Jeri A. Jones - Cliffsnotes AP U.S. Government and Politics Cram Plan

CliffsNotes AP U.S. Government and Politics Cram Plan

Copyright 2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2018958134
ISBN: 978-0-544-91568-8 (pbk)
eISBN: 978-0-544-91363-9
v1.0119

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Table of Contents

Congratulations! Youve decided to take the Advanced Placement course in U.S. Government and Politics. This book can help you plan your course of study and prepare for the exam. You can use it as a quick reference guide, an in-depth resource, a source for practice, or a refresher of one or more topics in U.S. government and politics. It is packed with information about what to expect on the exam, how to approach the questions, how to plan study time, and how to review the five units. It includes both a diagnostic test and a full-length practice exam, both of which include answers and complete answer explanations.

CliffsNotes AP U.S. Government and Politics Cram Plan is an easy-to-follow study guide that helps you make the most of the time you have to study civic understandings. Although it is not meant to substitute for a formal high school AP class, it provides you with important learning strategies and practice questions to refresh your understanding of the topics outlined in the AP course framework. The skills and concepts defined in this book can help you pass the AP GOV exam by providing you with exam-oriented approaches to real-world scenarios, content knowledge to help you analyze government documents and Supreme Court cases, and practice material to help you evaluate areas in which you excel or those in which you need improvement. If you follow the lessons and strategies in this book, have a sound knowledge of key topics, and study regularly, you will deepen your understanding of U.S. government and politics, which will strengthen your performance on the exam.

CliffsNotes AP U.S. Government and Politics Cram Plan is organized as follows:

Introduction to the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam A general description of the AP GOV exam, exam format, scoring, question types, essential knowledge about the five units, big ideas, political science disciplinary practices and reasoning processes, frequently asked questions, and test-taking strategies.

• A study calendar that provides a detailed suggested plan of action for preparing for the AP GOV exam 2 months before your exam.

• A study calendar that provides a detailed suggested plan of action for preparing for the AP GOV exam 1 month before your exam.

• A shortened version of the AP GOV practice exam in Chapter 9, the diagnostic test introduces you to the AP GOV units, evaluates your areas of strength and weakness to help you focus your study, and provides you with a baseline starting point.

• Includes answers and in-depth explanations for multiple-choice questions and sample responses and scoring guidelines for the four free-response questions.

• Summarizes the required foundational documents and required Supreme Court cases that youll need to know for the exam.

You determine how you would like to use this study guide. You can decide to read it from cover to cover or just refer to it when you need specific information. Since the review chapters provide terms, study questions, and a summary of each concept outline covered on the exam, many students prefer to gain a broad understanding of U.S. government and politics before they begin an in-depth review of specific key concepts, facts, essential knowledge, founding documents, and Supreme Court cases. Others find it useful to learn general exam information (political science skills and practices and test-taking strategies) before memorizing the specific topics related to U.S. government and politics. It is up to you to choose what best fits your needs.