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How To Write an AP Government Essay

What you write will depend on the specific question, but here is some good general advice:

Label the sections of your essay a), b), etc.
Check the verbs. Do what the question asks, and rely on the concept of What, How, and Why. (WHW).

If the verb is Identify it requires at least one sentence saying WHAT it is.
If the verb is Describe, it requires at least two sentences saying WHAT it is and HOW it operates.
If the verb is Explain, then it requires at least three sentences saying WHAT it is, HOW it operates, and WHY it is done or WHY this is significant.

Significance? What will result from this? How does it affect the distribution of power in the political system? Consider Robert Dahl’s prescriptive theory of democracy. Does this move us closer to or farther from Dahl’s ideal democracy?

Provide an example if relevant.
If the question asks for one strategy or example and you provide two, the grader will accept the one that is correct—unless the points contradict or negate each other. (Think of this as your spare tire.)
Refer to the scenario briefly in each section.

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Ch. 1 In-Class Essay

Concept Application

This will be PSJ #2—Ch. 1 Essay

150 words

You will have 30 minutes to write.

This is open book. On the AP exam, of course, you will not have access to any books or other resources. So it would be good practice to try to write this without looking up any information.

Please open your PSJ Google Doc and get that ready for a new entry.

Be sure to remember a page break between each PSJ.

The essay prompt is on the next slide.

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BLM Types of Democracy

�The recent Black Lives Matter protests peaked on June 6, when half a million people turned out in nearly 550 places across the United States. That was a single day in more than a month of protests that still continue to today.

�Four recent polls — including one released this week by Civis Analytics, a data science firm that works with businesses and Democratic campaigns — suggest that about 15 million to 26 million people in the United States have participated in demonstrations over the death of George Floyd and others in recent weeks.

�These figures would make the recent protests the largest movement in the country’s history, according to interviews with scholars and crowd-counting experts.

— New York Times, 7/3/20

Label the sections of your essay a), b), etc.
Check the verbs. Do what the question asks, and rely on the concept of What, How, and Why. (WHW).

If the verb is Identify it requires at least one sentence saying WHAT it is.
If the verb is Describe, it requires at least two sentences saying WHAT it is and HOW it operates.
If the verb is Explain, then it requires at least three sentences saying WHAT it is, HOW it operates, and WHY it is done or WHY this is significant.

Identify the type of democracy presented in the scenario.
Describe the advantage or disadvantage of the type of democracy you identified in Part A in the context of the scenario.
Explain how this type of democracy presented in the scenario is consistent with at least one of ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

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Essay Challenge!

In a Google Doc or on a piece of scratch paper, write one complete sentence stating a fact.
Example: “The sun is very hot.”

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Essay Challenge!

In a Google Doc or on a piece of scratch paper, write one complete sentence stating a fact.
Example: “The sun is very hot.”
Follow that with a sentence that begins “This is significant because…” or “This is important because….”
Example: “The sun is very hot. This is significant because it warms the Earth enough to sustain life.”

Any time the action verb is EXPLAIN, use the phrase “This is significant because…” or “This is important because….”

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Which of the following best represents the message of the cartoon? a) The Constitution effectively protects the rights of the people, b) the Constitution was designed to protect the interests of the elite, c) interest groups have more power than do average citizens, d) the US is not a democracy.
Which of the following is most accurate regarding the Constitution? The Constitution a) is based on a series of compromises balancing different interests, b) prioritizes individual liberties above other concerns, c) protects only those rights specified in the Constitution, d) has consistently been interpreted to protect the elite.

Please open Canvas and complete BRC 2.

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