High AP United States Government and Politics
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Number of Credits
0.5
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Estimated Completion Time
1 Semesters
Pre Requisites
United States History recommended
Description
Unlock the secrets of how your government really works and why it matters in your everyday life. You will delve into the core political concepts, ideas, institutions, and policies that shape the U.S. constitutional system and political culture. Explore the structure and impact of the Constitution, landmark Supreme Court cases, and other foundational documents that influence how government functions today. This course also offers opportunities for research and civic action, equipping you to be an informed and active participant in U.S. society.
Per College Board’s Appropriate Grade Level Policy – Students enrolling in AP courses with FLVS must be entering 9th grade to have AP designation affixed to their transcript at course completion. By signing up for an AP course with FLVS you are agreeing to College Board’s policy.
Follow the link below for the Department of Education description for this course:
Module One: Constitutional Democracy
-founding documents
-purposes of government
-founding principles
-the Constitution
-Federalists and Anti-Federalists
-separation of powers
-federalism
-modern debates in federalism
Module Two: Interaction Among Branches
-Congress
-congressional behavior
-the presidency
-executive power
-the Supreme Court
-the bureaucracy
-checks and balances
-accountability
Module Three: Civil Liberties, Civil Rights
-the Bill of Rights
-the First Amendment
-security versus free expression
-liberty versus safety
-rights of those accused of crimes
-due process
-equal protection of the laws
Module Four: American Political Ideologies
-political socialization
-ideology
-public opinion
-political parties
Module Five: Political Participation
-voters
-interest groups
-elections
-campaigns
-the media
No student provided materials required.
Besides engaging students in challenging curriculum, the course guides students to reflect on their learning and evaluate their progress through a variety of assessments. Assessments can be in the form of practice lessons, multiple choice questions, writing assignments, projects, research papers, oral assessments, and discussions. This course will use the state-approved grading scale. Each course contains a mandatory final exam or culminating project that will be weighted at 20% of the student’s overall grade.***
***Proctored exams can be requested by FLVS at any time and for any reason in an effort to ensure academic integrity. When taking the exam to assess a student’s integrity, the exam must be passed with at least a 59.5% in order to earn credit for the course.
Advanced Placement Policy
Students entering high school grades 9-12 have access to Advanced Placement courses that may result in earning college credit for high school coursework. These courses are used to calculate overall Grade Point Average (GPA) and typically count extra in the calculation. These courses are also available at no charge to Florida public school students, whereas they may have a tuition cost if taken in college. (S. 1003.02, F.S.)
A passing grade in the course will be accepted for high school credit. Postsecondary institutions determine college credit awarded, based on the AP Exam score earned. FLVS strongly encourages students who take AP courses to sit for the course AP Exam in May. Florida students shall be exempt from payment of any fees associated with AP Exam participation, with the exception of late test registration fees incurred by the student.