AP Government Summer Assignment 2023-2024

Welcome to Advanced Placement Government and Politics! I am so pleased you have elected to enroll in this
class and hope next year’s course will help you better understand government systems, political environments
and your role as a citizen. AP Government is a challenging and rewarding class that allows you to explore the
field of political science from both an American and Comparative perspective. The first portion of our time
together next year will be focused on American Government and Politics, and, later, we will explore the
political systems in various countries around the world. To fully prepare you for the AP Government
experience, you are asked to complete the two following assignments over the summer. Both of these
assignments are due on Friday, September 8, but it is highly encouraged that you have them completed for
the first day of class:

Part I – Constitution Analysis

AP Government requires you to have a working knowledge and understanding of the US Constitution. In
preparation for the course, I am asking you to read the Constitution and complete the attached outline as you
read. While you may have completed similar outlines in your United States History courses, I have expanded
this one to include additional information necessary for our curriculum, and am asking you to analyze key
parts of the text that we will use throughout the year. You will be assessed on the Constitution during our first
unit of study in September. If you do not have a copy of the Constitution available, there are several free
copies online, including an interactive version offered on the National Constitution Center’s website.

Part II – Current Events Log

The second part of the summer assignment requires you to keep a weekly log of politically relevant global
current events over the summer. Because this class has an emphasis on both global and domestic current
events, you will be expected to keep up on events both over the summer and throughout the school year.
Each week of the summer beginning with the week of Monday July 3 and ending with the week of August 25
(a total of 8 weeks), you will read two news stories on a major current event and record it in the style you see
below. Please use https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/ to make sure your sources are of the highest quality.
Fluency in current events will help immensely in this class.

You may choose a commentary or opinion article if you like, so long as it sufficiently describes the event on its
own. For each week, one story you choose must have a global focus, and the other must have a domestic
focus. Please save your log in one electronic file as you go; I will give you information about how to submit it
electronically when the school year begins.

Example:
Week of 6/1/23
Title: House Passes Debt Limit Bill in Bipartisan Vote to Avert Default
Source: New York Times
Author: Catie Edmonson
Date: June 1, 2023
Major people/groups/institutions involved: Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy/Republicans + Democrats/ House of
Representatives
Summary and political implications: After weeks of negotiations, Democrats and Republicans in the House of
Representatives have reached a deal on increasing the borrowing limit. The deal includes small spending cuts
for the federal government. The bill passed the House last night and now moves to the Senate where it is
expected to pass with bipartisan support. President Biden needs to sign the bill into law before June 5 to avert
default on the nation’s debt. If the bill fails, the default would be catastrophic for not only the US economy but
the global economy at large.
Analysis: [What your own opinion or views are on the event. This can be about the larger issue, the political
forces surrounding the issue, etc.]
United States Government & Politics
Summer Assignment 2023
U.S. Constitution Outline

Name: ____________________________

Directions: Use a copy of the Constitution to complete the following outline. You may abbreviate where
appropriate, but all questions must be answered with necessary and thorough analysis. You will be assessed
on this information in September, and will use this outline throughout the year.
Article I: Legislative Branch
Summarize the general purpose or subject of Article I in 2-3 sentences.

Section 2: House of Representatives

Qualifications and Terms

Who (or what) chooses

U.S. representatives?

Find Article 1, section 1,

clause 3.
Explain the compromise
described in the text (it was
later struck-out by
amendment).
How is the number of
representatives per state
determined? How often is
the number of
representatives for each
state to be reapportioned
(reallocated)?

What happens when there

is a vacancy in the House of
Representatives?
Special Officers/Leaders?

Special Powers?

Section 3: The Senate

Qualification and Terms
Who (or what) chose
Senators (at the time the
Constitution was written)?

Looking ahead to the

Amendments, which
Amendment changed the
method by which U.S.
senators are selected?
What proportion of the
Senate is up for reelection
every two years?
Special Officers/Leaders?

What role does the Senate

play in the impeachment
process?

Section 4: Elections
What level of government
is responsible for
administering elections?
Sections 5-6: Congressional Proceedings
Define Quorum

What constitutes a quorum

do to business in either
House of Congress?
Explain how a member is
expelled from either
House.
Define the following terms
(Note: you may consult
outside sources for these
definitions):

Denunciation

Censure

Expulsion

Congressional Record

Filibuster

Cloture

Emoluments
Section 7: Legislative Process
What types of bills must
originate in the House of
Representatives? Why
might this be the case?
What formal role does the
president play in the
legislative process?

How can Congress override

a presidential veto?

Section 8: Powers Allowed Congress

List all powers allowed to
Congress.

Find Article 1, section 8,

clause 3. What types of
commerce may Congress
regulate? (Hint: this is
known as the Commerce
Clause)
Find Article 1, section 8,
clause 18 (Hint: this is
known as the Elastic
Clause).
What is the meaning of this
clause? Why was this
written into the
Constitution?
Sections 9-10: Powers Denied to Congress & the States
List all powers denied to
Congress.

List all powers denied to

the States.
List all powers shared
concurrently between the
States and Congress.

Define the following terms

(Note: you may consult
outside sources for these
definitions):

Writ of Habeas Corpus

Bill of Attainder

Ex post facto law

118th Congress Information

Provide the following
information for the House
of Representatives (for all
individuals, provide full
name, state, and party):

Current Party Composition

(Republican, Democrat,
Other)

Speaker of the House of

Representatives

House Majority Leader

House Majority Whip

House Minority Leader

House Minority Whip

What Congressional
District represents
Randolph? Who currently
holds that seat in
Congress?
Provide the following
information for the United
States Senate (for all
individuals, provide full
name, state, and party):

Current Party Composition

(Republican, Democrat,
Other)

President of the Senate

President Pro Tempore of

the Senate

Senate Majority Leader

Senate Majority Whip

Senate Minority Leader

Senate Minority Whip

New Jersey’s Senators

Article II: Executive Branch
Summarize the general purpose or subject of Article II in 2-3 sentences.

Section 1: The Presidency

Terms of the Presidency &
Vice Presidency

Find Article II, section 1,

clause 2.

Explain the process of

electing the President of
the United States. (Hint:
The Electoral College)

How is the number of

electors per state
determined? What is the
state with the most
electors? How many
electors does NJ have?
Qualifications for the
Presidency

What are the conditions of

removal from office for the
President?

Section 2-3: Executive Powers

List all powers of the
Presidency outlined in
Article II, sections 2-3

Section 4: Impeachment
Explain the conditions for
impeachment and removal
of a President, Vice
President, or Civil Officer of
the United States.
Administration of Joseph R. Biden (D)
List the holders of the
following positions within
the current presidential
administration:
Vice President
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Presidential Succession:
Who is next in line for the
presidency? Include the
names of the current office
holders of the four offices
in the line of presidential
succession.

Article III: Judicial Branch

Summarize the general purpose or subject of Article III in 2-3 sentences.

Section 1: Supreme Court

What is the only court
specifically established in
the constitution?
Terms of office and
qualifications for the
judiciary

Section 2: Jurisdiction
Define jurisdiction.

List the cases in which the

Supreme Court and other
federal courts have
jurisdiction.

Define the difference

between original
jurisdiction and appellate
jurisdiction.
In which cases does the
Supreme Court have
original jurisdiction?

Section 3: Crime
What is the only crime
specifically described in the
constitution? How is that
crime defined?

Current Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)

List the names and titles
(Chief/Associate Justice) of
the current members of
the Supreme Court of the
United States.

Define the following terms

(Note: you may consult
outside sources for these
definitions):

Judicial Review

Majority Opinion

Dissenting Opinion

Concurring Opinion

Article IV: Relationships Between the States

Summarize the general purpose or subject of Article IV in 2-3 sentences.

Section 1: Full Faith and Credit

Briefly summarize Article
IV, section 1, (Hint: this is
known as the Full Faith and
Credit Clause).

Section 2: Privileges and Immunities

Briefly summarize Article
IV, section 2, clause 1 (Hint:
this is known as the
Privileges and Immunities
Clause).

What happens if a person

commits a crime and flees
to another state?

Section 3: Addition of New States

Explain the process for
admitting new states to the
Union.

Section 4: Republican Guarantee

Briefly explain the
meaning of Article 1,
section 4.

Article V: Amending the Constitution

Summarize the general purpose or subject of Article V in 2-3 sentences.

Briefly explain the method

of proposing and ratifying
amendments to the
Constitution through
Congress.

Briefly explain the method

of proposing and ratifying
amendments to the
Constitution through the
States.

Article VI: National Supremacy

Summarize the general purpose or subject of Article VI in 2-3 sentences. Be sure to mention the “Supreme Law of the Land”

Article VII: Ratification

Summarize the general purpose or subject of Article VII in 2-3 sentences.

Amendments to the Constitution of the United States

For each of the Amendments below, please provide the year the Amendment was adopted and a brief summary of the
Amendment
Amendment Year Summary
1

9
10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21
22

23

24

25

26

27

Important Constitutional Clauses

The following are important clauses listed in the Constitution or the Amendments. For each, cite where the
clause is located in the Constitution and provide a brief description in your own words.

Constitutional Clause Citation Description

Full Faith and Credit
Clause

Commerce Clause

Supremacy Clause

Necessary and Proper

Clause (Elastic Clause)
General Welfare Clause

Establishment Clause

Free-exercise Clause

Free-speech Clause

Due Process Clause

Equal Protection
Clause