AP Government and Politics Syllabus

AP Government and Politics Syllabus

IrmoHigh School

InternationalSchool for the Arts

U.S. Government - AP

2015-2016

Teacher’s Name: Ms. Lisa Boulware Room Number: 3010-West Wing

Email: Website: accessible from IHS website

Phone: 803 – 476 -3088

I. Course Description

*This syllabus may be re-ordered at any time due to current events.

AP government is an introduction of the US national government in which the students learn the basic concepts of our government as well as an analysis of the process of governing. As stated in our main textbook, James Wilson’s American Government, in this course we will examine who governs, who influences government policy creation, and to what end.

AP Government is offered to all interested seniors. Students who enroll in this course will also be enrolled in the Honors Economics course. Because AP government is team taught with Honors Economics, creation of financial policy and the budget will be discussed primarily in economics but concepts and information will be applied in each class. These courses are team taught the entire school year. Students who are successful will earn a half unit of credit in each of these state required courses. Because the State funds the AP courses and exams, all AP Government students must take the AP exam in May. Scores of 3,4 or 5 are credited by all public universities and colleges in state. Each unit will include the standards established by the State.

  1. Instructional Goals

Students in the AP class will be tested periodically on their understandings and analysis of maps, graphs, and charts for the unit in which these were used. For example, in Unit V and VI, students will analyze graphs comparing data of demographics of population, registration to vote, and number of people who do vote. Assessment will include the students’ ability to answer the Essential Questions and link the knowledge with other unit information.

Students will also be quizzed for understanding of unit vocabulary and assigned readings for each unit. Unit tests will include multiple choice questions that are factual and conceptual in format, as well as short answer questions. Unit assessment will also include responses to free-response timed essays as used in the AP exam in May.

Course Standards: Standards can be found at:

  1. Fees & Explanation

A fee of $6.00 is assessed for consumable supplies.

IV. Textbooks, Supplemental Materials, and Supplemental Reading(S)

James Q. Wilson and John J. Dilulio, Jr. American Government, 9th ed., Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

Peter Woll, American Government: Readings and Cases, 16th ed., Pearson Longman, 2006.

William Lasser, Perspectives on American Politics, 4th ed., Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

The Woll and Lasser compilation of readings includes original documents such as the Federalist Papers. Students will be required to read Federalist Papers as appropriate for the units. Articles appropriate to the units will be included in the required readings for the units.

Current publications: Newsweek, The Forum by Students in Government, assigned articles from The State, New York Times, and /or Washington Post, and news programs such as Washington Week in Review and Face the Nation will be included as supplemental sources for this course.

Possible supplemental readings:

Cecil V. Crabb, Jr., Invitation to Struggle: Congress, The President, and Foreign Policy, CQ Press, 1992.

Louis Fisher, The Politics of Shared Power, CQ Press.

  1. Other Requirements

Students are responsible for fulfilling 10 hours of Community Service for the AP Government Class.

This service is due at the end of the semester and must be with a non-profit organization. This will

Count as 10% of their 2nd/4th quarter grade. Students must meet the requirements set forth on the

community service sheet in order to receive credit. This sheet can be found on my website.

  1. Instructional Organization

Unit I: What is government and the political culture of the United States?

Students will be asked to:

  • Explain the development of basic principles from England through the Colonial period.
  • Compare the view of the four elite theories of government.
  • Discuss how political power is achieved and can shift through time and circumstances.

Required Readings: Wilson – Chapter 1, 2(pgs. 17-22), 4

Woll - #1 by Locke “Second Treatise on Civil Government”

Additional Readings as assigned

Unit II: The Constitutional Framework

Students will be able to:

  • Explain and analyze the basic concepts that define the American political system.
  • Explain the effect of the political culture on the development of the Constitution.
  • Explain the basic principles of how power is organized and distributed in the American political system.

Resources: Wilson – Chapter 2

Woll- Roche “The Founding Fathers: a reform caucus in action”

Beard- “Framing the Constitution”

Madison – Federalist Papers 10,47,48,51

Additional readings as assigned

Unit III: Federalism

Students will be able to:

  • Explain the delicate give and take of a federal system of government based on politics, institutions, and components
  • Compare the different types of federalism developed since 1900
  • Predicts which type of grant-in-aid different groups prefer and why
  • Assess the federal system’s ability to deal with domestic needs/crisis
  • Assess the role of the Supreme Court in defining a federal system of government

Required Readings: Wilson- Chapter 3

Constitutional Article I, section 8,9,10

Article IV, Amendment 10

Woll- Hamilton- Federalist Papers 16,17

Madison – Federalist Paper 39

Grodzin- The Federal System

D. Broder- A Republic Subverted

Lasser-Bowman- American Federalism on the Horizon (2002)

Additional Readings and Court Cases:

US v MorrisonMcCulloch v MD

Heart of Atlanta Motel v USGarcia v S.A.M.T.A.

US v Morrison (2000)US v Lopez (1995)

New LondonConn. V Kelo (2005)

Video: The Constitution: That Delicate Balance – Federal v State

Unit IV: Creating Public Policy

Students will be able to:

  • Identify the elites who participate in policy creation
  • Explain the process of policy creation in the 20th century
  • Assess the influence of interest groups, media and politics on policy creation
  • Explain the impact of national security on public policy creation

Resources: Wilson- Chaper 15, Lasser – “Nine Misconceptions about Social Security” by D.Baker

Unit V: Popular Sovereignty at work (political ideology)

Students will be able to:

  • Define and explain political efficacy in the last 40 years of elections
  • Use data from graphs/charts to determine alignments and realignments of political ideologies

Required Reading:Wilson – Chapter 5

Woll-Madison- Federalist Paper #10

Berelson, Lazarfield, Mcphee – Democratic Practice

Key – The Responsible Electorate #38

Schattschneider – Party Government

Mayhew- Divided We Govern

Analysis of data based on information from most recent elections. This data will include demographics on voters/non-voters and political party identification.

Unit VI: Popular Sovereignty at work ( the election process)

Students will be able to:

  • Compare and contrast the impact of the primary and caucus system on the election process
  • Assess the role of the media in the election process
  • Compare the role of money in a congressional verses a presidential campaign
  • Explain the basis for and the impact of the Campaign Finance Act of 1974 and the BiPartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 of on presidential elections. Include the impact of the 2008 presidential election on past campaign finance reforms.
  • Evaluate the US election process based on the basic principles of popular sovereignty and representative democracy.

Required Reading:Wilson-Chapter 6,7,8,9,12(pgs. 334, 336-337)

Woll-Truman- The Government Process

Myths and Realities about BCRA of 2002

Key- Theory of Critical Elections

Lasser-Schattschneider-“The Scope and Bias of the Pressure System”

Cigler & Loomis- “Always Involved, Rarely Central: Organized

Interests in American Politics”

Goldberg- “Bias”

Chait- “Victim Politics”

Additional Readings and Supreme Court Cases:

Buckley v Valeo

McConnell v Federal Election Commission

Video: Frontline’s Washington’s Other Scandal

Charts and graphs concerning the recent Electoral College and popular votes by state will be examined with this unit. Cartoon interpretation and application will also be included with this unit.

Unit VII: Congress and the Creation of Domestic Policy: the eternal struggle for power

Students will be able to:

  • Identify and explain the power of the key congressional positions.
  • Assess the democratization of the Congress with the ability to make law.
  • Explain the political power associated with gerrymandering.
  • Compare and contrast the two chambers in the Congress.
  • Critique the power of the political party in the two chambers since 1960’s
  • Apply the terms gridlock, Gang of 14, boll weevil Democrat (and others as appropriate) to Congressional action
  • Explain the power of the non-legislative roles of the Congress in forming public policy
  • Interpret political cartoons applied to Congress and congressional actions

Required Reading: Wilson-Chapter 11

Woll-Madison’s Federalist Papers 47,48,51

Dodd-Congress and the Quest for Power

Mayhew- Congress and the Electoral Connection

Federalist #57

Lasser- Hebbing & James T. Smith – What the American Public Wants Congress to Be (2001)

Cohn- Dr. Feelgood (2003)

Davidson & Oleszek –Domestic Policy Making (1994)

Supreme Court Cases:Reynolds v SimsWesberry v Sanders

Shaw v RenoMiller v Johnson

Gomillion v LightfootMcCulloch v Maryland

Chadha v INS

Clinton et al. v New York et al. (1998)

Video: The Power Game- Congress

Demographics of Congress will be analyzed with this unit.. Cartoons will be included for analysis also.

Students may apply information to a brief study of the Congress and Fast Track legislation during the Clinton presidency and the GW Bush presidency; Congress and the immigration issue; Congress and national health care/prescription drug issue; Congress and social security reform; Congress and national education reform

Unit VIII: The President and the Executive Branch and the Creation of Domestic Policy: the eternal struggle for power

Students will be able to:

  • Explain the rule of propinquity
  • Explain the iron triangle
  • Describe the president’s ability to create and implement domestic policy
  • Assess whether the president’s formal or informal powers allow greater power of action
  • Evaluate the independence of the bureaucracy
  • Assess the impact of public opinion on presidential ability to implement policy or change of policy

Required Reading: Wilson- chapter 12, 13

Woll- Hamilton-Federalist paper #70

Cronin- Presidential paradoxes

Wilson- The Rise of the Bureaucratic State

Unit IX: Congress and the President: Shared Power and the Creation of Foreign Policy

Students will be able to:

  • Compare and contrast the constitutional power of the Congress and the presidency in the creation and implementation of foreign policy
  • Explain the appropriation and budgetary process for military and diplomatic measures
  • Describe and assess the congressional attempts to control presidential power in military and diplomatic roles
  • Compare and contrast US basic principles as applied in foreign policy
  • Explain the paradigms of policy analysis that have affected the creation of US foreign policy
  • Assess the impact of the media/press on creation of foreign policy

Required reading: Wilson- Chapter 20

Woll- the Constitutional Presidency and Emergency Powers

Fisher- Shared Powers

Crabb- An Invitation to Struggle

Unit X: The Judiciary______

Students will be able to:

  • Explain the process for federal judge selection incorporating the informal requirements of a president in comparison to the requirements of the Senate
  • Summarize the impact of selected Supreme Court decisions since 1950’s
  • Compare and contrast the judicially active and judicially restrained courts
  • Explain the importance of opinions and the numerical vote of the Supreme Court
  • Evaluate the Supreme Court’s ability to create public policy and the impact of these policy changes
  • Interpret applied political cartoons based on judicial action

Required Reading: Wilson- Chapter 14

Woll-Hamilton-Federalist #78

Roche- Judicial Self-Restraint

Brennan-How the Court Arrives at a Decision

Lasser-Greenhouse-Beyond Bush & Gore

Unit XI: The Power of the Courts: Rights and Liberties _

Required readings: Wilson-Chapter 18,19

Woll- Free reading of chapter 3, #74,76,78,79,80

Videos: American South Comes of Age

Profiles of Freedom (Tinker, Mergens, Texas v Johnson, and Miranda)

  1. Course Grading Policies, Assessments, & Procedures

Grading Procedures:

85% of each 9-week period’s grade will be determined by a simple average of major assignments – including unit tests, written essay responses, and selected projects. 5% of the grade will be earned through completion of all minor assignments including quizzes and homework. 10% of the grade will be earned through community service.

Late Work:

Assignments are due at the beginning of the period designated. Those turned in at the end of the class period will be subject to late penalties. Homework and class work will not be accepted late. Major assignments will be penalized 10 points for everyday late including week-ends.

IMPORTANT! Progress Reports:

Parents and students should note that POWERSCHOOL (parent portal) will NOT reflect accurate grades due to the logistics of the course schedule. As a consequence, the grades shown on traditional report cards will be inaccurate. I will give students a printed progress report reflecting accurate grades at the interim and quarter marks. These progress reports should be returned to me with a parent signature. Parents and students should also note that due to the logistics of the course, the interim and quarter dates will not correspond with the dates in the school calendar. Rather, the first interim for this course will end at the posted first quarter. The first quarter for this course will end at the end of the posted first semester. Spreadsheets will be posted in the classroom on a regular basis (by student number) so that students will always be aware of their grade.

  1. Absences and Make-Up Policies

Students will be permitted to make-up work missed due to an absence. If the student misses 1 day, the make-up work must be completed within 2 school days. If the student misses 2 or more consecutive days, the make-up work must be completed with 5 school days. If circumstances dictate that the material which had been missed requires more time to be made up, the teacher will have the discretion to extend the deadline.

Students who miss a test, quiz, or other class work due to an absence will need to make up the work after school or at a time agreed upon with the teacher within five days of returning to school. If at all possible, a test or other major assignment missed due to a prearranged absence should be completed before the absence occurs.

Students are strongly encouraged to record all assignments, dates, and grades. Absent students are expected to contact the teacher or a classmate to collect the assignments they miss. Ultimately, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all work, especially assignments missed due to an absence, is completed in a timely manner.

  1. Academic Assistance and Suggestions for Success

Academic Assistance is available Thursday after school or by appointment. Students should read all assigned readings in order to be successful in the AP classroom. The formation of student study groups is highly recommended when preparing for tests.

  1. Classroom Management Plan / Classroom Expectations

Class Expectations:

  1. To come prepared to each class with all materials needed to succeed.
  2. Complete 10 hours of community service
  3. To complete all assigned readings
  4. Students are expected to wear IDs at all times

Class Rules:

  1. Follow all rules in the Irmo Handbook
  2. Treat fellow classmates/teacher with respect
  3. Follow all technology rules posted

Consequences:

  1. Verbal warning
  2. Notice of Concern
  3. parent phone call
  4. Discipline referral

Technology Expectations:

  1. Cell phones are not allowed out in class and will be confiscated.
  2. Ipads are not to be out unless instructed to do so.
  3. Ipads are to remain flat on desks at all times during class.
  4. Students must use only websites approved by teacher for classroom instruction.
  5. Music on Ipads and cell phones will not be allowed during instruction.
  6. Students should not leave Ipads unattended.
  1. Honor Code

In order to foster an environment of mutual trust & respect, we believe, within the community of School District 5 of LexingtonRichland counties, each individual should accept the personal responsibility to exhibit & promote academic & social integrity. The Academic Honesty Policy is being implemented to ensure that students submit credible work that is evident of their content mastery. Students should be totally honest in their dealings with others. They should complete their own work and be evaluated based upon its originality. They should avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct.

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AP Government and Politics Course Syllabus

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