Unit 2
AP U.S. Government and Politics Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government
Congress, the presidency, federal courts, agencies, and the checks and incentives shaping institutional decisions.
Topics
- 2.1Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives
- 2.2Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress
- 2.3Congressional Behavior
- 2.4Roles and Powers of the President
- 2.5Checks on the Presidency
- 2.6Expansion of Presidential Power
- 2.7Presidential Communication
- 2.8The Judicial Branch
- 2.9The Role of the Judicial Branch
- 2.10The Court in Action
- 2.11Checks on the Judicial Branch
- 2.12The Bureaucracy
- 2.13Discretionary and Rulemaking Authority
- 2.14Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable
- 2.15Policy and the Branches of Government
Unit check
15 questions drawn from every lesson in Unit 2. Each wrong answer links back to where the idea is taught.
Labs for this unit
- 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.