties, interest groups, and media.

Review Tips

• Use this guide as a study reference in preparation for the AP Exam.