AP US Government Reading and Writing Workshop
AP U.S. Government Reading & Writing Workshop: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs
Objective
Students will analyze foundational and historical texts that shaped American political ideologies, evaluate liberal, conservative, libertarian, and populist perspectives, and compose evidence-based written responses modeled after AP Free Response Question (FRQ) formats.
Primary Source Readings (with complete URLs)
Documents
Federalist No. 10, Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address, The Gettysburg Address, Progressive Party Platform (1912), and Barry Goldwater’s 1964 RNC Speech.
Key Excerpts
Madison, Federalist No. 10:
“Liberty is to faction what air is to fire... The causes of faction cannot be removed, and that relief is only to be sought in the means of controlling its effects.”
Jefferson, First Inaugural Address:
“Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.”
Lincoln, Gettysburg Address:
“That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Group Activity: “Mapping Ideological Foundations”
Explain how the ideas in Federalist No. 10 influence modern debates over political parties and interest groups.
Documents
Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, FDR’s “Four Freedoms” Speech, Reagan’s First Inaugural Address.
Key Excerpts
Tocqueville, Democracy in America:
“Each citizen... learns to think for himself, and the habit of independent thought forms the basis of the American character.”
FDR, “Four Freedoms”:
“We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms... freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.”
Reagan, Inaugural Address:
“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
Group Activity: “The Spectrum of Freedom”
The provided chart shows changes in public trust in government since 1958.
Documents
Herbert Hoover’s “Rugged Individualism” Speech, Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society” Speech, Milton Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom.
Key Excerpts
Hoover, “Rugged Individualism”:
“The American system is founded upon a conviction that freedom to the individual and to the community must be preserved.”
Johnson, “Great Society”:
“The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice.”
Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom:
“History suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom.”
Group Activity: “The Great Debate”
Compare the ideological arguments in Johnson’s “Great Society” and Hoover’s “Rugged Individualism” to the Supreme Court’s decision in NFIB v. Sebelius (2012).
Documents
Huey Long’s “Share Our Wealth” Speech (Populist), Libertarian Party Platform (1972), Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”
Key Excerpts
Huey Long, “Share Our Wealth”:
“We propose to limit poverty... and share the wealth of this land among all our people.”
Libertarian Party Platform (1972):
“We support the removal of all governmental interference in the areas of voluntary and contractual relations among individuals.”
King, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”:
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere... One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”
Group Activity: “Ideologies in Action”
Develop an argument evaluating whether the U.S. government should prioritize economic equality or individual liberty.
Use at least one of the assigned readings and one Supreme Court case, such as:
Final Workshop Assessment
Portfolio Submission
Students will compile:
To what extent do American political ideologies balance freedom and equality?
Use evidence from at least three readings and one Supreme Court case.
Assessment Criteria
Objective
Students will analyze foundational and historical texts that shaped American political ideologies, evaluate liberal, conservative, libertarian, and populist perspectives, and compose evidence-based written responses modeled after AP Free Response Question (FRQ) formats.
Primary Source Readings (with complete URLs)
- Federalist No. 10 (1787) – James Madison
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed10.asp - Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address (1801)
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/jefinau1.asp - The Gettysburg Address (1863) – Abraham Lincoln
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.asp - Platform of the Progressive Party (1912)
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/platform-the-progressive-party-1912 - Barry Goldwater’s Republican National Convention Acceptance Speech (1964)
https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barrygoldwater1964rnc.htm - Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1835)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/815 - Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Four Freedoms” Speech (1941)
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-franklin-d-roosevelt-four-freedoms-speech - Ronald Reagan, First Inaugural Address (1981)
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/reagan1.asp - Herbert Hoover, “Rugged Individualism” Speech (1928)
https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/rugged-individualism-campaign-speech/ - Lyndon B. Johnson, “Great Society” Speech (1964)
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-university-michigan-graduation-exercises - Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom (1962)
https://archive.org/details/capitalismandfre00frie - Huey Long, “Share Our Wealth” Speech (1934)
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-senator-huey-p-long-louisiana-share-our-wealth - Libertarian Party Platform (1972)
https://lpedia.org/1972_Libertarian_Party_Platform - Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963)
https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/birmingham-jail
Documents
Federalist No. 10, Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address, The Gettysburg Address, Progressive Party Platform (1912), and Barry Goldwater’s 1964 RNC Speech.
Key Excerpts
Madison, Federalist No. 10:
“Liberty is to faction what air is to fire... The causes of faction cannot be removed, and that relief is only to be sought in the means of controlling its effects.”
Jefferson, First Inaugural Address:
“Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.”
Lincoln, Gettysburg Address:
“That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Group Activity: “Mapping Ideological Foundations”
- Divide into five groups, each assigned one document.
- Each group identifies its author’s core beliefs about government and liberty.
- Groups post their findings on a shared digital “Ideological Spectrum Wall” ranging from limited to active government.
- Rotate to comment on overlaps and contradictions between eras.
Explain how the ideas in Federalist No. 10 influence modern debates over political parties and interest groups.
- Part A: Identify one key principle from Federalist No. 10.
- Part B: Apply it to a modern issue (e.g., campaign finance, lobbying, polarization).
- Part C: Explain how Madison’s ideas remain relevant to pluralism today.
Documents
Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, FDR’s “Four Freedoms” Speech, Reagan’s First Inaugural Address.
Key Excerpts
Tocqueville, Democracy in America:
“Each citizen... learns to think for himself, and the habit of independent thought forms the basis of the American character.”
FDR, “Four Freedoms”:
“We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms... freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.”
Reagan, Inaugural Address:
“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
Group Activity: “The Spectrum of Freedom”
- Divide into three groups representing liberal, conservative, and moderate viewpoints.
- Each group analyzes one document and defines its view of freedom.
- Using a shared Venn diagram, compare overlaps and tensions in how FDR, Reagan, and Tocqueville define liberty and the role of government.
The provided chart shows changes in public trust in government since 1958.
- Identify one major trend.
- Explain one historical event contributing to this shift.
- Analyze how factors of political socialization (family, media, education) help explain the data.
Documents
Herbert Hoover’s “Rugged Individualism” Speech, Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society” Speech, Milton Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom.
Key Excerpts
Hoover, “Rugged Individualism”:
“The American system is founded upon a conviction that freedom to the individual and to the community must be preserved.”
Johnson, “Great Society”:
“The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all. It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice.”
Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom:
“History suggests that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom.”
Group Activity: “The Great Debate”
- Assign three groups: Conservative (Hoover), Liberal (Johnson), Libertarian (Friedman).
- Each group constructs a two-minute policy pitch on how to reduce poverty using its assigned ideology.
- A class jury evaluates which proposal most effectively balances liberty and equality.
Compare the ideological arguments in Johnson’s “Great Society” and Hoover’s “Rugged Individualism” to the Supreme Court’s decision in NFIB v. Sebelius (2012).
- How does each perspective reflect differing views on government intervention?
- Explain which ideology aligns most closely with the Court’s reasoning.
Documents
Huey Long’s “Share Our Wealth” Speech (Populist), Libertarian Party Platform (1972), Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”
Key Excerpts
Huey Long, “Share Our Wealth”:
“We propose to limit poverty... and share the wealth of this land among all our people.”
Libertarian Party Platform (1972):
“We support the removal of all governmental interference in the areas of voluntary and contractual relations among individuals.”
King, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”:
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere... One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”
Group Activity: “Ideologies in Action”
- Groups represent Populists, Libertarians, and Civil Rights Advocates.
- Debate a modern policy (e.g., universal basic income, criminal justice reform, healthcare access).
- Each group defends its position using textual evidence from the readings.
- Conclude with a reflective vote on which ideology best addresses 21st-century challenges.
Develop an argument evaluating whether the U.S. government should prioritize economic equality or individual liberty.
Use at least one of the assigned readings and one Supreme Court case, such as:
- Lochner v. New York (1905) – limiting government power over labor contracts.
- West Coast Hotel v. Parrish (1937) – upholding minimum wage laws.
Final Workshop Assessment
Portfolio Submission
Students will compile:
- Four revised FRQs with rubric-based feedback.
- Annotated excerpts of all assigned readings.
- Group activity reflection sheets describing collaboration and ideological analysis.
To what extent do American political ideologies balance freedom and equality?
Use evidence from at least three readings and one Supreme Court case.
Assessment Criteria
- Depth and accuracy of analysis
- Integration of textual evidence
- Collaboration in group activities
- Writing organization and argumentative clarity
- Which ideology best defines the American political tradition?
- How do competing ideas of liberty and equality continue to shape political debates?
- What does studying these texts reveal about civic responsibility and modern partisanship?