AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
MR. CHEVALIER
UNIT ONE: CONSITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS
DURATION: SIX WEEKS
READINGS: Textbook Chapters 1-3; and the essay
"How Democratic Is America?" by Howard Zinn
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit each student will be able to:
1)Recount and analyze the 10 criticisms of American democracy
made by Howard Zinn.
2)Define and use basic terminology used in discussing different
types of democracies.
3)Discuss the 8 perceived weaknesses of the government created
by Articles of Confederation.
4)Analyze the Philadelphia Convention and discuss in detail the
main compromises included in the Constitution.
5)Define the 6 main principles of the Constitution and identify
each of the 27 Amendments to it.
6)Identify the different checks and balances included in our system
of government and discuss specific examples of those from
our history.
EVALUATION: QUIZ – Thurs./Fri., Sept. 11/12 (Chapter 1 & Zinn)
QUIZ – Tues./Wed., Sept.30/Oct. 1(Chapter 2)
QUIZ – Fri./Mon., Oct. 10/13 (Chapter 3)
TEST – Tues./Wed., Oct. 14/15 (ALL)
ASSIGNMENTS: The TWO assignments for each chapter are due on the day of the quiz for that chapter.
ASSIGNMENT #1:
Chapter 1 Key Terms:
1)government; 2) public policies; 3) 3 basic kinds of power exercised by every govt:
a)legislative; b) executive; c) judicial; 4) constitution; 5) dictatorship; 6) democracy;
7) 4 characteristics of a state: a) population; b) territory; c) sovereignty; d) government;
8) 4 theories of the origin of the state: a) force theory; b) evolution theory; c) divine right
theory; d) social contract theory; 9) 6 purposes of government as outlined in the Preamble;
10) direct democracy; 11) representative democracy; 12) autocracy; 13) oligarchy;
14) unitary government; 15) federal government; 16) confederation government;
17) presidential government; 18) parliamentary government; 19) 5 basic concepts of American democracy: a) worth of individual; b) equality; c) majority rule/minority rights; d) compromise;
e) individual freedom; 20) anarchy; 21) free enterprise system; 22) law of supply and demand;
23) mixed economy.
ASSIGNMENT #2:
Chapter 1 Questions: p. 10, Q 7.
p. 16, Q 1, 2 & 4.
p. 22, Q 1, 6 & 7..
ASSIGNMENT #3:
Chapter 2 Key Terms:
1)3 ideas about government held by colonists: a) ordered government; b) limited
government; c) representative government; 2) Magna Carta; 3) Petition of Right;
4)Bill of Rights (English); 5) charter; 6) 3 types of colonies: a) royal colonies;
a)proprietary colonies; c) charter colonies; 7) bicameral v. unicameral; 8) New
England Confederation; 9) Albany Plan of Union; 10) Stamp Act Congress;
11)First Continental Congress; 12) Second Continental Congress; 13) Declaration
of Independence; 14) 4 common features of state constitutions: a) popular sovereignty;
b) limited govt.; c) civil rights & liberties; d) separation of powers/checks & balances;
15) Articles of Confederation; 16) ratification; 17) weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation;
18) Shays’ Rebellion; 19) Mount Vernon Conference; 20) Annapolis Convention;
21) Constitutional Convention; 22) Framers; 23) “Father of the Constitution”; 24) original
purpose of Philadelphia convention; 25) Virginia Plan; 26) New Jersey Plan; 27) Connecticut Compromise; 28) 3/5 compromise; 29) commerce & slave trade compromise; 30) ratification requirement; 31) Federalists; 32) Anti-Federalists; 33) 2 major issues of opposition to the
Constitution; 34) The Federalist; 35) temporary capital city for new government.
ASSIGNMENT #4:
Chapter 2 Questions: p. 32, Q 4.
p. 39, Q 5 & 7.
p. 47, Q 5 & 6.
p. 54, Q 2, 3 & 4.
p. 58, Q 3 & 5.
ASSIGNMENT #5:
Chapter 3 Key Terms:
1) 6 basic principles of the Constitution: a) popular sovereignty; b) limited
govt.; c) separation of powers; d) checks & balances; e) judicial review;
f) federalism; 2) 4 methods of formal amendment of the Constitution;
3) the 27 Amendments; 4) 5 means of informal amendment: a) legislation;
b) executive action; c) court decisions; d) party practices; e) custom.
ASSIGNMENT #6:
Chapter 3 Questions: p. 70, Q 4 & 7.
p. 77, Q 3 & 5.
p. 82, Q 5.