AP Government Summer Assignment

There are several ways that you can complete this assignment. I would recommend dedicating a spiral notebook for all your AP Government notes. These should be the first entries in your notebook. You will not need to submit this assignment but you will be tested over each of these components during the first week of school.  

You need to understand and memorize the following amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

• Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10)
  • 1st: Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.
  • 2nd: Right to bear arms.
  • 3rd: No quartering of soldiers.
  • 4th: Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
  • 5th: Rights in criminal cases, including due process and protection against self-incrimination.
  • 6th: Right to a fair trial.
  • 7th: Right to a jury trial in civil cases.
  • 8th: Protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
  • 9th: Rights retained by the people.
  • 10th: Powers reserved to the states.

• Other Key Amendments
  • 13th: Abolition of slavery.
  • 14th: Equal protection under the law and due process.
  • 15th: Right to vote regardless of race.
  • 17th: Direct election of senators.
  • 19th: Women's suffrage.
  • 24th: Abolition of poll taxes.
  • 26th: Right to vote at age 18.need to succeed.

You need to understand and memorize the key facts and the majority decision for the following landmark Supreme Court cases.

• Marbury v. Madison (1803)
  • Established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.

• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
  • Confirmed the supremacy of federal over state law and upheld the constitutionality of the national bank.

• Schenck v. United States (1919)
  • Established the "clear and present danger" test, limiting free speech during wartime.

• New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)
  • Protected freedom of the press by ruling that the government could not prevent the publication of the Pentagon Papers.

• Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)
  • Affirmed students' right to free speech in schools, stating that students do not "shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate."

• Engel v. Vitale (1962)
  • Prohibited state-sponsored prayer in public schools as a violation of the Establishment Clause.

• Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
  • Held that requiring Amish children to attend school past the eighth grade violated their religious freedom.

• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
  • Guaranteed the right to an attorney for criminal defendants in state courts under the Sixth Amendment.

• McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
  • Incorporated the Second Amendment right to bear arms to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

• United States v. Lopez (1995)
  • Limited Congress's power under the Commerce Clause by ruling that the Gun-Free School Zones Act exceeded federal authority.

• Baker v. Carr (1962)
  • Established the principle of "one person, one vote," ensuring equal representation in legislative districts.

• Shaw v. Reno (1993)
  • Addressed racial gerrymandering, ruling that race cannot be the predominant factor in creating electoral districts.

• Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
  • Allowed unlimited independent political expenditures by corporations and unions under the First Amendment.

• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
  • Declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine.

You need to understand and memorize the main ideas of the following foundational documents.

• Declaration of Independence (1776)
  • Articulated the colonies' reasons for declaring independence from Britain, emphasizing natural rights and the social contract theory.

• Articles of Confederation (1781)
  • Established the first governing document of the United States, which created a weak central government and gave significant power to the states.

• U.S. Constitution (1787)
  • Created a stronger federal government with a system of checks and balances, separation of powers, and a framework for federalism.

• Brutus 1 (1787)
  • An Anti-Federalist essay that argued against the ratification of the Constitution, warning that a strong central government could threaten individual liberties.

• Federalist 10 (1787)
  • Written by James Madison, it argued for the ratification of the Constitution by explaining how a large republic could better control factions and protect minority rights.

• Federalist 51 (1788)
  • Also by James Madison, it explained the importance of checks and balances and the separation of powers in preventing any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.

• Federalist 70 (1788)
  • Written by Alexander Hamilton, it argued for a single, energetic executive to ensure accountability and effective governance.

• Federalist 78 (1788)
  • By Alexander Hamilton, it defended the judiciary's role, emphasizing the importance of judicial review and life tenure for judges to ensure independence.

• Letter from a Birmingham Jail (1963)
  • Written by Martin Luther King Jr., it defended the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism and argued that individuals have a moral duty to break unjust laws.

You will not be turning in anything for this assignment. Instead, I want you to become familiar with the topics above, specifically the brief descriptions posted with each of them. We will dive in to each topic throughout the course in much more detail but coming in with a general idea of what these things are will definitely help your understanding and learning in the classroom when we get to these topics. That is what this assignment helps students do. 

You will have 3 short quizzes (amendments, court cases, & docs) over these topics during the first 2 weeks of school. A good way to memorize these topics is by writing them down repeatedly, making notecards, study groups, custom made quizlet, etc. Do whatever works for you. Happy studying!