AP U.S. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS SYLLABUS
By Coach G. Nathan
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The AP Government Course focuses on governmental and political aspects of the U.S. government. Such aspects include analyzing political theories, constitutional underpinnings, civil liberties and civil rights, public opinion, interest groups, the media, Congress, the presidency, the bureaucratic system, political parties, nominations, elections, federal budget, federal courts, public policy, and foreign policy. This course will prepare students to take the AP Exam and it functions at a college level with substantial amount of reading required. As such, students will focus on developing an individual critical understanding of the daily workings of the U.S. government and begin to develop an understanding, and hopefully an appreciation, of the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
REQUIRED READINGS AND TEXTBOOKS
The textbooks required for this class are:
Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy (11th edition) by Edwards, Wattenburg, and Lineberry. (Henceforth referred to as Lineberry).
American Government Readings and Cases (15th Edition) by Peter Woll, copyright 2004.
Students are also required to read a newspaper, preferably the Wall Street Journal on a daily basis.
OFFICE HOURS
Monday through Friday
12:05 to 12:50
Room A228
Or By Appointment
GRADING POLICY
45 % Daily Work
40 % Tests, Quizzes, or Projects
15 % Final Exam
There will be a minimum of 5 grades per 9 nine weeks grading period.
COURSE WORK
UNIT ONE: Constitutional Underpinnings (Chapter 1-3 Lineberry)
Aug 1/2
-Chapter 1: pgs 2-12 (Lineberry)
Sign syllabus
Read pgs: 3-10 (Woll) for homework
-Chapter 1: pgs 13-23 (Lineberry); Additional Readings: “Theories on Political Elitism” 1st Essay
-Political Book Review Assignment
Aug 3/4
-Word Wall of AP Vocabulary
-Chapter 2: 26-49 (Lineberry); Additional Readings: “Democracy in America” by de Toqueville
Homework Research Paper Assignment: “Federalist Papers #10&51”
- Read pgs. 41-47 and 50-66 (Woll) for Research Paper Assignment
Aug 5/8
-Chapter 2: pgs 50-61
-Chapter 2 Quiz
-Chapter 3: pgs 64-73
- Read pgs 31- 40, 47-50, and 66-69 (Woll)
Aug 9/10
-Chapter 3: pgs 73-81; Additional Readings: “Guns, the Commerce Clause, & the Court”
by Robert Katzman
-Chapter 3: pgs 81-91
-Journal Check
Aug 11/12
-Review for UNIT ONE EXAM
-Hamilton/ Federalist Paper Discussion
-Submit Homework Research Paper Assignment
Aug 15/16
-UNIT ONE EXAM
UNIT TWO: Civil Liberties/Civil Rights (Chapter 4-5 Lineberry)
Aug 17/18
-Chapter 4 pgs. 94-132
-Read pgs 95-105 (Woll)
-Homework Essay: Should 1st Amendment Rights be limited in School?
Aug 19/22
-Chapter 4 Quiz
-Chapter 5: pgs 136-169
Aug 23/24
-Review for UNIT TWO EXAM
-Read pgs.106-125 (Woll)
Aug 25/26
-UNIT TWO EXAM
UNIT THREE: Public Opinion, Interest Groups, and the Media (Chapter 6,7,11 Lineberry)
Aug 29/30
-Chapter 6: pgs 172-205
-Chapter 7: pgs 206-231; Additional Readings: “The New Media and Politics”
-Read pgs. 125-145 (Woll) for Homework
-Journal Check
Aug 31/ Sep 1
-Research Paper Assignment: Analyzing School Desegregation, Prayer in School, and Vouchers through landmark court cases
Sep 2/6
-Chapter 11: pgs 320-351; Additional Readings: “How Public Opinion Really Works”
-Public opinion analysis through current city council actions
Sep 7/8
-Video: Media and the Presidency: How Public Opinion has influenced the Presidency
-Essay analysis and question connections
Sep 9/12
- Read pgs. 239-268 (Woll) in class
Sep 13/14
-Read pgs. 145-160 (Woll)
-Abortion Debate
-Quiz of all additional readings
Sep 15/16
-Billabong Case Debate
-AP Vocab Review
-Make AP Review Notebook
Sep 19/20
-Review UNIT THREE EXAM
-Journal Check
Sep 21/22
-UNIT THREE EXAM
Sep 23/26
-Practicing AP Free Response Questions
-Review for FINAL EXAM
Sep 27/28
-Comprehensive Exam
Sep 29/30
-AP Mock Final Exam
INTERSESSION: Read Chapter 8: pgs 234-263: Complete Study Questions
UNIT FOUR: Political Parties, Nominations, and Elections (Chapters 8, 9, 10 Lineberry)
Oct 17/18
-Ch. 8 Test
-Chapter 9: pgs 264-293: Additional Activity: “Quiz: Are You Liberal or Conservative?”
-Read pgs. 161-171 (Woll)
Oct 19/20
-Chapter 10: pgs 294-317: Additional Readings: “Why Americans Don’t Vote” and “The
Dirtiest Election Ever”
Oct 21/24
-Woll: pgs. 171-200
-Journal Check
-Assign Research Project: Running for Political Office
Oct 25/26
- Review UNIT FOUR EXAM
Oct 27/28
- UNIT FOUR EXAM
Oct 31/ Nov 1
-Woll: pgs. 200-230
- Presidential Candidate Project
UNIT FIVE: Institutions: Congress, the Presidency, & the Bureaucracy (Chapter 12, 13, 15
Lineberry)
Nov 2/3
-Woll: pgs. 230-238
- In Class Debate: Presidential Campaigns, Reforms, and Tactics
Nov 4/7
-Chapter 12
-Congress Simulation
-Read pgs. 342-372 (Woll)
Nov 8/9
-Chapter 13
-Quiz from all assigned readings
-Read pgs. 269-287 (Woll)
Nov 10/14
-Woll: pgs. 287-302, 312-328
-Class Debate: How should we elect the president?
Nov 15/16
-Chapter 15
-Supreme Court Essays
-Read pgs. 328-342
-HW: Collect the total number of votes each presidential candidate received per state as well as the number of electoral votes each state has from the 2008 election
Nov 17/18
-Review for UNIT FIVE EXAM
-Journal Check
-Electoral College vote Splitting activity and discussion
-HW: Should the electoral college be reformed? Why or why not?? Paper will be counted as part of the exam and should be approximately 500 words
Nov 28/29
-UNIT FIVE EXAM
UNIT SIX: The Federal Budget and the Federal Courts (Chapter 14, 16 Lineberry)
Nov 30/ Dec 1
-Chapter 14; Additional Readings: “Budget Reform Reading”
-Creating a Budget Activity
Dec 2/5
-Chapter 16
-Read pgs. 408-424 (Woll)
Dec 6/7
-Review for UNIT SIX EXAM (1st 45 minutes of class)
-UNIT SIX EXAM (2nd 45 minutes of class)
UNIT SEVEN: Public Policy: Economics, Social Welfare, Environmental, and Foreign Policy
(Chapters 17, 18, 19, 20 Lineberry)
Dec 8/9
-Chapter 17 and Chapter 18
-Read pgs.424-435
-Journal Check
Dec 12/13
-Chapter 18 cont. and Chapter 19
-What would your Public Policies be if you were autonomous in Policy? Paper
-Read pgs. 303-328 (Woll)
-Review for final exam
Dec 14/15
- COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAM
- AP Free Response Questions and Mock Test
Dec 16
-AP question analysis
CURRENT EVENTS
Current Events Journal:
Student will be responsible for maintaining a Current Events Journal. Students must have a minimum of two entries per week, with additional points gained for additional entries. Students can use the local newspapers, the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the L.A. Times, or watch the TV news stations such as, CNN, FOX, etc. In addition, students can listen to radio news programs such as, NPR. Journals will be graded every three weeks.