Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics, Book 1, develops the skills needed to write a clear and concise thesis, to determine what an essay question is asking, to formulate support for a thesis, and to organize an essay. Lessons are arranged to match the divisions used by the College Board in the course description for U.S. Government and Politics.

Part 1 deals with the techniques and practices relevant to Advanced Placement testing. Lessons include Thesis Recognition and Writing and Interpreting Statistical Data. Part 2 focuses on the constitutional underpinnings of the U.S. government. Lessons include The Founding Fathers and Tracing the History of Political Parties. Part 3 examines political beliefs and behaviors. Lessons include Factors that Influence Political Beliefs and Sampling Public Opinion: Do You Think That . . . ? Part 4 includes lessons on political parties and interest groups. Lessons include The Structure of Political Parties and Political Reform. Part 5 focuses on the institutions of our national government. Lessons include Military Justice and Third Parties. Part 6 concludes with lessons on issues and public policy. Lessons include The War Powers Resolution of 1973 and The Courts and Public Policy. The Student Edition contains all the student handouts provided in the Teacher Guide.

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Designed for Advanced Placement students, lessons contain more reading, more complex analysis and reasoning, and more writing than standard-level lessons. Special attention is given to the writing process as it applies to the field of political science. Both individual and group activities prepare students for success on the Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics Examination.

Students develop the skills needed to write a clear and concise thesis, to determine what an essay question is asking, to formulate support for a thesis, and to organize an essay. They participate in a debate, vote in a mock election, and create a political party. They interpret graphs, tables, and statistical information. Students read articles on current issues and prepare responses to focus questions. They examine Supreme Court cases and the influence of the rulings on daily life.