Ms. Nielsen

South Pasadena High School

2016-2017

Advanced Placement American Government & Politics

Unit I: Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government

Overview

The study of modern politics in the United States requires grounding in the Constitutional underpinnings of its government. In this unit, students examine the kind of government the Constitution established with particularattentiontofederalism and the separation of powers. Understanding these developments involves both knowledge of the historical situation at the time of the Constitutional Convention and a grasp of the ideological and philosophical traditions on which the framers drew.

Essential Questions

 What are the fundamental ideas underlying democratic theory?

What is political power, and how is it actually distributed in the U.S.?

 Has the federal government excessively encroached on state authority?

v Does federalism enhance effectiveness in government, or does it inhibit effectiveness in government?v Is the U.S. Constitution “broken”? Why or why not?v How can the U.S. Constitution be improved to address 21st century problems?

Topics and Text (Wilson) readings

  1. Theories of democratic government (Ch. 1, pp. 2-15)
  2. Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution

(Ch. 2, pp. 16-41)

  1. Separation of Powers (Ch. 2, pp. 30-47)
  2. Federalism (Ch. 3, pp. 48-74)

Reading assignments (pages and due dates)

Reading#DayOdd Even PagesTopic

148/268/293-15Democracy and power

258/308/3113Initiative process

369/019/0216-27Creation of the Const.

479/069/0728-37Issues re: the Const.

589/089/09A26-A29Federalist #51

699/129/1337-47Const. issues part 2

7119/169/19handout ERA case study

8119/169/1949-54 Intro to federalism

9129/209/2155-59Fed/ism & sovereignty

10139/229/2359-65Federal-State relations

11149/269/2765-74Federal aid; devolution

121510/0110/02articleMotives of the framers

Key Terms/VocabularySee separate lists and definitions

Terms will be used/discussed in class and included on quizzes/test

Key Constitutional Clauses quiz: Class #15 (9/28 or 9/29)

Vocab quiz: Class #18 (10/06 or 10/07)

Supreme Court CasesMarbury v. Madison (individual; due class #10) (9/14 or 9/15)

McCulloch v. Maryland (group 1; due class #12) (9/20 or 9/21)

Barron v. Baltimore (group 2; due class #14) (9/26 or 9/27)

Case StudyThe Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Reading and class debate

Due: Class #11 (9/16 or 9/19)

Free Response QuestionIn-class practice

Class #15 (9/28 or 9/29)

Article ReviewRichard Hofstadter, The American Political Tradition

Reading due: Class #15 (9/28 or 9/29)

Paper due: Class #16 (9/30 or 10/03)

Inquiry ProjectNew Constitutional Convention: How can we improve the U.S. Constitution?

Two Constitutional proposals due: Class #13 (9/22 or 9/23)

Team planning and presentation time: Class #16-18 (9/30-10/06 or 10/03-10/07)

Key Constitutional ClausesClass #15 (9/28 or 9/29)

Quiz

Unit Vocabulary QuizClass #18 (10/06 or 10/07)

Unit Test 30 multiple-choice items

2 free response questions

Class #19 (10/10 or 10/11)

Unit Test review/scoringClass #20 (10/12 or 10/13)

Make Up Test1 FRQ

10/13 at lunch (all classes)

Mandatory make up time for anyone who is absent for test