Mr. Harrington

AP Government and Politics: US

Unit Title: Constitutional Underpinnings

Unit Length: 15 Days

Text Chapters: 1 & 2

* Indicates online assignment (Included in online textbook)

Day / Lesson / Assignment / Homework (pages in text)
August 13th / Introduction to Course, Syllabus,
What is Government? / Read: 1.1, 1.3
14th / What is Government? & Analyzing the Various purposes of government / *What is the Purpose of Government? (1.2)
*Your Turn: What do you think the purpose of government is? (1.3) / Read: 1.4,
15th / The Road to the Revolution
Quiz Over: 1.1, 1.3, 1.4) / Read: 1.5
18th / The Articles of Confederation / Pages1.6
19st / Figuring out the Constitution: The Plans / * The Great Divide (1.8) / Read 1.7
20th / Constitution Framework and Fundamentals
Quiz Over: 1.5, 1.6, 1.7) / *Poll:What do you think is the most important principle rooted in the Constitution? (1.9)
*Poll: In your opinion, which of the following is the most important part of the Constitution? (1.10)
*The US Constitution (1.11) / Read: 1.9 &1.10
21st / Amending the Constitution /
  1. *Poll: The Founding Fathers made it difficult to amend the Constitution. What is your view of the amendment process? (1.12)
  2. *Till We Have Suffrage: The Amendment (1.14)
/ Read: 1.12
22nd / Selling the Constitution /
  1. *Your Turn: In your opinion, what is the most important individual freedom guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and why? (1.13)
  2. *Still your turn: What is the least important individual freedom guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, and why? (1.13)
/ Read1.13, 1.15
25th / Federalism: Dual, Cooperative,Coercive, & New Federalism
Quiz Over 1.12,1.13,1.15 / *The State of Gay Marriage (1.16)
Federalist #10: Homework questions due / Read: 2.4, 2.6, 2.8
26th / Federalism: Power Shifts / *Hammer v Dagenhart (2.5) / Read2.9, 2.11, 2.12
27st / Contemporary Federalism / *U.S v Darby (2.7)
* Poll:Do you think the federal government should be able to withhold funding from your school if it does not meet federal testing standards under the No Child Left Behind Act? (2.8) / Read: 2.13, 2.14
28th / Strengths and Weaknesses of Federalism
Quiz Over 2.9, 2.11, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14 / *Poll: Do you think you have the right to health care? (2.9)
*U.S v Lopez (2.10) / Read: 2.15, 2.17, 2.19
29th / Review /
  • *What do you think about the current balance of power between the federal government and the states? Should the federal government have more power or less power? Explain your answer. (2.11)
  • Your turn: Why do you think the anti-Federalists published their essays anonymously while the authors of theFederalist Papersincluded their names? (2.15)
  • Poll: Do you think the federal government today has too much power, has about the right amount of power, or has too little power?

Sept. 2nd / Unit Test: M/C /
  • Visions of Federalism Danced in their Heads (2.16)

3rd / Written Examination
2 Current Event Articles Due

Chapter 1 Vocabulary

Part 1

  1. Martial law
  2. Sovereignty
  3. Constitution
  4. Confederation
  5. Republic
  6. Democracy
  7. Ratification

Part 2

  1. Bicameral
  2. Bill of Rights
  3. Direct election
  4. Enumerated powers
  5. Due Process
  6. Full Faith and Credit Clause
  7. Supremacy Clause

Chapter 2 Vocabulary

Part 1

  1. Double Security
  2. Commerce Clause
  3. Grants-in Aid
  4. Unfunded mandates
  5. Republican Revolution
  6. Devolution

Part 2

  1. Government Corporation
  2. Policy Capacity
  3. Deregulation
  4. Block grants
  5. Categorical grants

Current Event Topics: Need 2 Articles by September 3rd

Amending the Constitution

Federalism: Division of power among national and state governments

Checks and Balances

Globalization (must involve our government)

State’s Rights

Majoritarian model of democracy

Pluralist Model of Democracy

Separation of Powers