AP U.S. Government & Politics Course Description ms. moy, Area 51

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1 AP U.S. Government & Politics Course Description ms. moy, Area 51 This AP U.S. Government & Politics course is designed to give students an analytical perspective of government and politics in the U.S. This course includes both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. government and politics as well as the analysis of specific examples. Students will become acquainted with the variety of theoretical perspectives and explanations for various behaviors and outcomes in politics. Students will be expected to keep up to date on current events taking place in all of the American political institutions, both national and states, as well as be knowledgeable about such topics to discuss in class. This course is also designed to prepare students for the AP U.S. Government & Politics Exam on May 10, Since this is a college level class substantial reading is required and note that not all material will be covered in class, but the student is still responsible for the material. Course Objectives: 1. Students will demonstrate the ability to read and think critically about American politics. 2. Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze and understand American political development. 3. Students will demonstrate the ability to examine specific political issues and present their viewpoints on political events, articles/activities, written and oral assignments, and exams. 4. Students will demonstrate the ability to write critically on the relationship between the historical aspects of politics and the current American arena. 5. Students will be expected to become an informed citizen with regard to the political process. Course Topics: The course will roughly follow the recommended AP U.S. Government and Politics Curriculum Outline. The outline has six major categories and percentage goals of the multiple-choice section of the test. Class time will be roughly corresponding with these percentages. The content areas and percentages include: 1 1. Constitutional Underpinnings of the United States Government % A. Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution B. Separation of powers C. Checks and balances D. Federalism E. Theories of democratic government 2. Political Beliefs and Behaviors % A. Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders B. Processes by which citizens learn about 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 from one another in terms of political beliefs and behaviors 3. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media % A. Political Parties and elections 1. Functions 2. Organization 3. Development 4. Effects on the political process

2 2 5. Electoral laws and systems B. Interest groups, including political action committees (PACs) 1. The range of interests represented 2. The activists of interest groups 3. The effects of interest groups on the political process 4. The unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the political process C. The mass media 1. The function and structures of the news media 2. The impacts of the news media on politics 3. The news media industry and its consequences 4. Institutions of National Government: The Congress, The Presidency, the Bureaucracy, and the Federal Courts 35-45% A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power B. Relationships among these four institutions and varying balances of power C. Linkages between institutions and the following: 1. Public opinion and voters 2. Interest groups 3. Political parties 4. The media 5. State and local governments 5. Public Policy.5-15% A. Policymaking in a federal system B. The formation of policy agendas C. The role of institutions in the enactment of policy D. The role of bureaucracy and the courts in policy implementation and interpretation E. Linkages between policy processes and the following: 1. Political institutions and federalism 2. Political parties 3. Interest groups 4. Public opinion 5. Elections 6. Policy networks 6. Civil Rights % A. The development of civil liberties and civil rights by judicial interpretation B. Knowledge of substantive rights and liberties C. The impact of the Fourteenth Amendment on the constitutional development of rights and liberties Textbook and Reader: Patterson, Thomas E. The American Democracy. 3rd Ed. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., Serow, Ann G., and Everett C. Ladd, eds. The Lanahan Readings in the American Polity. 5th ed. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers, Inc., Other Materials: Assigned and used in class: articles from current newspapers, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Portland Press Herald; news magazine excerpts from The Economist and Foreign Affairs; videos

3 that include news programs, documentaries and commentaries; and several on-line news sources, such as The Guardian, BBC News, Bloomberg, Huffington Post, CNN, and even Politico. Students are encouraged to share their news sources with us. Units of Study: Unit 1: Introducing Government in America Chapter 1, pp Learning to think politically - Politics and power in the U.S. - The Policymaking system - Democracy in America (thank you Tocqueville) -The Scope of Government in America Unit 2: The Constitution Chapter 2, pp The Origins of the Constitution - The Government that failed (The Articles of Confederation) - Negotiations towards a Constitution: The Philadelphia Convention - Critical Issues and Compromises at the Convention - The Madisonian System - Ratifying the Constitution - Importance of The Federalist Papers - Understanding the Constitution Unit 3: Federalism in principle and process Chapter 3, pp Defining Federalism - The Constitutional Basis of Federalism - Contemporary Federalism - Intergovernmental Relations - Diversity in Policy - Understanding Federalism Unit 4: Civil Liberties: Protecting Individual Rights Chapter 4, pp The Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Fourteenth Amendment - Freedom of Expression - Freedom of Religion - Right to Bear Arms - The Right of Privacy - The Rights of the Accused - Rights and the War on Terrorism - Understanding Civil Liberties Chapter 5, pp Civil Rights and Public Policy - The Struggle for Equality through law: Civil Rights Acts, Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Affirmative Action - African Americans Civil Rights - The Rights of Other Minority Groups - The Rights of Women 3

4 4 - Other Groups Active under the Civil Rights Umbrella - Understanding Civil Rights and Public Policy Unit 5: Mass Politics Chapter 6, pp Public Opinion and Political Socialization - How Americans Learn About Politics: Political Socialization - Measuring Public Opinion and Political Information - What Americans Value: Political Ideologies - How Americans Participate in Politics - Understanding Public Opinion and Political Action Chapter 7, pp Political Participation: Activating the Popular Will - Voter Participation - Conventional Forms of Participation - Unconventional Activism Chapter 8, pp Political Parties, Candidates, and Campaigns - Party Competition and Majority Rule: The History of U.S. Parties - The Party in Government - Party Eras in American History - The Meaning of Party - The Party in the Electorate - Third Parties: Their Impact on American Parties - The Electoral College - The Party Organizations: From the Grass Roots to Washington - Understanding Campaigns and Voting Behavior - Nominations - Campaigns - Money and Campaigning - Impact of Campaigns - Whether to Vote: A Citizen s First Choice - How Americans Vote Chapter 9, pp Interest Groups: Organizing for Influence - The Role of Interest Groups - Theories of Interest Group Politics - What Makes an Interest Group Successful? - How Groups Try to Shape Policy - Types of Interest Groups - Understanding Interest Groups - The Process and Practice of Lobbying Chapter 10, pp Mass Media - The Mass Media Today - The Development of Media Politics - Reporting the News - The News and Public Opinion - Policy Entrepreneurs and Agenda Setting - Understanding the Mass Media Unit 6: Institutions of National Government: The Congress Chapter 11, pp Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests - The Representatives and Senators - Congressional Elections - How Congress is Organized to Make Policy: Political Parties and Party Leadership

5 5 - Committees and Committee Leadership - How a Bill Becomes Law - The Congressional Process and Decision Making - Understanding Congress Unit 7: Institutions of National Government: The Presidency Chapter 12, pp The Presidency: Leading the Nation - Foundations of the Modern Presidency - The Presidents - Process: Choosing the President - Presidential Powers - Running the Government: The Chief Executive - Presidential Leadership of Congress: The Politics of Shared Powers - The President and National Security Policy - Power from the People: The Public Presidency - The President and the Press - Understanding the American Presidency Unit 8: Institutions of National Government: The Federal Bureaucracy Chapter 13, pp Origin and Structure of the Federal Bureaucracy - The Bureaucrats - How the Federal Bureaucracy Is Organized - Budgetary Powers and Process - Federal Revenue and Borrowing - Federal Expenditures - Understanding Budgeting - Bureaucracies as Implementors - Bureaucracies as Regulators - Controlling the Bureaucracy - Understanding the Bureaucracies Unit 9: Institutions of National Government: The Federal Courts Chapter 14, pp The Federal Judiciary System: Applying the Law - The Rule of Law - The Nature of the Judicial System - The Structure of the Federal System - The Politics of Judicial Selection - The Backgrounds of Judges and Justices - The Courts as Policymakers - The Courts and Public Policy: A Historical Review - Understanding the Supreme Court Unit 10: Public Policy: Economic and Environmental Policy Chapter 15, pp Economic and Environmental Policy: Contributing to Prosperity - Government as Regulator of the Economy - Government Intervention - Government as Protector of the Environment - Environmental Policy - Energy Policy - Government as Promoter of Economic Interests

6 - Fiscal Policy as an Economic Tool - Monetary Policy as an Economic Tool Unit 11: Public Policy: Welfare and Education Policy Chapter 16, pp Welfare and Education Policy: Providing for Personal Security and Need - Poverty in America - Types of Social Welfare Policies - Income, Poverty, and Public Policy - Helping the Poor? Social Policy and Poverty - Social Welfare Policy Elsewhere - Understanding Economic and Social Welfare Policy Unit 12: Foreign Policy Chapter 17, pp Foreign Policy: Protecting the American Way - Roots of U.S. Foreign and Defense Policy - American Foreign Policy: Instruments, Actors, and Policymakers - American Foreign Policy Through the Cold War - American Foreign Policy and the War on Terrorism - Defense Policy - Military Dimension of National Security Policy - Economic Dimension of National Security Policy - The New National Security Agenda - Understanding National Security Policymaking Unit 13: Institutions of Government: State and Local Government Chapter 18, pp Structure of State Government - Structure of Local Government - State and Local Policies - All politics is local. (Tip O Neill, et al.) Students will be expected to follow the requirements for written assignments, as well as be prepared with content knowledge, analytical skills, and lots of questions to ask in class. Students will find assignments and most readings on my web page; Please feel free to contact me through , rmoy@rsu21.net, with questions or concerns. I look forward to an exciting and interesting year of U.S. government and politics with all of you. soon; ms. moy 8/01/17 6

7 Stuff About Class and Student Expectations Organization All units of study have a syllabus with assignments, assessments, and class topics and activities. Be prepared for changes in that perfect schedule once the snow flies or ms. moy is having trouble with the new chromebook. Students are responsible for using each syllabus to prepare for class assignments and assessments upon receiving the remains of a former tree. All units of study can be found at Feel free to contact me through with any questions about the process or a syllabus. In this course, the student will take ownership of the material being taught and learned. The student must be prepared for class with the appropriate reading assignments completed and ready to participate fully in group activities. Maintaining a notebook, organized or not, is expected. Homework Students are expected to come to class with knowledge acquired from assigned readings, prepared to participate in class by taking notes during class and/or lecture, a deep understanding of the political science and government studied, and a wealth of questions about readings and process. Most homework assignments will be reading and note taking over the textbook and outside sources; outlines for chapter notes will be included in each unit. There will be at least two written analysis assignments for each quarter. Anyone choosing to not do those assignments will be asked to drop the class. Late Policy: Work is due when it is due. During Quarter 1 you will lose 10 points if an assignment is late. You will have two days to hand in that work; any work after that will count as a zero. Beginning with Quarter 2, any work not handed in on the due date will count as a zero. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration. Class Activities The course will utilize a variety of methods including but not limited to lecture/discussion, group work, mock simulations, and writing assignments. Students are expected to keep up on chapter readings and current events, with current events often corresponding to the current chapter. Students will be encouraged to read news periodicals, watch news shows, and use internet resources. Activities will include: discussion on topics, current events, controversial policies, and individual analysis; Socratic seminars; organized debates; student presentations; and more. All activities listed and even those not will require a strong understanding of nightly and yearlong homework assignments, please. Formative Assessments Yes Quizzes and Tests Each unit will include quizzes that come in a variety of forms: short-answer, multiple choice, with notes, without notes, vocabulary definitions, and some (ahem) Google Classroom assessments. A test will be given after each unit and/or chapter at the discretion of the instructor. There will be two quarter tests during the year. Tests will typically include multiple choice and free response items in order to emulate the AP test at the end of the year. As we get closer to the AP test date students will take practice tests which will place each student in the same situation she faces on test day. To help students prepare for the AP test, interpreting and analyzing data from charts, graphs, and short prompt questions will be used periodically in class. Outside Research Work These assignments will vary in form and function and will be assigned during each quarter. They could be considered fun. 7