Starting in the 2023-24 school year, AP U.S. Government and Politics will have an updated course framework and instructional materials.
AP U.S. Government and Politics is an introductory college-level course in U.S. government and politics. Students cultivate their understanding of U.S. government and politics through analysis of data and text-based sources as they explore topics like constitutionalism, liberty and order, civic participation in a representative democracy, competing policy-making interests, and methods of political analysis.
This is the core document for this course. Unit guides clearly lay out the course content and skills and recommend sequencing and pacing for them throughout the year.
This resource provides a succinct description of the course and exam.
Excerpted from the AP U.S. Government and Politics Course and Exam Description, the Course at a Glance document outlines the topics and skills covered in the AP U.S. Government and Politics course, along with suggestions for sequencing. It was updated in the summer of 2023.
This document details how each of the sample free-response questions in the course and exam description (CED) would be scored. It was updated in the summer of 2023.
This document features general scoring criteria that apply to Free-Response Question 4: Argument Essay, regardless of specific question prompt. It was updated in the summer of 2023.
This course framework describes the course requirements necessary for student success and specifies what students should know and be able to do. The framework also encourages instruction that prepares students for advanced political science coursework and active, informed participation in our constitutional democracy.
The AP U.S. Government and Politics framework is organized into five commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. As always, you have the flexibility to organize the course content as you like.
Unit
Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section)
Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy
Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government
Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs
Unit 5: Political Participation