AP United States Government and Politics
Syllabus
Course Objective:
This course is designed to help students answer the question: “What is the
government of the United States, how was it formed, how has it remained functional in a changing world and how do the practices of that government affect my life on a daily basis?” Government should never be something that is simply accepted – it should be challenged and understood. Students should learn that our government has strengths and weaknesses and how they should take an active role and responsibility in protecting, defending and questioning our government.
Course Purpose
The purpose of this class is to prepare the student for the Advanced Placement test. It is also intended to give the students an analytical perspective on how our government operates. Students should learn how to differentiate between the public views of
government with the realities of the day to day workings of the Federal Government.
Course Overview
item or thought from an important issue in government today, and by using references, be able to explain or show the results of it will affect their own lives.
The class will focus on analyzing the political, economic and historical facts about our government. Students will use their analytical skills in referencing primary sources, historical evidence and literary narratives. The course begins with the concepts of government and ends with a detailed look the Judiciary and Civil Liberties..
Course Format
Sperry School District is currently on a 12 week trimester system. Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics is offered in the Spring Trimester from February to May. The two weeks prior to the AP exam is devoted to review and mock AP exams, and DBQ’s. Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics is primarily a lecture course, however, I have designed the class to include one day a week where students can work on study aids for the AP exam or work on freeresponse style essays. There is a great deal of writing and formulating comparisons in the study of government; to be successful, students need to develop confidence in their writing abilities.
Student Evaluation
show that the student has done not only the Chapter reading but has read the outside material suggested for that section.
Prior to the beginning of the trimester, it is recommended that students do outside reading. They are to read the books The Prince by Machiavelli, The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Utopia by Sir Thomas Moore. A short review will be given at the beginning of the trimester and a take home test will be handed out that will need to be completed within the first two weeks of classes.
Textbooks and Planning guide
The planning guide is simply that – a guide and can be amended should students need to spend more time covering a specific subject matter or if school events interfere with class time. At this time Sperry Schools has adopted the textbook listed below. The textbook is not the only source of studies for Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics, and I have listed numerous resources that I use that are also available for the students use. It is important for students to realize that government is not a single source issue; there are many different views and interpretations available on most subjects.
Chapters 1, 2, and 3
History of the United States Government
(
2weeks for review
)
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 acts as an introduction into the foundations of American Government. It looks at the various branches of government, government participation by the public, how people shape policy and the increasing scope of government in daily life.
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered:
1. Students should understand the scope of American Government. 2. Students should understand the concept of Popular Sovereignty.
3. How can we motivate young people to take an active role in their government? 4. How has the presidency acted to discourage or encourage the growth of government? 5. How did bureaucracy become the fourth branch of government?
Assignments:
Worksheets for Chapter 1 Vocab
Study guide
Test over Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Overview:
Chapter 2 deals with the origins of the Constitution, the Philadelphia convention, Madisonian Model and the art of criticism and compromise used in completing the Constitution.
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered:
1. Since many student will have completed early American history – this section should serve as a reminder, but with a more ”indepth” look at the men, the politics, economics issues and debates that shaped our government.
2. Whose literature were the founding fathers using as in inspiration and reference when writing the constitution?
Assignments:
Daily work from workbook
Reading of The AntiFederalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates Reading from The Federalist Papers – Hamilton, Madison, Jay
Reading from The Social Contract Theorists Study guide and review for the Chapter Chapter 2 test
1st writing assignment:
Given an opportunity to rewrite the constitution today, looking at the economy, the lifestyles, and the everyday conflicts between minority issues and majority concerns what items would you put into a new constitution and what items would you take out or leave and why? Keep in mind that the constitution refers to the phrases “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.
Chapter 3
Overview
Federalism – the debate between State and Federal power. Students will learn the history behind many of the conflicts started over the question of Federalism. They will learn about how our government has tried to emphasize a new tolerance of State’s Rights by developing a
comprehensive plan that calls for more cooperation rather than confrontation.
Another large issue surrounding Federalism is in economic relief and stimulus to the States. This Chapter looks at federal grants, fiscal federalism and how they are used in a democratic society.
Objectives and Essential Questions: 1. Define Federalism.
2. Give examples of how Federalism affects your daily life.
Assignments:
Learning objectives 3
Review questions and Pretest Study guide
Chapter 3 test
Internet search for Federal Grants McCulloch v. Maryland impact report
Report on the growth of federal spending and national debt
Branches of Government
Institutes of National Government
Chapters 12 & 13
Congress and the President
(3 weeks)
Chapters 12 Congress
Overview
It is important that students understand the role Congress plays in the basic element of our representative government. The essential question defined is: “How does Congress take the will of the people and create public policy or law”? Students will learn about the requirements to serve in Congress, elections, the money necessary to run a campaign, and the influence of PAC contributions. Once elected the emphasis will shift to making policy, serving on committees, and finish with the entire process of creating a new bill/law.
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered 1. How does the will of the people become law?
2. What are the requirements for the House of Representatives and Senate? 3. What are the three primary activities of an election?
4. Once elected how our representatives fit the molds of Trustee, delegate, politicos and partisan?
5. Once elected how do they get on various committees?
Assignments:
Worksheets over Congress Study guide Chapter 12 Test over Chapter 12
Project: Create a new law.
Watch the film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Discussion over the issue of Filibuster
Chapter 13 The Presidency
Overview
In this Chapter students will take a closer look at the Presidency. We live in a nation that for the most part wants our President to be gentle and kind on domestic issues such as poverty and education, but we also want him/her to be strong enough to make in impact on the rest of the world that we will not tolerate injustices or battles and that we will be tough enough to defend not only our own turf but when needed we will help others.
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered:
1. Separate the myth and distortion of the presidency. 2. List the requirements for President.
3. Outline the characteristics of a Great President v. Weak Presidents 4. Describe the election process from primary to final vote in November. 5. Describe terms, term limits, and the possibility of Impeachment 6. Discuss the issues surrounding the question of Presidential Disability. 7. Debate the conflict between Presidential power and Congressional Power. 8. Discuss the need for the expansion of Presidential power.
9. Discuss the need for the War Powers Resolution and its legal impact. 10. Give examples of the relationship between the President and the Press.
Assignments:
Workbook over Chapter 13
Film clips over the American President Michael J. Fox speech about leadership and the response given by Michael Douglas.
Write an essay over a President you felt was a great leader and why. Study Guide Chapter 13
Internet assignments: Great Speeches by Modern Presidents, Public policy and Modern Presidents use of Television, Radio and Cable News media, and blogs.
Chapter 14 The Federal Bureaucracy
Overview
When the general public is asked about the Federal Bureaucracy they usually respond with negative views – “It’s to big, we don’t understand it, what exactly does the bureaucracy do with all the money and departments”? So it is important for the students to understand how it got started, how it has grown, the need for restructuring, and the role of the public as well as the Presidency in its growth. It is not designed to “justify” the need for a government as large as ours, it is designed to understand how it got to this point in size and design and how and where it might continue to grow.
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered: 1. How did the Bureaucracy start?
2. What is the “spoils system” and what role did it play in the growth of government? 3. How are the Departments organized?
4. How do the bureaucracies coordinate policy implementations? 5. What is the Weberian Model of Bureaucracies?
6. Understand each of the 15 cabinet departments.
7. How is public policy, public will translate into the various departments.
Assignments:
Chapter 15 workbook Terms and concepts Essay Question:
How can we decrease the size of government? How does the Bureaucracy affect our daily lives? Why it is when there is a crisis a new governmental agency is created?
(4 weeks due to amount of discussion and debate)
I chose to combine Chapters 16, 4 & 5 for the purpose of looking at the Court, civil rights and civil liberties gain through both the Courts and Congress. The students will be able to see how the Courts have ruled regarding Civil Rights through the various Court Cases. The issues of Civil Rights will transcend all issues from Minorities, Americans with Disabilities, Women and the current issues of Gay Rights. Students will have to reconcile the issues of equality and individual freedoms and how they fit into the basic concepts of democracy. They will also see how the Courts decisions have increased the involvement of the Government in our everyday lives. They will also look at the Civil Liberties and protections we have from our government.
Chapter 16 The Courts
Overview:
The Court system is one of the most important parts of a Democracy. They have the power to make sure that neither of the other two branches of government becomes as powerful as to undermine the will of the people. In this Chapter we will look at the beginnings of the High Court, its organization, how a case comes to the Court, and take an indepth look at some of the more significant Court decisions that have shaped the modern United States.
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered
1. How does one become a Supreme Court Judge? 2. How do cases come to the Court?
3. How do the Justices use judicial restraint and judicial activism?
4. Students will learn about the basic make up of a “case” from the differences between criminal law, and civil law, to what is a jury, litigants, and class action suits.
5. Students will identify the difference between original jurisdiction and appellate. 6. Students will research the types of people who become justices and the process of confirmation.
7. Discussion/debate over the importance of Marbury v. Madison. 8. Affects of Judicial review on the question of democracy. 9. What is judicial activism?
10. How has the Court moved from decision make to policy makers?
Assignments
Worksheets over Chapter 16
Research paper on one 20th century Supreme Court Judge
Write a paper comparing original intent (strict constructionists) with more “liberal” views of recent Supreme Court decisions. (I.e. Rove v. Wade, Furman v. Georgia)
Identify modern Court cases Study guide to Court cases
Study guide to the role of the Court. Test over Chapter 16
Chapter 4 Civil Liberties and Public Policy
Overview:
This is one of the most important Chapters in how the public will/policy becomes law, and is then interpreted by the Courts as to the issue of Civil Liberties. It also looks at the question of incorporation of the Bill of Rights into our daily lives. Students will be looking at each of the 10 Amendments in the Bill of Rights, see how the Courts have interpreted those rights and how they are used in everyday life. If we take the concept that the Bill of Rights is the essential fundamental bases of our freedoms then we must look at each of them individually to see how the Courts have ruled to extend their power to either the government or to the people. This Chapter is devoted to The Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Expression, Commercial Speech, Defendant Rights, and the Right to Privacy. The focus will be on the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th,
8th and 9th Amendments.
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered: 1. What are Civil Liberties?
2. What is the Incorporation Doctrine?
3. Freedom of Religion – Establishment Clause and Free exercise conflicts.
4. Students will have to address the issue of Freedom of Expression, symbolic speech, and whether or not they can be absolute.
5. Students will have to look at the issue of free speech and obscenity laws. 6. Discussion over the issue of Symbolic speech of Flag Burning.
7. The second half of the Chapter deals with the issues of defendant’s rights a. what is unreasonable search
b. what is the exclusionary rule?
c. What is the importance of the 5th amendment/
8. The Death Penalty – Cruel and Unusual punishment: debate.
a. Georgia v. Furman
b. Gregg v. Georgia
c. McCleskey v. Kemp
d. Can you execute a mentally challenged defendant? 9. The Right to Privacy – incorporated by the 9th amendment
a. Griswold v. Connecticut
b. Roe v. Wade
c. Webster v. Reproductive Health Services
d. Rust v. Sullivan
e. Sternberg v. Carhart
Assignments:
Outline and define 25 Court Cases
Debate papers over Freedom of Speech, Right to Privacy Workbook over Chapter 4
Study guide Chapter 4 Test over Chapter 4
Chapter 5 Civil Rights and Public Policy
Overview:
Continuing with the theme of the Supreme Court, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights, students will look at the history of Civil Rights movements for minorities, women, Americans with disabilities, and same sex relationships.
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered
1. The most essential question has to be the history of Civil Rights – the beginning, the reasons, and the results. There will also be an emphasis on the 13th, 14th, and 15
amendments and their role in the Civil Rights movements of the 19501970’s.
2. Students will research the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and resolutions and the 19th Amendment.
3. Discuss the importance and reality of Title IX of the Education Act of 1972.
4. Students will have to address the issues of Gay Rights in the United States today – from employment to marriage rights.
6. Review the cases of Affirmative Action and Sexual Harassment and Equal Rights Amendment
Assignments:
Workbook Chapter 5
Research Civil Rights Movement 19601970
Paper debating the issues of Affirmative Action and Civil Rights Write a short essay on Gay Rights in America today.
Lead a class debate on the rights of Gays and Women in the Armed Forces. Study guide on important Court Cases
Study guide over the Chapter Test over Chapter 5
Chapter 8 – Political Parties
Chapter 10 Elections and voting behavior
Overview:
One of the questions we hear from our students is “How do I decide if I am a Democrat or Republican?” These chapters will attempt to address that question and several more as we look into political parties, political socialization, the election process and end with a review of the why and how of voting behavior.
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered
1. What is the history of political parties in the United States? 2. How do people decide what party they want to join? 3. How does party identification effect party loyalty? 4. Is not voting actually voting?
5. Does my vote actually count?
6. Adjusting voting requirements to include more minorities and immigrants. 7. Understanding voter apathy.
8. Understanding voter behavior.
9. Understanding the desire for a third party.
10. How does a person’s socioeconomic background, education, sex or religion determine or show preference to one party over another?
13. How does public opinion sway voter registration, or practice?
Assignments:
1. Research family history to determine family party loyalty.
2. Using the computer search “testing” sites where people can go to find out what party they identify more closely. (Ex: 3pc.net/matchmaker)
3. Using data from the most recent election show how a person’s education, social background, age, religion, and sex play a role in party selection and loyalty.
4. Vocabulary on page 264 in Edwards.
5. Create a Third Party and create a working platform to present at a mock debate. 6. Practice writing on Political Socialization Cartoon.
7. Study Guide for Chapter 8 and Chapter 10. 8. Chapter 8 and Chapter 10 Test.
Supplemental section to chapters on Voting
: Chapter 10 The Electoral College.1. The students will review the history of the Electoral College 2. Why did the founding fathers propose the Electoral College?
3. When was it evident that there were problems in the Electoral College?
4. Explain how it is that a candidate can win the popular vote but loose the election.
Assignments:
1. Create a scenario where a third party candidate splits the election.
2. Discuss ways in which we can retain the integrity of the Electoral College but eliminate the problems.
3. Write an essay showing the pros and cons of the Electoral College, suggest changes that would represent the “one person one vote rule”, discrediting potential voter fraud, and showing a means by where the American voter actually feels as though their vote does count. Essay should be 3 – 5 pages in length and contain documented examples of problems within the Electoral College and current voter behavior.
Overview:
Students need to ask the question “How do outside commentaries influence my decision making when it comes to political action or voting”? Each of the essential questions below is designed to foster controversy, discussion, and opening an avenue or means of answering the question – “Does public opinion really matter?” If the answer is “Yes” then how do we translate opinion into political action?
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered 1. What are the major issues that address society?
2. How are issues taken from the main stream life and promoted through the media? 3. What role do demographics play in shaping public opinion?
4. Once a question is identified how does it become part of the Political Action? 5. What role does Civil Disobedience play in stirring up public opinion and political action?
6. What are the linking institutions between the people and politics? 7. What role does mass media play in changing public opinion? 8. Is there a hidden agenda for news media?
9. Is an informed society really better?
10. What role does television has in determining public opinion and in some cases the outcome of the election? Ex: Murphy Brown incident in the 1980’s and 90’s, to Comedy Central today.
Assignments:
1. Review the public opinion polls of 1976, 1980, 1992, and 2000. How did public opinion shift the outcome of the election?
2. Vocabulary from the book. 3. Study Guide chapter 6 & 7. 4. Test over Chapters 6 & 7.
5. Write a short essay on how outside factors, political socialization, mass media, and the Party have affected the way people vote. Essay should be 3 – 5 pages in length and have at least 3 outside sources to justify your answer.
Interest Groups
Chapter 11
Students need to understand that while many in America may have very strong negative views of Interest Groups that they do play a major role in our government today. They have the ability to take the will of the people and through PAC’s, Special Interest Groups, and Lobbyists work government to see that that will becomes law or change.
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered 1. What is an Interest Group?
2. What role do Interest Groups play in American History?
3. What are Pluralist theory, elite theory and hyperpleuralist theory? 4. What is an Iron Triangle?
5. How do groups influence and shape policy?
6. Explain the difference between a Lobbyist and PAC. 7. How important are consumer and public interest lobbies?
Assignments:
1. Chapter 11 worksheet 2. Terms and vocabulary
3. Write a short essay addressing the importance of the Lobbyist.
4. Select one of the 25 largest lobbying groups from page 329 and write a report showing how they have worked to influence government, or to get public policy changed.
Public Policy: Foreign and Domestic
Chapter 20
Overview:
The United States plays a major role in the world today with policy decisions and actions. It is important for the students to understand the forces that guide our Foreign Policy, the
departments involved and the amount of influence the United States exhibits as part of the solution to world problems.
Objectives and Essential Questions to be answered
2. How to differentiate between economic foreign policy and military policy. 3. Understanding the role of the President in foreign policy decisions.
4. Role of the National Security Affairs in the development of foreign policy. 5. Conflict during the Cold War.
6. Impact of the War Powers Resolution on foreign policy 7. Impact of NAFTA on both domestic and foreign policy
8. How our decisions on the Domestic public policy affect our foreign policy. 9. Economic decisions based on foreign policy.
Assignments:
Workbook section 20 Terms and vocabulary
Essay: How did 9/11 change our views of Foreign Policy?
Weekly Assignments designed to prepare the student for the
AP United States Government and Politics test:
1. Every Friday we will devote at least ½ of the class time for review.
2. Every Friday can be used for searching outside sources – ie. CNN, MSNBC, Fox News.
3. Review of previous DBQ’s from 2003 to present. Discuss design, clarity of answer, and relevance to today’s government.
4. Take several online practice tests.
5. Discussion of daily issues that relate to the subject matter or chapter we are studying. 6. Practice writing Free Responses and DBQ’s.
Government in America People, Politics, and Policy. Twelfth Edition. George C. Edwards III, Martin Wattenberg, Robert Lineberry, AddisonWesley Educational Publishers Inc. Pearson Longman, 2006 New York
The 48 Laws of Power. Robert Greene, Joost Elffers Production. Viking Penguin Group, New York, New York. 1998
Advanced Placement Program Professional Development for Government and Politics in the US. 20042005 workshop materials
20052006 workshop materials 20062007 workshop materials
Cracking the AP US Government and Politics Exam. The Princeton Review. Tom Meltzer and Paul Levy. Random House, New York, New York. 20042005 Edition
American Government and Politics Today 20032004 Steffen Schmidt, Mark C. Shelley, Barbara A. Bardes. Thomson Wadsworth. Belmont, Ca. 2003
Barron’s How to Prepare for the AP US Government and Politics AP Exam. Curt Lader Barron’s Hauppauge, New York 2002
Advanced United States Government and Politics Institutions, Policy and Politics. James Benedict, Daniel Ludlum. The Center for Learning 1993
Kaplan Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics. Apex Learning Guide 2nd
Edition. Simon and Schuster. New York, New York. 2003
