AP U.S. Government and Politics Practice Exam Sample Responses, 2018

Sample Responses from the

U.S. Government

and Politics

Practice Exam

INCLUDING

§ Free-Response Questions

§ Scoring Guidelines

§ Student Responses

Commentaries on the Responses§

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2018

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Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Free-Response Question 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Student Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Scores and Commentary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Free-Response Question 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Student Responses 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Scores and Commentary . 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Free-Response Question 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Student Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Scores and Commentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Free-Response Question 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Student Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Scores and Commentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

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Preface

This publication is designed to help teachers and students understand and

prepare for the AP® U.S. Government and Politics Exam. The publication

includes sample free-response questions, scoring guidelines, student

responses at various levels of achievement, and reader commentaries.

Collectively, these materials accurately reflect the design, composition, and

rigor of the exam.

The sample questions are those that appear on the Practice Exam that appears

in the AP U.S. Government and Politics Course & Exam Description, and the

student responses were collected from actual AP students during a field test

of the exam. The students gave permission to have their work reproduced at

the time of the field test, and the responses were read and scored by AP U.S.

Government and Politics Readers in 2017.

Following each free-response question, its scoring guideline, and student

samples, you will find a commentary about each sample. The number of

samples and commentaries varies from question to question. Commentaries

include the score that each response would have earned, as well as a brief

rationale to support the score.

1. Consumers complained after EpiPen maker Mylan “hiked the price of the emergency

auto-injector by $100 in recent months for no obvious reason. . . . The price has

increased 450 percent since 2004, when a dose cost $100 in today’s dollars, to its

current price of more than $600. . . . The medication itself isn’t expensive. Analysts

calculate that the dosage contained in a single pen is worth about $1.”

Washington Post, August 23, 2016

After reading the scenario, respond to A, B, and C below:

(A) Describe a power Congress could use to address the comments outlined in the scenario.

(B) In the context of the scenario, explain how the use of congressional power described in

Part A can be affected by its interaction with the presidency.

presidency can be affected by linkage institutions.

Scoring the Concept Application Question

A good response should:

§ Describe a political institution, behavior, or process connected with the scenario (0–1 point)

(Disciplinary Practice 1.a)

§ Explain how the response in part (A) affects or is affected by a political process, government

entity, or citizen behavior as related to the scenario (0–1 point) (Disciplinary Practice 1.d)

§ Explain how the scenario relates to a political institution, behavior, or process in the course

(0–1 point) (Disciplinary Practice 1.d)

Free-Response Question 1

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Concept Application Question (3 points)

Rubric Row Scoring Criteria Scoring Notes

A Describe

(0–1 pt)

1pt

Describe a political institution, behavior,

or process in connection with a scenario.

The response must reference content

from the scenario and provide a

description.

B Explain

(0–1 pt)

1pt

In the context of the scenario, explain

how the response in part A affects a

political process, government entity, or

citizen behavior.

The response needs to demonstrate an

action and the impact of that action.

C Explain

(0–1 pt)

1pt

Explain how the scenario relates to a

political institution, behavior, or process.

To earn this point, the response must

demonstrate grasp of the appropriate

Enduring Understanding

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AP U.S. Government & Politics Practice Exam Sample Responses

Student Responses

Sample: 1A

Congress could pass a bill prohibiting important life-or-death medications

from being marked up above a certain value. By doing this, Mylan would be

forced to lower their prices to a more reasonable value.

If the President is not in favor of this sort of legislation, he can veto the

bill passed by Congress, making it so Mylan can keep their rates as high as

they currently are. As a result, Congress’ use of their power was mitigated

by the President’s use of his.

In order to push their ideas forward, many interest groups and lobbyists

would likely meet with congressmen and the president urging them to either

change their position on the bill or hold firm. For example, many lobbying

organizations that fight for the right of patients would urge congress to

override a presidential veto of the bill. That would mean the bill becomes a

law if they vote to override the veto.

Note: Student responses have been typed for clarity.

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An oversight power Congress could use to take action on the complaints

above would be making it illegal to charge that much for a medication when

the medication itself was extremely cheap, especially since EpiPens are used

in life and death emergencies.

If Congress does write a bill to try to pass as law prohibiting making the

medication so expensive, then the President must approve of or veto the

bill. So, the President has to agree with Congress in order for the bill to

become a law.

Interactions between Congress and the President can be affected by

linkage institutions because linkage institutions link one branch of government

to another. So, interactions between the legislative branch and Congress can

affect whether the bill gets passed.

Sample: 1B

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Congress can pass a law setting a price limit of medication on epipens.

The president may veto law if he chooses.

Linkage institutions can affect it as well.

Sample: 1C

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Scores and Commentary

NOTE: Student samples are quoted verbatim and may contain grammatical errors.

Sample: 1A

SCORE: 3

(a) The response earned one point for describing a legislative action that Congress could

take to address consumers’ concerns by stating, “Congress could pass a bill prohibiting

important life-or-death medications from being marked up above a certain value.”

(b) The response earned one point for explaining how the president could limit Congress’

authority by vetoing the bill by stating, “If the President is not in favor of this sort of

legislation, he can veto the bill passed by Congress, making it so Mylan can keep their

rates as high as they currently are. As a result, Congress’ use of their power was mitigated

by the President’s use of his.”

affect Congress’ authority by meeting with members of Congress and urging them to

override a presidential veto. The response states, “In order to push their ideas forward,

many interest groups and lobbyists would likely meet with congressmen and the

president urging them to either change their position on the bill or hold firm. For example,

many lobbying organizations that fight for the right of patients would urge congress to

override a presidential veto of the bill. That would mean the bill becomes a law if they vote

to override the veto.”

Sample: 1B

SCORE: 2

(a) The response earned one point for describing a legislative action Congress could take

to address consumers’ complaints by stating, “An oversight power Congress could use

to take action on the complaints above would be making it illegal to charge that much for

a medication when the medication itself was extremely cheap, especially since EpiPens

are used in life and death emergencies.” Although the response incorrectly identifies

an oversight power in the first paragraph, the second paragraph includes an accurate

description of the legislative power, therefore earning the point.

(b) The response earned one point for explaining how the interaction between the president

and Congress has an impact on congressional power by stating, “If Congress does write

a bill to try to pass as law prohibiting making the medication so expensive, then the

President must approve of or veto the bill. So, the President has to agree with Congress in

order for the bill to become a law.”

affects Congress’ authority. The response should cite a linkage institution and explain

how that institution could help or hinder the process of passing a bill, rather than simply

state that interaction between Congress and a linkage institution affects whether a bill

ispassed.

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Sample: 1C

SCORE: 1

(a) The response earned one point for describing a legislative action Congress could take to

address consumers’ complaints by stating by stating, “Congress can pass a law setting a

price limit of medication on epipens.”

(b) The response did not earn one point for explaining how, in the context of the scenario, the

response in part A affects a political process, government entity, or citizen behavior. The

response simply pointed out that the president holds the veto power without explaining

how that power affects Congressional power.

Congress’ authority can be affected by its interaction with a linkage institution. The

response simply pointed out that linkage institutions (which are not specified in the

response) may affect the process without explaining how they do so.

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FPO

$16,000 or more

$14,000 to $15,999

$12,000 to $13,999

$10,000 to $11,999

$8,000 to $9,999

Less than $8,000

PUBLIC EDUCATION SPENDING: AMOUNT SPENT PER PUPIL BY STATE IN 2014

Source: www.census.gov

2. Use the information graphic to answer the questions.

(A) Identify the most common level of education spending by states in the Southeast.

(B) Describe a similarity or difference in public education spending by state or region, as

illustrated in the information graphic, and draw a conclusion about that similarity or

difference.

demonstrates the principle of federalism.

Scoring the Quantitative Analysis Question

A good response should:

§ Identify or describe the data in the quantitative visual (0–1 point)

(Disciplinary Practice 3.a)

§ Describe a pattern, trend, or similarity/difference as prompted in the question (0–1 point)

(Disciplinary Practice 3.b) and draw a conclusion for that pattern, trend, or similarity/

difference (0–1 point) (Disciplinary Practice 3.c or 3.e)

§ Explain how specific data in the quantitative visual demonstrates a principle in the prompt

(0–1 point) (Disciplinary Practice 3.d)

Free-Response Question 2

Quantitative Analysis Question (4 points)

Rubric Row Scoring Criteria Scoring Notes

A Identify 1pt

(0–1 pt) Identify or describe the data

B1 Describe 1pt

(0–1 pt) Describe a pattern, trend, or

similarity/difference as prompted

B2 Draw a

conclusion

(0–1 pt)

1pt

Draw a conclusion for that similarity

or difference

C Explain

(0–1 pt)

1pt

Explain how _____ in the information

graphic demonstrates ________.

To earn this point, the response

must demonstrate grasp of the

appropriate Enduring Understanding;

focus must be on transfer of new

concept.

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The most common level of education spending by states in the southeast is

around $8,000 to $9,999.

The Northeast region of the United States spends the highest amount of

money on public education than any other region in the U.S. In the Northeast

region they spend around $12,000 & up on public education. This could

possibly show that this part of the U.S. has a higher percentage of higher

incomes, meaning larger taxes. This could be the case of comparing the

Northeast & Southeast regions. The Northeast may have a larger amount of

people with larger incomes & the Southeast could have a lower percentage

of people with high incomes, meaning lower taxes.

The public education spending as shown in the information graphic

demonstrates the principle of federalism. It shows that if the state

government recieves less money from taxes, then the local governments

are going to recieve less money from the state, leaving the public schools

with little to no money. This can happen vice versa as well. If the state

government recieves a good amount of money from taxes, then the

local governments will recieve a good amount, which this then means the

public schools are going to recieve a good amount. How much to spend on

education is based on state and local taxes and money, not federal.

Student Responses

Sample: 2A

Note: Student responses have been typed for clarity.

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A. The most common level of education spending by states in the Southeast

is $8,000 to $9,999.

B. One difference between Florida and New York is that Florida spends

approximately $8,000 to $9,999 per pupil while New York spends

approximately $16,000 or more per pupil. One conclusion that can be made

when comparing these two states is that New York cares more about

education and has allotted more state budget to education than Florida.

C. Public spending as shown in the graphic titled “Public Education Spending:

Amount Sums per pupil by State in 2014” demonstrates the principle of

federalism as each state is allowed to spend whatever amount of money

on a pupil that they see fit.

Sample: 2B

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The most common level of spending by states in the southeast is $8,000

to $9,999. From information graphic above it looks as in the more populated

states/cities that more money is being spent on education. Although Alaska is

not that populate it is in the $16,000 or more range for education spending.

Public education spending demonstrates the principle of federalism because

the government is providing for “services” like schools.

Sample: 2C

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Scores and Commentary

NOTE: Student samples are quoted verbatim and may contain grammatical errors.

Sample: 2A

SCORE: 4

(a) The response earned one point by correctly identifying the most common level of

education spending by states in the Southeast as $8,000-$9,999.

(b) The response earned one point by correctly describing that “The Northeast region of the

United States spends the highest amount of money on public education.”

The response earned an additional point for concluding that the Northeast may spend

more on education because of higher taxes than in other regions when it stated, “this part

of the U.S. has a higher percentage of higher incomes, meaning larger taxes.”

education. The response noted the relationship between the state and local governments,

and also noted that the federal government does not determine how much to spend on

education when it states, “How much to spend on education is based on state and local

taxes and money, not federal.”

Sample: 2B

SCORE: 3

(a) The response earned one point for identifying the most common level of education

spending by states by stating, “The most common level of education spending by states

in the Southeast is $8,000 to $9,999.”

(b) The response earned one point for describing a difference in public education spending

by a state or region, as illustrated in the information graphic, by stating, “One difference

between Florida and New York is that Florida spends approximately $8,000 to $9,000 per

student while New York spends $16,000 or more per pupil.”

The response earned a second point for drawing a conclusion about that similarity or

difference by stating, “One conclusion that can be made when comparing these two

states is that New York cares more about education and has allotted more state budget to

education than Florida.”

as shown in the information graphic demonstrates the principle of federalism because it

did not exhibit an understanding of federalism.

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Sample: 2C

SCORE: 1

(a) The response earned one point for identifying the most common level of education

spending by states in the Southeast as “$8,000 to $9,999.”

(b) The response did not earn one point for describing a difference in public education

spending by a state or region as illustrated in the information graphic. The statement “in

the more populated states/cities… more money is being spent on education” is inaccurate.

Moreover, population is not illustrated in the information graphic.

The response did not attempt to earn a second point for drawing a conclusion about a

similarity or difference.

as shown in the information graphic, demonstrates the principle of federalism. The

statement “the government is providing for ‘services’ like schools” does not address

thetask.

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3. Monthly town board meetings in Greece, New York, opened with a prayer given by

clergyselectedfromthecongregationslistedinalocaldirectory,butnearlyallthelocal

churches were Christian, so nearly all of the participating prayer givers were, too. A lawsuit

was filed alleging that the town violated the Constitution by preferring Christians over other

religious groups and by sponsoring sectarian prayers. Petitioners sought to limit the town to

“inclusive and ecumenical” prayers that referred only to a “generic God.”

In the ensuing case, Town of Greece v. Galloway (2014), the Supreme Court held in a 5–4

decision that no constitutional violation existed. The majority opinion stated that legislative

prayer in this situation lent gravity to public business, reminded lawmakers to transcend

petty differences to pursue a higher purpose, reflected values that were a part of the

nation’s heritage, provided a spirit of cooperation, and celebrated the changing of seasons.

The audience was primarily lawmakers themselves, and though many bowed their heads

during the prayer, they did not solicit similar gestures by the public. It was delivered as a

ceremonial portion of the town’s meeting.

(A) Identify the constitutional clause that is common to both Greece v. Galloway (2014) and

Engel v. Vitale (1962).

(B) Based on the constitutional clause identified in part A, explain why the facts of Engel v.

Vitale led to a different holding than the holding in Greece v. Galloway.

Greece v. Galloway could take to limit its impact.

Scoring the SCOTUS Comparison Question

A good response should:

§ Identify a similarity or difference between the two Supreme Court cases, as specified in the

question (0–1 point) (Disciplinary Practice 2.c)

§ Provide prompted factual information from the specified required Supreme Court case (0–1

point) (Disciplinary Practice 2.a), and explain how or why that information from the specified

required Supreme Court case is relevant to the non-required Supreme Court case described

in the question (0–1 point) (Disciplinary Practice 2.c)

§ Describe or explain an interaction between the holding in the non-required Supreme Court case

and a relevant political institution, behavior, or process (0–1 point) (Disciplinary Practice 2.d)

Free-Response Question 3

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SCOTUS Comparison Question (4 points)

Rubric Row Scoring Criteria Scoring Notes

A Identify 1pt

(0–1 pt) Identify a similarity or difference

between the two Supreme Court cases

(as specified in the question).

B1 Identify

(0–1 pt)

1 pt

Provide prompted information from

the specified required Supreme

Court case.

Point is earned for knowing facts for

required Supreme Court case.

B2 Explain

(0–1 pt)

1 pt

Explain how or why that information

from the specified required Supreme

Court case is relevant to the non-

required Supreme Court case provided

in the question.

In order to earn the second point in part

B, the response must correctly relate

specific information from the required

source to the new source by comparing

similarities or differences between the

two cases.

C Describe/

Explain

(0–1 pt)

1 pt

Describe or explain an interaction

between the holding in the non-

required Supreme Court case and a

relevant political institution, behavior,

or process.

To earn this point, the response must

demonstrate grasp of the appropriate

Enduring Understanding.

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The constitutional provision that is common to both cases is the establishment

of religion clause located in the first amendment

As opposed to Greece v. Galloway, the court held in Engel v. Vitale that

prayer in public school as a school sponsored activity was unconstitutional.

The court said in Engel that the school was coercing the students into

prayer and thus establishing a religion. This is different from Greece v.

Galloway where the court held that this public prayer was not forcing the

public into anything and thus not establishing a religion.

For those that did not agree with the courts decision in Greece v. Galloway,

they do have some options to limit its impact. First they can protest. It is

their first amendment right to be able to protest and they can do so by

a variety of ways. They could stand outside the area and hold signs, or

they could start a website, etc. They could also petition their congressional

representative to make a law banning this ceremonial prayer. This law would

then solve their issue if it passed and held up in court.

Student Responses

Sample: 3A

Note: Student responses have been typed for clarity.

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The Constitutional provision in common with both of these cases is the

Establishment Clause of the first Amendment.

Engel v. Vitale was about prayer in the schools and Greece v. Galloway was

about prayer in town board meetings. In Engel v. Vitale the students in the

school were pressured to say a prayer while in Greece v. Galloway the

people were not. Also in the Engel v. Vitale case the teacher was the one

that was leading the prayer and in the Greece v. Galloway there were

different clergy from different practicing faiths.

An activist judge who disagrees with the holding in Greece v. Galloway could

issue a ruling stopping the prayer, even though the Supreme Court said it

was constitutional.

Sample: 3B

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The Constitutional provision that is common to both Greece v. Galloway &

Engel v. Vitale is the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Greece v. Galloway is about Legislative Prayer that happens before a

meeting; whereas Engel v. Vitale is prayer in school. The problem with Engel

v. Vitale is that it influences the public.

The public can’t really do much because Greece was a supreme court case.

Sample: 3C

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The Establishment clause is a constitutional provision common to both Greece

v. Galloway & Engle v. Vitale.

Engle v. Vitale led to the holding that state sponsored prayer was

unconstitutional whereas Greece v. Galloway led to the prayer being

constitutional because of how relevant it was to their current situation.

Members of the public who disagree with the holding could vote out

the judges.

Sample: 3D

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Scores and Commentary

NOTE: Student samples are quoted verbatim and may contain grammatical errors.

Sample: 3A

SCORE: 4

(a) The response earned one point for identifying the constitutional clause that is common

to both Greece v. Galloway (2014) and Engel v. Vitale (1962) by stating, “The constitutional

provision that is common to both cases is the establishment of religion clause located in the

first amendment.”

(b) The response earned one point for describing correct facts of Engel v. Vitale by stating,

“prayer in public school as a school sponsored activity was unconstitutional.”

The response earned a second point for using correct facts about Engel v. Vitale

to explain why the holding in Greece v. Galloway is different by stating, “The court

said in Engel v. Vitale that the school was coercing the students into prayer and thus

establishing a religion. This is different from Greece v. Galloway where the court held that

this public prayer was not forcing the public into anything and thus not establishing a

religion.”

with the holding of Greece v. Galloway could act to limit its impact by stating, “First, they

can protest. It is their first amendment right to be able to protest and they can do so by a

variety of ways. They could stand outside the area and hold signs.”

Sample: 3B

SCORE: 3

(a) The response earned one point for identifying the constitutional clause that is common

to both Greece v. Galloway and Engel v. Vitale by stating, “The Constitutional provision in

common with both of these cases is the Establishment Clause of the first Amendment.

(b) The response earned one point for describing correct facts of Engel v. Vitale by stating,

“Engel v. Vitale was about prayer in the schools and Greece v. Galloway was about prayer

in town board meetings.”

The response earned an additional one point for using correct facts about Engel v. Vitale

to explain why the holding in Greece v. Galloway is different from the holding in Engel v.

Vitale by stating, “In Engel v. Vitale the students in the school were pressured to say a

prayer while in Greece v. Galloway the people were not.”

disagree with the holding of Greece v. Galloway could act to limit its impact. The response

stated, “An activist judge who disagrees with the holding in Greece v. Galloway could issue

a ruling stopping the prayer, even though the Supreme Court said it was constitutional.”

This response did not respond to the prompt, because it did not describe an action that

could be taken by members of the public.

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Sample: 3C

SCORE: 2

(a) The response earned one point for identifying the constitutional clause that is common to

both Greece v. Galloway and Engel v. Vitale (1962) by stating, “The Constitutional provision

that is common to both Greece v. Galloway & Engel v. Vitale is the Establishment Clause of

the First Amendment.”

(b) The response earned one point for describing correct facts about Engel v. Vitale: “Engel v.

Vitale is prayer in school.”

The response did not earn a second point for using correct facts about Engel v. Vitale

to explain why the holding in Greece v. Galloway is different from the holding in Engel v.

Vitale. While the response included a correct fact about Engel v. Vitale, the attempt to

apply that fact to Greece (“is about Legislative Prayer”) is inaccurate.

disagree with the holding in Greece v. Galloway could act to limit its impact. Rather, the

response indicated that there is nothing the public can do.

Sample: 3D

SCORE: 1

(a) The response earned one point for identifying the constitutional clause that is common to

both Greece v. Galloway (2014) and Engel v. Vitale (1962) by stating, “The Establishment

clause is a constitutional provision common to both Greece v. Galloway & Engle v. Vitale.”

(b) The response did not earn one point for describing correct facts of Engel v. Vitale. While the

response references “state sponsored prayer,” it does not describe how the state did that in

this case.

The response did not earn an additional point because it failed to adequately address why

the facts in Engel differ from those in Greece and, thus, did not explain how Engel led to a

different holding than in Greece v. Galloway.

disagree with the holding of Greece v. Galloway could act to limit its impact. The public did

not elect federal judges.

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4. Develop an argument that explains which of the three models of representative

democracy—participatory, pluralist, or elite—best achieves the founders’ intent for

American democracy in terms of ensuring a stable government run by the people.

In your essay, you must:

§ Articulate a defensible claim or thesis that responds to the prompt and establishes a line of

reasoning

Use a second piece of evidence from another foundational document from the list or from

your study of the electoral process

Use reasoning to explain why your evidence supports your claim/thesis

§ Support your claim with at least TWO pieces of accurate and relevant information:

§ At least ONE piece of evidence must be from one of the following foundational documents:

– Brutus 1

– Federalist No. 10

– U.S. Constitution

§ Respond to an opposing or alternative perspective using refutation, concession,

or rebuttal

Scoring the Argument Essay

A good response should:

§ Articulate a defensible claim or thesis that responds to the question and establishes a line of

reasoning (0–1 point) (Disciplinary Practice 5.a)

§ Describe one piece of evidence that is accurately linked to the topic of the question

(1 out of 3 points); use one piece of specific and relevant evidence to support the argument

(2 out of 3 points); use two pieces of specific and relevant evidence to support the argument

(3 out of 3 points) (Disciplinary Practice 5.b)

§ Explain how or why the evidence supports the claim or thesis (0–1 point) (Disciplinary

Practice 5.c)

§ Respond to an opposing or alternate perspective using refutation, concession, or rebuttal

that is consistent with the argument (0–1 point) (Disciplinary Practice 5.d)

Free-Response Question 4

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Argumentation Essay (6 points)

Rubric Row Scoring Criteria Scoring Notes

Claim/Thesis

(0–1 pt)

1 pt

Articulates a defensible claim or thesis that responds

to the question and establishes a line of reasoning

The response cannot earn this

point for simply restating the

prompt.

Evidence

(0–3 pts)

1 pt Or 2 pts Or 3 pts

Provides Uses one piece Uses two pieces

one piece of of specific of specific

evidence that and relevant and relevant

is accurately evidence to evidence to

linked to the support the support the

topic of the argument argument

question

To earn more than one evidence

point, the response must

establish an argument, and have

earned the point for claim/thesis

(Row A).

Reasoning

(0–1 pt)

1 pt

Explain how or why the evidence supports the claim

or thesis

The response must have a

claim/thesis to earn a point.

The response cannot simply

restate the prompt to explain

why the evidence supports the

claim/thesis.

The response cannot earn

a point without previously

supporting the claim/thesis in B.

To earn the point the response

must address at least one piece

of evidence.

Responds to

alternative

perspectives

(0–1 pt)

1 pt

Responds to an opposing or alternate perspective

using refutation, concession, or rebuttal

The response must have a claim

or thesis to earn a point.

The response must identify

an alternative perspective;

demonstrate a correct

understanding of the

perspective; and refute,

concede, or rebut the

perspective.

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The founders originally wanted the most power for the people as well

as protection from the tyranny of a federal government. Therefore the

founders would have most wanted a participatory representative democracy.

In this scenario, the people need to participate in order to make the

government and the decisions for the government are made by the people

who mobilized and advocate for themselves.

Federalist 10 is a document that describes the use and the existence of

factions in society and how the affect government. These groups include

people participating in parties and other groups that supports a participatory

model of democracy. If a citizen cannot find a faction to identify with it

may deter them from participating in government. However in a participatory

society, everyone’s vote matters, and factions may not have the affect

they would in other types of representative democracy. For example in

an elite representative democracy, only the “elite” help to make decisions

in government. In this society, factions may be required to show interest

and to get the attention of the elite. If a citizen does not relate to a

large faction, their ideas may not be heard by an elite and in that case the

individual citizen would not be represented, which is the opposite of what

the founders wanted.

In Brutus I, the author describes his fear of tyranny when the Constitution

gives so much power to the federal government. He worries that Congress

will take over and rule unchecked over the country. His concerns would

be much les with a participatory society. He advocates the need for state

and individual power to avoid tyranny and this would be exactly what he is

getting in a participatory society.

Student Responses

Sample: 4A

Note: Student responses have been typed for clarity.

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A participatory society most closely represents what the founders wanted

for a system of representative democracy. It prevents tyranny from the

federal government or the elite, as well as gives individual citizens a voice

in government decisions.

An argument that could be made in an elite society would be that the best,

smartest people are making the important decisions for a country and

they know what is best. With the most qualified people making important

decisions, the country will be the best off they could be. While this way may

be a way in which to make the most successful country, it is not consistent

with the founders original intention of avoiding tyranny and giving citizens

representation in government.

Later on, found[er]s of the Constitution may prefer a slightly modified

version of this society. Because they give the federal government more

power, they might support more of a pluralist or elite form of democracy.

However, the still have the goal of preventing tyranny and giving the people

power so it continues to be a participatory society. The people still have

to vote in order to elect leaders and this is all based on participation. Even

founders that advocate for more federal power would still choose a

participatory society as the best form of a representative democracy.

Sample: 4A (cont.)

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The founders wanted the people to play a main role in the government

and that is why the participatory model of representative democracy best

describes the American political system. The US Constitution exemplifies

American government and participatory democracy because it gives citizens’

freedoms and a place in politics.

The Constitution includes a Bill of Rights which includes the rights/liberties

of the people. This gives people an incentive to be a part of the governing

process. Either way, all of their rights will always be protected by the

government.

The Constitution also includes several amendments that give the people

more of a say in government. For example, the 17th Amendment gives the

people the power to vote for their senators. Allowing them to participate

more in the government. The 19th Amendment granted women suffrage

and the 15th Amendment made it possible for all men to vote. All of these

Amendments to the constitution, allowed the people to participate more

in government, demonstrating that the founders wanted the public to be

involved in their government.

Someone might argue that the Constitution is outdated and no longer

represents our current country. That is an irrelevant statement because it is

a living document that will always be altering for years to come.

Sample: 4B

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The model that best describes the American political system is the pluralist

theory of representative democracy, where groups compete to make

society better.

Federalist 10 shows that the founders wanted a pluralist democracy.

Federalist 10 describes that factions are dangerous, but are inevitable.

This is a prime example of how pluralism is the best representation of

American Democracy because there are factions like political parties in

the government, but they allow everyone’s voice to be heard and through

pluralism people compromise which makes everyone somewhat happy.

Another example is the Electoral College. This let different people

choose who the president would be, and not the masses, so this shows the

founders wanted a pluralist government too.

The people who opposed the Constitution were the Anti-Federalists. They

wrote their own Anti-Federalist essays. Brutus I was a part of that. They

feared that checks and balances would not prevent the President from

having unlimited power like a King would.

Sample: 4C

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The founders of the United States Constitution wanted to form an elite

model of democracy. They wanted the power of the government to be

held by a select few, and this is seen in the Constitution. The Constitution

shows this because the founders required Senators be elected by state

legislatures and not the people.

It can be concluded that America is a nation of elite few. Why would the

rich powerful Founding Fathers want to give power to the people?

Sample: 4D

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The model that I feel achieves the founders’ intent for American

democracy today is the pluralist theory. The pluralist theory is shown today

with all the interest groups and other rallies occurring.

The founders wanted for everyone to be able to participate in government

and have their voice. The electoral process also demonstrates the pluralist

theory because every vote counts, therefore the electoral process today

allows for everyone’s voice to be heard.

Though I think the pluralist theory accurately describes the American political

system, one could argue that it does not. One could argue that with too many

people and too many voices, nothing would get done, resulting in gridlock.

Though this could be true, neither of the other theories describe the

American political system better. The Elite theory suggests that only higher

up people are important and get a say in things, which does not describe our

political system but the pluralist model of democracy allows for everyone’s

voices to be heard by getting involved in groups to change politics. This is why

I feel that the pluralist theory is the best and accurately describes Americas

political system.

Sample: 4E

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The Declaration of Independence was written to escape the government

of England. The Federalist Papers were written to support the Constitution.

Brutus 1 was written against the Constitution. All of these were written

about government and the Constitution is the frame of the United States

government. This is why the United States Constitution best supports the

founder’s intent for a stable government, run by the people.

The first reason the Constitution best achieves the founders intent is

Article I. In this article of the Constitution, the founders layed out the

legislative and judicial branch. The legislative branch was made bicameral,

meaning two houses of Congress, so that not one can get too powerful.

The judicial branch has the power to state that any act of Congress or the

Executive branch, the president, was unconstitutional thanks to judicial review

given through the court case Marbury v. Madison. These branches make sure

that no part of the government becomes too powerful.

The second reason it achieves the founders intent is the Bill or Rights.

The Bill of Rights are amendments to the constitution stating rights that

are given. The first amendment give people the right of speech, religion,

petition, assembly and press. The second amendment gives citizens the right

to bear arms. The Ninth amendment gives citizens any rights not stated in

the constitution are given to the people, like the right to drink water.

The third reason is the constitution gives the people the right to vote in

those they want in office. The constitution states the the terms of offices

and after those holding office must enter reelection. This provides a sturdy

government and some key rights to the people.

Sample: 4F

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Someone might state that the Declaration of Independence best fits the

founders intent of democracy, but it does not contain all of the facts.

For example, the Constitution provides a sturdy, well thought layout of

the government, while the Declaration of Independence critiques the

“unpleasant” government of Great Britain with no plan of government in

response. The Declaration of Independence was very important, but it does

not fit what the founders intended for the democracy we have today.

In conclusion, the United States Constitution best fits the founders intent of

a strong, stable, government.

Sample: 4F (cont.)

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Scores and Commentary

NOTE: Student samples are quoted verbatim and may contain grammatical errors.

Sample: 4A

SCORE: 6

Claim/Thesis

The response earned one point for articulating a thesis by stating, “Therefore the

founders would have most wanted a participatory representative democracy. In this

scenario, the people need to participate in order to make the government and the

decisions for the government are made by the people who mobilized and advocate for

themselves.”

Evidence

The response earned three points for supporting the claim, with two pieces of accurate

and relevant information, by first stating, “Federalist 10 is a document that describes

the use and the existence of factions in society and how the[y] affect government.

These groups include people participating in parties and other groups that supports

a participatory model of democracy. If a citizen cannot find a faction to identify with it

may deter them from participating in government.”

Secondly, the response stated, “In Brutus I, the author describes his fear of tyranny

when the Constitution gives so much power to the federal government. He worries that

Congress will take over and rule unchecked over the country. His concerns would be

much les with a participatory society.”

Reasoning

The response earned one point for using reasoning to explain why the evidence

supported the claim by stating, “A participatory society most closely represents what

the founders wanted for a system of representative democracy. It prevents tyranny

from the federal government or the elite, as well as gives individual citizens a voice in

government decisions.”

Responds to Alternative Perspectives

The response earned one point for responding to an opposing perspective using

refutation by stating, “An argument that could be made in an elite society would be that

the best, smartest people are making the important decisions for a country and they

know what is best. With the most qualified people making important decisions, the

country will be the best off they could be. While this way may be a way in which to make

the most successful country, it is not consistent with the founders original intention of

avoiding tyranny and giving citizens representation in government.”

AP Central initial files.indd 37 29/06/18 9:53 PM

Sample: 4B

SCORE: 5

Claim/Thesis

The response earned one point for articulating a thesis by stating, “The founders

wanted the people to play a main role in the government and that is why the

participatory model of representative democracy best describes the American political

system. The US Constitution exemplifies American government and participatory

democracy because it gives citizens’ freedoms and a place in politics.”

Evidence

The response earned three points for supporting the claim with two pieces of accurate

and relevant information by first stating, “The Constitution includes a Bill of Rights which

includes the rights/liberties of the people. This gives people an incentive to be a part

of the governing process. Either way, all of their rights will always be protected by the

government.”

Secondly, the response stated, “The Constitution also includes several amendments

that give the people more of a say in government. For example, the 17th Amendment

gives the people the power to vote for their senators. Allowing them to participate

more in the government. The 19th Amendment granted women suffrage and the 15th

Amendment made it possible for all men to vote.”

Reasoning

The response earned one point for using reasoning to explain why the evidence

supported the claim by stating, “All of these Amendments to the constitution, allowed

the people to participate more in government, demonstrating that the founders wanted

the public to be involved in their government.”

Responds to Alternative Perspectives

The response did not earn one point for providing an opposing perspective using

refutation, concession, or rebuttal. The response stated, “Someone might argue that

the Constitution is outdated and no longer represents our current country. That is an

irrelevant statement because it is a living document that will always be altering for years

to come.” The response did not accurately identify an argument in favor of one of the

other models of representative democracy, and therefore cannot respond to it using

refutation, concession, or rebuttal.

AP Central initial files.indd 38 29/06/18 9:53 PM

Sample: 4C

SCORE: 4

Claim/Thesis

The response earned one point for articulating a thesis by stating, “The model that

best describes the American political system is the pluralist theory of representative

democracy, where groups compete to make society better.”

Evidence

The response earned two points for supporting the claim with one piece of accurate and

relevant information by stating, “Federalist 10 shows that the founders wanted a pluralist

democracy. Federalist 10 describes that factions are dangerous, but are inevitable. This

is a prime example of how pluralism is the best representation of American Democracy

because there are factions like political parties in the government, but they allow

everyone’s voice to be heard and through pluralism people compromise which makes

everyone somewhat happy.”

The response did not earn a third point for supporting the claim, because the response

did not provide a second accurate piece of evidence. The response stated, “Another

example is the Electoral College. This let different people choose who the president

would be, and not the masses, so this shows the founders wanted a pluralist government

too,” however it did not accurately connect the Electoral College to pluralism.

Reasoning

The response earned one point for explaining why the evidence supported the

claim, stating, “This is a prime example of how pluralism is the best representation

of American Democracy because there are factions like political parties in the

government, but they allow everyone’s voice to be heard and through pluralism people

compromise which makes everyone somewhat happy.”

Responds to Alternative Perspectives

The response did not earn one point for providing an opposing perspective using

refutation, concession, or rebuttal. The response stated, “The people who opposed the

Constitution were the Anti-Federalists. They wrote their own Anti-Federalist essays.

Brutus I was a part of that. They feared that checks and balances would not prevent

the President from having unlimited power like a King would.” The response did not

accurately identify an argument in favor of one of the other models of representative

democracy, and therefore cannot respond to it using refutation, concession, or rebuttal.

AP Central initial files.indd 39 29/06/18 9:53 PM

Sample: 4D

SCORE: 3

Claim/Thesis

The response earned one point for articulating a thesis by stating, “The founders of

the United States Constitution wanted to form an elite model of democracy. They

wanted the power of the government to be held by a select few, and this is seen in the

Constitution.”

Evidence

The response earned two points for supporting the claim with one piece of relevant

evidence by stating, “The Constitution shows this because the founders required

Senators be elected by state legislatures and not the people.”

The response did not attempt to support the claim with a second piece of evidence.

Reasoning

The response did not attempt to use reasoning to explain why the evidence supports

the claim or thesis.

Responds to Alternative Perspectives

The response did not respond to an opposing or alternative perspective using

refutation, concession, and rebuttal. The response simply restated the claim that “It can

be concluded that America is a nation of elite few.”

Sample: 4E

SCORE: 2

Claim/Thesis

The response earned one point for articulating a thesis by stating, “The model that I feel

achieves the founders’ intent for American democracy today is the pluralist theory. The

pluralist theory is shown today with all the interest groups and other rallies occurring.”

Evidence

The response did not earn points for supporting the claim with one piece of relevant

evidence. The response provided evidence that is correct for the participatory model but

is not relevant to the pluralist model.

Reasoning

The response did not attempt to use reasoning to explain why the evidence supports

the claim or thesis.

Responds to Alternative Perspectives

The response earned one point for responding to an alternative perspective by stating,

“Though I think the pluralist theory accurately describes the American political system,

one could argue that it does not....The Elite theory suggests that only higher up people

are important and get a say in things, which does not describe our political system but

the pluralist model of democracy allows for everyone’s voices to be heard by getting

involved in groups to change politics.”

AP Central initial files.indd 40 29/06/18 9:53 PM

Sample: 4F

SCORE: 1

Claim/Thesis

The response did not earn one point for articulating a claim or thesis. The response

did not address the prompt. Rather, the response explained why a number of the

foundational documents best achieved the founders’ intent for American democracy.

Evidence

The response earned one point for providing information relevant to the prompt by

stating, “The constitution states the terms of offices and after those holding office must

enter reelection.” This information is relevant to the prompt, as it discussed the electoral

process, but the response did not relate the information to a model of democracy, nor

was there a thesis or claim. Thus, the response could not provide two pieces of accurate

and relevant information to support a thesis or claim, so no additional points were

earned.

Reasoning

The response did not earn one point for explaining why the evidence supported the

claim, as the response did not provide a thesis or claim.

Responds to Alternative Perspectives

The response did not earn one point for responding to an opposing perspective

using refutation, as the response did not reference a model of democracy but rather

referenced the Constitution.

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