Government Syllabus
Course Purpose:
The Government course is designed to prepare students for both college level classes and to give them a
fundamental knowledge of the United States government and politics
Instructor:
Mr. LaBar
Contact Information
dlabar@tarkingtonisd.net
Grading Policy:
Grades will be calculated using the following weighting system:
•
Tests/Projects
= 60% at least 3 per 6 weeks
•
Classwork/Homework/Quizzes = 40% at least 10 per 6 weeks
Absent Work: One day for each day of absence. (see Student Handbook)
Late Work: One day late student will receive a maximum grade of 70. Two or more days late no credit
will be given.
Re-Test/Redo Policy: Students will have a minimum of 5 school days after notification to redo any
assignment that they fail with a 69 or below. Teachers may assign additional requirements prior to
redoing any assignment.
The retest grade will not exceed a 70 in the gradebook.
Projects: Due on or before the due date. If a project is turned in one day after the due date, the
maximum grade possible will be 70. A project more than one day late will not be accepted.
Textbook:
Magruder's American Government
Unit Overview:
Unit 1 -Celebrate Freedom Week
Unit 2 -Foundations and Constitutional principles Chapters 1, 2, and 3
During this unit, students culminate their learning about how the national government of the United
States developed with a study of the important legal traditions, philosophical ideals, and significant
historical events that informed this development. Students learn about the debates and compromises that
surrounded the creation of the Constitution and the significant provisions of the Constitution including the
Bill of Rights and students make a comparison of the system of government created in the U.S.
Constitution with other models of government.
Unit 3 -Political Behavior Chapters 10 and 11
During this unit, students learn how the United States government, whose power derives from the
consent of the governed, depends on citizen participation. In the United States, citizens, groups, and
institutions seek to influence public opinion and the political process believing their actions shape
governmental policy. Political parties provide a venue for citizens to initiate change, express a point of
view, and transform public policy. This unit examines the roles political parties, the media, businesses,
and interest groups play in the political process.
Unit 4 -Legislative Branch: The Congress Chapter 4
During this unit students investigate questions such as, “How does the legislature work? What are
the functions of Congress? What powers does the legislature have and how are those powers limited?
What impact have legislative decisions had on the United States
Unit 5 - Executive Branch: The Presidency and the Bureaucracy Chapters 5 and6
During this unit students investigate the executive branch, headed by the President, and the eight
distinct roles the president and the executive branch play: head of state, chief executive, chief economic
planner, chief diplomat, commander in chief, chief legislator, party chief, and chief citizen.
Unit 6 - Judicial Branch: The Courts and Civil Liberties Chapters 7 and 8
During this unit students gain an understanding of the U.S. court system and how it functions to
protect minority viewpoints and individual rights.
In the next unit students learn about state and local governments.
Unit 7 -State and Local Government Chapter 13
During this unit students apply what they have learned about the three branches of the national
government to understand state and local governments.
Unit 8 -Government and American Culture Chapter 10
During this unit, students, recognizing that identifying and forming opinions about contemporary
government issues is essential to a strong democracy, choose a contemporary issue to analyze and
suggest actions regarding that issue.