AP US Government Reviews

2020-21

I am very grateful for everything I've gotten out of the class; government and politics used to be this vague, confusing realm for me, and I feel that I am coming out of this class with so much knowledge and clarity about government, as well as a clearer position of my own ideology and my role as a citizen. I wish I would have been able to stay more caught up over the year because getting behind was stressful; the workload is doable, but it builds up fast. Overall, though, I have really enjoyed the course. 

My overall class experience was wonderful. The workload was manageable, but I still learned a lot from this course. Additionally, I really liked interacting with my classmates in the discussions; it's always interesting to talk about different perspectives, especially because a lot of this class was politics-related. Anyways, I definitely loved this class, and I would completely recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the way our nation's government works :)

I think the class was awesome! Mrs. Reed is a great teacher and made things very clear and took time to explain things. 

It was a super fun and informative class. Mrs. Reed is an amazing educator and I wish I could take another of her classes next year, if It wasn't for college I 100% would.

I really enjoyed this class. It was a fun and engaging experience that also got me a college credit. Everyone I worked with in this class was friendly and made me feel at home.

I felt that this class struck that illusive balance of enjoyable and educational. I grew to really enjoy the discussion posts – particularly in the second semester, and I even wished that they were in person. The content was really enjoyable, and the teaching of it was really good – particularly the non-textbook material. I really enjoyed this course, and I look forward to another one next year!

I learned quite a bit about how our government works which I'm glad I did. I do feel like I bit off more than I could chew in terms of classes this year. I was often struggling to keep up - granted I procrastinated. I did not like how much reading there was which often felt slow and tiresome. This was exacerbated because learning about politics always seems to me immensely complex and unfulfilling. It's not my favorite subject. For others though, I think this is a great class.

Aside from the very end during E-Congress, I didn't have that much class participation aside from commenting on classmate's posts and attending the weekly lecture.  Overall though, the class experience was great and though I was not able to take the AP Test, I felt as if the class would have prepared me very well for it.

Overall I had an incredible time in this class - I learned a lot both from the materials you provided and also the assignments, which were very helpful in reinforcing everything. I had never really done any specific studying related to the US government (all my knowledge came from watching the news, reading the newspaper, etc.), so I was able to gain a unique and well-rounded perspective through taking this course. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I felt i learned a lot.

I really enjoyed this class! Mrs. Reed was always willing to respond to my many questions about recordings, homework, and extra credit which I really appreciate. I also was grateful for the information that she gave us regarding the AP test (though I am not taking the test because I am a senior). The class was organized and manageable in terms of workload except that there were many times where we had a test every week - that was a little bit hard to manage.

My class experience was great.  The discussion boards allowed plenty of interaction with classmates, and E Congress brought even more collaboration to the class.  

I enjoyed my class experience. This is my second class that I have taken with Mrs. Reed, and she is really invested in us as students and willing to provide a myriad of resources that ensure that students have the fullest understanding of a subject. Her insight is also amazing!

Absolutely fantastic experience. Thank you so much for all of the time and effort that you put in to making it such a wonderful experience for us! This has been absolutely marvelous, and also the experience of getting to know other homeschoolers from around the country was great!

2019-20

I loved this class! Going into this class, I was very excited to learn more about our government, and I became more and more interested as the year want on. I learned so much. I especially loved our project for E-Congress! It was so much fun, and I learned a lot while doing the research for it. I also enjoyed the discussion questions which we were given weekly. They were thought provoking and fun to answer. I found myself getting better at essay writing through answering these discussion questions and by doing the essays in our chapter tests.

I felt well prepared for the AP Exam, and I would definitely recommend taking this course!

AP US Gov with Julia Reed

Fabulous class-a wonderful mix of reading, interaction, and supplemental materials.  Four of my sons have taken this class, and all of them were thoroughly prepared for the AP exam, and have a working knowledge of AP Gov that has helped them understand current issues in the news and how our political system works.  Julia Reed is well-versed in this subject and Kaleigh was a fantastic TA who kept the students fresh with interesting extra credit assignments and lots of valuable feedback.

AP US Government and Politics - Ms. Donohue

Overall, I enjoyed this class quite a bit.  The textbook really contained all of the information you needed to learn, and was a major focal point during my studying and work.  The discussions were thoughtful and interesting, prompting my own further research to help gain an understanding of the diverse views on certain subjects.

Personally, I loved the essays we wrote in the beginning of the year, and wish their had been more opportunities for longer essay writing, but I also thoroughly enjoyed the test setup and it's similarity to AP Exams.  While we didn't get to take the MC portion of the exam this year, I feel confident that I would have been prepared enough to do well on it, as almost every week we had tests that reflected the MC question structure.

Speaking as an individual who was unable to attend the weekly classes on a regular basis, I had to do a bit more research than others may have to understand the material, and used the powerpoint as a starting point for my research.  While I believe the class would have helped substantially, I can personally say I was still able to do well in the class without being able to make it.  Additionally, Ms. Donohue does her best to make sure the time works for everyone, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.  However, if it turns out you can't make it to class, that will not doom you.

I did feel I needed to do a bit of further research to develop my thoughts in several topics, but I felt that this was encouraged in the class and helps me to develop research skills that will keep me educated in current events for years to come!  I would say I probably put 3-6 hours a week into this class, with some variation depending on assignments and such.

Fantastic instructor

My daughter loved Ms. Reed's AP Government class.  It was appropriately challenging material presented in an engaging manor.  She did a great job preparing the students for the exam and gave lots of feedback.  I would highly recommend this class.  My daughter can't wait to take her other AP comp. Government class.

2019-20

This class was incredibly informative. I learned a ton about the US Government and how it operates. For a mathematically minded person like myself, it was hard to stay interested sometimes, but the amount of work assigned each week made me stay on track. In the end, I know way more now about the US Government and politics than I did before the class. 

2019-20

I really liked my class experience. I definitely learned a lot about US Government and politics, and in that way I found it very fulfilling. I thought it was very interesting as I was learning a lot of subjects that just happened to coincide with the politics at the time. I specifically remember learning about the primary process while intently watching the Democratic primary process. In that way, I found that I was immediately able to apply what I was learning in class to what I was seeing in the work of government and politics around me.

A fundamental course and a great way to end high school

I would recommend this class to all students. It challenged many of my viewpoints and, in the end, allowed me to feel more confident in my abilities to discuss politics and the government today.

I enjoyed the textbook we used, "Keeping the Republic" as it simplified each concept and used great examples that I could pull from when answering class discussion boards and can continue to reference in the future. I found all the colorful graphs, pictures, and charts useful too, especially since sometimes I find it hard to focus on more "dry" textbooks that are simply pages full of words. The chapters are long though, and a student should expect to spend a significant amount of time reading for this class. I put in at least an hour every day reviewing concepts for the weekly tests. Mrs. Reed is a tough grader but the rigor pays off as it forces you to study hard and really know the material.

I thought the outside material used in class was quite helpful. In the first semester, I found a majority of the websites/videos assigned to be more conservative and therefore out of my comfort zone. However, I don't think that's a bad thing. It was really interesting to read other perspectives. I gravitate toward more liberal media in general so this class did a great job of showing both sides of issues in today's America.

The 75 minute live classes each week were my favorite component. The material I remember the most is the material I learned in class. I'm a visual learner and being able to see the teacher and look at PowerPoint presentations is helpful for me.

I loved E-Congress! It was my favorite part of the class. It was neat to team up with other classmates and discuss bills with them. It was hilarious--I got so into it. It was fun to ask questions about other people's ideas and, in turn, explain the topic that I was passionate about. We all had different political ideologies and it was so cool to hear each person's take on certain issues.

For the exam itself, I was caught off guard by all of the changes that took place (what with the College Board shortening the exam to 2 short free-response questions due to COVID-19) but it all worked out. I found the Extra-Credit Supreme Court case discussions helpful (thanks to our amazing lead TA). This AP class was a wonderful experience. I came into the class with no idea how it was going to work, but I'm so grateful for it. I learned a lot. No matter how I did on the exam, I have a better foundation for moving into the world. In short, if you ever plan on voting and having a say in your government, this class is a must-have.

2019-20

How was your overall class experience? Please provide your thoughts overall.

Your Answer:

This was a very enjoyable class! I appreciated how both the material and the students contributed both sides of the political spectrum and of certain issues, which helped give me a more complete understanding of the topics. I also appreciated all the extra resources provided by you and Kaleigh, all of which gave me a great experience. You have been a wonderful teacher, and someone whom I have and will always feel comfortable coming to with any questions relating to politics and government.

Did you feel prepared for the AP exam? What areas did you feel strongest? Weakest?

Your Answer:

I did feel prepared on most fronts. I probably felt the strongest in areas relating to the Supreme Court cases and Constitutional amendments, and weakest in regards to important policies and past legislation from the executive and legislative branches. Overall, however, I don't think there were any areas in which I felt completely lacking in knowledge.

Many people would succeed in this class

• Did you feel the course prepared you for the AP exam?
  • I was fairly confident going into the (shortened) AP exam. I felt I had a good grasp of the material for units 1-3, and I think the exam went well.
• How many hours of work per day or per week did you generally put into the course?
  • I usually spent around 5-10 hours a week on the course. Textbook chapters were fairly long, and there were frequent tests (usually 75-90 minutes every couple weeks), but the coursework was fairly manageable. The tests aren't easy, but there are extra credit opportunities.
• Are there any particularly favorite assignments that you found especially valuable?
  • I liked the president and media projects. E-Congress was also a valuable experience in seeing the legislative process in action. In addition, going through the required Supreme Court cases in extra assignments was very useful and interesting, even if they didn't end up being covered on this year's exam.
• Did the course enhance your interest in the subject?
  • Over the past couple years, I've become very interested in politics/current affairs, and the class enhanced my interest. I found the content of the class to be quite conservative (with the exception of the moderately liberal textbook). Lots of material came from Hillsdale's online courses, some of which I found tedious and somewhat off topic. I thought having to read and discuss the Manhattan Declaration was too extreme.
• What sort of student would do well in this course? Would you recommend this course to other students (if they are willing to work hard!)?
  • I believe many people would succeed in this class. The coursework is manageable. It may be more suited to conservative students than to liberals.

2018-19

I had a superb class experience. I made new friendships and had people to bounce ideas and studying terms off of.

I felt immensely prepared for the AP exam. I felt strongest in the legislative, judicial, the Constitution, and public policy were my strongest areas. My weakest areas were the executive, domestic, and foreign policy issues but nothing studying couldn't help with.

2018-19

I love this class! I will definitely recommend it

2018-19

Best history and government-related class I ever studied!

I felt prepared for the AP exam. I felt strongest in the Supreme Court case section. Maybe we could have studied the documents in more detail since I was worried about the document argument question going into the AP exam.

2018-19

My overall class experience has been great. Overall, I thought the textbook was relevant, the tests mirrored the material learned, and the classroom discussion was informative. I would recommend this class to others.

2018-19

Overall, my class experience was great. I do think the tests were harder than they needed to be, since the exam did not go into nearly as much depth as the weekly tests.

 E-congress was super educational and fun and a good way to solidify facts about the legislature. 

2018-19

I loved the class, with the exception of the extraneous information in the hour-long videos. Those were tedious, unnecessary, and pretty much useless. Everything else, however, was absolutely splendid!

2018-19

Overall, I really liked the class. I though the tests were quite hard and specific, but they helped me learn a lot. E-Congress and the Live sessions were great. 

2018-19

The class experience was overall okay. The chapter tests were extremely difficult because many of the questions were about random sentences that were less key information. Overall, I had a difficult time because I was spending more time trying to remember trivial details and didn't have as much time to focus on the more important aspects of government, such as the court cases and what the different sections of the Constitution apply to. 

201819

It was good! The class interaction was great and I still talk to some of the people. The material was, for the most part, OK. I do wish, though, that we had focused a bit more on test prep throughout the year.

E-Congress was incredibly helpful. It helped me understand the legislative process so much better than I would have if we didn't do it. 

WAIT. We could have done it NATIONALLY! That would have been awesome! If we had, we would have had to propose less extreme bills if we wanted them to pass. That also means placing more thought into the process. 

I did feel prepared for the exam! I felt good about the material in general. I was, however, rather concerned about specific requirements for the test. An example would be the FRQs. Although they weren't particularly hard, I would have felt much more confident if we had done those a couple of times throughout the year. 

2018-19

Overall class experience was wonderful, and there isn't anything I would change about it. There was a good amount of discussion between classmates, and the assignments reinforced important concepts. Mrs. Reed, you're an amazing teacher and I really appreciate all the time and dedication you put into teaching us government and preparing us for the exam!

2018-19

My overall class experience was very good, this class became one of my favorite ones of this year, as I became fascinated in the field of government and politics when I never really thought I would. The class did a phenomenal job of fully immersing me into the details and lessons of U.S. government and politics as well was keeping my interest. Provided by a multitude of resources, whether it be from the textbook or outside sources, I felt confident on the subject matter by the end of the week. The class properly equipped me with the knowledge of this subject, despite its challenging homework. 

2018-19

My class experience has been wonderful and extremely informative, but also fascinating. The weekly assignments such as textbook reading, videos, and group projects have been very useful and also very attainable with my other class demands. I already really enjoy the subject matter and I thought this class did a wonderful job combining thorough information with fascinating delivery. 

2018-19

This year was awesome! It was fun to get to know my classmates and teacher. For the most part, I was not terribly stressed, which is how I usually get in any AP class. 

I really enjoyed E-Congress! I wish I could do it again, and work on a more moderate bill that would more likely pass in the House. I would definitely have enjoyed participating nationally. It would be very interesting to see what kind of bills other people come up with.

2018-19

I enjoyed this class and didn't ever become too stressed over the work.  I think the frequent tests were difficult but since the schedule from Mrs. Reed was predictable and she was readily available if you had issues, the workload was manageable.  Having a good weekly calendar and knowing exactly which day of the week you need to take your test, submit your project, or answer your discussion questions brought a calming pattern to the year.  I think the material was engaging and I never felt we were doing "busy work."  Not only were we getting ready for the AP test, but we were also being prepared to become responsible American citizens.  The class has the perfect balance of AP focus and practical application.    

2018-19

My overall class experience was fantastic! This class greatly expanded my knowledge of government, which has helped me better understand current events/politics today. I felt prepared for the AP exam by the end of the year. I also made great friends in this class! It has had the best community of any of my PAH classes so far. 

2018-19

I think that the class helped my understanding of U.S. Government and Politics and helped me prepare on the AP Exam. 

2019-19

Overall, I thought that this class was well organized and clear. One thing that slightly affected my ability to schedule around it though was the fact that many assignments were not posted until only a week or less in advance.

AMAZING AP Government and Politics Course!

Where do I begin? This was an amazing course that I can truly say I enjoyed throughout the entire year. I never thought that I would come to love studying government and politics so much. Even now, after the course is over, I'm continuing to keep up on current events and political news. I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of our government under such a wonderful teacher.

I absolutely felt like this course prepared me for the AP exam. I walked into the testing room on test day with confidence, knowing that I had learned everything that I would possibly need to know for the exam. When I read a question on the AP test, I didn't just give it my best guess, my head flooded with information that we had covered throughout the year on that very topic, which helped me feel sure that I was selecting the right answers. I could not have felt more prepared.

I'd say that I put in between 10 and 20 hours a week. I think I spent most of my time reading through the textbook, reviewing what I had read, and going over flashcards I made up to prepare me for each chapter test. I definitely picked up the time I spent studying during the last few weeks before the AP test, but that was just to make sure I was 100% ready.

I loved the videos that Mrs. Reed would assign, especially the ones of Reagan's speeches. I also really loved our Media presentation, in which we had to investigate different media sources and present a short speech on our findings, and our E-Congress assignment, in which we all got to create our own bills, amend them, and vote on them.

This course definitely enhanced my interest in U.S. government and politics. If you are unsure about taking this course because you don't know if you'll like studying about government, don't let that stop you! You don't have to want to become a politician or to plan to major in anything related to government or history in college for you to benefit tremendously from taking this course. It's all about becoming a citizen who cares about our nation and the principles that it stands for, and you can't truly appreciate it unless you know what our country was founded for and the principles that lie behind our form of government.

I found my communications with other students to be very valuable. Mrs. Reed assigned us discussion questions almost every week, in which we would respond to a prompt and to another student's comment. I loved this because it helped me understand the point of view that each person was coming from, helped me develop better arguments, and got me prepared for the FRQs on the AP exam.

I think all students should take this course as long as they are willing to learn and work hard. Mrs. Reed is an amazing teacher who knows a vast amount of information about our country. I am so glad I was given the opportunity to have her as my instructor. She was always willing to answer my questions and help me when I was struggling through difficult concepts, and when she lectured, it was always fun and intriguing.

Thank you, Mrs. Reed, for making this such an enjoyable year!

INCREDIBLE AP Chemistry Course

If you are looking for an AP Chemistry course that has fun learning, in-depth curriculum, an amazing teacher, and prep beyond what you can imagine to get you ready for the AP Chem exam, then this is the course for you!

When I started the course, I was overwhelmed by all of the foreign material that I had to dissect and memorize. Although I hadn't done much chemistry before this course, I had never considered it one of my favorite subjects. If I had been in any other AP Chemistry class, I probably would have never gained as much knowledge on the subject as I have now.

Mr. Moskaluk answered every single one of my questions and always took the time to help me understand a difficult concept I was struggling through. There was NEVER a time when I felt like something was too hard to tackle and never a time that I settled for not understanding something, because Mr. Moskaluk made sure that I understood everything. I asked a LOT of questions this year (and I mean a lot), but Mr. Moskaluk and the TAs never made me feel like I was asking a silly question. 

I definitely can say that I walked into the AP exam feeling 100% prepared for the test. Mr. Moskaluk kept encouraging us that we knew all the material and that we were among the most prepared students for the test in the world! 

I'd say I put in 25+ hours every week. Some weeks required more studying than others, and I definitely picked it up the last few weeks before the AP exam.

 We completed many tests in the AP exam format throughout the year, and although that might seem taxing, I am very glad we did. It helped me feel more comfortable when I took the actual AP exam. I knew exactly how the equation sheets were set up and even had the placement of some equations memorized. I also had a pacing clock built into my brain by the end of the year, because I knew just how long I should be spending on each question from doing it so many times.

Although I'm not planning on becoming a chemist, I have gained a new interest in chemistry that I had never thought possible. It has made me realize even more how much information is out there and how there are processes that happen every day of which we would be unaware if people hadn't studied hard to figure them out.

I definitely found my communications with students very helpful throughout the year. Some of the students even helped answer some of my questions. I really liked how we could look at each other's questions on the discussion board so that we could see what everyone was asking.

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this course to other students. If you are a hard worker who is willing to put in the time, you will do well. Don't think that there is too much material and give up. I am still amazed when I look back at what I knew at the beginning of the year compared to what I know now. I have learned so much! Just keep pressing forward and you'll do great. 

Thank you, Mr. Moskaluk, and all those who have helped me do the best I can in AP Chemistry!

On exam day, I was able to walk in with confidence.  Especially after reviewing all the material with 5 Steps to a 5 and the prep websites Mrs. Reed provided, I felt over prepared!  Students who have a craving for knowledge and a desire to make connections in the big picture of this fascinating subject will do well in Mrs. Reed's AP Gov course.  

I put in 8 hours per week, sometimes more or less.  Each week, there were readings, videos, discussions, and lectures.  This course has a relatively light workload, but Mrs. Reed expects her students to work hard.  Although I already had a strong foundation in American History and the great minds behind the Enlightenment, the required readings in this course gave me an even deeper understanding.  Out of all the assignments, I enjoyed E-Congress the most. We researched and drafted bills individually, worked together as "committees" to revise the bills, and voted yea or nay on the final drafts as if we were members of the House of Representatives.  Another helpful facet of this course (and most of the other PAH classes) was the flexible schedule, which allowed the curriculum to be personal.

Since this course provides the material needed to get a 5 on the AP exam, success is completely dependent on the student's willingness to work.  While reviewing helped me build a working memory of the material, studying the text and videos throughout the year formed an essential foundation.  I highly recommend studying the textbook carefully and taking notes so that final review is easier.

Like Mrs. Reed explains in her course website, the textbook is biased toward liberals.  I was frustrated by how often the authors derided Republicans instead of giving a fair representation from both sides.  However, since politics usually involves controversy, I now understand the nooks and crannies of the liberal perspective, which enhances my more conservative beliefs.  Besides, the videos and supplemental material balanced out the curriculum.

In short, Mrs. Reed's course prepared me for success on the AP exam.  More importantly, it prepared me to be a conscious, active member of American society.  

One of my favorite AP classes

This course prepared me incredibly well for the AP exam! There were very few unfamiliar topics on the exam, and I was able to complete the MCQ portion in about 15 minutes.  I really don't think I could have been any more prepared for the test.

I probably spent about 8-10 hours of work per week, with the major assignments being the textbook reading and the tests for each chapter.  I really enjoyed the discussions that we had. Usually each week, Mrs. Reed would post some discussion topic that would be related to the videos or textbook reading, and my classmates and I would give our perspectives.  My classmates were very engaged and passionate about the topics.

This course definitely enhanced my interest in U.S. politics--I'm considering being a political science major in college.  Mrs. Reed is a fantastic teacher: she's so knowledgeable and excited about what she teaches and always so willing to answer questions.  I would highly recommend this course to students who are interested in learning about the nuts and bolts of American constitutionalism and government.    

Great class!

This course prepared me very well for the AP exam. I think the tests are harder than the actual AP exam, and the weeks of review at the end (and multiple practice tests) very much improved my confidence. I put four to seven hours a week into this course. However, I a) read fast and b) found ways to listen to the videos on double normal speed while reading the captions, so this probably isn't an accurate predictor of the average amount of time someone spent on this class. Approximate breakdown of my time: One hour on the lecture, one hour on the textbook, half an hour to an hour on videos, and half an hour to an hour on discussion questions. Then, I might have an extra half hour to an hour of work, depending on how much Mrs. Reed assigned on any given week.

Assignments I particularly enjoyed were E-Congress and current events discussions. E-Congress I appreciated because I like to learn by doing, and that was a nice, hands-on way to learn how bills become law.

This course did enhance my interest in the subject.

I did find my communications with other students to be valuable, and I'd highly recommend this course! Mrs. Reed is a great teacher.

Now I Know How It is SUPPOSED to Work

1. I feel like this course prepared me pretty well for the exam. I knew plenty of material and the test given in class were much harder than the actual exam.

2. In general, I spent 8ish hours a week on the class.

3. I really enjoyed the news media comparison poject. It was super fun see all the different bias, framing, priming, and other techniques used.

4. I definitely have a better understanding, but I am not sure it really enhanced my interest.

5. I had very little contact with the other students outside of discussions.

AP US Government & Politics Review

I really really enjoyed the class. As a first AP class for me, if all other classes are like this that I take in the future, then I will have a very good time with AP in the future. This class had me very well prepared for the AP exam, that mainly being the review work she would go over in class and the exam prep outside of class she would have us do. I have had several online classes and this was by far my favorite

Paul

AP US Government and Politics Review

I felt generally prepared for the AP exam. When I took the exam it was easier than I expected. I spent about 5 hours a week on this class on average. Through this course I got to really understand the US government system. This really helped improve my knowledge as an American citizen.

Awesome class!

I really enjoyed Mrs. Reed's class and felt that it prepared me well for the AP Exam!  

Between reading the textbook, watching videos online, answering discussion questions, and taking tests I probably spent about 10-12 hours a week on Gov. 

Probably my favorite of these assignments was the discussion questions because I had a lot of fun discussing my opinions on political issues with classmates.  

If you're going to take this class, be prepared to spend at least a couple hours reading the textbook each week, and make sure that you study from the AP prep book during the final April-May stretch.  I would suggest knowing the key Supreme Court cases and all the Amendments before walking into the exam ;)

Awesome class and amazing teacher!

This class was my first time taking an AP class, and it was amazing! The material was all very interesting, I had no idea how much depth and detail there is to our government and political system. Mrs. Reed is a great teacher, she sincerely cares about each of her students, and goes above and beyond when anyone is struggling. The part of the course I most enjoyed was test prep, I really liked that Mrs. Reed held lots of optional study sessions and that we had so many practice exams. Those practice exams helped me to go into the actual exam feeling very well prepared. I also loved the E-Congress project we did in the spring! Finally, a few technical things, Canvas, the class platform was awesome, and I wish that every online class used it. I also liked the way Mrs. Reed set up the class, we had optional weekly classes, which I would 100% recommend attending. As well as weekly assignments like discussion questions, lectures, reading, watching videos, writing essays and making presentations, and I usually spent about one hour per weekday on them, as well as less or more time on the weekend. If you are a motivated student who is willing to put in the work each day, you will do well in the class. If you are even the slightest bit interested in our government or political system, take this class! You will not regret, Mrs. Reed is a great teacher and will prepare you very well for the exam!

Quality class

Mrs. Reed is a really good teacher that can get into a lot of detail about government and politics but yet still make each lesson understandable without bogging down students with too much information. The classes, while optional, really help to engrain the material and to apply it to everyday lif, making it easier to remember and helping greatly on test day. 

Before this class, I knew almost nothing about how modern politics works and the reasoning behind certain laws, court cases, and government, but now I feel much more prepared to engage in a discussion about our government and the politics behind it.

Awesome!

I really enjoyed this class! I spent around one hour a day on the course material, which was always engaging and interesting. I never knew there was so much to learn about our political system! If you gain nothing else from this class, you will get a much deeper sense as your civic duty as an American citizen! Mrs. Reed is an excellent teacher who truly cares about each of her students and helps them to succeed as much as she can. I felt very prepared for the AP exam, and I would recommend this class to anyone who wants to learn more about the US political system and the very real implications it has for everyday life. 

2015-16 US Government and Politics

I enjoyed it, I felt engaged and liked things like E-congress that brought us into the material. 

2015-16 US Government and Politics

This class was intriguing and gave me a greater appreciation for the ingenuity of the founding fathers. Millennials tend to disregard the state of our nation in either apathy or cynicism, and it's easy to become caught up in that mindset.  This class furthered that there truly is no government set up for representation and equality like ours and that is something that we should never take for granted. 

2015-16 US Government and Politics

I enjoyed this class overall. I learned a lot and it was a great year to take this class, since the presidential election is coming up. I could really see the processes we discussed in class take place in real life. 

2015-16 US Government and Politics

Overall I enjoyed the class and learned a great deal about United States Government.

I felt well prepared for the AP exam. I felt strong in a lot of areas. My weakest area would have to have been the bureaucracy or the courts.

2015-16 US Government and Politics

I enjoyed the class. A lot of this material was actually really interesting and I learned a lot.

2015-16 US Government and Politics

Great class! The workload was very manageable, and I was definitely confident walking into that exam room. 

I felt well-prepared for the AP exam.  The study guide, past FRQs, online videos, class reviews, and practice tests were all super helpful! The Constitution and the founding of the US government were my strong points, while interest groups and the bureaucracy were probably my weakest points. But with all the review resources provided, I felt confident in all these areas before the exam. 

2015-16 US Government and Politics

I liked this class a lot! However, I did not like E-Congress.

2015-16 US Government and Politics

I had a great class experience! Mrs. Reed was very knowledgeable and helpful. My class experience was extremely enriched with forming a study-group with several of my classmates, in addition to attending the live classes. The assignments were challenging, but very achievable. My favorite assignment was the presentation on presidents, and the fun media project. The reading/video assignments were overall very interesting and enjoyable. 

I felt over-prepared for the test! The material throughout the course, and the 3 weeks of review that is scheduled in at the end made me feel confident and very knowledgeable. Overall, I felt extremely prepared for the Multiple choice section of the test, and had plenty of real-world, sometimes even personal examples that Mrs. Reed shared to draw upon. It's really hard to pick an area that I felt weakest on since this course is so well-rounded. If anything, I was weakest on the differing Supreme Court eras and their effects.

2015-16 US Government and Politics

I really enjoyed the class. Government isn't my favorite subject and this was definitely hard and required a lot of work. To be honest, sometimes I wanted to be lazy and not do the work, but I really want the college credit from taking the AP test, so I put in the time. I also took APUSH and econ this year, which was helpful because the subjects tied in together quite nicely.

2015-16 US Government and Politics

I thought the class was very solid and well-organized.  At times it did seem dry, because of memorization-heavy it was, but I think that's kind of the nature of AP Gov.I felt very well-prepared for the AP exam in all areas.

2015-16 US Government and Politics

My overall class experience was great, it prepared me well for the AP while also teaching the subject in a way that didn't focus entirely on the testing.

2015-16 US Government and Politics

Class Experience:  Pretty good. I don't feel like there was any unnecessary busywork.

Exam Readiness:I felt unprepared prior the exam, but as soon as I started it I felt very confident and I think I did very well on the test. I felt a little weak on the important supreme court cases, but I studied them hard the days before and think I did okay with them.

2015-16 US Government and Politics

Some of the class material was harder to wade through than others, I feel that this was simply because of my personal interests and goals. For example, I found the economics chapter much more interesting than the social policy chapter because I found economics more applicable to understanding news articles and current events. If you want an understanding of the government and a capacity to deeply understand different political issues, this class will help you obtain those.

Test Readiness:  I felt extremely prepared for the AP exam. I was tentative, as I expected difficult and complex questions (relative to the class material), but instead I felt over-prepared during the exam, which is a fantastic feeling to have!

AP US Government 2014-15

As this was my first AP course, it was probably the hardest class I have ever taken.  However, I feel like I am just swimming in information about the government and that I have learned SO MUCH this year, which is absolutely fantastic.  I felt that the text book went a bit too in depth, but that I have really gained a wonderful understanding of government and politics.  I thought that at times it got a bit too overwhelming and that the work load could have been lighter, but that's just how life goes, I guess.  I also quite enjoyed how we would sometimes get breaks, like in the winter when we did that media project, and the spring break.  In addition, I found it SO HELPFUL that we got a full three weeks to study for the exam.  I have friends who go to public school who took this class, and barely got any time at all to study, and stayed up most of Monday night studying.

AP US Gov 2014-15

I really enjoyed this class! It was one of my favorite classes in school, and for sure the one that I will apply most often and for the longest in my life (Even more than calculus, and I am going into engineering. Lol). US Government and Politics is everywhere, and I didn't realize how little I knew about it until I learned about it. The class was definitely challenging. It wasn't like a math or science class, which to me are almost perfectly natural. It took effort to understand all of the topics and there were more things that simply needed to be memorized than many classes. There were also quite a few tests. But like I mentioned when I wrote about the difference between this class and AP Comp Gov, there aren't as many smaller assignments as some classes, so the tests make more sense. I also think you did a very good job as the teacher of this class. You were always good about responding to questions and were very helpful and easy to work with when we needed it. Also, I really like your teaching personality as well as hearing your views on the topics presented (especially when the textbook would present two different ways of thinking about something).

AP US Gov 2014-15

I liked the class and I'm glad I took it because I now know so much more about American Politics which will serve me well later in life. I just wish I hadn't had so many other things going on at the same time so I could have enjoyed it a bit more than I did. I learned the hard way that 8 classes in a year is too many when half are college level. 

AP US Gov 2014-15

My experience in this class was very positive. The teacher was great, the material was interesting, challenging, and helpful for the exam. The videos that we watched provided extra information on many political topics. The discussions with the other students were thought-provoking and a good exercise in expressing opinions on political matters.