ELIZABETHTOWN AREA HIGH SCHOOL
SYLLABUS
AP UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Instructor:James J. Sostack Jr.
Department:Social Studies
Length of Course:Full Year (A/B Block format)
Weight:1.20
Grade Level:11 and 12
Prerequisite:Essay evaluation and 83% in preceding Honors
Social Studies class.
Email:
Texts:
James Q. Wilson and John J. Dilulio American Government 9th Edition
Peter Woll and Stephen J. Rockwell American Government Readings and Cases 16th Ed.
Center for Civic Education We the People Constitutional Practices and Principles
Rationale, Description, and Purpose
The purpose of this course is to offer a more detailed and inclusive study of political science. The course is designed to develop student’s awareness of communities as interdependent and examine the national community as a product of human interaction and compromise. The students are encouraged to become civic-minded individuals who understand the responsibilities of citizenship. The course will prepare students for active participation in local, state, and national communities while it challenges them in their current role as students. Students will be given the opportunity to learn about government and politics firsthand, while working as interns or observing in a government-related situation, and/or the opportunity to do an independent study project to help develop their independent learning skills. There are six basic units that guide the course: Constitutional Underpinnings; Political Beliefs and Behaviors; Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media; Institutions: Congress, Presidency, Bureaucracy, Courts; Public Policy; and Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Numerous sources and references are used in instruction on these topics and there is an emphasis on direct student engagement in the learning process. All students will be adequately prepared for the Advanced Placement Examination on Government and Politics.
Content, Scope, and Sequence
This course focuses on six basic units that will give students a deeper understanding of the United States government. Each unit is designed to give a comprehensive overview of a particular aspect of United States government. In addition, students will be asked to complete the We the People Constitutional principles and practices program and compete in the Pennsylvania State Finals. Further, there is an enrichment unit in which students will complete units on Microeconomics and Macroeconomics
Course Study and Readings
1.Constitutional Underpinnings of American Democracy
(Block Time: 7 Days) Chapters 1,2,3 (*17)
a.Federalism
b.Separation of powers
c.Considerations that influence formulation and adoption of the Constitution
d.Theories of democratic government
American Government and Readings by Woll and Rockwell 16th Ed.
John Locke’s Second Treatise of Civil Government
John P. RocheThe Founding Fathers: A Reform Caucus in Action
Charles A. Beard. Framing the Constitution
James Madison Federalist 47, 48, 51
Alexander Hamilton Federalist 16, 44
Morton Grodzins The Federal System
James Bryce The Merits of the Federal System
4 Wheaton 316 McCulloch v. Maryland
United States v. Morrison
Courtroom in the Classroom Seymour v. Hulcomb (2006)
Welfare Reform Simulation: AFDC – TANF Close UP Foundation
2.Political Beliefs and Behaviors of Individuals
(Block Time: 11 Days) Chapters 4,5,6
a.Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders
b.Processes by which citizens learn about politics
c.The nature, sources, and consequences of public opinion
d.The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in
political life.
e.The variety of factors which influence citizens to differ from one
another in terms of their political beliefs and behaviors.
American Government and Readings by Woll and Rockwell 16th Ed.
Benjamin Ginsberg and Martin Shefter Politics by Other Means
V O Key Jr. The Responsible Electorate
The Economist Empty Vessels – Alexis de Tocqueville
Interact: Election Simulation
Social Security Reform Simulation
3.Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media
(Block Time: 11 Days) Chapters 7,8,9,10
a.Political Parties
(i)Functions
(ii)Organizations
(iii)Historical development
(iv)Effects on the political process
b.Interest Groups (including PACs)
(i)The range of interests that are or are not represented
(ii)The activities of interest groups
(iii)The effects of interest groups on the political process
(iv)The unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the
political process
c.The Mass Media
(i)The functions and structures of the media
(ii)The impact of media on politics
American Government Readings and Cases by Woll and Rockwell 16th Ed.
James Madison Federalist 10
E.E. Schattschneider Party Government
Martin P. Wattenberg Perspectives on American Political Parties
David R. Mayhew Divide We Govern
David B. Truman The Governmental Process
Larry J. Sabato The Misplaced Obsession with PACs
California Democratic Party et al v. Jones, Secretary of State of California,
Buckley v. Valeo
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002: The Constitutional Challenge
McConnell v. Federal Election Commission United States Supreme Court 2003
Bradley A. Smith Unfree Speech: The future of Regulatory “Reform”
Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Orstein Myths and Realities about the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
4.The Congress, the Presidency,and the Federal Courts: Institutions and Policy Processes
(Block Time: 26 Days) Chapters 11, 12, (*13), 14 (*20)
a.The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of powers
b.Relationships among these three institutions and varying balances of power
c.Linkages between institutions and the following:
(i)Public opinion and votes
(ii)Interest groups
(iii)Political parties
(iv)The media
(v)Sub-national governments
d.Policy processes and outputs
e.Policy making in a federal system
American Government and Readings by Woll and Rockwell 16th Ed.
James Madison Federalist 53, 56, 57,58,62,63
Woodrow Wilson Congressional Government (1885)
Lawrence C. Dodd Congress and the Quest for Power
Edmund Burke Speech to the Electors of Bristol
Richard E. Fenno Jr. If, as Ralph Nader Say, Congress Is “The Broken Branch,”
How Come We Love Our Congressmen So Much?
Alexander Hamilton Federalist 70
Clinton Rossiter The Presidency: Focus on Leadership
Richard Neustadt Presidential Power
Thomas E Cronin and Michael A. Genovese Presidential Paradoxes
James David Barber The Presidential Character
Sidney M. Milkis The Presidency and Political Parties
David Brooks How to Run for President
Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company v. Sawyer (1951)
Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States (1935)
United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp. (1936)
United States v. Nixon (1974)
Ex Parte Merryman (1861)
Ex Parte Milligan 71. U.S. 2 (1866)
Ex Parte Quirin (1942)
Hamdi v. Runsfeld United States Supreme Court (2004)
Alexander Hamilton Federalist 78
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
John P. Roche Judicial Self-Restraint
William J. Brennan, Jr How the Supreme Court Arrives at Decisions
5.Public Policy and the Federal Bureaucracy
(Block Time: 10 Days) Chapters 13, 15 (*16)
a.Policy making in a federal system
b.The formation of policy agendas within the bureaucracy
c.The role of institutions in the enactment of policy
d.The role of the bureaucracy and the courts in policy
implementation and interpretation.
Linkages between policy processes and the following:
(i)Political institutions and federalism
(ii)Political parties
(iii)Interest groups
(iv)Public opinion
(v)Elections
(vi)Policy networks
American Government Readings and Cases by Woll and Rockwell 16th Ed.
Peter Woll The Constitutional Democracy and Bureaucratic Power
James Q. Wilson The Rise of the Bureaucratic State
6.Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
(Block Time: 5 Days) Chapters 18 and 19
a.The development of civil liberties and civil rights by judicial
(i)First Amendment freedoms
(ii)The rights of the accused
(iii)Minority groups and women
b.Knowledge of substantive rights and liberties
c.The Impact of the Fourteenth Amendment on the constitutional
development of rights and liberties
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Constitutional Liberty and the Right to Abortion
Chief Justice William Rehnquist Liberty, Privacy, and the Right in Abortion
Note: We the People Constitutional Competition Readings
Supreme Court Cases: We the People Competition
Courtroom in the Classroom Series:
Terror Detainees Denied Access to U.S. Courts April 2007
D.C. ‘s Handgun Restrictions Violate Second Amendment (April 2007)
Phone Taps Ok for Calls Placed Outside Court’s Juridiction (April 2007)
Warrantless Search for University Dorm Room (February 2007)
Random searches of NY Subway Riders Constitutional (Nov. 2006)
Strip Search Did Not Violate Juveniles Rights (Nov. 2006)
Stadium “Pat Down” of All Spectators was Unlawful (October 2006)
Drug Raid of Wrong Dorm Room (October 2006)
Entrapment Defense Not Available to Internet Predator (October 2006)
7.Economic Policy: Macroeconomics/International Economics
(Block Time: 3 Days) Chapter 16
a.Microeconomic Principles
b.Macroeconomic Practices
(i)Monetary Policy
(ii)Fiscal Policy
(iii)Keynesian vs. Supply-Side principles
c.Foundations of International Economics
We the People Competition Team: Center for Civic Education
(Block Time 5 Days)
Students will compete in the State Finals of We the People Competition held in Philadelphia during the month of December. Working in unit teams, students will answer the required state exam questions and prepare for a six minute discussion with the competition judges. Team members are accountable for all content in the six units.
Units of Study:
Unit One:What are the Philosophical and Historical Foundations of the
American Political System?
Unit Two:How Did the Framers Create the Constitution?
Unit Three:How Did the Values and Principles Embodied in the Constitution
Shape American Institutions and Practices?
Unit Four:How Have the Protections of the Bill of Rights Been Developed and
and Expanded?
Unit Five:What Rights Does the Bill of Rights Protect?
Unit Six:What Are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy?
Grading:Percentage grading is in accordance with the adopted school policy.
Assessment tools such as rubrics will be given prior to projects. Tests,
quizzes, multimedia projects, videos, classroom assignments, and
homework will be weighted. The following are required assessment:
A.Analyzing and evaluating charts, graphs, data and political cartoons, pertaining to U.S. government and politics.
B.Identifying and discussing specific political processes, ideologies
and constitutional concepts.
C.Analyzing and synthesizing data in a free-response essay.
D.Analyzing and interpreting data in a stimulus-response essay
E.Identifying key concepts of U.S. government and politics in
multiple-choice questions.
F.Analyzing and synthesizing data in a research paper format
G.Participating in a role play and debates
H.Participating in an Internship program in the community or working independently on a seminar paper.
Extra credit may not exceed 5% of a student’s grade and will not be assigned the last week of the marking period but rather during the semester. Homework is graded and assessed as part of the student’s overall grade. Arrangements for make up exams must be completed within five days following an absence. All make up work must be completed within two days of absence. Late work will be assessed 20% deduction for each day.
B.The Internship will give students the opportunity to participate in a real-world
experience in government and politics and serve the community as part of their
educational process. The Internship will occur after the Advanced Placement
Examination in May. Students participating in the Internship will be placed with
appropriate community sponsors depending on their area of interest. The duties
of the students assigned to an Internship site will vary depending upon the needs
of the community sponsor. The Interns will devote a minimum 5 hours per week,
which includes instructor/student meetings. They will serve these hours either
after school and/or on weekends. No salary is involved. Students will receive a
project grade based upon evaluations by both the sponsors and the instructor.
Placements may be subject to an interview process.
C.Students not participating in an internship will be given an independent study
project in order to enhance their learning about government and politics and also
to learn independence and time-management skills. The project and topic will be
chosen in conjunction with the instructor. Students will be required to meet a
minimum of two hours every week with the instructor to show their progress.
The culminating activity will be a research paper of no less than 10 pages. The
paper should represent an original idea and students are encouraged to consult
a variety of sources.
Instructional Techniques:
A.Differentiated instructional goals will be emphasized.
B.A variety of instructional techniques will be used including
cooperative group, simulations, inquiry questioning, discussion,
independent research, work-related experience, We the People
Constitutional Scholars competition.
C.Emphasis will be placed on the use of diversified documentary
materials drawn from sources such as newspapers, magazines, books,
or web sites. Other sources of materials can include maps, graphs,
charts, political cartoons, statistical data, community experience and
other related sources. These resources will enhance the students
understanding of the material and prepare them for the Advanced
Placement Examination.
Recommendations for success:
Take good class and assignment notes
Read the newspaper, internet news, and news magazines
Watch the television news and talk shows frequently (i.e. nightly news,
Meet the Press, Frontline, This Week, CNN, CSPAN, etc.)
Passive learning is not recommended! Express your views on events
and issues related to our political culture. Your opinion is important but
be sure to listen to the opinions of others with an open mind. Respect the
right of others to express their opinion. You can always “agree to
disagree”!
Websites of Interest:
CNN – Cable News Network
C-Span – Public Affairs Coverage
USA Today – National News, often has great charts and graphs.
Roll Call – Plug into Congress Online! What the insiders read
The Hill – More Washington reporting
The New York Times – Need I say more?
The Washington Post – The second best paper in America!
Newsweek – Terrific national news magazine. Political focus
Congressional Quarterly – various political issues, good for research
THOMAS – The official website of the Congress of the United States.
A massive site with information galore and tones of links
to other government sites.
Library of Congress Home Page
Fed World – A world of information and links about the Federal
Government. Key word searchable.
The White House – Get the spin from the Bush household!
Proposed Learning Activities
We the People Competition Team
Internship with state and/or local legislator
Research trip to Washington DC: Law and the Supreme Court
Student Voices Program: Pennsylvania Government
Student Governmental Affairs Program
Center for Congress
Fantasy Congress
Simulations