Agbu Manoogian-Demirdjian School

Agbu Manoogian-Demirdjian School

AGBU MANOOGIAN-DEMIRDJIAN SCHOOL

COLLEGE PREP U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS/ECONOMICS SYLLABUS

Instructor: Mrs. R. Bedrossian

Room 216

COURSE TEXT

Government Alive! Power, Politics, and You; Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

Econ Alive! The Power to Choose; Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

COURSE DESIGN

The College Prep United States Government and Politics course is a one-semester course, designed to teach students something about how people behave politically, and about the design of the American political system; that is, how the system is structured and how it functions as a pluralistic system of various individual and group interests, all promoting their own agendas as to what they claim is important and beneficial for the country. Throughout the course we examine and try to evaluate our institutions of government, those who run these institutions, the public policies made by these institutions, and the influences of the electorate on policies. A political science course cannot provide either easy or comfortable answers to societal issues. A political science course can and perhaps should provide a set of political values to take into life. By the completion of the course it is hoped that students will have an interest in public issues, can intelligently and civilly discuss the issues, have a reasonable understanding of what is right and wrong, and appreciate their responsibilities to the system to ensure that they continue to enjoy our traditions of freedom and liberty.

The College Prep Economics course is a one-semester course, designed teach students the basic principles of macroeconomics and microeconomics, as they function in an American capitalistic society. The basic economics terms and reasoning, and the differences of these terms and reasoning as they are practiced in different economic systems, will also be addressed. Having already studied the workings of American government, the correlation between fiscal and monetary policies and how the economy and lives of American citizens are affected are also discussed and analyzed. The aggregate economic behavior of the U.S. economy, and how it relates to the global economy, isan area that will hopefully trigger student interest and understanding.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students will (Government):

  1. Explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy
  2. Evaluate and take and defend positions on the scope and limits of rights and obligations as democratic citizens, the relationships among them, and how they are secured
  3. Evaluate and take and defend positions on what the fundamental values and principles of civil society are
  4. Analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government as established by the U.S. Constitution
  5. Summarize landmark U.S. supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendments
  6. Evaluate issues regarding campaigns for national, state, and local elective offices
  7. Analyze and compare the power and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments
  8. Evaluate and take and defend positions on the influence of the media on American political life
  9. Analyze the origins characteristics, and development of different political systems across time, with emphasis on the quest for political democracy, its advances, and its obstacles
  10. Formulate questions about and defend their analyses of tensions within our constitutional democracy and the importance of maintaining a balance between majority rule and individual rights; liberty and equality; state and national authority in a federal system; civil disobedience and the rule of law; freedom of the press and the right to a fair trial; the relationship of religion and government

Students will (Economics):

  1. Understand common economic terms and concepts and economic reasoning
  2. Analyze the elements of America’s market economy in a global setting
  3. Analyze the influence of the federal government on the American economy
  4. Analyze the elements of the U.S. labor market in a global setting
  5. Analyze the aggregate economic behavior of the U.S. economy
  6. Analyze issues of international trade and explain how the U.S. economy affects, and is affected by, economic forces beyond the United States’ borders

STUDY TECHNIQUES

Students must understand at the outset that there is extensive reading, and that it must be completed in advance of the material being covered in class. They are expected to have a comprehensive understanding of all topics treated in the text, outside readings, and the classroom.

There will be examinations given, appropriately timed to the coverage of the material. These examinations may be multiple choice and/or essay. The essays can be either a long single question or a number of shorter interpretive writings. There will be a mid-term exam in December. Quarterly exams will be scheduled if deemed beneficial. Reading a daily newspaper will keep students motivated and improve their comprehension skills. It is highly recommended!

ATTENDANCE

Attendance in this class is essential. Much of the material for success is provided through lecture/discussion. Missing class can create problems.

COURSE OUTLINE

Government

Unit 1: Power, Authority, and Government

Themes:

  1. The Nature of Power, Politics, and Government
  2. Comparing Forms of Government

Unit 2: Foundations of American Government

  1. The Roots of American Democracy
  2. The United States Constitution
  3. The Bill of Rights and Civil Liberties
  4. Federalism: National, State, and Local Powers

Unit 3: Political Participation and Behavior

  1. Citizen Participation in a Democracy
  2. Parties, Interest Groups, and Public Policy
  3. Public Opinion and the Media
  4. Political Campaigns and Elections

Unit 4: The Legislative Branch

  1. Lawmakers and Legislatures
  2. Congressional Lawmaking

Unit 5: The Executive Branch

  1. Chief Executives and Bureaucracies
  2. The Federal Budget

Unit 6: The Judicial Branch

  1. Courts, Judges, and the Law
  2. The Criminal Justice System

Unit 7: The United States and the World

  1. Creating American Foreign Policy
  2. Confronting Global Issues

Economics

Unit 1: The Economic Fundamentals

  1. An Economic Way of Thinking
  2. Economic Decision Making
  3. Economic Systems
  4. Gains from Trade

Unit 2: How Markets Work

  1. Demand and Supply
  2. Markets, Equilibrium and Prices
  3. Market Structures and Market Failures

Unit 3: Economic Institutions and Organizations

  1. Money, Banking, Saving, and Investing
  2. Entrepreneurs and Business Organizations
  3. Human Capital and the Labor Market

Unit 4: Economics of the Public Sector

  1. Government and the Economy
  2. Taxes and Taxation

Unit 5: Measuring and Managing the Economy

  1. Measuring the Economy
  2. Fiscal and Monetary Policy

Unit 6: Globalization and the Global Economy

  1. The United States and the Global Economy
  2. The Costs and Benefits of Globalization
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