United Grade 12 AP United States Government and Politics
Chapters: 5
1. Foundations of American Democracy
Ideals of Democracy · Types of Democracy · Government Power and Individual Rights · Challenges of the Articles of Confederation · Ratification of the U.S. Constitution · Principles of American Government · Relationship Between the States and National Government · Constitutional Interpretations of Federalism · Federalism in Action
- The US Constitution: How Power Is Shared and Limited – The US Constitution (written 1787, in force 1789) is the supreme law of the United States. It replaced the weak Articles of Confederation. It sets up a republic with three separate branches (legislative, executive, judicial) that check one another, splits power between the national and state governments (federalism), and protects individual rights through the Bill of Rights (1791) and later amendments. It rests on ideas such as popular sovereignty, limited government and the rule of law.
2. Interactions Among Branches of Government
Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives · Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress · Congressional Behavior · Roles and Powers of the President · Checks on the Presidency · Expansion of Presidential Power · Presidential Communication · The Judicial Branch · The Role of the Judicial Branch · The Court in Action · Checks on the Judicial Branch · The Bureaucracy · Discretionary and Rulemaking Authority · Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable · Policy and the Branches of Government
- Separation of Powers – Separation of powers means dividing the power of the state into three branches: the legislature makes laws, the executive carries them out, and the judiciary interprets laws and settles disputes. Different people hold each branch. Through checks and balances, each branch can limit the others, so no one becomes all-powerful. Parliamentary systems join the legislature and executive more closely; presidential systems keep them more apart. Power is also shared between national, regional and local levels.
3. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
The Bill of Rights · First Amendment: Freedom of Religion · First Amendment: Freedom of Speech · First Amendment: Freedom of the Press · Second Amendment: Right to Bear Arms · Amendments: Balancing Individual Freedom with Public Order and Safety · Selective Incorporation · Amendments: Due Process and the Rights of the Accused · Amendments: Due Process and the Right to Privacy · Social Movements and Equal Protection · Government Responses to Social Movements · Balancing Minority and Majority Rights · Affirmative Action
- Civil Liberties and Civil Rights – Civil liberties are freedoms the government must not take away: speech, press, religion, peaceful assembly, privacy and fair treatment by police and courts (due process). Civil rights are guarantees of equal treatment, so no one is denied jobs, schools, votes or services because of race, caste, religion, gender or disability. Most constitutions write these down in a bill or charter of rights, and courts protect them. No freedom is unlimited: fair, legal limits protect public safety and other people's rights. Equal rights were won by social movements, from women's suffrage and India's ban on untouchability to the US civil rights movement and the end of apartheid. Governments then add laws and policies, such as anti-discrimination laws and affirmative action, while balancing majority rule with minority rights.
4. American Political Ideologies and Beliefs
American Attitudes About Government and Politics · Political Socialization · Changes in Ideology · Influence of Political Events on Ideology · Measuring Public Opinion · Evaluating Public Opinion Data · Ideologies of Political Parties · Ideology and Policymaking · Ideology and Economic Policy · Ideology and Social Policy
- Political Ideology: How People Answer the Big Questions of Politics – A political ideology is a connected set of ideas about people, society and the state, plus a plan to keep or change society. People pick up political ideas through political socialisation (family, school, friends, media, events). The words left and right come from seating in the French assembly of 1789. Core ideologies are liberalism (individual freedom and rights), conservatism (tradition, order, careful change) and socialism (equality and shared wealth). Others include feminism, ecologism, anarchism, multiculturalism and nationalism. A two-axis model (economy and freedom vs authority) shows positions better than one line. Ideologies shape party programmes, economic and social policy, and can be measured through opinion polls.
5. Political Participation
Voting Rights and Models of Voting Behavior · Voter Turnout · Political Parties · How and Why Political Parties Change and Adapt · Third-Party Politics · Interest Groups Influencing Policymaking · Groups Influencing Policy Outcomes · Electing a President · Congressional Elections · Modern Campaigns · Campaign Finance · The Media · Changing Media
- Elections in India – Elections let crores of people choose representatives and peacefully change governments. India uses first-past-the-post for Lok Sabha and state assemblies, and a form of proportional representation for Rajya Sabha and the President. Delimitation makes constituencies roughly equal in population. The independent Election Commission prepares voter lists and conducts polls. India has a multi-party system, coalition governments are common, and the anti-defection law stops elected members from switching parties.