Academy United StatesGovernment and Politics Syllabus

Course Overview

The United States Government and Politics is designed to give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. The course includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret United States politics and the analysis of specific examples. Topics to be addressed include:

  • Constitutional underpinnings
  • Political opinions and the electoral process
  • Political parties, interest groups, and mass media
  • Institutions of government
  • Politics of public policy
  • Civil rights and civil liberties

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

  • Know important facts, concepts, and theories pertaining to United States government and politics
  • Understand typical patterns of political processes and behavior and their consequences
  • Analyze and interpret basic data relevant to United States government and politics

Activities designed to promote student interest and help them learn are an essential element of Government and Politics. Tests are designed to simulate standardized tests: SAT, ACT. Questions, both multiple choice and essay are incorporated.

Required Texts:

McClenaghan, William. Magruder’s American Government. 2010 Edition, Needham, Massachusetts: 2010

Additional Resources

James Q. Wilson and John J. DiIulio. American Government. 10th edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006

Peter Woll. Ed. American Government: Readings and Cases. 16th edition. New York: Pearson Longman Publishers, 2006.

George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry. Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy. 12th edition. New York: Pearson Longman Publishers, 2006

Kenneth Janda, Jeffrey M. Berry, Jerry Goldman, The Challenge of Democracy: Government in

America. 8th edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005.

Karen O’ Connor, Larry Sabato, American Government: Continuity and Change. 2006 edition.

New York: Pearson Longman Publishers, 2006.

Online text link:

This publisher supported website offers chapter outlines, practice tests, information links, and chapter summaries that can be downloaded to an MP3 player or an iPod. Every student will be given an on-line log-in and password.

GRADING POLICY

The grading scale for this class will be as follows:

A 90-100B80-89C70-79

D64-69E0-63

Each quarter students will complete a variety of projects, tests, quizzes, individual and group work, and homework assignments. Quarter grades will be determined on the following basis:

Tests//Quizzes 35%

Classwork/Homework 25%

Essays 20%

Major Projects 20%

Current Events

1.A key component of AP U.S. Government is an awareness and understanding of current events and their relationship to the foundational themes of the course. During the year, the class will read a variety of news editorials and articles from various sources in an effort to ilustrate the concepts of the curriculum through real world examples. Sources include, but are not limited to:

Newspapers / Magazines
Washington Post
New York Times
Virginian Pilot
Washington Times
Christian Science Monitor / Time
Newsweek
U.S. News and World Report
The Economist
Foreign Policy

Internet sources include and others.

Supreme Court Cases (Year-long project)

Within each unit of study, as applicable, key Supreme Court cases will be discussed. Furthermore, we will spend a considerable amount of time studying current case’sfound on the Supreme Court’s docket. After completing this project, students will be selected to argue the case in front of a panel of experts. The class will also have the opportunity to take a field trip to witness a case argued at the Supreme Court of the United States. Sources used in studying these cases include, but are not limited to:

Unit I:Constitutional Foundations(4weeks)

Texts:McClenaghan, William. Magruder’s American Government. 2010 Edition, Needham, Massachusetts: 2010

Chapter’s 1-3

Content Objectives:

  • Compare the advantages and disadvantages of political systems.
  • Describe the influences of 18th century political philosophers on Revolutionary America.
  • Describe events leading to the establishment of the United States Constitution.
  • Analyze arguments offered during the debate over Constitutional ratification.
  • Identify the purposes of the parts of the Constitution.
  • Account for limited popular participation in early constitutional government.
  • Identify basic characteristics of American government.

Content Outline:

  1. Constitutional Underpinnings of American Government
  2. Steps toward Central Government, 1754-1787
  3. The Colonial Mind
  4. The Real Revolution

1.Government by consent; not by prerogative

2.Direct grant of power, written constitution

3.Human liberty prior to government

4.Legislative superior to executive branch

  1. Government Under the Articles of Confederation
  2. "A firm league of friendship"
  3. The Failure of the Articles

1.Weakness under the Confederation

2.The drift toward Anarchy

3.Shays' Rebellion 1787

  1. The Crisis and Political Response
  2. The Constitutional Convention
  3. The Intent of the Convention
  4. The Delegates: Who were they?
  5. The Great Compromise
  6. Principal Features of the American System of Government

A. Constitutionalism

B.The Doctrine of Federalism

C.National Supremacy

D.Secular Form of Government

E.Popular Sovereignty

F.Judicial Review

G.A Living Form of Government

H.Republicanism

  1. Separation of Powers
  2. Checks and Balances

Assignments:

1.Socratic Discussion

Should the federal government override state and local powers?

What were the motivations of the framers?

Would you have been a federalist or an anti-federalist?

Questions to consider:

  1. What advantages does Madison attribute to a strong federal union?
  2. What do the Anti-Federalist cite as disadvantagaes of a federal union?

Assessments:

Unit Test on Constitutional Foundations

Unit II:Federalism(2 weeks)

Texts:McClenaghan, William. Magruder’s American Government. 2010 Edition, Needham, Massachusetts: 2010

Chapter 4

Content Objectives:

  • Compare philosophies of federalism.
  • Identify key events in the dynamics of American federalism.
  • Recognize the contradiction presented by the 10th Amendment and Article I, Section 8, Clause 18.
Describe federal government aid to states.
  • Analyze contemporary issues illustrating the continuing conflict between states’ rights and national authority.

ContentOutline:

  1. Powers of the National and the State Governments
  2. National Supremacy Clause
  3. Exclusive National Powers
  4. States' Powers
  5. Denied States' Powers
  6. Concurrent Powers
  7. Reserved Powers
  8. The Changing Nature of American Federalism
  1. Phase One, 1789-1867, Classic Federalism
  2. Phase Two, 1867-1912, Dual Federalism
  3. Phase Three, 1913-1941
  4. Phase Four, 1941-1969
  5. Phase Five, 1969-Present
  1. How Federalism Works
  2. Checking and Balancing Power
  3. Diversity and Accountability
  4. Liberalism and States' Rights
  5. Fiscal Federalism
  6. Intergovernmental Politics
  7. Categorical Grants
  8. Project Grants
  9. Block Grants

Assignments:

  1. In class debate of the merits of federal vs. state control or contemporary issues, such as:
  2. abortion
  3. capital punishment
  4. marriage
  5. health care
  6. elective power
  1. Supreme Court Cases
  • Marbury vs. Madison (1803)
  • McCulloch vs.Maryland (1819)
  • Gibbonsvs. Ogden (1824)
  • Dred Scottvs.Sanford (1857)
  • U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

Assessment:

Unit Test on Federalism

Unit III:Civil Rights and Civil Liberties(2 weeks)

Texts:McClenaghan, William. Magruder’s American Government. 2010 Edition, Needham, Massachusetts: 2010

Chapter’s 19-21

Content Objectives:

  • Differentiate between civil rights and civil liberties.
  • Describe the provisions of the First Amendment.
  • Describe the effect of key Supreme Court decisions involving First Amendment liberties.
Describe the provisions of the 4th Amendment.
  • Describe the effects of Supreme Court decisions involving the 4th Amendment.
  • Describe the provisions of the 5th and 6th Amendment.
  • Describe effects of Supreme Court decisions involving the 5th and 6th Amendments.
  • Describe the provisions of the 8th Amendment.
  • Describe the effects of Supreme Court decisions that relate to the 8th Amendment.
  • Analyze the relationship between the 14th Amendment and the Bill of Rights.
  • Summarize key Supreme Court decisions in the area of civil rights.
  • Analyze contemporary issues relative to civil rights and civil liberties.
  • Account for the presumption of a fundamental right to privacy.

Content Outline:

I.What are Civil Liberties?

  1. Free Exercise Clause
  2. The Establishment Clause
  3. Freedom of Expression
  4. Freedom of the Press
  5. Due Process of Law
  6. Equal Protection of Law

II.Civil Liberties: The Political Context

  1. Public Opinion and Civil Liberties
  2. Group Conflicts
  3. Conservative and Liberal Interpretations

III.How Federal Courts Decide

  1. Judicial Restraint
  2. Judicial Activism
  3. Fourteenth Amendment Application
  4. States' Roles
  5. Government Limitation of Rights
  6. Balance Between Rights of Individuals and Government

Assignments:

1. Supreme Court Cases

1

  • Gideon vs. Wainwright (1963)
  • Lawrence v. Texas (2003)
  • Furman vs. Georgia (1972)
  • Schenck vs. United States (1919)
  • Gitlow vs. New York (1925)
  • Texas vs. Johnson (1989)
  • Tinker vs. Des Moines (1969)
  • New York Times vs. United States (1971)
  • Lemon vs. Kurtzman (1971)
  • Engel vs. Vitale (1962)
  • Loving vs. Virginia (1967)
  • Roe vs. Wade (1973)
  • Wolf vs. Colorado (1949)
  • Mapp vs. Ohio (1961)
  • Escebedo vs. Illinois (1964)
  • Miranda vs. Arizona (1966)
  • Sweatt vs. Painter (1950)
  • Heart of Atlanta Motel vs. United States (1964)
  • Palko vs. Connecticut (1937)
  • Chaplinsky vs. New Hampshire (1942)
  • Collin vs. Smith (1978)
  • Miller vs. California (1973)
  • Rasul vs. Bush (2004)
  • United States vs. Leon (1984)

1

Assessment:

Unit Test on Civil Rights and Liberties

Unit IV:The Legislative Branch(3 weeks)

Texts:McClenaghan, William. Magruder’s American Government. 2010 Edition, Needham, Massachusetts: 2010

Chapter’s 10, 11, 12

Content Objectives:

  • Compare the advantages and disadvantages of the bicameral legislature of the United States.
  • Identify the Constitutional and “informal” qualifications for House and Senate membership.
  • Describe the roles of Congressmen.
  • Describe the structural organization of the Congress of the United States.
  • Compare characteristics of the House of Representative and the Senate.
  • Identify the lawmaking roles of the House and Senate.
  • Trace the law-making process.
  • Analyze issues relevant to legislative structures and practice.
  • Analyze methods and issues of apportionment.

Content Outline:

I.Powers of Congress

  1. Legislative Powers

1.Article I of the Constitution

2.Necessary and Proper Clause

  1. Policy Innovation
  2. Informal Checks

II.The Legislative Process

  1. Introducing Bills
  2. Referral to Committee
  3. Subcommittee and Committee Markup
  4. Scheduling in the House and Senate
  5. E Senate Filibusters
  6. Debate and Amendment
  7. Conference Report
  8. Politics of the Legislative Process

III.Committees and Their Leaders

  1. Party Control of Committees
  2. Committee Leadership
  3. Power of Committee Chairpersons

IV.Interest Group Influence

Assignments:

Choose one Congressional district and write a 3-5 page paper that focus’s on the relationship between the legislator and his or her constituency. The following questions are provided to assist your researach and writing:

  1. Have there been any significant changes in the demographic characteristics of the constituency over the past few years?
  2. What are the economic characteristics of the constituency?
  3. What is the genetral political outlook of the representative?
  4. What evidence illustrates that the individual represents the views of the constituency?
  5. Is there an issue in which the representative is particulary interested in? noted for?
  6. What is the representative’s voting record on key issues?

Assessment:

Unit Test on Legislative Branch

Unit V:ThePresidency and the Executive Branch(3 weeks)

Texts:McClenaghan, William. Magruder’s American Government. 2010 Edition, Needham, Massachusetts: 2010

Chapter’s 13 and 14

Content Objectives:

  • Identify the formal (Constitutional*) and informal qualifications for the office of President.
  • Describe the process for the election of the President.
  • Describe the provisions of the 12th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, and 25th Amendments to the Constitution.
  • Describe the influence (check and balance) of the Legislative branch on the office of the Presidency.
  • Identify methods of Presidential influence and control over public opinion.
  • Assess the effects of the formal (Constitutional) and informal powers of the office of the President

Content Outline:

I.Constitutional Powers

  1. Executive Power
  2. Commander in Chief
  3. Diplomatic Power
  4. Pardons, Reprieves
  5. Additional Powers

II.Party Leadership

  1. President as Party Leader
  2. The Legislative Party

III.The Institutionalized Presidency

  1. The White House Office
  2. The Executive Office of President
  3. The Presidential Advisory System

IV.Implied Power (Imperial Presidency)

  1. Using Implied -Powers
  2. Checks on Implied Power
  3. Watergate

V.National Agenda Politics

  1. January Messages
  2. Presidential Television
  3. News Conferences
  4. Pollsters

Assignments:

  1. Unit 5 Reading Questions and Important Vocabulary
  1. Ranking the Presidents

Essay: What factors contribute to the national and international perceptions of successful presidents? Consider the following presidential ranking results in your essay.

C-SPAN (2000)

Best:Worst:

  1. Abraham Lincoln1.James Buchanan
  2. Franklin D. Roosevelt2.Andrew Johnson
  3. George Washington3.Franklin Pierce
  4. Theodore Roosevelt4.Warren G. Harding
  5. Harry S. Truman5.William Henry Harrison

Zogby International Poll (2006) (Presidential greatness scale)

John F. Kennedy – 73%

Franklin Roosevelt – 71%

Ronald Reagan – 63%

Harry S. Truman – 51%

Dwight D. Eisenhower – 47%

William J. Clinton – 45%

George H. W. Bush – 33%

James Earl Carter – 32%

George W. Bush – 31%

Lyndon B. Johnson – 20%

Gerald Ford – 17%

Richard M. Nixon – 15%

  1. Evaluating the Presidents

What factors should be considered in evaluating a president’s legacy? With a partner, construct a rubric to evaluate presidential legacies. Your rubric must iclude categories and descriptions to identify ranges of performance.

  1. Write a 6-8 page paper evaluating the effectiveness of a given president. In conducting your analysis, evaluate the president through his performance in four of the seven roles of the president outlined by Clinton Rossiter plus one additional trait or characteristic you believe is important.

Assessment:

Unit Test on the Executive Branch
Unit VI:The Judicial Branch(2 weeks)

Texts:McClenaghan, William. Magruder’s American Government. 2010 Edition, Needham, Massachusetts: 2010

Chapter 18

Content Objectives:

  • Describe the constitutional role of the courts in American government.
  • Trace the ascendancy of the Supreme Court.
  • Outline the federal court system.
  • Identify current members of the Supreme Court and their ideologies.
  • Outline the Supreme Court’s policy/decision making process.
  • Describe the politics of judicial selection.
  • Discuss the disadvantages of an interpretive body that lacks enforcement capabilities.

Content Outline:

I.Judicial Powers

  1. Statutory Interpretation
  2. Judicial Review
  3. Judicial Actions
  4. Judicial Enforcement

II.Cases in the Federal Courts

  1. The Court's Caseload
  2. Management of the Court
  3. Case Selection

III.Federal Judges and Supreme Court Justices

  1. Lower Court Nominations
  2. Supreme Court Nominations

IV.Deciding Cases

  1. Access to the Courts
  2. Judicial Restraint
  3. Judicial Activism

V.Landmark Cases and Supreme Court Impact

Assignment:

Using the website research the opinions of one current Supreme Court Justice and then decide whether you believe he or she is best labelled an activist or restrained. Also, summarize two of his or her opinions and then tell me whether you agree or disagree.

Assessment:

Unit Test on Judicial Branch

Unit VII:TheBureaucracy(3 weeks)

Texts:McClenaghan, William. Magruder’s American Government. 2010 Edition, Needham, Massachusetts: 2010

Chapter’s 15-17

Content Objectives:

  • Define the role and structural components of the bureaucracy.
  • Analyze the process used to select the bureaucracy.
  • Describe key legislation that has affected the bureaucracy.
  • Outline the bureaucracy’s relationship with the branches of government and interest groups.
  • Describe problems affecting Bureaucracy.
  • Analyze current issues facing the bureaucracy.

Content Outline:

I.The Federal Bureaucracy

  1. The Federal Structure

1.Cabinet Departments

2.Regulatory Agencies

3.Government Corporations

  1. Politics Versus Administration
  2. Empire Building

II.Running the Bureaucracy

  1. Political Executives
  2. Sub-Cabinet Officials
  3. Senior Executive Service

III.The Civil Service and Other Services

IV.Control of the Bureaucracy

  1. Creation andReorganization
  2. Appointmentof Office
  3. Authorizations
  4. Oversight
  5. The Legislative Veto

V.Presidential Control

  1. Nominations
  2. Removals
  3. Policy Direction
  4. Presidential Orders

Assignment:

Complete the guided reading / study guide regarding the jurisdiction and activities of the FCC.

Assessment:

Unit Test on Bureaucracy

Unit VIII:Political Belief and Behaviors(2 weeks)

Text:McClenaghan, William. Magruder’s American Government. 2010 Edition, Needham, Massachusetts: 2010

Chapter 6

Content Objectives:

  • Define political culture and sources of political socialization.
  • Identify influences on the development of American political culture.
  • Examine the shift from government’s “original dilemma” (liberty vs. social orders) to “current dilemma” (liberty vs. equality).
  • Compare and contrast the major American political ideological groupings.
  • Define the role of the political elite in the governing process.
  • Cite evidence and causes for mistrust of government.
  • Define political efficacy.
  • Identify the methods that measure public support of governmental policies.
  • Define political ideology and determine its impact or lack thereof on political elections.
  • List the cleavages that shape and define political attitudes.

ContentOutline:

I.Who Votes? Turnout Rates

  1. Historical Perspective
  2. Comparative Perspective
  3. National Turnouts and Democracy\

II.The Non-Voters: Who Are They?

III.Voter Registration

IV.Socioeconomic and Demographic Factors

V.The Disillusioned Electorate

VI.The Mass Media Impact

Assignment:

1. Reading Questions and Important Vocabulary

2. In groups of 3-4 students, use the data charts and tables in chapter 6 to create a political party platform reflective of the data. In your platform, create statements endorsing a point of view that reflects the data for each of the following issues:

  • flag burning
  • minimum wage
  • regulation of business
  • religious diversity
  • term limits
  • popular election of the president

Identify the issue statements that would be positively or negatively by the groups represented in the chapter 6 data.

Assessment:

Unit 8 Multiple Choice Test

Unit 8 in-class essay

Unit IX:Political Parties, Interest Groups and Elections(3 weeks)

Texts:McClenaghan, William. Magruder’s American Government. 2010 Edition, Needham, Massachusetts: 2010

Chapter’s 5-8

Content Objectives:

  • Evaluate the purposes and functions of political parties.
  • Outline the organization of political parties.
  • Identify issue-related philosophies of the Democratic and the Republican parties.
  • Trace the historical development of the American two-party system.
  • Account for the development of third parties in American history.
  • Analyze current issues and trends of political parties.
  • Account for interest groups in American politics.
  • Describe the activities of interest groups.
  • Identify the legal restraints on political action groups.
  • Identify the forms and functions of mass media.
  • Describe the roles of the media in the political process.
  • Identify the legal restraints and protections of the media.

ContentOutline: