Unit 1
AP U.S. Government and Politics Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy
Democratic ideals, constitutional debates, divided authority, and the relationship between national and state governments.
Topics
- 1.1Ideals of Democracy
- 1.2Types of Democracy
- 1.3Government Power and Individual Rights
- 1.4Challenges of the Articles of Confederation
- 1.5Ratification of the U.S. Constitution
- 1.6Principles of American Government
- 1.7Relationship Between the States and National Government
- 1.8Constitutional Interpretations of Federalism
- 1.9Federalism in Action
Unit check
10 questions drawn from every lesson in Unit 1. Each wrong answer links back to where the idea is taught.
Labs for this unit
- Topics 1.1, 1.6 and 1.7 Foundational document analyzer Build a claim from a primary passage, select supporting evidence, and explain its connection to a political principle.
- Topics 2.2, 2.4, 2.8, 1.7, 2.13 and 2.14 Institutional decision simulator Trace a bill through institutional decisions, predict the next stage, and test the limits of each constitutional move.
- Topics 1.8, 2.8 and 2.10 SCOTUS comparison workspace Compare case facts, constitutional questions, holdings and reasoning before judging whether a factual difference matters.
- Topics 1.6, 1.8, 2.2 and 4.6 FRQ writer and rubric self-check Practice evidence and reasoning in four response formats with a timer and a point-by-point comparison after writing.
- Topics 1.7, 2.15 and 5.13 Civics project guide Plan a nonpartisan public-records investigation, record evidence and limitations, and organize a presentation without collecting personal data.