ADVANCED PLACEMENT GOVERNMENT
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary”
James Madison
“If students were angels, no grading would be necessary”
The College Board
Spring 2010
INSTRUCTOR: MR. KUHN
Classroom:
Phone Number:
Email:
Website:
Discussion Board:
Room A010
949-2200 x.1160
tkuhn@mhs.k12.il.us
http://www.d120.org/classroom/classroomdetail.aspx?ClassSectionId=135
http://mhsmoodle.mhs.k12.il.us
The opportunity to obtain extra help and makeup tests/quizzes is available before and
after school.
Text:
American Government: Continuity and Change
(2006 ed.) by Karen O’Connor and Larry J. Sabato
Reader:
American Government: Readings and Cases
(16th ed.) by Peter Woll
It is highly recommended that you obtain an AP American Government and Politics
Review Book. These cost around $18 and can be purchased at most book stores.
Publishers include Barrons, Princeton Review, Kaplan and McGraw Hill.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This two-term course is designed to provide an intense study of the American political
system. The major goal of this course is to provide students with the factual knowledge
and analytical skills to be successful on the AP Exam. Another goal of the course is for
students to successfully pass the United States and Illinois Constitution Exam. A third
goal of the course is to raise the student’s political awareness so that he/she will become
an active participatory member of our democratic system.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
To master the history, evolution, structures, and principles pertaining to
US government and politics.
To master an understanding of typical patterns of political processes and
behavior and their impact on the political system.
Critically analyze and interpret political materials and be able to articulate
them in class orally as well as in writing.
Prepare for and excel on the United States and Illinois Constitution Exam.
Prepare for and excel on the Advanced Placement Exam.
AP EXAM OVERVIEW
Exam Date: Monday, May 3rd, AM Session
Note: The College Board also offers an AP Comparative Government and
Politics Exam in the afternoon on the 3rd. Students can choose to study on
their own and take that exam as well. See Mr. Kuhn if interested.
The AP Exam will be given in May. The test is 2 hours and 25 minutes long. The
examination consists of a 45-minute multiple-choice (M-C) section and a free-response
(F-R) section consisting of four mandatory questions. Students have 100 minutes to
answer all four questions, and it is expected that they will spend approximately 25
minutes on each question. The score on each question will account for one-fourth of the
student’s total score on this section of the exam. The multiple-choice and free-response
sections of each examination will have equal weight. The table below summarizes this
information. (Source: The College Board)
Time
45 min.
100 min.
Number of Questions
60
4
Type of Question
M-C
F-R
Percent of Grade
50%
50%
AP COLLEGE BOARD EXAM SUMMARY CONTENT OUTLINE
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government (5-15%)
Political Beliefs and Behaviors (10-20%)
Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media (10-20%)
Institutions: Congress-Presidency-Bureaucracy-Federal Courts (35-45%)
Public Policy (5-15%)
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (5-15%)
AP COLLEGE BOARD EXAM SUMMARY CONTENT OUTLINE
I.
Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government (5-15%)
a. Considerations that influenced the information and adoption of the Constitution
b. Separation of Powers
c. Federalism
d. Theories of democratic government
II.
Political Beliefs and Behaviors (10-20%)
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
III.
Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media (10-20%)
a.
Political parties and elections
1. Functions; 2. Organizations; 3. Development; 4. Effects on the political process; 5.
Electoral laws and system
b.
Interest groups, including political action committees (PAC’s)
1. The range of interests represented; 2. The activities of interest groups; 3. The effects
of interest groups on the political process; 4. The unique characteristics and roles of
PAC’s in the political process.
c.
The mass media
1. The functions and structures of the media; 2. The impact of the media on politics
IV.
Institutions: Congress-Presidency-Bureaucracy-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.
Subnational governments
V.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Public Policy (5-15%)
Policy making in a federal system
The formation of policy agendas
The role of institutions in the enactment of policy
The role of the bureaucracy and the courts in policy implementation and interpretation
Linkages between policy processes and the following:
1.
VI.
Political institutions and federalism; 2. Political parties; 3. Interest groups; 4. Public
opinion; 5. Elections; 6. Policy networks
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (5-15%)
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
ASSESSMENTS
The course is primarily structured in a lecture-discussion format. Student input will be
expected on a daily basis whether it is through class discussions, presentations, or
debates. Students will also be expected to read and take notes on the assigned materials,
write essays both in and out of class, and research independently outside of class. All
written work is due on the assigned day. Late work will not be accepted. The course
will also include unannounced and announced quizzes.
Quizzes will either be based on the previous nights’ reading or vocab terms. Tests will
consist of 30 M-C to be done in 23 minutes and 2 F-R to be done in 50 minutes.
Students will be required to fill out notecards each chapter on the vocabulary terms. They
should have the term on one side, and a working definition and example on the opposite
side. If it is a historical term, it should have who, what, where, when and why. The
information must not be recopied from the text, it should be written so you can
comprehend the term. All assigned cards need to be completed in order to receive full
credit.
Each Monday (or the first day of the week), students are required to turn in one current
newspaper article related to an assigned topic covered in class. You are to attach the
article to a written summary which includes: (Each of these should be labeled and
underlined)
-Write the name and date of the publication.
-Write the topic you believe the article represents.
-Write a 1-2 paragraph summary of the article. What topic is dealt with?
What does the article say about the topic?
-What connections can you make to US politics? What previous material
that you learned does this connect to?
-What is your opinion and/or recommended plan of action regarding this
issue?
Recommended papers include: New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Washington Post,
Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Christian Science Monitor. Magazines are also acceptable.
All electronic/Internet articles must come from one of the following sources OR be preapproved. New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Wall Street Journal,
Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek, Time, US News and World Report.
Most papers require you to register online to access articles. This is free of charge.
Each week you may also be required to use one form of electronic media to learn about
current events. This can take the form of a TV news show or podcast. You will need to do
the following:
-Watch or listen to the program
-Write a brief summary of what you learned from the program
-What connections can you make to material covered in the class?
-What do you agree and/or disagree with in the program?
Suggested TV programs include any of the following Sunday morning shows:
CBS: Face the Nation
NBC: Meet the Press
ABC: This Week
FOX: Fox News Sunday
CSPAN Weekend Programs: (Saturday Evening)
Presidential Weekly Radio Address (These will be on YouTube as well)
America and the Courts
Podcasts:
Search through Itunes using politics as keyword. There are several from noted
politicans, but also from CSPAN and other news outlets.
Blogs:
You should also consider registering for a political blog. There are several that
discuss current events, such as the presidential election, and this is a chance for
you to discuss politics and use the information you have learned in this course
with others.
Online Discussion Board:
There will be a discussion board through the Moodle website which you will be
required to post on periodically. This is done to stimulate discussion on current
events and topics we will discuss in class. Your postings should be relevant and
appropriate. You are also encouraged to post your own questions for the class to
discuss.
Students will be required to read a book from a selected list with a group of 3-6 other
students. There will be an online discussion through Moodle throughout the course. You
will be required to turn in a 3-4 page of summary of the 1st and 2nd halves of the book.
Each summary should consist of the following:
Part 1:
-Bibliographic Entry (List at the beginning of paper, just as you would in a
bibliography)
-Author’s thesis. What arguments are they trying to make? How do they
plan to prove it? This can be found in the preface to the book.
-Chapter by chapter summary with headings (2-3 pages)
-List of at least 5 connections to content you learned in class. Each should
be explained. Example: What content did you learn in class and how is it
applied in the book? You must properly cite the pages from the text.
Part 2:
-Chapter by chapter summary with headings (2-3 pages)
-Rewrite the author’s thesis and main arguments.
- Critique of the research and arguments made the author, including
positives and negatives. Is the reader convinced by the author’s argument?
Avoid the general comments such as, “it’s boring” or “it was very
interesting” and focus more on the quality and relevance of the research.
-How well do they make their argument? Did they use appropriate sources
to make their argument? You can find this by looking through the
footnotes and references. Use specific evidence from the text. (include a
citation of pages)
-Write a potential AP FRQ using information from the text. Include a
rubric w/point values. Use the format given on all previous AP tests.
Selected Books
1.
Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton, by David Gergen
2.
The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries that Defined America, by Jeffrey Rosen
3.
A More Perfect Constitution, by Larry Sabato
4.
Dance of Legislation, by Eric Redman
5.
The Nine, by Jeffrey Toobin
6.
The Waxman Report: How Congress Really Works, by Henry Waxman
7.
Supreme Conflict, by Jan Crawford Greenberg
8.
Presidential Difference, by Fred Greenstein
9.
All Roads Lead to Congress: The $300 Billion Fight Over Highway Funding, by Costas
Panagopoulous
10.
The Warren Court and American Politics, by Lucas A Powe Jr.
11.
In the Shadow of the Oval Office, by Ivo H Daalder and I.M. Destler
12.
Presidential Courage, by Michael Beschloss
You may also select a book not on this list, as long as it is approved by the instructor and
a minimum of three other students read the same book.
Each of the books above may be purchased online, either new or used. You may attempt
to get them from the public library, but remember at least 10 other students will be
reading the same book for this class.
To select a book, you must be in a group of at least three students from your class and no
more than six students.
Political Participation Project
During term 3 students will be required to research a political campaign. This research
will include some form of political participation totaling approximately 5 hours. This can
include attending a rally, volunteering at a candidate’s or political party’s headquarters or
attending a debate. More information will be given at a later date. Election Day is
February 2nd, so you must complete this before that date. Plan accordingly.
Final Exams
-Term 3 will conclude with a written final exam worth 20 percent of the total grade. It
will be given over two days and mirror the AP exam.
-Term 4 will conclude with the Illinois and US Constitution Test. Passing this test with a
70% is required for graduation from MHS. This will be your final exam and count for
20% of your final grade.
TEACHER EXPECTATIONS
In block scheduling it is important that you attend class regularly. Attendance policies
will follow those found in the pathfinder. If you are excusably absent you will receive
makeup privileges. If you are truant, no credit will be given for work missed. Tardies will
result in disciplinary action at a time to be determined by the teacher. If you are tardy by
more than 10 minutes, you will be considered unexcused for the day and therefore will
receive no credit for assignments that day.
Students are strongly encouraged to take the AP Exam. Sign-up will be in March.
Students electing not to take the AP Exam will be given an additional research project to
be turned in the day of the exam. More information will be given at a later date. It is your
responsibility to sign-up for the AP Exam by the deadline.
GRADING POLICY
The grading policy will follow the guidelines established by the Mundelein High Board of
Education. All work will receive a point total. The percentage of points obtained will determine
your grade for the term. Homework will be worth 40%, tests and quizzes will be worth 40% and
class participation will be worth 20%. Grades will follow the school scale, 90-100 A, 80-89 B,
etc…Parents may email me at tkuhn@mhs.k12.il.us or call 949-2200 ext.1160 to find out their
students’ progress.
AP US Government General Outline Syllabus
Subject to change based on school calendar
HW=Homework
Students should follow the assignment listed on the syllabus, not the course website as it
may not always be updated, unless told otherwise.
January 4-8
Constitutional Underpinnings
M-Institute No School
T-1st day of classes, course introduction HW: text 3-9
W-Review AP Exam, 5 concepts of democracy HW: text 9-22, Locke Reading
TH-Locke Discussion HW: text 34-41
F-Quiz Chapter 1, Declaration Discussion HW: text 41-48, Preamble media
11-15
Constitutional Underpinnings/Federalism
M-Articles of Confederation, Const. Convention HW: Beard article
T-Beard Discussion HW: text 48-66
W-Chapter 2 Quiz, Constitution Overview HW: Const. Study Guide
TH- Federalism Notes , HW: Gordon article, text 95-104
F-NCLB Debate HW: Nathan article, text 104-122, Federalism media
18-22
Federalism
M-MLK Day-No School
T-Nathan Discussion, Grants HW: US v Lopez, text 680-685
W-Lopez Discussion, Federalism and the Courts HW: Study
TH-Unit 1 Exam HW: text 237-248
F-Congress Notes HW: Thomas article, Obama first year media
25-29
Congress
M-Thomas Discussion HW: text 248-261
T-Lawmaking HW: Sinclair/Nather article, text 261-274
W-Filibuster Discussion HW: text 623-648
TH-Health Care Debate HW: Study
F-Congress Quiz HW: Congress media, text 278-295
February 1-5 Presidency (Dan Quayle’s Birthday on Thursday)
M-Presidency Intro, HW: Barber article
T-Election Day, Barber Discussion HW: Watch election returns
W-Election debrief, Presidency Notes HW: text 295-310, Rossiter/Neustadt
TH-Rossiter/Neustadt Discussion HW: The Expanding Presidency
F-The Expanding Presidency Debate HW: Paper
Feb 8-12
Presidency
M-ELECTION PAPER DUE, Presidency Video HW: Cronin/Genovese article
T-Cronin/Genovese Discussion, HW: text 705-710, Wildavsky article
W-Wildavsky Discussion HW: 710-727
TH-War Powers Act discussion HW: Study
F-Unit 2 Exam, Presidency Media
15-19
Bureaucracy
M-No School, President’s Day
T-Bureaucracy Notes HW: Woll article, text 310-330
W-Woll Discussion HW: 9/11 Commission article, text 330-340
TH-9/11 Report HW: Friedman article text 659-668
F-Monetary Policy Debate HW: Bureaucracy Media
22-26
Judicial
M-Bureaucracy Quiz HW: text 343-359
T-Judicial Appointments HW: Roche article
W-Roche discussion HW: Brennan article
TH-Brennan discussion HW: text 359-382
F-Schedule C, Important Court Cases HW: Judicial Media
March 1-5
Judicial/Review
M-No School, Pulaski Day
T-Judicial Debate: Lifetime Appointments
W-Unit 3 Exam
TH-TBA
F-Review Day
8-12
Finals, Begin Term 4
M-Final Exam MC, 60 questions, 45 minutes
T-Periods 1 and 2 Final Exam 4 FRQ’s, 100 minutes
W-Period 3 Final Exam 4 FRQ’s, 100 minutes
TH-Schedule C-Review Final Exams HW-text 157-176
F-Incorporation, Gideon v Wainright HW-Book Review
15-19
Civil Liberties
M-Book Review #1 Due, Civil Liberties Notes HW: Engel case, text 176-193
T-Engel Discussion HW: Taylor article
W-Civil Liberties in Wartime HW: text 197-213
TH-Civil Liberties Quiz HW: text 217-237 Affirmative Action case
F-Bakke/Grutter Discussion HW: Court case powerpoint, Civil Liberties media
22-26
Civil Rights
M-Court Case Presentations
T-Court Case Presentations
W-Unit 4 Exam HW: text 385-406, Putnam Article
TH-Putman Discussion HW: text 406-417
F-Political Campaign Video
Mar 29-April 2
Spring Break
Continue to read book
5-9
Political Parties
M-Parties Intro HW: text 417-440, Mayhew article
T-Mayhew Discussion HW: text 440-455 Schneider/Shane article
W-3rd parties Discussion HW: Study for quiz
TH-Parties Quiz, Begin Elections HW: Scala article, text 459-479
F-Primaries and Caucuses HW: Book Review
12-16
Campaigns and Elections
M-Book Review #2 Due Electoral College, Bush v Gore HW: 479-490, Media
T-Gerrymandering Activity HW: text 490-506
W-Elections Quiz, Campaign Ads Video HW: Jamieson article, text 509-524
TH-Negative Campaigning HW: text 524-536, Campaign Finance case
F-Campaign Finance Reform Debate
19-23
Media/Interest Groups
M-Unit 5 Exam HW: text 547-568, Editorial Media
T-Media Notes HW: Kull article, text 568-581
W-Kull Discussion HW: Fed.10/Berry article, text 581-593
TH-Berry discussion HW: Sabato article, text 593-608
F-Sabato Discussion, PAC’s HW: Interest Group Media
26-30
Review Week
M-Quiz: Media/Interest Groups, Public Policy Notes HW: text 670-680
T-Budget Process
W-PSAE Testing
TH-PSAE Testing
F-AP Review
May 3-7
AP Exam
M-AP Test: 8am
4-7
10-12
IL Constitution
IL Constitution
13-Senior Finals
14-??
17-20
IL Government and Final Exam
Final Exam:
US and IL Constitution Tests-70% required for graduation from
MHS