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Lesson Plan: AP Government: Argumentative Essay Practice

The Federalist Papers

Boston College professor Mary Sarah Bilder gives a brief overview backgrounding the Federalist Papers

Description

This is intended as an end-of-course review activity for practice with the argumentative essay format included on the AP United States Government and Politics exam since the 2018 redesign. Eleven practice prompts are provided, reflecting content from Units 1-3.

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY PROMPT ANALYSIS

• Review the provided Argumentative Essay Prompts in either an individual or jigsaw format.
• Write a thesis statement for your selected prompt(s) and identify the selection you would make from the provided list and the second piece of evidence you would choose.
• If there are prompts for which you struggle to develop a thesis, or items on the bulleted lists with which you are not conversant, use the hyperlinked C-SPAN Classroom resources to extend your understanding of the required founding documents and SCOTUS cases that you found challenging.

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

• Chose one or more of the provided Argumentative Essay Prompts , as assigned, and use the planning and exploration you did above to write a full essay in response to your designated prompt(s) in 25 or fewer minutes , since that's the time limit you'll face on the AP Exam!
• Exchange essays with a classmate and evaluate each others' work.
• 1st Amendment
• Branches Of Government
• Constitution
• House Of Representatives
• Separation Of Powers
• Supreme Court

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AP U.S. Government and Politics

Below you will find C-SPAN Classroom resources relating to the topics and categories listed above. Click on each title to expand the section and view the featured resources.

AP U.S. Gov Resource Crosswalks

Find C-SPAN Classroom resources that directly align to College Board's Course and Exam Description (CED) for AP U.S. Government and Politics with the following unit-by-unit crosswalks!

Unit #1 (Google Doc)

Unit # 2 (Google Doc)

Unit # 3 (Google Doc)

Unit # 4 (Google Doc)

Unit # 5 (Google Doc)

AP U.S. Government and Politics Content Outline

Unit 1: foundations of american democracy, lor-1: a balance between governmental power and individual rights has been a hallmark of american political development..

Bell Ringer: The Declaration of Independence (7:30)

Lesson Plan: The Influence of the Declaration of Independence on the Constitution (6 Clips)

Lesson Plan: The Constitutional Convention (8 Clips)

Bell Ringer: We the People and Popular Sovereignty (2:18)

Lesson Plan: Hamilton, Washington, Jefferson, and Madison - Connections and Conflicts (6 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Introduction to the Principles of Democracy (7 Clips)

Lesson Plan: The Rule of Law in the United States (6 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Citizen Participation and Civil Society (3:13)

Lesson Plan: The Purposes of Government (5 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Rights of the Accused (1 Clip)

Lesson Plan: Predecessors to the Bill of Rights (6 Clips)

Lesson Plan: The Bill of Rights in Modern Times (2 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Models of Democracy (5 Clips)

CON-1: The Constitution emerged from the debate about the weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation as a blueprint for limited government.

Lesson Plan: The Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation (8 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Constitutional Debate Choice Board- George Mason v . James Madison (10 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Federalist 10 (3 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Brutus 1 (3 Clips) 

Bell Ringer: The Federalist Papers (6:04)

Bell Ringer: The Creation of the Bill of Rights (3:34)

Bell Ringer: Three-Fifths Compromise and the Constitutional Convention (4:14)

Bell Ringer: The Constitutional Questions of States' Rights, Secession and Slavery (5:06)

Bell Ringer: The History of States' Rights (4:20)

Bell Ringer: The Process of Amending the Constitution (3:56)

Video Clip: The Great Compromise and the Differences between the House and the Senate (3:09)

PMI-1: The Constitution created a competitive policy-making process to ensure the people’s will is represented and that freedom is preserved.

Lesson Plan: Federalist 51 (6 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Checks and Balances (10 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Decline in the Use of Checks and Balances (4:56)

Bell Ringer: Separation of Powers (2:14)

Lesson Plan: Congress' Power of Impeachment (9 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Presidential Pardons (11 clips)

Bell Ringer: The Constitutional Foundation for Presidential Appointments (5:22)

Bell Ringer: Senate Role in Judicial Nominations (6:22)

CON-2: Federalism reflects the dynamic distribution of power between national and state governments.

Lesson Plan: Federalism in the United States (8 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The Benefits of Federalist Systems of Government (4:52)

Bell Ringer: The Supremacy Clause (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The Role of State and Local Governments (6:03) 

Bell Ringer: Federalism Issues (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Federal Disaster Preparedness and Assistance (6:20)

Bell Ringer: The 14th Amendment and Incorporation (1:53)

Bell Ringer: Federalism and Powers of the Congress (4:25)

Bell Ringer: Federalism and the 10th Amendment (3:45)

Bell Ringer: States' Rights and the Tenth Amendment (4:02)

Lesson Plan: McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) (5 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The Necessary and Proper Clause (2 Clips)

Lesson Plan: United States v. Lopez (6 Clips)

Deliberation: Sanctuary Cities  

Deliberation: Federal Government’s Role in Conservation ?

Unit 1 Review Resources Collection

AP Gov Unit One (Foundations of American Democracy) Review Resources (Google Doc)

Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government

Con-3: the republican ideal in the u.s. is manifested in the structure and operation of the legislative branch..

Lesson Plan: Differences Between the House and the Senate (8 Clips)

Lesson Plan: The Powers of Congress (8 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Enumerated and Implied Powers (1 clip)

Lesson Plan: The Roles of Congressional Leadership Positions (10 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The Role and History of Senate Majority Leaders (8:24)

Bell Ringer: The House Rules Committee (1:21)

Video Clip: The Rules Committees in the House and the Senate (2:16)

Bell Ringer: The Discharge Petition Process in Congress (1:31)

Bell Ringer: Senate Filibuster (2:15)

Bell Ringer: The 1974 Budget Act and Modern Budget Process (2:29)

Bell Ringer: Congressional and Presidential War Powers (6:18)

Lesson Plan: Introduction to Congressional Committees (Clips and Activities)

Bell Ringer: Mandatory and Discretionary Spending (2:16)

Lesson Plan: Congressional Earmarks and Pork Barrel Spending (8 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Baker v. Carr (8 Clips)

Lesson Plan: The Redistricting Process: How States Draw District Maps (7 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Divided Government and How it Works (10 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The Causes of Dysfunction in Congress (5:11)

Lesson Plan: Improving How Congress Works (12 Clips)

Deliberation: Term Limits For Members of Congress

Lesson Plan: How Members of Congress use Social Media (1 Clip) 

Additional resources on the legislative branch

CON-4: The presidency has been enhanced beyond its expressed constitutional powers.

Lesson Plan: The Powers of the President (8 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Presidential Roles (17 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Federalist No. 70 (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The History of Executive Orders (2:52)

Bell Ringer: Executive Orders and Regulation to Enact Policy (2:54)

Bell Ringer: Executive Orders (3:11)

Bell Ringer: Judicial Appointment Process (5:23)

Deliberation: Limiting Presidential War Powers

Bell Ringer: War Powers Act in Modern Times (3 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The Role of the White House Press Secretary (2:54)

Deliberation: What is the Role of the U.S. Senate During the Supreme Court Confirmation Process?

Constitution Clip: 22nd Amendment (1:06) 

Lesson Plan: How Presidents Have Interpreted the Role of the Presidency (6 Clips)

Video Clip: Theodore Roosevelt and the Bully Pulpit (1:56)

Lesson Plan: Is Twitter the New Fireside Chat? (5 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Evolution of the State of the Union Address (16:57)

Bell Ringer: The History of the State of the Union Address (13:06)

Additional resources on the executive branch

CON-5: The design of the judicial branch protects the Supreme Court’s independence as a branch of government, and the emergence and use of judicial review remains a powerful judicial practice.

Lesson Plan: The Constitutional Role of the Federal Court System (6 Clips)

Lesson Plan: The Steps in a Supreme Court Case (5 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The Legitimacy of the Supreme Court (4:39)

Video Clip: Chief Justice Roberts on the Role of the Supreme Court (1:59)

Lesson Plan: Federalist 78 (1 clip)

Bell Ringer: Federalist 78 and Marbury v. Madison (6:08)

Bell Ringer: The Federalist Papers and Judicial Review (2:06)

Lesson Plan: Marbury v. Madison (4 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Stare Decisis and Judicial Decisions (1:26)

Bell Ringer: Stare Decisis and Common Law (2:23)

Bell Ringer: Judicial Activism (1:29)

Bell Ringer: The Living Constitution vs Originalism (4:01)

Bell Ringer: Spirit of the Law and Judicial Interpretation of Statutes (7:18)

Bell Ringer: Judicial Interpretation and Courts Creating Law (2:50)

Bell Ringer: Judicial Interpretation and Political Ideology (6:33)

Additional resources on the judicial branch  

PMI-2: The federal bureaucracy is a powerful institution implementing federal policies with sometimes questionable accountability. 

Lesson Plan: The Role of Bureaucracy in Policy-Making (6 Clips)

Lesson Plan: The Role of Executive Departments (15 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Examples of Regulatory Agencies (9 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Congressional Oversight of the Executive Branch (7 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Costs and Benefits of Regulations (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Congressional Review Act (3:18)

Bell Ringer: The Department of Veterans Affairs (4:26)

Bell Ringer: The Department of Homeland Security (4 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The Role of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) (2:59)

Bell Ringer: The Role of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) (1:47)

Bell Ringer: Congressional Oversight and the Office of Inspector General (4:20)

Bell Ringer: Oversight and the Decline in the Use of Checks and Balances (4:50)

Bell Ringer: Infrastructure Investment and the Iron Triangle (5:31)

Additional resources on the federal bureaucracy  

Unit 2 Review Resources Collection

AP Gov Unit Two (Interactions Among Branches of Government) Review Resources (Google Doc)

Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 

Lor-2: provisions of the u.s. constitution’s bill of rights are continually being interpreted to balance the power of government and the civil liberties of individuals..

Bell Ringer: The Free Exercise of Religion (3 Clips)

Constitution Clip: The 9th Amendment (1:12)

Lesson Plan: Constitutional Rights of Corporations (6 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Wisconsin v. Yoder (5 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Government and Religion- Engel v. Vitale and Abington v. Schempp (4:09)

Lesson Plan: Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Lesson Plan: Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) (12 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Schenck v United States (1919) (6 Clips)

Lesson Plan: New York Times v. United States (1971) (9 Clips)

Lesson Plan: D.C. v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago (6 Clips)

Video Clip: The 2nd Amendment: Militias and the Right to Bear Arms (2:25)

Bell Ringer: Justice Breyer on the D.C. v. Heller Ruling (5:48)

Bell Ringer: McDonald v. Chicago and Local Gun Restrictions (2:30)

Bell Ringer: McDonald v. Chicago - 2nd Amendment & Incorporation (5:54)

Lesson Plan: Death Penalty Case- Gregg v. Georgia (1976) (11 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Rights of the Accused (3:34)

Lesson Plan: Mapp v Ohio (8 Clips)

Lesson Plan: The Right to an Attorney and the Public Defender System (6 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Miranda v Arizona (7 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Gideon V. Wainwright (1963) (10 Clips) 

Lesson Plan: Searches and Seizures ( Mapp v Ohio ) (8 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Roe v. Wade (8 Clips)

Additional resources on civil rights and liberties

PRD-1: The Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause as well as other constitutional provisions have often been used to support the advancement of equality.

Lesson Plan: Dr. King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail (7 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Letter from a Birmingham Jail for AP U.S. Government (2 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Women's Suffrage and the 19th Amendment (9 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Key Events of the Civil Rights Movement (15 Clips)

Video Clip: Obergefell v. Hodges (1:27)

Bell Ringer: The Expansion of Equal Protection (1:44)

Bell Ringer: The 14th Amendment and Incorporation (2:05)

Bell Ringer: The 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments (2:20)

PMI-3: Public policy promoting civil rights is influenced by citizen–state interactions and constitutional interpretation over time. 

Lesson Plan: Government Responses to Address Inequality (5 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Brown v. Board of Education (9 Clips)

Bell Ringer: 1964 Civil Rights Act (7:30)

Bell Ringer: Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the South (4:39)

Bell Ringer: Women's Sports and Title IX (10:39)

Bell Ringer: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (3 Clips)

CON-6: The Supreme Court’s interpretation of the U.S. Constitution is influenced by the composition of the Court and citizen–state interactions. At times, it has restricted minority rights and, at others, protected them.

Bell Ringer: Societal Change and Supreme Court Decisions (2:05)

Bell Ringer: Affirmative Action and College Admissions ( Grutter v. Bollinger ) (5:02)

Lesson Plan: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) (10 Clips)

Unit 3 Review Resources Collection

AP Gov Unit Three (Civil Liberties and Civil Rights) Review Resources (Google Doc)

Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs 

Mpa-1: citizen beliefs about government are shaped by the intersection of demographics, political culture, and dynamic social change..

Bell Ringer: Political Ideology (4:57)

Lesson Plan: Political Polarization (7 Clips)

Lesson Plan: Demographics and Political Alignment (5 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Religion and Political Socialization (3:54)

Bell Ringer: Age and Political Affiliation (6:02)

Bell Ringer: Smear Tactics and Public Opinion (2:39)

Video Clip: Voter Turnout and Demographics (6:18)

Bell Ringer: Political Party Affiliation in the U.S. (3:23)

Video Clip: Political Parties vs. Political Culture (1:48)

Bell Ringer: Political Extremism on the Internet (3:27)

MPA-2: Public opinion is measured through scientific polling, and the results of public opinion polls influence public policies and institutions.

Bell Ringer: Representative Samples and How Polling Works (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Polling and Phone Surveys (4:53)

Video Clip: Understanding Polling (5:59)

Bell Ringer: Sampling Error and the Margin of Error (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Exit Polls (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Push Polls (3 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Focus Groups (3 Clips)

Lesson Plan: How to Interpret Political Polls (8 Clips)

Bell Ringer: History of Political Polling (5:48)

PMI-4: Widely held political ideologies shape policy debates and choices in American policies.

Bell Ringer: The Republican Party and Blue Collar Conservatism (4:17)

Bell Ringer: Conservatism (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Libertarianism (2:52)

Video Clip: Progressivism and the Democratic Party (3:54)

Bell Ringer: The Growth of Independents (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Independent Voters (5:51)

Bell Ringer: Principles of Market Capitalism (5:16)

Bell Ringer: American Socialism (11:19)

Lesson Plan: Modern History of the American Right Wing (14 Clips)

Unit 4 Review Resources Collection

AP Gov Unit Four (Political Ideologies and Beliefs) Review Resources (Google Doc)

Unit 5: Political Participation 

Mpa-3: factors associated with political ideology, efficacy, structural barriers, and demographics influence the nature and degree of political participation..

Lesson Plan: The Expansion of Voting in the United States (10 Clips)

Bell Ringer: 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments (4:32)

Bell Ringer: The 17th Amendment and the Direct Election of Senators (2:59)

Video Clip: Poll Taxes and the 24th Amendment (1:04)

Video Clip: The Passage of the 26th Amendment (3:09)

Video Clip: State Voting Restrictions (1:54)

Video Clip: State Voter Identification Laws (5:39)

Lesson Plan: Why Do Americans Not Vote in Elections? (8 Clips)

Video Clip: Michelle Obama on Voting and Voter Turnout (4:04)

Lesson Plan: The 1980 Election: A Study in Pathos (5 Clips)

Video Clip: JFK on Religion and the Presidency (7:00)

Deliberation: What are ways for youth to engage in politics?

Deliberation: Changing State Voting Laws

PMI-5: Political parties, interest groups, and social movements provide opportunities for participation and influence how people relate to government and policymakers.

Lesson Plan: The Functions of Political Parties (9 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Political Coverage of Candidates (6:23)

Bell Ringer: Pop-Culture and the Presidency (6:03)

Lesson Plan: Political Parties (11 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The Development of the Current Two-Party System (4:12)

Bell Ringer: The Election of 1860 (2:02)

Lesson Plan: Big Data and Politics (3:02)

Bell Ringer: The History of Third Parties (1:36)

Lesson Plan: Switching Party Affiliations (3 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Grassroots Activism (2:29)

Lesson Plan: How Interest Groups Work (7 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Special Interest Groups and Government Regulation (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Special Interest Lobbying (2:52)

Bell Ringer: What is a Lobbyist? (5:36)

Bell Ringer: The Difference Between Lobbyists and PACs (1:39)

Lesson Plan: Lobbyists, Who, What, and Why (10 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Different Types of Political Action Committees (3:18)

PRD-2: The impact of federal policies on campaigning and electoral rules continues to be contested by both sides of the political spectrum.

Bell Ringer: Incumbent Advantage (1:40)

Deliberation: Should the Electoral College Be Reformed?

Bell Ringer: Presidential Election Debates (6:23)

Bell Ringer: State Referendums and Ballot Initiatives (3:04)

Lesson Plan: Primaries and Caucuses (11 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Brokered vs. Contested Party Conventions (5:45)

Bell Ringer: The Impact of Citizens United v. FEC (3:56)

Lesson Plan: The Impact of Citizens United v. FEC (7 Clips)

Bell Ringer: What is Dark Money (2 Clips)

Bell Ringer: Quid Pro Quo Rules and Campaign Contributions (4:27)

Bell Ringer: Restrictions on Super PACs and Candidates (1:56)

Lesson Plan: Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections (9 Clips)

PRD-3: The various forms of media provide citizens with political information and influence the ways in which they participate politically.

Bell Ringer: The Decline in Local News Coverage (4:11)

Lesson Plan: Social Media's Role in Democracy (6 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The Blurred Lines Between Facts and Opinions (4:18)

Bell Ringer: Fact Checking in Journalism (2:07)

Video Clip: How the Press Covers President Trump's Tweets (3:15)

Lesson Plan: The State of Modern News Media (7 Clips)

Bell Ringer: The History of Partisanship in the Press (4:38)

Bell Ringer: How Journalists Respond to Accusations of Fake News (4:56)

Deliberation: Fake News

Lesson Plan: What Makes a Good Campaign Ad?- Advertisement Analysis (8 Clips)

Unit 5 Review Resources Collection

AP Gov Unit Five (Political Participation) Review Resources (Google Doc)

Required Documents and Supreme Court Cases 

Required foundational documents.

Federalist No. 10  

Brutus No. 1

Lesson Plan: Brutus No. 1 (2 clips)

The Declaration of Independence

The Articles of Confederation

The Constitution of the United States (including the Bill of Rights and subsequent Amendments)

Constitution Clips

Federalist No. 51

Letter from a Birmingham Jail (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Federalist No. 70

Federalist No. 78

Bell Ringer: Judicial Review and Federalist 78 (4:36)

Required Supreme Court Cases

Lesson Plan: Supreme Court Cases Review (15 Clips)

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

United States v. Lopez (1995)

Lesson Plan: United States v. Lopez (1994) (6 Clips)

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Bell Ringer: Government and Religion- Engel v Vitale and Abington v Schempp (4:09)

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Lesson Plan: Wisconsin v. Yoder (8 Clips)

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)

New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

Bell Ringer: The Pentagon Papers and the New York Times Company v. United States (4:12)

Schenck v. United States (1919) 

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Lesson Plan: Gideon V. Wainwright (1963) (10 Clips)

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Bell Ringer: 2nd Amendment & Incorporation (5:54)

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Lesson Plan: Brown v Board of Education (9 Clips)

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commissio n (2010)

On This Day: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (7 Clips)

Baker v. Carr (1961)

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

Lesson plan Shaw v. Reno (2 Clips)

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Lesson Plan: Marbury v Madison (4 Clips)

Practice Free Response Prompts

Practice free response prompts (google docs).

Updated Practice Concept Application Questions 

Argumentative Essay Thesis Practice

*NEW* Quantitative Analysis:

*NEW* Practice Quantitative Analysis FRQ - Electoral College (6 Clips)

*NEW* Practice Quantitative Analysis FRQ - Religion & Politics (4 Clips)

*NEW* Practice Quantitative Analysis FRQ - Presidential Veto ( 3 Clips)

*NEW* Practice Quantitative Analysis FRQ - Campaign Finance (3 Clips)

*NEW* Practice Quantitative Analysis FRQ - Voter ID Laws (4 Clips)

*NEW* Practice Quantitative Analysis FRQ - Voting in America (4 Clips)

*NEW* Practice Quantitative Analysis FRQ - Use of the Filibuster and Cloture (3 Clips)

*NEW* Practice Quantitative Analysis FRQ - Voter Turnout - Midterm vs. Presidential Elections (5 Clips)

Legislative and Executive Branches:

Practice Concept Application Question on Presidential and Congressional Powers

Practice Concept Application Question on the Powers over Foreign Policy

Practice Concept Application Question on Iran Nuclear Deal

Practice Concept Application Question on Gun Background Checks

Practice Concept Application Question on Bureaucratic Discretion

Practice Concept Application Question on Powers of Congress

Practice Concept Application Question on Interest Groups

Practice Argumentative Essay Question on Informal Powers

Practice Argumentative Essay Question on Public Opinion

Practice Argumentative Essay Question on Federalism

Practice Argumentative Essay Question on Checks and Balances

Practice Quantitative Analysis Question on Voter Demographics

Practice Concept Application Question on the Cabinet and the Bureaucracy

Practice Concept Application Question on Incumbency Advantage

Judicial Branch:

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Texas v. Johnson (1989); related to Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States (1964); related to United States v. Lopez (1995)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Rucho v. Common Cause (2019); related to Baker v. Carr (1962)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Miami Herald v. Tornillo (1974); related to New York Times v. United States (1971) 

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Whitney v. California (1927); related to Schenck v. United States (1919)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Holt v. Hobbs (2015); related to Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - NYSRPA v. Bruen (2022); related to McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Evenwel v. Abbott (201 6 ); related to Baker v. Carr (1962)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2022); related t o Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Loving v. Virginia (1967); re lated to Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. (2021); related to Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rig ht s Commission (2018); related to Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Pennsylvania v. Nelson (1956); related to McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Cooper v. Aaron (1958); related to McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Practice SCOTUS FRQ - Printz v. United States (1997); related to United States v. Lopez (1995) 

Review Resources 

*new* review resources collections.

*NEW* AP Gov Unit One (Foundations of American Democracy) Review Resources (Google Doc)

*NEW* AP Gov Unit Two (Interactions Among Branches of Government) Review Resources (Google Doc)

*NEW* AP Gov Unit Three (Civil Liberties and Civil Rights) Review Resources (Google Doc)

*NEW* AP Gov Unit Four (Political Ideologies and Beliefs) Review Resources (Google Doc)

*NEW* AP Gov Unit Five (Political Participation) Review Resources (Google Doc)

Review Lessons

Lesson Plan: AP Government Key Founding Documents Review (10 Clips w/ Activities)

Lesson Plan: AP Government Landmark Supreme Court Cases Review (15 Clips w/ Activities)

Lesson Plan: AP Government Key Terms Review (Unit by Unit) (Review Activities)

Lesson Plan: AP Government: SCOTUS Comparison Question Practice (Review Activities)

Lesson Plan: AP Government: Quantitative Analysis Question Practice ( Review Activities)

Lesson Plan: AP Government: Argumentative Essay Practice (4 Clips)

Lesson Plan: AP Government: Concept Application Question Practice (6 Clips)

Cram for the Exam Programs

2023 Cram for the Exam AP Government and Politics Exam Review  

2022 Cram for the Exam AP Government and Politics Exam Review

2021 Cram for the Exam AP Government and Politics Exam Review

2020 Cram for the Exam AP Government and Politics Exam Review

2019 Cram for the Exam AP Government and Politics Exam Review  

2018 Cram for the Exam AP Government and Politics Exam Review

2017 Cram for the Exam AP Government and Politics Exam Review

2016 Cram for the Exam AP Government and Politics Exam Review

2015 Cram for the Exam AP Government and Politics Exam Review

2014 Cram for the Exam AP Government and Politics Exam Review

Online Review Games and Activities

Foundations of American Democracy Quizlet

Foundations of American Democracy Kahoot  

Foundations of American Democracy Blooket

Interactions Among Branches of Government Quizlet

Interactions Among Branches of Government Kahoot

Interactions Among Branches of Government Blooket

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Quizlet

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Kahoot  

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Blooket

American Political Ideologies and Beliefs Quizlet  

American Political Ideologies and Beliefs Kahoot  

American Political Ideologies and Beliefs Blooket

Political Participation Quizlet  

Political Participation Kahoot

Political Participation Blooket

*Some online activities might require a login to access them.

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances Resources

Lesson Plan: Enumerated and Implied Powers of Congress (1 Clip w/ Activities)

Lesson Plan: Expressed Powers of Congress (18 Clips)

Lesson Plan: The Steps in a Supreme Court Case (5 Clips) 

Government and Politics Key Vocabulary Terms

A list of key terms with C-SPAN clips explaining or exemplifying the term can be found on our Government and Politics Key Vocabulary Terms Featured Resources site .

Sample Prompts for the Argument Essay FRQ- AP government

Below are 16 topics, each of which includes:

• A sample essential question which introduces the prompt
• A draft prompt including three founding documents that could help shape the students’ arguments.

Each prompt is crafted to encourage deep analysis and aligns with key AP Government concepts, ensuring your students are well-prepared for exam success.

AP Government Argument Essay Samples

• NEW ! Media censorship: Should the government play an active role in the censorship of social media?  
• Independent judiciary:   Is an independent judiciary a threat to or a savior for democracy?  
• Congressional roles:   Does the delegate or trustee model of Congressional representation best serve the needs of the people as the Framers intended?  
• Federalism in the Age of Coronavirus:  Should the federal government or the states be most responsible for responding to the Coronavirus outbreak?  
• Political Parties:  Do political parties hinder or promote democracy?  
• Congressional oversight :  Is congressional oversight healthy or unhealthy for our system of government?
• Interest groups: Do interest groups hinder or promote democracy? 
• Civil Rights:  Should the federal government have power over states in the shaping of civil rights policies?
• Citizen participation: Does citizen participation really matter? 
• Photo IDs and federalism:   Do states have the authority to pass photo identification laws which restrict people’s ability to vote?  
• Presidential power:   Do executive orders give the president too much power?      
• Gridlock:   Is gridlock healthy or unhealthy for our system of government?
• Term limits:   Do congressional term limits violate or honor popular sovereignty?
• Primaries and caucuses: Is the presidential nominating process democratic? 
• Social Media :  Is social media a healthy way for citizens to participate in our political system?  
• Electoral College:   Should the electoral college be abolished?
• Representative versus direct democracy: Which is a better vehicle to serve citizen needs– a representative or direct democracy?  

Enhance Your Classroom Experience! You understand the challenges of keeping students engaged and preparing them for the AP exam. Our carefully curated essay prompts are designed to align with AP standards, fostering critical thinking and discussion in your classroom. Get ready to inspire your students with materials that cater to the dynamic world of government and politics.

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Unit 1 Overview: Foundations of American Democracy

8 min read • january 29, 2023

Daniel Bacharach

Government. It’s something we interact with every day of our lives—whether it’s hopping into a bus or car to get to school, buying that snack at the end of the school day, or taking a hot shower at the end of a long day. We regularly see the effects of government on our life—but in this unit, we’ll be exploring just how the government of the United States came to be structured the way it was, and how that structure has led to the government we have all come to know today.

As you prepare for the AP US  Gov and Politics exam, there are nine Foundational Documents that you’ll need to know well—these are the focus of the Argumentative Essay that you’ll write for FRQ 4. This unit contains the vast majority of these documents, since, as their name implies, they are crucial points at the foundation of our system of government!

Origins of American Democracy

It’s time to throw it way back—all the way to John Locke, whose ideas of natural rights , the social contract , and limited government had a major impact on the Founders of the United States. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence (FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT), he made it clear that these basic democratic ideals were at the heart of the formation of a new nation. After experiencing life under a monarchy with King George III, the Founders placed the idea of limited government front and center, putting explicit limits on the power that a government could have.

The foremost limit placed on the government was that it had to protect its people’s natural rights—namely life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since America was to be based on popular sovereignty , meaning that government received its power to govern from the people, the people also had the right and responsibility, according to Jefferson, to “alter or abolish” the government should it no longer protect these natural rights.

Theories of Democratic Government

Based on these ideas, it’s clear the United States was structured to have a democratic government—that’s something we can all agree on. There are a few different theories of democratic government, though, that attempt to explain how democratic government actually works in practice. Which of these theories best describes American government is up for debate, but you should know all three for the AP exam!

Participatory Democracy

There’s participatory democracy , which argues that power in a democracy is based on the participation of individual citizens. We see this through town hall meetings, contacting representatives, and more formal mechanisms like initiatives and referendums.

Pluralist Democracy

There’s pluralist democracy , which argues that power in a democracy is largely in the hands of organized groups of citizens who fight for a common goal. Interest groups, like the ACLU, NRA, Sierra Club, and Black Lives Matter, influence the political decisions of our government. This embodies the idea of pluralist democracy.

Elite Democracy

Finally, there’s elite democracy , which argues that the wealthy and educated elite are those who hold the real power in a democracy and make the decisions for the broader population.

A First Attempt: The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation (FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT) set up the first government of the United States after the Revolutionary War, but ultimately contained a number of weaknesses—in particular, that the national government had no power to impose taxes or raise troops. Those weaknesses were highlighted by Shay’s Rebellion , where a group of farmers rebelled against the government, and little could be done to stop them. It was at this point that the Founders realized that changes needed to be made, resulting in the Constitutional Convention.

The Road to the Constitution

In debating the Constitution of the United States (FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT) at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, there were four major compromises that needed to be reached.

The Great (Connecticut) Compromise resolved a disagreement between large and small states about representation in Congress, and created a bicameral (two-house) legislature with one house—the House of Representatives (from the Virginia Plan )—where each state receives a number of representatives based on population, and another house—the Senate (from the New Jersey Plan )—where each state receives an equal number of representatives.

The Electoral College was developed to compromise between those who feared Congress selecting the President and those who feared the people directly electing the President, creating a system where electors would be chosen by the states and they would be the ones to elect the President.

The Three-Fifths Compromise addressed the concern about how to count enslaved persons when it came to Congressional representation and the collection of federal taxes. The Constitution compromised by deciding to count each enslaved person as three-fifths of one person.

The Compromise on the Importation of Enslaved Persons addressed the conflict between states over the power of the national government to ban the slave trade. The Convention came to the agreement that Congress would have the power to do so, but not until 1808.

Even these compromises were not enough to convince everyone that the Constitution set up the best possible government. To debate the merits of the Constitution further, the Founders wrote a series of essays explaining their reasoning. Think of it like a bunch of really, really long Twitter threads!

Federalist No. 10 (FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT), written by James Madison, argues that a large republic would be the best way to control the danger of factions. According to Madison, factions are groups of people sharing a common belief that threatens the rights of other citizens or community interests. A large republic would be best suited to control the effects of factions, according to Madison, because although a faction might be able to gain control in a small pocket of the nation, the larger the nation, the harder it would be to spread that influence. Think about it this way—if you were trying to convince your friends to go out to eat at the restaurant of your choice, it might not be too difficult to persuade 2 or 3 people. The larger your friend group though, the harder it would be for you—imagine having to persuade 100 friends to go with your restaurant choice!

Brutus 1 (FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT), on the other hand, argued the Anti-Federalist perspective. Brutus argued for a small, decentralized government, noting that a large republic would not be able to meet the needs of its citizens, since each part of the nation would have vastly different interests and needs. Brutus also argued that the Constitution created a national government that was far too powerful, pointing to the Necessary and Proper Clause and Supremacy Clause as two examples that demonstrated the power of a large national government would grow uncontrollably at the expense of states.

Key Principle: Separation of Powers & Checks and Balances

The Constitution lays out the structure of American government—and two major principles guide a great deal of the document: separation of powers and checks and balances.

Separation of powers points to the division of power between different branches of government. The Constitution creates three such branches: executive (the president), legislative (Congress) and judicial (courts).

Not only are these branches assigned separate powers, they are also given the ability to check the power of other branches—thus creating checks and balances . While Congress can pass laws, for example, the President has the power to veto a law passed by Congress, and Congress then has the power to override that veto.

The importance of separation of powers and checks and balances is discussed in Federalist No. 51 (FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT), in which Madison argues the two principles will prevent any one branch from getting too powerful.

Key Principle: Federalism

Federalism is the division of powers between national and state governments, and is central to the American structure of government. The Constitution lays out a number of different powers: delegated or enumerated powers which are granted to the national government, concurrent powers which are shared by the federal and state governments, and reserved powers which are left to states.

The power of national and state governments has been regularly debated over the course of American history. Constitutional Clauses like the Necessary and Proper Clause (also known as the Elastic Clause) give Congress the ability to expand national power, while the Tenth Amendment points to the idea that any powers not given to the national government are reserved to the states.

Two Supreme Court Cases (that you’ll need to know for FRQ 3 on the AP exam) deal with the interpretations of federalism—McCulloch v. Maryland and United States v. Lopez.

In McCulloch v. Maryland   (REQUIRED SCOTUS CASE), Maryland attempted to tax that National Bank, leading the Supreme Court to rule that the Supremacy Clause ensured that federal law has authority over state laws when the two are in conflict. The case also created the concept of implied powers that gave Congress power to do things needed to implement enumerated powers.

In US v. Lopez  (REQUIRED SCOTUS CASE), Lopez brought a gun to school violating the Gun Free School Zone Act (GFSZA). The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Lopez, striking down the GFSZA through its interpretation of the commerce clause . Since Congress had the power to regulate only interstate commerce, and bringing a gun to school did not constitute interstate commerce, the law exceeded the powers of Congress.

Federalism results in the creation of different policies across the United States, as there are a number of policy areas where states have the power to create policies that best meet their needs.

The national government uses federal funding to influence state policies, and it has a number of options for this funding. Categorical grants are monies given to states with specific rules in place, requiring money to be spent in a federally mandated way (think of this as money for only one specific category of spending). Block grants give states more control over how to spend the federal aid (think of this as a big block of money that states can split up and use as they wish). Mandates are federal requirements on states, and can be either funded mandates , where the federal government gives states money to carry out the mandate, or unfunded mandates , where states must carry out the mandate without any federal funding.

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