AP U.S. Government & Politics Crash Course, A Time-Saving Study Guide: Get a Higher Score in Less Time (Advanced Placement (AP) Crash Course)

AP® U.S. Government and Politics Crash Course® - updated for today's 2025-2026 exam!
A Higher Score in Less Time!

At REA, we invented the quick-review study guide for AP® exams. A decade later, REA’s Crash Course® remains the top choice for AP® students who want to make the most of their study time and earn a high score.

Here’s why more AP® teachers and students turn to REA’s AP® U.S. Government and Politics Crash Course®:
Targeted review – everything you need and nothing you don’t. Our compact, strategic review is based on an in-depth analysis of the latest course outline and exam format. We unpack the AP® U.S. Government & Politics big ideas and equip you to face the multiple-choice and free-response questions. Crash Course® covers only what’s actually tested, so you can make the most of your study time.

Expert test-taking strategies and advice. Written by two veteran AP® experts, the book looks at every aspect of today’s exam, including required foundational documents and Supreme Court cases, civil liberties and civil rights, and American political ideologies. Boost your score with insights from the people who know the exam from the inside out.

Practice questions – a mini-test in the book, a full-length exam online. Are you ready for your exam? Try our focused practice set inside the book. Then go online to take our full-length practice exam. You’ll get the benefits of timed testing, detailed answers, and automatic scoring that pinpoints your performance based on the official AP® 2025-2026 exam topics – so you'll be confident on test day.

Whether you’re cramming for the exam or looking to recap and reinforce your teacher’s lessons, Crash Course® is the study guide every AP® student needs.


About Our Authors
 Katherine Olson-Goldman has spent the last two decades developing and teaching numerous courses in government and politics, law, and history, including AP® United States Government and Politics, AP® Comparative Government and Politics, and Practical Law. Ms. Olson-Goldman holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from DePaul University, a secondary teaching certification from the University of Wisconsin, and a Juris Doctor from Marquette University Law School where she was a Thomas Moore scholar and served on law review.
 
Nancy Fenton, M.A., teaches AP® U.S. Government and Politics at the award-winning Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. She has been teaching government and politics since 2003. Ms. Fenton is also a College Board consultant and has served as a reader for AP® Psychology since 2008 and a table leader since 2017. She has a bachelor’s degree in history and holds two master’s degrees, one in psychology and one in curriculum and instruction technology.

REA CRASH COURSE is a registered trademark of Research & Education Association. 

 

About Our Authors
 
Katherine Olson-Goldman, J.D., has spent 25 years developing and teaching numerous courses in government and politics, law, and history, including AP United States Government and Politics, AP Comparative Government and Politics, and Practical Law. Ms. Olson-Goldman holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from DePaul University, a secondary teaching certificate from the University of Wisconsin, and a Juris Doctor from Marquette University Law School where she was a Thomas More scholar and served on law review.
 
Nancy Fenton, M.A., teaches AP U.S. Government and Politics at the award-winning Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. She has been teaching government and politics since 2003. A College Board consultant, she has a bachelor’s degree in history and holds two master’s degrees, one in psychology and the other in curriculum & instruction with a concentration in technology.