AP US Government and Politics Summer Work

The U.S. Constitution is the fundament of our democracy. It is architectonic, providing a durable

frame upon which we have constructed our government. It preserves our most basic liberties, and

provides the boundaries within which exists a "democratic space" for Americans to pursue life,

liberty and happiness. We rightly venerate the Constitution as our society's compact, and as a

timeless document—for, even as some interpretations of its prose have evolved from generation

to generation, its most basic principles have endured since the ratification.

Justice Stephen Breyer has rightly argued that it is vital to convey that the Constitution is first

and foremost a design to foster democracy. It creates a protected space within which the people

can utilize, and enjoy, their freedoms. That space necessarily has boundaries, and it is the precise

limits and nature of those boundaries over which we, as a society, often argue. Too narrow, and

the boundaries oppress the people; too broad, and the people trample upon one another's

freedom. One's liberty does not exist in a vacuum. Rather, it must balance with the liberties of

others.

Fundamentally, the Constitution is a document established to preserve the inalienable rights with

which people are born. It does so in two ways: as a bulwark against government abuse of power

by diffusing that power; and as a safeguard against "democratic tyranny"—unfettered majority

rule—by assuring minorities have the ability to speak effectively in opposition.

The Framers created a document that provides avenues for, and indeed invites, political

argument. They foresaw an active, involved citizenry hammering out solutions by ultimately

compromising. The Framers never sought to dictate answers to specific problems for the ages.

Rather, they gifted future generations the arena within which deliberation could take place, and

we have used it: Myriad court decisions, legislation and executive actions color our

interpretations of the Constitution’s prose today. Yet, though we often view it through the prism

of prior action, we have never stopped making a concerted effort to remain faithful to the

Constitution’s basic principles (even though we have fallen short at times).

Textbook

o Wilson, James Q., and John J. DiIulio. American Government: Institutions and Policies.

12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2010. Print.

Course Reader

o Woll, Peter. American Government: Readings and Cases. 18th ed. New York: Longman,

2010. Print.

Reading Assignments:

o Wilson & DiIullio Chapters 1—The Study of American Government (Pp. 1-14) &

4—American Political Culture (Pp. 76-91); The Declaration of Independence

(Pp. A1-A5)

o Woll Reader Chapter 1 Selections

1. John Locke, Second Treatise of Civil Government, in Woll, pp. 3-9;

2. John P. Roche, The Founding Fathers: A Reform Caucus in Action, in

Woll, pp. 10-30.

3. Charles A Beard, Framing the Constitution, in Woll pp. 31-40

Answer the following (Assignment attached as a Word Document):

Name: _______________________ Date: _________

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AP US Government Summer Reading Chapters 1 & 4 Short Answer Questions

Essay—Due in class on the first day of school. Be ready to discuss. Do the first twenty as you read--makes it easier. The last will be done at the conclusion of all your reading.

Chapter 1 Questions

1. Explain the difference between power and authority.

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2. Compare and contrast two classic definitions of democracy.

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3. Explain what is required for representative democracy to be a reality.

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4. Assuming the basic requirements for representative democracy are present, what important questions remain?

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5. Explain the Founders’ view of direct democracy and the “will of the people.”

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6. Discuss Aristotle's view of democracy.

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7. Discuss John Locke’s view of the purpose and role of government.

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8. Identify the factors that must be present for majoritarian politics to be in play.

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9. Summarize the four ways of describing political elites.

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10. Provide some examples of how the great shifts in government and policy reflect changes in elite and mass

beliefs about what government is supposed to do.

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Chapter 4 Questions

11. Identify five elements of American political culture.

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12. Describe the views that Americans hold with respect to the economic system.

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13. List some of the things you learned from this chapter about political culture in Sweden.

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14. List some of the things you learned from this chapter about the political culture of upper-status Japanese.

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15. Summarize the findings of Verba and Orren’s classic study of American and Swedish trade-union and

political-party leaders.

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16. What evidence is there that religion has been a major influence in American political culture?

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17. Identify the major influences that have led to America’s distinctive way of thinking about politics.

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18. Explain James Davison’s differentiation between orthodox and progressive beliefs.

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19. What two things should Americans consider before they get too upset about the apparent decline in trust in

government that one sees in recent public opinion polls?

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20. What explains the survival of unpopular groups if most Americans have limited tolerance for others?

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21. Charles A. Beard and John P. Roche wrote during different generations about the same subject matter: the

framing of the Constitution. Beard's perspective was a sea change in how the framers were perceived by 20th century generations; and Roche's was equally earth-shaking to many adherents to Beard's perspective. Compare and contrast the two men's arguments about the framers. What is/are the major difference(s)

between the two? Please do not give me your opinion as to who is right. Rather, provide a succinct but nuanced report on how these two men perceived the nature of the framers. _____________________________________________________________________

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