AP United States Government & Politics Syllabus

Introduction This is essentially a college course that is rather demanding, and is one that requires you to put forth your best effort on a daily basis. Due to the challenging nature of the course, an extra grade point will be added to your course G.P.A. You have ample opportunity to demonstrate that you are academically competent learners, effective communicators, productive individuals, culturally aware individuals, and involved citizens.

Attendance

• Regular attendance is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL in this class. • The school attendance policy will be strictly enforced. Students with persistent attendance problems

will be transferred to another government class. Classroom Management

• I CAN NOT OVERSTATE THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING EXCELLENT CLASS NOTES. THEY WILL BE OF GREAT HELP NOT ONLY FOR THE TEST PREPARATION THIS YEAR, BUT ALSO FOR REVIEWING FOR THE AP TEST IN MAY.

• Each one of you is expected to take an active part in class on a daily basis. When you enter this

room, be prepared to think, ask questions, and make comments. • If you have difficulties in this class, feel free to drop by for extra help.

• If special problems arise, see me as soon as possible, so that we can work things out.

• If you are having “one of those days”, let me know before class begins so that I can accordingly

make allowances. Homework

• Expect nightly reading assignments. TAKE THESE SERIOUSLY! You will be “in the dark” during the lectures and discussions if you do a poor job of reading or (gulp!) do not do the reading at all. You will also bomb the quizzes that are based upon the readings.

• Late work is usually not accepted. If you are going to be absent, you are responsible to see me as

soon as possible to find out what you missed and if there are any assignments that do not appear on the syllabus.

Grades I use the following grading scale as is published in the school agenda. Effort and improvement are considered in the grading process.

A = 96-100 C+= 78-81 A- = 92-95 C = 74-77 B+ = 89-91 C- = 70-73 B = 85-88 D+ = 67-69 F= Below 60 B- = 82-84 D = 63-66 C+ = 78-81 D- = 60-62

Your nine weeks grade will be based on the following factors: Test scores 40% Free Response and Document Based Question scores 30% Quizzes and Daily Work Scores 30%

Your semester and final grade will be determined by the following factors: Semester: quarter grade 40% - quarter grade 40% - semester exam 20%

Final: Grade First Semester grade 50% - Second Semester grade 50% Text James Q. Wilson, John Dilulio Jr. and Meena Bose, American Government: Institutions and Policies, 13th ed. Boston, Massachusetts: Wadsworth - Cengage, 2013. Supplemental Readers and Materials: Allan J. Cigler and Burdett A. Loomis, American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Stephen B. Oates, Portrait of America, 7th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999 George C. Edwards, Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, 11th ed. New York, NY: Pearson Longman Publishers, 2004. Many other current news reports and commentary from major newspapers, radio, television, and the Internet are utilized in daily coursework.

Curricular Requirements

• CR1 – Instruction in the constitutional underpinnings of U.S. government • CR2 – Instruction in political beliefs and political behaviors • CR3 – Instruction in political parties, interest groups, and mass media • CR4 – Instruction in institutions of government • CR5 – Instruction in public policy • CR6 – Instruction civil rights and civil rights liberties • CR7 – Provide students with practice analyzing and interpreting data and other information relevant to

U.S. government and politics • CR8 – Include supplemental readings, including primary source materials and contemporary news

analyses • CR9 – Answer analytical and interpretive free response questions on a frequent basis

Course Outline I. Constitutional Underpinnings

A. Federalism B. Separation of Powers C. Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution D. Theories of democratic government

II. Political Beliefs/Political Behaviors

A. Beliefs that citizens hold about their government, and its leaders B. Processes by which citizens learn politics C.The nature, sources and consequences of public opinion.

D. The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life.

E. Factors that influence citizens to differ in terms of political beliefs and behaviors. III. Political Parties, Interest Groups, Media

A. Political parties and elections 1. Functions 2. Organization 3. Development 4. Effects on political process 5. Electoral Laws and systems

B. Interest Groups (Including PACs) 1. The range of interests that are or are not represented. 2. The activities of interest groups 3., The effects of interest groups on the political process 4. Characteristics/roles of PACs

C. The mass media 1. Functions and structures 2. Impact on politics

IV. Institutions: Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, federal courts A. Major formal and informal institutional arrangements and powers B. Relationships among these institutions C. Links between these and parties, groups, media, sub national governments, and

public opinion V. Public Policy

A. Policy making in a federal system B. Formation of policy agendas C. Role of Institutions in policy enactment

D. Role of bureaucracy and courts in policy implementation and interpretation. E. Linkages between policy processes and:

1. Political institutions and federalism 2. Political parties 3. Interest Groups 4. Public Opinion 5. Elections 6. Policy networks

VI. Civil Liberties/Civil Rights

A. Development of civil liberties, and civil rights by judicial interpretation B. Substantive rights and liberties C. Impact of the14th Amendment on rights and civil liberties.

Daily Planner Day Lesson Handouts Homework 1 Summer quiz, Syllabus, Political Alignment, Preparing for the AP

Exam vocab list 1 pp. 1-14

2 Quiz over Reading Assignment / Democracy in the U.S. pp. 20-29 3 Vocab Quiz / Origins of American Republic pp. 29-38 4 Principles of Constitution I and II only Sep. of Powers, Checks and

Balances pp. 39-45

5 Principles of the Constitution III and IV only (Limited

Government/Judicial Review Marbury v. Madison Appendix -

A26 6 Principles of the Constitution V and VI (Informal/Formal Changes

to Const.) Discuss Federalist #51

7 Free Response 1 / Origins of American Federalism pp. 50-63 8 Structure of American Federalism (use printed notes) / Go over

Free Response writing guide pp.63-68

9 American Federalism States Rights v. Nationalism p. 68-72 10 Federalism and Federal Grants / Federal Mandates 11 Vocab Quiz / Politics of American Federalism / FR writing guide 12 Unit Exam on Constitutional Underpinnings 13 Political Culture pp. 79-85 14 Vocab Quiz / Ideology and the American People / Group Gradeing

of FR pp. 66-94

15 Public Opinion pp. 162-178 16 Political Socialization pp. 184-196 17 Voter Turnout 18 Vocab. Quiz / Voter Behavior pp. 257-266 19 Congressional Elections pp. 234-243 20 Path to the Presidency pp. 243-249 21 Electoral College (use handouts) / Begin Campaign Finance pp. 249-257 22 Vocab Quiz / Finish Campaign Finance 23 Unit Exam on Political Beliefs / Political Behaviors pp. 270-280

Day Lesson Handouts Homework 24 Interest Groups: Reasons for Growth / Begin Types of Interst

Groups pp. 280-293

25 Finish Types of Interest Groups / Tactics of Interest Groups /

Reasons for Joining Interest Groups / Factors Influencing Interest Group Strength

26 Lobbying / Discuss Federalist #10 27 Vocab Quiz PAC's Continue Discussing Federalist #10 pp. 202-212 28 Functions of Political Parties pp. 212-225 29 Rise of Political Parties Party Affiliation What it

is and what it isn't pp. 225-229

30 Party Weakness / Impact of Parties on Government 31 Vocab Quiz Realignment / Dealignment? / Party Reform

32 Who are the Mass Media? / Media and Public Opinion pp. 298-305 33 Vocab Quiz / Effect of Media on Politics pp. 305-319 34 Unit Exam on Interest Groups / Political Parties/ Media 35 Evolution of Congress / Overview of Congress pp. 326-335 36 Incumbency Advantage / Powers of Congress pp. 335-340 37 Leadership in Congress / Influences on Congress pp. 340-350 38 How a Bill Becomes Law pp. 350-358 39 Committee System (use handout) 40 Test over Congress - 60 m/c and 1 free response 41 Overview of the Presidency (use handout) / Growth of Presidential

Power pp. 364-378

42 Roles of the President / Presidential Support Staff pp. 378-388 43 Making the Presidency Safe and Effective Executive Office of the

President pp. 388-394

44 The President's Program pp. 394-401 45 The Imperial Presidency p. 401 46 Test on the Presidency - 60 mc and 1 free response 46 Structure of the Bureaucracy / Growth of the Bureaucracy pp. 408-414

Day Lesson Handouts Homework 47 Influences on Bureaucratic Behavior / Controlling the Bureaucracy pp. 414-424 48 Vocab Quiz / Evaluation of the Bureaucracy pp. 424-432 49 Test on the Bureaucracy - 40 mc and 1 free response 50 Introduction to Federal Courts (use hand out) Federalist #78 pp. 438-446 51 Federal Attorneys and Judges / Discuss Federalist #78 pp. 446-452 52 The Supreme Court pp. 452-463 53 Vocab Quiz / Judicial Activism v. Judicial Restraint 54 Test on the Federal Courts - 40 mc and 1 free response 55 Public Policy Process Handout / Taxing and Spending pp. 470-488 56 Managing the Economy pp. 492-509 57 Gov't Regulation of Business 58 Social Welfare pp. 514-528 59 Health Care and Education 60 Makers of Foreign Policy pp. 534-561 61 Unit Exam on Public Policy - 60 mc and 1 free response 62 Principles of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights / Freedom of Religion TBA 63 Freedom of Speech TBA 64 Freedom of the Press TBA 65 Vocab Quiz / Freedom of Petition and Assembly / Begin Struggle

for Equal Rights TBA

66 Finish Struggle for equal rights/ Begin Equal Protection of the Law

/ Barriers to Voting TBA

67 Vocab Quiz / Private Discrimination and the Federal Response TBA 68 Life, Liberty, Property and Due Process of Law / Right of Privacy TBA 69 Arrests, Quesitoning, and Imprisonment TBA 70 Vocab Quiz / Rights of An Accused Person TBA 71 Unit Exam on Civil Liberties/Civil Rights TBA