AP United States Government and Politics - Course and Exam Description Clarifications and Corrections - To be Implemented for Fall 2026

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda

Updates and corrections to the AP U.S. Government and Politics Course and Exam Description clarify available educator resources and expand the required foundational documents to include the Emancipation Proclamation, Federalist No. 39, the Gettysburg Address, and Adam Smith’s core principles from The Wealth of Nations. The additions revise related Learning Objectives and Essential Knowledge statements, detailing connections to democratic ideals, federalism, and civil rights, including specific historical decisions and constitutional interpretations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

General Clarifications

Available Resources Updates

Required Foundational Documents and Course Framework

Added Foundational Documents

Updated Learning Objectives and Essential Knowledge

AP ® United States Government and Politics Course and Exam Description Clarificationsand Corrections About the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) The Advanced Placement Program® has enabled millions of students to take college-level courses and earn college credit, advanced placement, or both, while still in high school. AP Exams are given each year in May. Students who earn a qualifying score on an AP Exam are typically eligible, in college, to receive credit, placement into advanced courses, or both. Every aspect of AP course and exam development is the result of collaboration between AP teachers and college faculty. They work together to develop AP courses and exams, set scoring standards, and score the exams. College faculty review every AP teacher’s course syllabus. We commit to supporting educators and communities in their efforts to make AP courses widely available, advancing students in their plans for college and careers. Course and Exam Description Clarifications and Corrections To be Implemented for Fall 2026 General Clarifications Available Resources listed in the topic pages were updated to indicate whether they can now be found in AP Classroom or in the Online Teacher Community. Required Foundational Documents and Couse Framework The list of Required Foundational Documents (p.25) and the corresponding table linking Required Documents to the Course Framework (pp. 26-27) were updated to include the following documents: 􀀁 Emancipation Proclamation 􀀁 Federalist No. 39 􀀁 The Gettysburg Address 􀀁 Core Principles from Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations AP United States Government and Politics ∙ Clarifications and Corrections As a result of the addition of the 4 new required documents listed above, the following Learning Objectives and Essential Knowledge Statements were updated: LO 1.1.A Explain how democratic ideals are reflected in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address. EK 1.1.A.3 The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson (with help from Adams and Franklin), restates the philosophy of natural rights and provides a foundation for popular sovereignty. The U.S. Constitution, drafted by James Madison at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia that was led by George Washington (with important contributions from Hamilton and members of the “Grand Committee”), is an example of a social contract and establishes a system of limited government. The Constitution provides the blueprint for a unique form of democratic government in the United States. The Gettysburg Address, written by Abraham Lincoln and delivered during the U.S. Civil War, reaffirmed equality and popular sovereignty as defining foundations of democracy. EK 1.7.A.1 Federalism is the system of government in the United States in which power is shared between the national and state governments. The exclusive and concurrent powers of the national and state governments help explain the ongoing debate over the balance of power between the two levels. Federalist No. 39 explains that this division of authority combines national and state features to limit the concentration of power in any one part of the government while also allowing multiple access points for political participation. EK 3.12.A.1 Decisions demonstrating that minority rights have been restricted at times and protected at other times include: i. The Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people from the states in rebellion against the United States, and the subsequent ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment permanently abolished slavery and marked a shift toward the establishment of civil rights for the formerly enslaved ii. State laws and Supreme Court holdings based on the “separate but equal” doctrine restricting African American access to the same restaurants, hotels, schools, etc., as the majority white population iii. Court decisions declaring that race-based school segregation violates

FAQs

What changes are introduced for Fall 2026 in AP U.S. Government and Politics?

The update clarifies where listed resources can be found (AP Classroom vs. the Online Teacher Community) and adds four new required foundational documents. Those additions drive revisions to associated Learning Objectives and Essential Knowledge statements.

Which four documents were added as required foundational documents?

The added documents are the Emancipation Proclamation, Federalist No. 39, the Gettysburg Address, and Core Principles from Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations.

How did the new documents affect learning objectives and essential knowledge?

They updated Learning Objectives and Essential Knowledge statements, including how democratic ideals appear in key U.S. texts, how federalism shares power between national and state governments, and how minority rights have shifted between restriction and protection over time.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda