Rakestraw – AP US Government and Politics Summer Reading Assignment

I’m excited you are going to be in AP Government next year! AP Govt.is a course that examines the bodies and procedures of the United States Federal Government and the people it governs. Over the study of six major units, we will focus on policy makers, linkage institutions, and the role of the people in our government. Throughout the year, students will see how the design of our government often leads to certain groups having advantages in making policy over others, and that policy is constantly evolving.The questionable elements of decision making were present right from the beginning and we are going to start the year with an in depth examination of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas behind it. As an introduction to the Constitution and the role of the people in a democracy, we are going to read:

Gun Fight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America by Adam Winkler

(ISBN: 9780393345834). You can find this on Amazon for $10. There are also several copies ordered at

“novel.” – the new bookstore in Laurelwood Shopping Center near school for $17.95.

In this book, Winkler describes the story of one Supreme Court case from 2010 that changed the constitutional interpretation of the Second Amendment, while going back through the history of gun ownership and gun control in the United States. While this book mostly focuses on the historical development of gun laws in the United States and one particular Supreme Court (SCOTUS) case, DC V Heller, you are certain to find parts of this book that you agree with and parts of this book that you disagree with. That will be true in class this year as well.

As you read, I need you to respond to the following prompts from each chapter. Your answer to each of these should be a paragraph – some will be longer than others. Make sure to answer each prompt fully and use evidence from the book, even quotes, but they are not required. It should take you at least three pages to complete this, but it should not be taking you more than six. When you begin writing, just write the letter that corresponds to the question, and get write to your answer. I do not need to read introductions.

Ch 1: Big Guns & Little Guns at the Supreme Court

  1. Explain why the National Rifle Association was hesitant to support the Heller case.

Ch 2: Gun Grabbers

  1. Compare the “individual right” interpretation with the “militia theory” interpretation of the Second Amendment.
  2. Explain the role that academics have in developing public policy in America. Explain why the NRA would be interested in funding this type of work.
  3. Explain why it is ironic that liberals are more likely to support the “militia theory” than the “individual right” theory.
  4. Describe the problems with the federal government’s Clinton era Assault Weapons Ban.

Ch 3: Gun Nuts

  1. Explain why lawyers may work carefully to find “the right client” for a case that will challenge existing laws.
  2. Explain how the cost of taking a case to the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) deters challenges to laws.
  3. Explain how the NRA has changed from a sportsman’s group to more of an advocacy group.

Ch 4: Guns of Our Fathers

  1. Explain how conservatives changed their approach to interpreting the constitution after the Warren Court.
  2. Describe the Framers’ attitudes about a national military.
  3. Explain how that attitude (about a national military) impacted the creation of the Second Amendment.
  4. Explain how colonial governments dealt with gun ownership in early America.

Ch 5: The Civil War

  1. Explain the alternatives that the D.C. government had to make before deciding to appeal the case to SCOTUS..
  2. Describe the origins of the Ku Klux Klan.
  3. Explain how the addition of the Fourteenth Amendment changes the interpretation of the Second Amendment.

Ch 6: The Wild West

  1. Explain why designing arguments to appeal to “the swing judge” on SCOTUS is so important.
  2. Compare the myths of the American frontier to the realities of the American frontier.
  3. Describe the origins of “concealed – carry” laws.
  4. Describe what happens during oral arguments at the Supreme Court.

Ch 7: Gangsters, Guns, and G-Men

  1. Describe the role of the Solicitor General
  2. Explain the reasons for the federal government getting involved in gun control laws.
  3. Explain what methods the National Firearms Control Act of 1934 used to limit gun ownership.
  4. Describe the decision of SCOTUS in US V Miller.

Ch 8: By Any Means Necessary

  1. Explain why Gura defended the legality of some existing gun laws while attacking the DC gun law.
  2. Describe the origins of the Black Panther Party in Oakland.
  3. Explain how the actions of the Black Panther Party caused conservative leaders like Ronald Reagan to support restrictions on gun ownership.
  4. Describe the responses of state governments to new restrictions on gun rights.

Ch 9: Decision

  1. Explain how attitudes about “originalism” have changed over time.
  2. Explain why some conservatives were critical of the majority opinion written by Justice Scalia.
  3. Describe the SCOTUS ruling in McDonald V Chicago.

Your assignment will be collected on the first Friday of school. Your first page should be a title page that includes your name and email (this obviously doesn’t count as one of your pages). Each page of your assignment should be single spaced with default margins and 11-point font. I used those settings for this page, so you can use this as a guide. Hopefully, this assignment will serve as an interesting introduction to the policy making process as well as a more current issues-oriented view of the U.S. Constitution, which will be the focus of our first unit. It will certainly help us gain a better understanding of how court cases start from situations with real people and, through the work of many, reach all the way to the Supreme Court, and ultimately change laws. I look forward to discussing this book with you during our first week of school next year.

Email me with any questions over the summer at