Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
The political process itself has a big impact on who gets what economic advantages
in our society, when they get those advantages, and how they get them.
- Harold Lasswell
REQUIRED TEXTS
Edwards, et al. Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy. 13th edition (2008).
Woll. American Government: Readings and Cases. 14th edition (2002).
GRADING*
Our grading scale will be as follows:
Homework/Classwork
Grade Distribution
Final Grade
100
Student Engagement-----------------5%
Q3-----------------------------40%
89
Home/Classwork/Quizzes---------25%
Q4-----------------------------40%
79
Unit Exams/Projects-----------------70%
Final---------------------------20%
69
40
* Your attendance and class participation are crucial to your personal success in this class as well as the
success of the class itself.
* It is the students responsibility to maintain integrity and uphold PCHS and WCPSS policies regarding
cheating, plagiarism, falsification, violation of software copyright laws, and violation of computer access. On
any graded assignment, it is the expectation that plagiarism and/or cheating is never acceptable.
I highly encourage each of you to take advantage of SMART Lunch. It is a great opportunity to get your reading
completed and notes taken. You will be able to correct O
NE test per quarter up to 80%. You will have the next
two SMART Lunches after you receive your score to complete your corrections.
UNIT PORTFOLIO
Classwork and homework for each unit will be collected on test day turned in as a portfolio. You will
be given a manila folder and you will turn in all classwork determined by the teacher at one time. All
items asked for must be submitted to receive credit. You will place an asterisk on the ONE
assignment you wish for the teacher to grade in detail and place it at the front. The rest will be
checked for completion and spot checked for accuracy. You will receive one grade for the portfolio
grade for each unit.
SUPPLIES
You should maintain a binder during this semester. With a divider for each of the 8 units. If you need a binder,
ask me, I probably have one. Black or blue pens; pencils.
REMIND
Text the following codes to 81010 to receive updates and reminders.
2ND PERIOD: @s17apgopo2
3RD PERIOD: @s17apgopo3
TURN IT IN
Starting with the summer assignment and certain assignments thereafter you will be required to submit via
turnitin.com. See below for appropriate class ids and passwords while registering.
PERIOD
ID
PASSWORD
(CASE SENSITIVE)
2ND PERIOD
14293329
GOPO2
3RD PERIOD
14293338
GOPO3
COURSE LAYOUT
This course is divided into 8 units. Some units, in the interest of time and practicality, will get more
attention than others based on how they are tested on the AP Test, however they are all important.
We will also cover ALL goals related to the Civics and Economics as outlined in the NC Standard
Course of Study . To give you a general idea of the topics of discussion, I have broken the course into
its separate units with a brief description and questions to consider.
UNIT 1
5-15%
Constitutional Underpinnings
UNIT 2
10-20%
UNIT 3
10-20%
UNITS
4, 5, & 6
30-45%
Institutions of Government
UNIT 7
5-15%
UNIT 8
5-15%
Public Policy
- What is our
environment?
national
policy
regarding
the
There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent
encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.
- James Madison
All assigned readings should be prepared prior to class. Class seminars and discussions will be a daily part of
our classroom activities (25% - 60% daily).
E- Edwards, et al. Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy. 13th edition (2008).
W - Woll. American Government: Readings and Cases. 14th edition (2002).
DAY
1-6
13-21
E- Pages 176-209
Anticipated Assignments/Topics of Discussions:
- Political Ideologies Quiz
- Required Readings Quiz 4
22-31
E-Pages 210-239
E-Pages 240-267
E-Pages 322-351
W 253-258 (Berry, Madisons Dilemma)
W 259-265 (Truman, The Governmental Process)
W 270-284 (Lowi, The End of Liberalism: The Indictment)
W 185-200 (Report of the Committee on Political Parties, American Political Parties, American
Political Science Association, Toward a More Responsible Two- Party System, Wattenberg,
Perspectives on American Political Parties, Mayhew, Divided We Govern)
W 219-226, 247-252 (Berelson, et. al., Democratic Practice and Democratic Theory & Mann and
Ornstein, Myths and Realities About The Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002)
Anticipated Assignments/Topics of Discussions:
- Interest Group Research Posters
- Required Readings Quiz 7
Student Presentations on chosen Special Interest Group
- NY Times Guide to Political Herds/Aging and Influence on Voting - Required Readings Quiz 8
- NC Voter Registration Applications
- Required Readings Quiz 9
- Mock Presidential Election Overview
- Heidi Codys American Alphabet - Analyzing Commercials
- Mass Media Projects Due
- Mock Presidential Debate
- After School Writing Seminar
32-39
E-Pages 352-389
W 372-384 (Wilson, Congressional Government & Fiorina, The Rise of the Washington
Establishment)*Student-written legislation is based on their assignment to a house of Congress
and a specific committee. Each student drafts a bill and presents to their committee. The
committee votes and if the bill passes there is a floor vote in their house. The bill-to-law process
continues. If the bill passes both houses it may be signed or vetoed by our class-elected president.
Anticipated Assignments/Topics of Discussions:
- Congress At Work Project Assigned Student-written legislation
- Required Readings Quiz 10
Congress At Work Session 1
Congress At Work Session 2
- After School Writing Seminar
UNIT 5- INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT- THE PRESIDENCY &
THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY
40-47
E-Pages 390-433
E-Pages 466-501
W 287-312 (Hamilton, Federalist 70; Rossiter, The Presidency Focus of Leadership; Neustadt,
Presidential Power; Cronin & Genovese, Presidential Paradoxes)
W 313-327 (Milkis, The Presidency and Political Parties & Brooks, How to Run for President)
W 350-363 (Woll, Constitutional Democracy and Bureaucratic Power & Wilson, The Rise of the
Bureaucratic State)
Anticipated Assignments/Topics of Discussions:
- The Evolution of the American Presidency
- Required Readings Quiz 11
- Presidential Face-Off students select presidents to research and debate presidential greatness
- The structure of the Executive Branch
- Presidential Expectation v. Presidential Reality
- Required Readings Quiz #12
- Required Readings Quiz #13
- Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy
- Ineffectiveness and Inefficiency? The Department of Redundancy Department
- After School Writing Seminar
Unit 6- INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT- THE FEDERAL COURTS
49-50
E- Pages 502-539
W 426-431 (Hamilton, Federalist 78 & Marbury v. Madison (1803))
W 435-442, 448-465 (Roche, Judicial Self-Restraint)
*Students read a summary of the arguments in the Supreme Court case Gonzalez v. Oregon as
well as a detailed summary of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Using the facts of the case
and the data presented in the CSA, students draft their own Supreme Court Opinion. After all
opinions are submitted, students group themselves into the majority and the minority and debate
their conclusions. (Students are not given the actual outcome of the case prior to writing their
decisions.)
Anticipated Assignments/Topics of Discussions:
- Required Readings Quiz 14
- The Structure of the Federal Judiciary
- You Decide Student opinions of Gonzalez v. Oregon
- The Supreme Court
After School Writing Seminar
UNIT 7-CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
51-57
E-Pages 98-139
W 146-166 (Engle v. Vitale (1962); Zelman v.Simmons-Harris (2002); & Roe v. Wade (1973))
Anticipated Assignments/Topics of Discussions:
- The Serpentine Wall: The Separation of Church and State
- Required Readings Quiz 15
- What is obscenity?
- What is an Illegal Alien? Visualization
- Illegal Immigration Debate
- Required Readings Quiz 16
- Flaws In the System
- Required Readings Quiz 17
REMAINING