quantitative analysis essay ap gov

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AP U.S. Government and Politics: Quantitative Analysis Example

Question 2 of the AP U.S. Government and Politics free response section is the Quantitative Analysis prompt. This FRQ begins with an information graphic, such as a table, chart, graph, or map. The information graphic will depict some kind of politically relevant data—presidential election results, political affiliations of federal judges, or voter turnout by state, for instance. The prompts that follow will require you to both analyze the information graphic and relate its data to government and politics concepts; later parts will likely require increasingly complex tasks.

• Part A usually asks you to identify a piece of data or a trend from the information graphic.
• Part B will likely ask you to analyze the information graphic, perhaps by explaining a possible reason for the graphic’s data trends or by using the data to draw a conclusion.
• Part C will then involve applying the information graphic to a course concept; for example, the question could ask how a table’s depiction of popular vote results in a presidential election reflects the structure of the Electoral College system.

Quantitative Analysis Strategy

• Take time to analyze the information graphic. The information graphic is just as important to answering the questions as the text stimulus on other prompts, and it requires some special analysis. Components such as titles, labels, and keys are vital for correct interpretation of the graphic. Ask yourself exactly what data the information graphic is depicting (and what data it is not depicting) and note relevant trends before you look at the questions.
• At least one question will require you to identify a specific trend or data point from the information graphic. On such questions, focus only on the relevant part of the graphic and pinpoint the data you need.
• When appropriate, refer to data from the information graphic in your response, and be specific (e.g., “only four amendments were passed in the nineteenth century” rather than “few amendments were passed in the nineteenth century”).

Sample Question

Step 1: analyze the prompt, step 2: plan your response.

• $1,000–$1,999

Part B: Need one similarity or difference, and a conclusion based on this info.

• similarity: <$200 largest proportion concl.: many want to support candidates; even small contributions add up

Part C: Need to fully explain two things.

• caps on ind. contribs b/c concerns about buying elections, campaign finance laws
• cap probably helps limit the total amount at the highest tier; caps help equalize contribs among candidates & limit scope of campaigning (ex. of candidate highly supported by wealthy)

Step 3: Action! Write Your Response & Step 4: Proofread

Sample high-scoring response, explanation of sample response.

• Organization: The writer uses one paragraph for each part of the response and follows the plan from Step 2, helping to ensure that the response addresses every required task.
• Complete sentences: The writer uses full sentences for every part of the response—even the brief identification task in Part A.
• Specific data from the information graphic: The writer uses specific data for the response to Part B.
• Addressing each action word: The writer addresses each action word appropriately. For instance, in Part A, the writer uses a brief sentence to address the requirement of identification. In contrast, Part C requires two explanations, so the writer fully explains both a reason for and an impact of contribution caps, effectively incorporating an example of a candidate with many wealthy supporters to help support the explanations.

Scoring for Question 2: 5 points (1 + 2 + 2)

• Example similarities: both candidates had lowest tier (<$200) make up the largest percentage of contributions; middle tiers were similar for both candidates
• Example differences: Clinton’s second-highest percentage tier was the highest contribution level ($2,000+) and made up about a third of her total contribution amounts, while Trump had a near-tie for the second-highest percentage tier ($200-$500 and $2,000+); Clinton had much higher total contribution dollars than Trump both at each tier and overall

One point for drawing a logical possible conclusion based on the similarity or difference.

• Example conclusions: based on high percentage of lowest-tier contributions, both candidates may have had large numbers of supporters who could not afford contributions at higher tiers; based on Clinton’s larger percentage of highest-tier contributions, she may have had a greater number of wealthy supporters than Trump; Clinton lost the election although she had more individual contribution dollars than Trump, suggesting that the candidate with the highest contributions from individuals does not necessarily win the election
• Example reasons for the cap: concerns about wealthy individuals and corporations “buying” elections have led to campaign finance laws and contribution caps; cap reflects attempts to limit spending on pervasive advertising, especially “attack ads”; cap reflects restrictions such as Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002’s regulations on “soft money” contributions by individuals

One point for explaining a possible impact of the cap on elections.

• Example impacts on elections: limits potential for elections to be dominated by wealthy contributors; potentially limits unfair advantage of candidates who have more wealthy supporters; forces individuals who wish to contribute more than the cap to use other avenues of financial support, such as political party committees and PACs, which increases such institutions’ influence on elections

Learn more about the other free response questions on the AP U.S. Government and Politics exam. Concept Application   •   SCOTUS Comparison   •   Argument Essay

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