AP US Government Free Response: Argument Essay Example

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AP US Government Free Response: Argument Essay Example 4

After answering the AP Government Argument Essay FRQ, you can evaluate this sample response, which would receive a perfect score:

Sample Student Response

Federal government systems best protect the people’s liberties because the Constitution gives the federal government the power to enforce due process and equal protection at the national level. The 14th Amendment allows Congress to enforce its provisions such as due process. Therefore, Congress (a branch of the federal government) can pass laws protecting people’s civil liberties and, once it does so, apply those laws to the entire nation more effectively than state governments.

As discussed in Federalist No. 51, written by James Madison, a federal government is broken up into three different branches of government — the executive, legislative, and judicial branches — and each branch has the ability to check the power of the other branches of government. Therefore, people’s liberties are best protected at the national level since the federal government, by its own design of checks and balances, will check its own powers.

Although some may argue that state governments are better at protecting civil liberties because they understand the interests and needs of their own citizens better than the federal government, this argument fails when one looks at how states violated people’s liberties through laws that enforced literacy tests, and it was the federal government that passed legislation restoring citizens’ rights.

You can use the detailed scoring guidelines below to review your answer to this free response question:

Question 4: Argument Essay 6 Points

Responds to the prompt with a defensible claim or thesis that establishes a line of reasoning, rather than restating or rephrasing the prompt.

Responses that earn this point:

  • The federal government best protects civil liberties because it can enforce laws on a national basis throughout the country.
  • State governments best protect civil liberties by understanding local needs the best and blocking the national government from intruding on their citizen’s rights.
 1 Point

Provides two pieces of specific and relevant evidence that support the claim or thesis. One of these pieces of evidence must come from a foundational document listed in the prompt. The other piece of evidence can come from a different foundational document or knowledge of course concepts.

Inclusions that count towards these points:

  • Brutus No. I demonstrates the importance of giving states more powers so that institutions of the federal Constitution, such as Congress and the Supreme Court, would not be able to take away citizen’s civil liberties.
  • States can act as laboratories of democracy and pass legislation protecting people’s civil liberties much faster than the national government.
  • The Constitution gives the federal government power to enforce the due process and equal protection clause, protecting people’s civil liberties.
 3 points

Explains how or why the evidence supports the claim or thesis.

Responses that earn this point:

  • The 14th Amendment of the Constitution allows Congress to enforce provisions such as due process and equal protection, which enables the federal government to effectively protect civil liberties at the national level in a standard fashion – a power that state governments do not possess.
  • As Brutus No. I asserts, the state governments understand the interests and rights of their own citizens much better than the overbearing Supreme Court, the president, or Congress and will be able to protect the liberties of citizens much better than the federal government.
 1 Point

Responds to an opposing or alternate perspective using refutation, concession, or rebuttal. Must describe an alternate perspective AND refute, concede, or rebut that perspective.

Responses that earn this point:

  • Although some may argue that state governments understand their own citizens better and will protect their liberties more effectively at a local level, the federal government is much better able to protect liberties since it could enact uniform policies protecting civil liberties at the national level.
  • Although some argue that the federal government is better than states in protecting civil liberties because it can do so at the national level and in a more standard way, it ignores the fact that state governments understand their own citizens better. Even more, what works for one state may not work for another state.
 1 Point

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