Taylor Swift was a surprise question on a recent AP U.S. government and politics exam
Taylor Swift is inspiring young students across America in a truly educational way: the Grammy-award winning singer made an appearance on the May 3 version of the 2021 Advanced Placement U.S. government and politics exam with a question about how she inspired voter registration ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
Manny Carabel/Getty Images Taylor Swift has spoken out on Donald Trump and continued her outreach to young voters with the song, "Only the Young."
Referencing Swift's Instagram post from October 2018 where she opened up to fans about her political preferences in a call to action, the question asked students to think critically about the scenario.
In your Wildest Dreams, did you think you’d be in an #APGov question, @taylorswift13? pic.twitter.com/8KTWXY3PXH
— AP for Students (@APforStudents) May 5, 2021
"In the past I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country," Swift wrote in the original post, which also included a call to action for those eligible to vote and a link to the voter registration website Vote.org.
According to the College Board, the AP government course "provides a college-level, nonpartisan introduction to key political concepts, ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the constitutional system and political culture of the United States."
Jerome White, a spokesperson for the College Board, told CNN that Swift's post connected to the themes of the course because it showed how social media and voter registration laws can affect the outcome of someone's civic duties.
"We're delighted to hear that AP students could relate what they've learned in their AP course to what they experience in their daily lives — and in this case, what they've read on their Instagram feeds," White explained.
Swift, who has been reluctant to express her political views during her career, has since used her platform to speak out about politics, calling out former President Trump's "calculated dismantling" of the postal service and releasing a 2020 political anthem, "Only the Young," that was specifically aimed at young voters.
Those who were big fans of Swift's work were happily surprised by the question, with one student telling CNN she remembered Swift's post and "that question sort of boosted my confidence and helped me write a stronger free response."
Another student said that "the question made me think about how celebrities can impact your decisions, more so than I already had."
Representatives for Swift didn't immediately respond to EW's request for comment.
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