How to Prepare for the AP U.S. Government & Politics (Barron's How to Prepare for the Ap Us Government and Politics Advanced Placement Examination)
by Curt Lader
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Book Summary Information
Author: Curt LaderEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2006-01-01
ISBN: 0764133020
Number of pages: 512
Publisher: Barron's Educational Series
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Book Reviews of How to Prepare for the AP U.S. Government & Politics (Barron's How to Prepare for the Ap Us Government and Politics Advanced Placement Examination)
Book Review: Is this an AP Government textbook or a review for the AP test?
Summary: 2 Stars
Reader evaluations on all other AP Government reviews books were very consistent. Any differences were minor - just one star away. On the other hand, reading previous reviews on this Barron's publication was mystifying. People either loved or hated it. There were good reasons for this extreme polarization of views.
If this volume were marketed as a textbook alternative to GOVERNMENT IN AMERICA by Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry - the standard text for a high school AP Government class, I would have rated it "five stars." The contents covered all the important facts and details in 508 pages instead of 779 pages in the Edwards-Wattenberg-Lineberry volume. However if you factored into consideration the differences in font size, the empty white spaces, charts, drawings, tables, and pictures, the differences in page number narrowed. The amount of contents for both books was almost the same.
In addition, the vocabulary and writing style was very "high level." The author also assumed that the reader already had the necessary background knowledge on various things. A passage from page 287 on election campaigns illustrated this: "They use selective leaks, known as trial balloons, to test the political waters. They become 'talking heads,' with the media focusing on the face of politicians during speeches and talk shows often ending up as sound bites. . . ." Unless a student knew what were "talking heads" and "sound bites," understanding this passage was a definite problem.
As a review for the AP Government test, I rated the Barron's book with "two stars." Although many of the sample multiple-choice questions were basic, some were extremely specific and impossible to answer. One good example involved knowing the published source of a short one-sentence quotation. This came from page 139.
9. "The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations [in the past] of man toward woman." Which of the following documents contained this passage?
A. Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
B. Equal Rights Amendment
C. Seventeenth Amendment
D. THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE
E. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
A few sample Free-Response essay questions were just as impossible to answer. One example came from page 99:
Define what is meant by the term NEW FEDERALISM. Explain how one of the following provisions of the Contract with America supports your definition.
1. Unfunded Mandates Law
2. Welfare Reform Act
It was unrealistic to require any high school student to know and understand the specific provisions in the Contract with America. At the same time, the question required the student to relate one of the two provisions to a constitutional concept - NEW FEDERALISM. In my personal opinion, this question went beyond textbook knowledge.
All in all, the Barron's book was a good alternative to reading the AP course textbook. As a review for the AP Government test, it failed. Many of the multiple-choice questions and essay questions were extremely specific. It was doubtful that they accurately represented the actual questions in the AP test. If they did, students who received scores of "5" should be awarded with M.A.s or Ph.D.s instead of just college credit for an American Government course.
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Summary of How to Prepare for the AP U.S. Government & Politics (Barron's How to Prepare for the Ap Us Government and Politics Advanced Placement Examination)
Complete preparation for the Advanced Placement Examination in U.S. Government and Politics includes a detailed subject review and two full-length model exams with all questions answered and explained. Topics covered in the subject review include Constitutional development from its foundations to the present day, federal government structure and institutions, the political process, and public policy issues from the economy and federal budget to foreign policy and national defense. The author also offers helpful advice on organizing study time when preparing to take the exam.Advanced Placement Books
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