AP Gov’t Test - tumwater.k12.wa.us · helps interest groups to achieve their fundamental goal in the political process. What are the key words in the question? • Identify ...

AP Gov’t Test:

The Format

Part 1 ~ Multiple Choice

• 60 MC questions ~ (5 choices: A – E)

• 45 minutes

• ¾ of a minute per question

Questions are from 6 categories:

• Constitutional Underpinnings

• Political Beliefs & Behaviors

• Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media

• Institutions: Congress, Presidency, Bureaucracy, Federal Courts

• Public Policy

• Civil Rights & Civil Liberties

Constitutional Underpinnings

• Founding Documents ~ Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution

• Enlightenment Philosophers

• Our Democratic System

• 3 – 9 questions

Political Beliefs

• Liberals vs.

Conservatives

• Citizen Involvement &

Beliefs

• Public Opinion ~

Political Polls

• Voter Participation


Political Parties, Interest Groups,

and Mass Media

• History of Political Parties

• Party Organization & Roles

• Special Interest Groups &

PAC’s

• Lobbying

• Role of the Media

• Campaign Finance Reform


Major Institutions

• Congress ~ Bicameral

system, formal & informal

powers

• Presidency, the Cabinet, &

the Bureaucracy ~ The

Exec. Branch

• Federal Courts ~ The

Judicial Branch

• Linkage Institutions


Public Policy • How do agendas get

set?

• What are the major policy items in the news today?

• What roles do each of the following play in shaping the agenda? ~ Political Parties, Public Opinion, the Media, and Interest Groups


Civil Rights & Civil Liberties

• Bill of Rights

• Judicial Interpretation (court cases)

• Civil Rights Movement (court cases)

• 14th Amendment ~ due process and equal protection


Scoring of the MC Questions

• Each correct answer is worth 1 pt.

• Each incorrect answer is a deduction of ¼

of a pt. (past practice)

• New for 2011 = NO DEDUCTION FOR

INCORRECT ANSWERS

• Questions left blank have no effect on the

final points gained.

• Max score is a 60.

Part 2 ~ Essay

• Four writing prompts

• All are free response questions

• 1 hour, 40 minutes

• (approx. 25 min. per question)

• Variety of Topics

• Scored by the use of a rubric

• Rubric can range from 5 to 9 points depending

upon the specificity of the writing prompt

Essay Example ~ 2006 Question #1:

While interest groups and political parties each play a significant role in the US political system, they differ in their fundamental goal.

(A) Identify the fundamental goal of interest groups in the political process.

(B) Identify the fundamental goal of political parties in the political process.

(C) Describe two different ways by which interest groups support the fundamental goal of political parties in the political process.

(D) For one of the forms of support you described in (C), explain two different ways in which that form of support helps interest groups to achieve their fundamental goal in the political process.

What are the key words in the

question?

• Identify

• Identify

• Describe

• Describe

Did you do these things???