$15
weeklyor $240 for 16 classes
American Government - High School
Completed by 56 learners
Ages 13-18
Live Group Course
Live video meetings
1x per week, 16 weeks
3-16 learners per class
60 min
What's included
16 live meetings
16 in-class hoursAssignments
1 hour per week. Assignments will include brief responses to lists of optional questions and topic areas.Assessment
I provide assessments for any student when requested. This will cover the learner's participation and written responses (optional).Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
Beginner Level
American Government covers a broad range of historical, philosophical, constitutional, and political issues related to the establishment of the American system of government and the mechanisms by which individual rights are protected. The general outline of this class was designed with the California standards in mind, so that homeschooled students can cover all required topics, but I can add specific content if your state requires something different. We will begin with a historical analysis of pre-democratic America and will look at the inherent conflict between a monarchy and a burgeoning view that individuals should be a focus of law and governance. We will examine the works of ancient Greek, Roman, English, and European political philosophers such as John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Niccolò Machiavelli, and William Blackstone on the development of American government, and we will add in discussions of legal philosophers, such as Francisco de Vitoria, Thomas Hobbes, and Jeremy Bentham. We will then move into a discussion of the crafting of the American system of government, with analyses of important documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and specific Federalist Papers. In this section, we will examine the debate about the relative powers of the federal and state governments and will review certain Anti-Federalist arguments. We will move into a discussion of the individual rights enumerated in the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and later Amendments, and discuss their philosophical roots, their importance in the overall spectrum of individual liberty, and their status in contemporary American society. We will examine the idea of the civil society and its relationship with the exercise of individual rights. We will also contrast a true civil society with totalitarian regimes where individual rights are stripped in efforts to control a population. This will take us into a brief discussion of Critical Legal Studies which allows us to see the asynchronous degree of liberty enjoyed by different groups in America. Finally, we will cover the structure of the federal government (the three branches), the creation and review of laws, the balance of powers, the Supremacy Clause, and the tension between individual rights/interests and special interests. We will end with a discussion of dissent, protest, and political activism (regardless of one’s political views), including ways that young people can become involved in political issues aside from voting.
Learning Goals
Students will develop a better understanding of the structure of the U.S. government.
Students will develop a better understanding of individual rights and the Constitutional sources of those rights.
Syllabus
16 Lessons
over 16 WeeksLesson 1:
Introduction
We will discuss the concepts of governance, government, representation, and alternate systems of authority.
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Representation and Individualism
We will discuss the concepts of the individual and representation and different levels from a modern perspective.
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Early Political Philosophy
We will discuss the significance of writings from the Early Greek philosophers up through Jeremy Bentham, Montesquieu, and others.
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
State vs. Federal System
A great deal of early debate on the proper "seat" of governmental power focused on the choice between federal supremacy and state power. We will examine the influence of the Federalist Papers and the Antifederalist in this discussion.
60 mins online live lesson
Other Details
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
We will refer to the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and subsequent Amendments, the Federalist Papers, and the Antifederalist.
Meet the teacher
Teacher expertise and credentials
Juris Doctor from University of Michigan
There are three reasons that I feel highly qualified to teach this class: my education, my experience, and my worldview. I have a law degree and a Master's of History (legal and constitutional), as well as a minor in political science. I spent 11 years working on governmental legal issues and cases involving improper governmental activities. Additionally, I was selected as a constitutional law and history expert for panel discussions at the University of Illinois. Finally, I have a strong affinity for legal and political philosophy, focusing on the rights of individuals.
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