AP US Government Standards/Objectives
Currents Events
1. Students will be able to...
a) relate American government concepts to current political developments and controversies.
The Constitution
2. Students will be able to...
a) determine the reasons for the failure of the Articles of Confederation.
b) assess how compromises at the Constitutional Convention shaped the US political system.
c) identify the core principles of the Constitution.
d) explain the difficulties of ratifying the Constitution and explaining how the Constitution can be formally and informally amended.
Federalism
3. Students will be able to...
a) explain how power is divided between the national government and the states under the Constitution.
b) explain and provide examples of how the federal government persuades states to implement policies.
c) explain how federalism has changed over time.
d) explain how the US Supreme Court has shaped federalism.
Public Opinion & Political Action
4. Students will be able to
a) describe how public opinion is measured.
b) explain why public policy often differs from public opinion.
c) identify and explain factors of political socialization.
d) assess the influence of political ideology on Americans’ political thinking and behavior.
Political Parties
5. Students will be able to...
a) explain the functions of political parties & how political parties are organized in the United States.
b) summarize the ideological and organizational differences between Republicans and Democrats.
c) Explain structural and cultural barriers to third party and independent candidate success.
Mass Media
6. Students will be able to...
a) analyze the impact the media has on what policy issues Americans think about.
b) explain how politicians use media to meet their goals.
c) explain the ways in which the mass media influence political behavior.
d) evaluate the contribution the media make to democratic government.
Nominations & Campaigns
7. Students will be able to...
a) explain the nominating process, including the caucus and primary systems.
b) assess how political campaigns have changed over time.
c) explain how fund-raising for federal offices is regulated by campaign finance laws.
Elections & Voting Behavior
8. Students will be able to...
a) identify the factors that influence whether people vote or not, and for whom they vote.
b) identify demographic trends and their impact on voting behavior
c) evaluate the fairness of the Electoral College system for choosing the president.
Interest Groups
9. Students will be able to...
a) compare and contrast the theories of pluralism, elitism, and hyperpluralism.
b) Identify the various types of interest groups and their policy concerns.
c) analyze the factors that make some interest groups more successful than others in the political process and public policy.
Congress
10. Students will be able to...
a) describe the principal factors influencing the outcomes in congressional elections.
b) compare and contrast the House and Senate, and describe the roles of congressional committees, caucuses, and staff.
c) explain how Congress is organized and describe its leadership structure and their influence.
d) outline the path of bills to passage and explain the influences on congressional decision making.
Presidency
11. Students will be able to...
a) evaluate the president’s constitutional powers and the expansion of presidential power.
b) describe the roles of the vice president, cabinet, Executive Office of the President, White House Staff, and First Lady.
c) identify the factors that affect the president’s ability to obtain public support.
d) analyze the president’s power in making national security policy and the relationship between the president and Congress in this arena.
Congress, President, & the Budget
12. Students will be able to...
a) describe the sources of funding for the federal government and assess the consequences of tax expenditures and borrowing.
b) analyze federal expenditures and the growth of the budget
c) outline the budgetary process and explain the role that politics plays.
Bureaucracy
13. Students will be able to...
a) identify the kinds of activities bureaucrats perform and challenges they face.
b) describe the formal and informal processes of bureaucratic policymaking.
c) describe how bureaucracies regulate, and assess deregulation and alternative approaches to regulation.
d) assess the mechanisms and processes that influence and oversee the federal bureaucracy.
Public Policy
14. Students will be able to...
a) describe the stages of the policy process and how each stage can be influenced by different political players.
b) distinguish between monetary and fiscal economic policies and describe the debate over their use.
c) describe the different social welfare programs in the US, how those programs have changed over time, and explain the debate over the federal government’s role in each program.
d) explain the role of government in health care, the environment, and energy policy, and describe the major policies the US government has implemented in these three areas.
e) explain the powers of the president to direct foreign policy and the executive agencies that support the president.
Federal Courts
15. Students will be able to...
a) describe the organization of the judiciary and Identify the major actors in the judicial system and explain their functions and responsibilities.
b) summarize judicial selection procedures for federal judges and justices, and how judicial philosophy plays a role.
c) identify and describe the procedures of the Supreme Court for selecting and deciding cases.
Civil Liberties
16. Students will be able to...
a) explain the guarantees of civil liberties in the Constitution and the process by which
these guarantees became binding on state governments.
b) discuss the expansion since the 1960s in the rights accorded to those accused of crimes, and how the Supreme Court has attempted to balance the rights of defendants with the need for police and prosecutors to investigate potential criminal activity.
c) explain how the First Amendment has been interpreted in cases involving the separation of church and state,the freedom of religion, and the freedom of speech.
d) discuss where the Supreme Court found the right to privacy in the Constitution, and explain how this right has been applied in cases involving medical, sexual and legal confidentiality.
Civil Rights
17. Students will be able to...
a) explain how civil rights have been used to extend more equality to groups that historically have been subject to discrimination, and how the Fourteenth Amendment guarantee of “equal protection of the laws” has been applied to the idea of equality.
b) describe how the federal government, through laws and Supreme Court cases, has addressed affirmative action in the US.
c) describe legal and legislative actions to extend equal protection guarantees to other
groups.
Currents Events
1. Students will be able to...
a) relate American government concepts to current political developments and controversies.
The Constitution
2. Students will be able to...
a) determine the reasons for the failure of the Articles of Confederation.
b) assess how compromises at the Constitutional Convention shaped the US political system.
c) identify the core principles of the Constitution.
d) explain the difficulties of ratifying the Constitution and explaining how the Constitution can be formally and informally amended.
Federalism
3. Students will be able to...
a) explain how power is divided between the national government and the states under the Constitution.
b) explain and provide examples of how the federal government persuades states to implement policies.
c) explain how federalism has changed over time.
d) explain how the US Supreme Court has shaped federalism.
Public Opinion & Political Action
4. Students will be able to
a) describe how public opinion is measured.
b) explain why public policy often differs from public opinion.
c) identify and explain factors of political socialization.
d) assess the influence of political ideology on Americans’ political thinking and behavior.
Political Parties
5. Students will be able to...
a) explain the functions of political parties & how political parties are organized in the United States.
b) summarize the ideological and organizational differences between Republicans and Democrats.
c) Explain structural and cultural barriers to third party and independent candidate success.
Mass Media
6. Students will be able to...
a) analyze the impact the media has on what policy issues Americans think about.
b) explain how politicians use media to meet their goals.
c) explain the ways in which the mass media influence political behavior.
d) evaluate the contribution the media make to democratic government.
Nominations & Campaigns
7. Students will be able to...
a) explain the nominating process, including the caucus and primary systems.
b) assess how political campaigns have changed over time.
c) explain how fund-raising for federal offices is regulated by campaign finance laws.
Elections & Voting Behavior
8. Students will be able to...
a) identify the factors that influence whether people vote or not, and for whom they vote.
b) identify demographic trends and their impact on voting behavior
c) evaluate the fairness of the Electoral College system for choosing the president.
Interest Groups
9. Students will be able to...
a) compare and contrast the theories of pluralism, elitism, and hyperpluralism.
b) Identify the various types of interest groups and their policy concerns.
c) analyze the factors that make some interest groups more successful than others in the political process and public policy.
Congress
10. Students will be able to...
a) describe the principal factors influencing the outcomes in congressional elections.
b) compare and contrast the House and Senate, and describe the roles of congressional committees, caucuses, and staff.
c) explain how Congress is organized and describe its leadership structure and their influence.
d) outline the path of bills to passage and explain the influences on congressional decision making.
Presidency
11. Students will be able to...
a) evaluate the president’s constitutional powers and the expansion of presidential power.
b) describe the roles of the vice president, cabinet, Executive Office of the President, White House Staff, and First Lady.
c) identify the factors that affect the president’s ability to obtain public support.
d) analyze the president’s power in making national security policy and the relationship between the president and Congress in this arena.
Congress, President, & the Budget
12. Students will be able to...
a) describe the sources of funding for the federal government and assess the consequences of tax expenditures and borrowing.
b) analyze federal expenditures and the growth of the budget
c) outline the budgetary process and explain the role that politics plays.
Bureaucracy
13. Students will be able to...
a) identify the kinds of activities bureaucrats perform and challenges they face.
b) describe the formal and informal processes of bureaucratic policymaking.
c) describe how bureaucracies regulate, and assess deregulation and alternative approaches to regulation.
d) assess the mechanisms and processes that influence and oversee the federal bureaucracy.
Public Policy
14. Students will be able to...
a) describe the stages of the policy process and how each stage can be influenced by different political players.
b) distinguish between monetary and fiscal economic policies and describe the debate over their use.
c) describe the different social welfare programs in the US, how those programs have changed over time, and explain the debate over the federal government’s role in each program.
d) explain the role of government in health care, the environment, and energy policy, and describe the major policies the US government has implemented in these three areas.
e) explain the powers of the president to direct foreign policy and the executive agencies that support the president.
Federal Courts
15. Students will be able to...
a) describe the organization of the judiciary and Identify the major actors in the judicial system and explain their functions and responsibilities.
b) summarize judicial selection procedures for federal judges and justices, and how judicial philosophy plays a role.
c) identify and describe the procedures of the Supreme Court for selecting and deciding cases.
Civil Liberties
16. Students will be able to...
a) explain the guarantees of civil liberties in the Constitution and the process by which
these guarantees became binding on state governments.
b) discuss the expansion since the 1960s in the rights accorded to those accused of crimes, and how the Supreme Court has attempted to balance the rights of defendants with the need for police and prosecutors to investigate potential criminal activity.
c) explain how the First Amendment has been interpreted in cases involving the separation of church and state,the freedom of religion, and the freedom of speech.
d) discuss where the Supreme Court found the right to privacy in the Constitution, and explain how this right has been applied in cases involving medical, sexual and legal confidentiality.
Civil Rights
17. Students will be able to...
a) explain how civil rights have been used to extend more equality to groups that historically have been subject to discrimination, and how the Fourteenth Amendment guarantee of “equal protection of the laws” has been applied to the idea of equality.
b) describe how the federal government, through laws and Supreme Court cases, has addressed affirmative action in the US.
c) describe legal and legislative actions to extend equal protection guarantees to other
groups.