United States Government

Course Overview/Description

   The course requires students to develop an understanding of American government and the documents associated with these structures. After developing a critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the American political system, students will be asked to reflect on their rights and responsibilities as citizens.  This course also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs and ideals that constitute U.S. politics.   

 

Unit  Overview:   

Unit 1:  Constitutional Underpinnings of US government

Unit 2:  Political Beliefs and Behaviors

Unit 3:  Political Parties, Interest Groups and the Mass Media

Unit 4:  Branches of Government The Congress, the Presidency, the

             Bureaucracy and the Federal Courts

Unit 5:  Public Policy

Unit 6:  Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

 

1. COURSE OBJECTIVES

• To learn and understand important facts, concepts, and theories pertaining to S. government and politics.
• To understand typical patterns of political processes and behaviors and their consequences (including the components of political behavior, the principles used to justify various government structures and procedures, and the political effects of these structures and procedures).
• To be able to analyze and interpret basic data relevant to S. government and politics (Including maps, charts, graphs, tables, exit poll data, and Supreme Court decisions).

 

 

1. REQUIRED MATERIALS

• Textbook:  American Government
• Supplemental/Primary Source Readings

 

 

 

iii.       OTHER MATERIALS

The following will be assigned and used in class on a weekly basis:

• Articles from current newspapers
• News magazine articles
• News footage and documentaries
• Political cartoons
• Various websites

 

1. GRADING FACTORS

Quarter grades will be computed according to the following factors:

• Tests (AP Format) Projects and quizzes 75%
• Homework, activities, outside reading 25%

 

 

VII.   COURSE  OUTLINE

 

1. Foundations of American Government

           

• Principles of Government

            --What is Government

            --Forms of Government

            --Themes of Government

 

• Origins of American Government

            --British contributions

            --Unification of the colonies

            --Declaration of Independence

            --Articles of Confederation and the Critical Period

            --Constitutional Design---Creation and Ratification

 

• The United States Constitution

            --Basic principles

            --Articles

            --Amendment Process

            --Amendments---Formal and Informal

 

• Federalism

            --Views of Federalism

             

1. Political Beliefs and Behaviors

             

• Public Opinion and Political Socialization

            --Public opinion and democracy

            --Distribution of public opinion

            --Agents of socialization

            --Process of socialization

 

III.  Political Parties, Interest Groups, and the Mass Media

 

• Political Parties

            --Functions of political parties

            --History of the two-party system

            --Nature of American parties (major and minor)

            --Party Ideology and Organization

            --Parties and Elections

            --Parties and Governments

 

• Poltical Interest Groups

            --Individuals, groups, and society

            --Development of groups

            --Electoral activity of Political Action Committees

            --Lobbying

 

• Campaigns and Elections

            --Suffrage

            --Participation and Voting

            --Voter turnout and voter behavior

            --Election campaigning

            --Analyzing election results

            --Elections and governments

 

• Politics and the Mass Media

            --Media and freedom of the press

            --Development of media in the United States

            --Media and politics

            --Media and government

            --Impacts of media on public policy

            --Evaluating the media in government

 

1. Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy, and the Federal Courts.

             

• Congress

            --Institution of Congress----origin and powers

            --Election to Congress

            --Organization of Congress (Parties, leadership, committees, staff)

            --Functions of Congress (legislation, representation)

            --Congressional procedures

            --Congressional ethics and reform

 

• The Presidency

            --Constitutional basis of Presidential authority

            --Expansion of Presidential powers

            --Presidential elections ---- Electoral College

            --Presidential leadership

            --Executive Office of the President

            --Relations with the Cabinet

            --Vice-Presidency

            --Struggle for power (setting agenda, influencing legislature, building public

               support,  implementing priorities, exercising leadership)

 

• Executive Bureaucracy

            -- Organization of bureaucracy

            -- Staffing the bureaucracy

            --Policymaking----Formal and informal

            --Bureaucratic influence

            --Accountability

            --Reforming the bureaucracy

 

• The Judiciary

            --Judicial federalism

            --Judicial review

            --Justices and judges

            --Supreme Court

            --Landmark cases

            --Politics of Judicial Policymaking

 

1. Public Policy

             

• Policymaking Process

            --Types of policies

            --Stages of policymaking

            --Politics of the policy process

 

• Domestic Policy

            --Education policy

            --Health and Welfare policy

            --Housing policy

            --Environmental and Energy policy

• Economic Policy

            --Modern American economy

            --Economic policy objectives

            --Monetary policy

            --Fiscal policy

            --Government intervention in the economy

            --Politics of economic policymaking

 

• Foreign and Defense Policy

            --Policymakers

            --Roots of foreign and defense policy

            --Evolution of foreign and defense policy

            --Contemporary challenges

 

1. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

             

• American Political Environment

            --Personal freedom and social welfare

            --Distribution of power

            --Majority rule and minority rights

            --individual liberties

 

• Rights, Liberties, and Constitutional Politics

 

• Rights and Liberties vs. Economic Interest

 

• Civil Rights

            --Civil rights and criminal justice ---- equality before the law

            --Diversity and discrimination

            --Federal civil rights laws

 

• Civil Liberties

            --First Amendment freedoms

            --Protecting individual freedoms (due process, rights of the accused)