AP® US Government

AP® US Government can be one of the hardest classes a high school student takes. Since the exam is notoriously difficult, why do students make it even harder by neglecting multiple choice questions? Students who perform well on multiple choice also perform well on the test, so use this handy guide to understand what you’re getting into and to max out your score on the exam!

The AP® US Government exam will consider your understanding of the presidential elections as well as the way that you are able to interpret concepts related to each candidate. In the 1968 election, Republican Richard Nixon faced off against Democrat Hubert Humphrey.

The Supreme Court has issued thousands of opinions, but some of its decisions have either had a profound impact on American history or continue to influence American government today.

In American politics, there are official as well as unofficial institutions that shape the development of policy and the administration of government. The AP® US Government & Politics exam will test your knowledge of these institutions, as well as how these institutions work together.

No matter which party controls the presidency or the Congress, the bureaucracy has continued to grow. In fact, one of the most conservative presidents in recent memory, George W. Bush, expanded the bureaucracy considerably in the wake of 9/11. An entirely new federal department, the Department of Homeland Security, was created to deal with domestic terror threats.

Federalism is a unique idea, particular to American government. So, when you take the AP® US Government & Politics exam, you are going to be asked a lot of questions about what federalism is and how it works.

Because it is unique to our political system, the AP® US Government & Politics exam is almost certain to test you on your knowledge of the Electoral College. What is the Electoral College, again? No—it’s not somewhere you get accepted to if you get a lot of 5s on your AP® exams.