Please note, if you are enrolled in Part One. Part Two will be offered at the same time and on the same day beginning in January 2025.

This course will provide students with knowledge of United States Government that will enable them to participate effectively in civic life in America. Students will examine fundamental constitutional principles; the organization of government at the federal, state, and local level; the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; the policy-making process; political parties and elections; comparative government, foreign policy, and the American economic system.   This class is designed to fulfill State Government Requirements.  Please research your State's requirements so that you will receive full credit.  I encourage non-US students to take this class as they bring a great element to discussions.  I offer the course in one part or two, depending on your state's requirements and student's interest. Students must take the first section to continue on to Part 2.  

I purposely keep my class sizes a bit smaller so that I can make sure each student is participating and engaged.  

Topics Include (See syllabus for more detail):
Early Philosophical Foundations of Government (Hobbes/Locke)
Social Contract Theory
National Debt/National Deficit
Road to the American Revolution
Declaration of Independence
Articles of Confederation
Constitution
Impeachment
Elections
Electoral College
(We do Campaign Funding in Part II)
Current Events
Constitutional Clauses
Bill of Rights
Landmark Case Introduction

Sample Weeks:

Week One:  Philosophical Foundations of American Government
Students will discuss the Divine Rights of Kings, Magna Carta, English Petition of Rights, English Bill of Rights, Rule of Law, State of Nature, Social Contract Theory, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Tabula Rasa, Inalienable Rights, Human Nature, and Natural Rights Philosophy.  Students will be given a scenario where they will create their own Government to reinforce our lesson but to also demonstrate the difficult task our founding fathers had when creating our country.

Week Two:  Types of Democracy and Who Governs?
In class we will discuss Direct and Representive Democracy.  We also will define what it is to be an elite.  We then look at different theories of who governs:   The Class View (Marx), Power Elite (C. Wright Mills), Bureaucratic View (Weber), Pluralist View and Creedal Passions View.  Students will create a first person role play where a town meeting will be held to discuss a new law.