AP American Government and Politics
Students will explore the themes of constitutionalism, liberty and order, participation in a representative democracy, policy-making, and methods of political analysis. Students will study five units: (1) foundations of American democracy, (2) interactions among branches of government, (3) civil rights and liberties, (4) American political ideologies and beliefs, and (5) political participation. Students will participate in class discussions, guided reading, debates, current events analysis, and student-led seminars. Strategies include writing, research, active inquiry and dialogue, ability to support argumentative points, and evaluation of data and resources to determine their validity, credibility and relevance. Students will learn to think like political scientists by applying political concepts to new scenarios, applying Supreme Court precedents to new cases, analyzing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data, and developing arguments in essay format. Students will develop skills that enable them to define/classify information, explain political processes, analyze cause and effect, and explain similarities and differences. This course is designed for seniors and must be preceded by Honors Economics in the fall semester.