<p>Which book is good for self-study AP Government US? I've heard PR is lacking in depth. I've also heard that REA is good for it. On Amazon, it seems that the older version of the REA book got a 5 star rating while the new version of the REA got a 1.5 star rating. So, how is REA for AP Government? What is a good review book for AP Government US?</p>
<p>I would recommend an actual textbook for Gov't</p>
<p>While SteslaS is right that a textbook might help, the course is that much easier if you are actually into politics. I have friends who are booksmart who earned 3's and 4's while myself and another friend, both of us politically saavy, earned 5's. Princeton Review is a fine supplement to a textbook but if you want a really in-depth book, go for Barron's.</p>
<p>You could self-study from only Princeton Review. The only problem with it is that its coverage of landmark/important court cases is lacking.</p>
<p>YankDolphins, likewise.
I am the only junior taking ap govt which is a senior class</p>
<p>my strategy was PR and then I went online to find lists of court cases</p>
<p>Get Barron's, if you comprehend the material it's an easy 5, plus it makes the class much easier.</p>
<p>Barron's is good. The way they explained concepts, as well as their MC samples, worked really well for me (I self-studied and got a 5). Two caveats:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>They put in a lot of extraneous detail, so filter for important concepts and focus on the "Key Words" at the beginning of each chapter. If you try to memorize every last word, you'll get discouraged.</p></li>
<li><p>Their essay prep isn't very good. The best resource I've found for essays is the AP site itself. Look at questions from past tests, and absolutely look at the rubrics, because the way they grade is kind of weird - often they've got a bulleted list of items they're looking for, which matter more than detail or coherence.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>^^ I've never looked at essay prep in any book but if you want to get good, quaere is right that you should look at old essays on CB. Write as many as you can and grade them with a rubric. Outside political knowledge is especially helpful here because you can apply your knowledge in new and interesting ways that might impress readers.</p>
<p>I agree, Barron's is probably good enough. Teachers' lecturing is probably more important in this class than a lot of other AP's, so you're at a disadvantage. But don't get a textbook (especially not Wilson/Dilulio). It's all unorganized and every chapter is extremely open-ended, showing just how unscientific "Political Science" really is.</p>
<p>You guys seem to suggest to get rubrics for grading the essays, where can I get them. AP Central seems to have changed their login system.</p>