Note:  Summer section now available for Part One.  This class will only run 12 weeks, unlike 14 in the Fall.

Students can choose to receive a transcript or audit the course.

The Advanced Placement Government & Politics course provides an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course involves both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. politics and the analysis of specific case studies.  I offer this class in two sessions.  At the start of the course, I will give you a letter that shows the course is Audit and approved for school credit.  Check with your individual school districts to see if they offer a way to sit for the exam in May (most do).  Students will need to enroll in Part Two to be ready for the AP US Government exam and should be enrolled to take the exam in May by Nov.1st.  Students also have the option of taking another AP exam and class- AP Comparative Government, which offers students a look at World Governments and to compare those systems with the US.  To take both AP exams students will need to enroll in AP Government and Politics Part One and Two and AP Comparative Government. 

The AP Government course requires students to learn facts and concepts and understand typical political processes. The course will require students to master historical and analytic skills, including chronological and spatial thinking, historical research and interpretation. Students will evaluate viewpoints presented through major print and electronic media, understand statistical data and analyze trends related to significant political events.  Parents and students should understand that this course does have a lot of outside class work including reading our textbook, completing handouts and on occasion, working on projects.

Emphasis is placed on applying problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, interpreting graphs and tables, organizing information, evaluating information, and communicating orally and in writing. The course aims to help the student to participate effectively and democratically in the American political society.

Students will meet with instructor one time a week (two on some occasions if they choose to take the AP Comparative Government Class.  In the past I taught 2 sessions of AP Government and Politics and 1 session of Comparative with a final review.  This course requires hard work and study.  Students need to come ready to work hard and do weekly assignments.  My courses have been approved by College Board many times in the past.  The system is changing this year but students will still be able to count their scores to potentially test out of college courses. Most schools require a 4 out of 5 to test out.  You will need to check with your potential college choices.  

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Wilson, James Q., and John J. DiLulio Jr. American Government: Institutions and Policies (15th edition).
“Cracking the AP US Government & Politics Exam”, Princeton Review (most recent year) (Do not purchase until after first session)

COURSE OUTLINE

Unit 1: Constitutional Underpinnings of the United States Government
Content:  The study of modern politics in the United States requires students to examine the kind of government established by the Constitution, paying particular attention to federalism and the separation of powers. Understanding these developments involves both knowledge of the historical situation at the time of the Constitutional Convention and an awareness of the ideological and philosophical traditions on which the framers drew.

Textbook: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

Unit 2:  Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Content:  An understanding of United States politics includes the study of the development of individual rights and liberties and their impact on citizens. Basic to this study is an analysis of the workings of the Supreme Court and an understanding of its most significant decisions. Students should examine judicial interpretations of various civil rights and liberties such as freedom of speech, assembly, and expression; the rights of the accused; and the rights of minority groups and women. It is important that students be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of Supreme Court decisions as tools of social change.

Textbook: Chapter 5, Chapter 6

Unit 3: Institutions of National Government
Content:  Students must become familiar with the organization and powers, both formal and informal, of the major political institutions in the United States­ -the Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, and the federal courts. The functions these institutions perform and do not perform, as well as the powers that they do and do not possess, are important. It is necessary for students to understand that power balances and relationships between these institutions may evolve gradually or change dramatically as a result of crises. Students are also expected to understand ties between the various branches of national government and political parties, interest groups, the media, and state and local governments. For example, a study of the conflicting interests and powers of the President and Congress may help explain recent and repeated struggles to adopt a national budget.


AP US Government and Politics Part Two  (you will need to register for this course)

Textbook:  Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16

Unit 4:  Political Beliefs and Behaviors
Content:  Individual citizens hold a variety of beliefs about their government, its leaders, and the U.S. political system in general; taken together, these beliefs form the foundation of U.S. political culture. It is important for students to understand how these beliefs are formed, how they evolve, and the processes by which they are transmitted. Students should know why U.S. citizens hold certain beliefs about politics, and how families, schools, and the media act to perpetuate or change these beliefs. Understanding the ways in which political culture affects and informs political participation is also critical. Finally, it is essential that students understand what leads citizens to differ from one another in their political beliefs and behaviors, and the political consequences of these differences.

Textbook: Chapter 4, Chapter 7, Chapter 8

Unit 5:  Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media
Content:  Students should understand the mechanisms that allow citizens to organize and communicate their interests and concerns. Among these are political parties, elections, political action committees (PACs), interest groups, and the mass media. Students should examine the historical evolution of the U.S. party system, the functions and structures of political parties, and the effects they have on the political process. Students must also consider the political roles played by a variety of lobbying and interest groups. Important features of this section of the course include an explanation for why some interests are represented by organized groups while others are not, and the consequences of these differences. Students are expected to understand the role of the media in the political system. In addition, the impact of the media on public opinion, voter perceptions, campaign strategies, electoral outcomes, agenda development, and the images of officials and candidates should be explored and understood by students.

Textbook: Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12

Unit 6:  Public Policy
Content:  Public policy is the result of interactions and dynamics among actors, interests, institutions, and processes. The formation of policy agendas, the enactment of public policies by Congress and the President, and the implementation and interpretation of policies by the bureaucracy and the courts are all stages in the policy process with which students should be familiar. Students should also investigate policy networks, iron triangles, and other forms of policy sub-governments in the domestic and foreign policy areas.

Textbook: Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21


ACADEMIC METHODS & EXPECTATIONS

Students will have access to the course on College Board and will need to sign up for their AP account. Information is presented by way of discussion, lecture and student reading and supplemented by the inquiry method, as well as through listening and observing.  Students will extract, interpret, and evaluate information and ideas from the course’s textbook and other charts, tables, primary source materials, statistics, and maps provided by the course instructor. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the material by way of regular examinations and their participation in class discussions.  Assignments are due on the assigned date.  Late assignments will be accepted when accompanied with an excused absence.
 

PROGRAM OF ASSESSMENT

Students will be assessed regularly throughout the course, with both formative & summative assessments.

We will take a practice AP Exam at the end of each Unit, and quizzes on each Chapter.