Customer Reviews

U.S. Government and Politics (Cliffs AP)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This 356-page book was written in the traditional narrative style of CLIFF NOTES and READER'S DIGEST condensed books. If the large over-sized fonts were reduced to standard and if the empty white spaces were eliminated, the contents would have been condensed to 256 pages. This made the information very manageable for studying.

The vocabulary and writing style were simple enough for a high school sophomore or junior to handle. Also, the information was very well organized and concise. As an example, let us exam the chapter on the U.S. Constitution. The ten pages summarized and condensed 37 pages of GOVERNMENT IN AMERICA, the standard text used in high school AP Government classes. Basic information with a sprinkling of details and updated examples was covered. Subtopics were sectioned off, and important terms and vocabulary were bold printed for the reader to focus. After the topic discussion, there was a 15 multiple-choice question test. The questions were constructed in the same style as the items in the actual AP test. Following these exercises were three sentence explanations on each of the answers. All in all, the format as described above was used for all other chapters that followed.

After the subject reviews, there were two sample practice tests. Again, the multiple-choice answers were explained in detail. More impressive was the author's treatment of the Free-Response Section. On each of the essay questions, he provided scoring guidelines, sample essays, and analyzes of the written works.

Appendixes were located at the end of the book. These contained a glossary of key terms, a copy of the U.S. Constitution, a listing of important U.S. Supreme Court cases, and an eight page listing of internet sources.

My only criticisms of this book focused on the second and third items in the Appendixes. Instead of a copy of the U.S. Constitution, a better alternative was to provide an annotated and simplified version. This document was very hard to understand with its 18th Century prose and "high level" vocabulary. Fortunately such a simplification does exist. It is located in the latest Compton Encyclopedia under "Constitution." Secondly, the U.S. Supreme Court case listing needed to be better organized. The cases should to be individually grouped by Constitutional issue and sub-grouped by whether they expanded or limited the specific civil liberty.

As a suggestion, buy Pamela K. Lamb's 5 STEPS TO A 5 AP U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS to accompany Soifer's text. Instead of a narrative approach, the contents was arranged in outline format. In other words, the information presented in U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS was further condensed in outline form by Lamb. This arrangement made it easier for studying.

This book is a great, concise prep for AP US Government. It has a clear well-organized layout and cuts out all the extraneous information so you know exactly what you need to know for the AP Test. I could not recommend it more highly.

This book prepared me well for the AP exam so I would and did recommend it to friends. Cliffnotes makes a great study tip but be warned of the mistake in the court case review. It's Map Vs Ohio not Illinois. But that's the only draw back.

This is another great Cliffs AP book which will help you get your college credit. It really is a help for reviewing the branches of the government, how a bill becomes a law, the Constitution, the amendments, elections, and civil rights. Those are the main, "must know," topics you need to review to get a 5.

This AP study book was a fantastic investment. I took the AP test 2 days ago and i found it to be extremely easy. I read this whole book and took all the practice exams. So if you do buy this book, don't slack off and only read a few sections, take the time to read it all. Each section has its own descriptions with key words bolded and a 15 question quiz at the end with explainations on each answer. There are 3 full length exams with FRQ's. Both having the answers explained in detail. All the important cout cases have a glossary with what they adressed and a brief summary. The constitution is in the back along with a glossary of vocab words. The only slight downfall of the guide was that the exams were too hard and went into to much detail on certain subjects, but better to have the hard one in practice to make the real thing seem like a breeze!

I took the Advanced Placement exam in US Government and Politics a few years ago and scored a 4 -- good enough for college credit. I relied on this text as well as American Government (Cliffs Quick Review) (also by Paul Soifer). The only reason, I think, that I did not score a 5 was because I didn't study all the chapters in this book; I totally skipped the chapters on Congress, media, economic and foreign policy, and public opinion. This should tell you that if you thoroughly use Soifer's book you will be very well prepared for the AP examination.

Reviewer Gene P. Louie is very right in saying that this book is not merely an outline of the subject but a narrative work. In this sense it is probably a suitable alternative to a standard textbook. In clear yet sufficiently detailed prose it covers all the topics that are on the AP exam without unnecessary fluff. Therefore I'd say that this should be your top choice if you plan on self-studying for the AP exam, or if you feel like you need a supplement to your class textbook. For a supplement written in outline style, I recommend Soifer's American Government. I also recommend enrolling in- or self-studying for AP US History: US History and US Government and Politics are very complimentary, and certain things like federalism, Supreme Court and constitutional history will be on both examinations (and are topics of public discourse still today).

Again, this book should be your first choice when it comes to buying a supplementary study aid for the AP US Gov and Politics examination. (And fear not, the exam is not hard.)

I used this to self-study for the AP US Government exam. I know if I had read this book cover to cover, I would have excelled on the test. Still, the book was an enormous help to me. In the back of the book are the important Supreme Court cases and a glossary, among other things. I highly recommend this book! Good luck studying!

Paul Soifer strikes again with his gorgeous portrait of the US Government, and preparation for the AP exam. I think I met Paul one time, albeit not for long, and he sold me on the book. I then took the book and have studied with it. I am assuming I will get a 5 on the test. Doc, This buds for you!

This book is clear and concise and will help you get your 5, and besides, Doc Soifer wrote it, what else do you need to know.