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LECTURE #1: Introduction to U.S. Government & Politics

LECTURE #1: Introduction to U.S. Government & Politics. Derrick J. Johnson, MPA, JD Advanced Placement United States Government & Politics, School for Advanced Studies. Why Should You Know about U.S . Government and Politics?.

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LECTURE #1: Introduction to U.S. Government & Politics

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  1. LECTURE #1: Introduction to U.S. Government & Politics Derrick J. Johnson, MPA, JD Advanced Placement United States Government & Politics, School for Advanced Studies

  2. Why Should You Know about U.S. Government and Politics? • The study of government and politics in the United States is an important and intriguing sojourn. After all, democracy will not work if a citizenry does not understand political issues and process.

  3. Why Should You Know about U.S. Government and Politics? • The main objective of this course is to provide the student with the instruction, tools, and learning environment needed to develop the knowledge and skills to earn college credit upon taking the Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics Examination. • All students registered for the course are required to take the test. AP United States Government & Politics is a highly demanding college-level course. This is not a course in which the student can afford to wait until the last minute to catch up on readings and assignments.

  4. What Skills and Abilities Should You Acquire? • First, you need to know your facts, concepts, and theories. Content knowledge is very important. • Next, you need to understand patterns, principles, and consequences of political processes and organizations. • For example, what consequences do voter patterns have on those who get elected to office? • The fact that people with higher levels of education are likely to vote does make a difference on who gets to make policy in this country.

  5. What Skills and Abilities Should You Acquire? • Why is it important that each state is represented equally in the Senate and in proportion to population in the House of Representatives? • You can memorize those facts, but you also need to be able to consider what effect that organization has on policy decisions. • You must be able to analyze and interpret data on charts, graphs, and tables, and to occasionally interpret political cartoon.

  6. What Skills and Abilities Should You Acquire? • Pay close attention to structure and wording of the free response questions and allow the structure and wording to guide your answers. Never begin to answer a question until you are absolutely sure that you know what the question is asking. For example, don’t read through a question and say to yourself, “This question is about campaign finance reform,” and just begin writing. Be sure that you are absolutely sure that you answer precisely and completely what the question is asking. Answer the whole question and nothing but the question.

  7. What is the Format of the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics Exam? • The A.P. U.S. Government & Politics Exam will test how well students are able to grasp American political issues and processes. • There are two sections on the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics Examination. • Multiple choice section • Free response section • There are 60 multiple choice questions (45 minutes time limit). • There are 4 free response questions (100 minutes time limit). • There are six units that will appear on the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics Examination. They are as follow:

  8. Constitutional Foundations of United States Government • Beliefs and Behaviors about Government • 10 – 20% • Political Culture • Political Participation • Public Opinion • Voting Patterns • 5 – 15% • Constitutional & Democratic Theory • Federalism

  9. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and the Mass Media • Institutions of Government • 35 – 45% • Congress • The House of Representatives • The Senate • 10 – 20% • Political Parties • Campaigns & Elections • Interests Groups • Mass Media

  10. The Presidency • The President • The Vice President • The Cabinet • The Bureaucracy • Agencies • The Military • The Judiciary • The Supreme Court • Lower Federal Courts

  11. Civil Rights & Liberties • 5 – 15% • Civil Rights • Racial Equality Movements • African Americans • Hispanic Americans • Native Americans • Asian Americans • Women’s Rights Movement • Americans with Disabilities • Gay & Lesbian Rights • Affirmative Action

  12. Civil Liberties • Freedom of Religion • Establishment Clause • Free Exercise Clause • Freedom of Speech • Freedom of the Press • Freedom of Assembly and Petition • Property Rights • Right to Privacy • Rights of the Accused • Search and Seizures • Self-Incrimination • Right to Counsel • Cruel & Unusual Punishment

  13. Public Policy • 5 – 15% • Domestic Policy • Economic Policy • Foreign Policy

  14. Scoring the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics Exam • The composite score for the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics exam is 120 points. • The composite score is determined by adding the score from the multiple choice section to the essay section score and rounding that sum to the nearest whole number. • There are five possible categories of the scores on the exam (1-5). The categories correlate with the composite scores in the following manner:

  15. Scoring the A.P. U.S. Government and Politics Exam

  16. THE END OF LECTURE #1

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