A.P. Government and PoliticsHladky

Summer Assignments

Essential History – Please be ready for an assessment on the attached 25 questions on the first day of school.

Summer Reading:

Obtain and read The Cycles of American History by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. (Mariner Books, 1999). Copies are available at Amazon or the library. Read the essays entitled “The Theory of America, Experiment or Destiny?” and “The Cycles of American Politics.” and “Foreign Policy and the American Character.” Use these and articles from news sources plus your knowledge of history, politics, and current events to respond to the following question in essay form.

Essay Question:

Do the economic, political, and social developments(consider both foreign and domestic) in the United Statessince 1999 prove or disprove Schlesinger’s cyclical theory? Provide evidence from at least six recent or current event articles to support your response.

Consider the questions below to help you respond to the prompt fully. You do NOT need to answer these questions separately.

  1. Explain and evaluate Schlesinger’s two “conceptions of America” in both a historical and current context. What is their relationship with his cyclical theory?
  2. Summarize Schlesinger’s theory on the cycles of American history/politics and analyze it in the light of Henry Adams’ and his father’s theories on the same topic. Don’t forget to explain the causes and structure of the cycles.
  3. Describe and analyze the theory of acceleration of change, making sure to include the cyclical anomaly that occurred in the 1990s. How do you think the theory applies today and in the future?
  4. How does the cyclical relationship in foreign policy differ from that of politics?
  5. What is your take on the national mood today? As you follow the political campaigns of those who compete for positions of national leadership, what messages do you hear? How does this inform your sense of the period we’re in now and the timing of the next shift?
  6. Which of the two approaches does Schlesinger prescribe for the United States going forward? Do you agree or disagree with him? Explain, using historical and current examples to support your response.

This assignment should not take more than 8 hours to complete

Double-spaced and typewritten in 12 point font, word count provided

Provide internal citations using MLA format

Include MLA works cited for current events article and any other sources used

Essay is due the first day of class. Failure to hand in at that time may result in being dropped from class.

Other important things to know and do:

  • Get a subscription to a major daily newspaper like the Economist, New York Times, or the Wall Street Journal. Keeping up with current events is required for this course. Start reading over the summer.
  • All students enrolled in this class MUST take the Advanced Placement Examination
  • If you have any questions please contact me at:

Future questions

Explain to what extent cyclical theory applies differently to foreign and domestic policy. In which sphere is Schlesinger’s argument stronger? Support your response with details from multiple essays and provide in-text citations.

  1. In the forward to the Mariner edition, Schlesinger writes that “The Cold War is over. Communism, like fascism before it, is extinct. Democracy has prevailed over totalitarianism, the market over the command economy.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? What implications does this have for the United States’ foreign and economic policy for the next 20 years?
  2. Summarize and evaluate Schlesinger’s argument on the relationship between democracy and leadership.

A.P. Government and PoliticsHladky

Essential History Questions

Your success in Advanced Placement Government and Politics depends on a firm grasp of United States History. While I am sure that most of you are well prepared in this area, ALL students should review this “essential history” list to make sure they are on solid ground when we begin our work in the fall.

I have prepared a series of questions which you should be comfortable answering or discussing. If you are not comfortable with any of the following questions, you should obtain a history textbook from me or get some other supplementary source materials and do some reading over the summer. Please be ready for an assessment on the following 25 questions on the first day of school.

  1. Was the American Revolution truly revolutionary?
  2. Does the “Revolution of 1800” (the election of Jefferson) deserve its title?
  3. What were the three most significant decisions handed down by Chief Justice John Marshall? Defend your selections.
  4. Be prepared to discuss the philosophical and policy differences of Jefferson and Hamilton.
  5. Was Jacksonian Democracy effective in popularizing our political system?
  6. Can you describe the evolving nature of our federal system leading up to the Civil War? Beyond?
  7. Can you discuss the political implications of land acquisition and settlement during the pre-Civil War era?
  8. Was Reconstruction a success or a failure?
  9. Why was the South strongly Democratic until the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960’s?
  10. Can you describe the rise and the fall of the populist movement?
  11. Can you discuss the relationship between business consolidation, worker unrest, and government inaction?
  12. What was the significance of the election of 1912?
  13. Did the Progressive Movement correct the excesses of the Gilded Age?
  14. What is the relationship between European immigration and machine politics?
  15. How does the Panama Canal illustrate the challenges and triumphs of the United States at the turn of the 20th century?
  16. Can you discuss the social cleavages which arose following World War I?
  17. Was the New Deal an unnecessary intervention in the American economy?
  18. Can you name at least one important way that Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, T.R., FDR, Johnson, and Reagan expanded the powers of the chief executive?
  19. Can you describe the rise and fall of Joe McCarthy?
  20. Can you describe the origins and manifestations of containment policy?
  21. Can you discuss the radicalization of the Civil Rights Movement?
  22. Was the Great Society foiled by Vietnam?
  23. Was the Reagan Revolution truly revolutionary?
  24. How did the South and Midwest become “Red States”?
  25. How effectively has the United States responded to the challenges of globalization?