MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Advanced Placement American Government and Politics
Authored by: Mark DeBiasse
Reviewed by: Lee Nittel,
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Adopted by the Board: January, 2013
Members of the Board of Education:
Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Shade Grahling
Linda Gilbert
Thomas Haralampoudis
James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
I. OVERVIEW
Advanced Placement American Government and Politics provides a rigorous examination of the structure
and function of American government. Students will develop an analytical perspective for interpreting,
understanding, and explaining political events in this country within the context of a global society and economy.
The course is offered to students in the 11th and 12th grades and is intended to prepare them to take the AP
examination in United States Government and Politics.
II. RATIONALE
The rationale for the AP American Government and Politics course is to:
Develop an understanding of the constitutional structure of American government and to appreciate how it
differs from other regime types, including the democratic nations of Western Europe.
Acquire, analyze, organize and utilize data to explain complex political phenomenon.
Challenge students to develop higher level thinking, writing, and critical analysis skills.
Appreciate and evaluate the perspective of others on key issues of governance.
Afford students the opportunity to complete college level work as high school students.
III. STUDENT OUTCOMES (Link to New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards)
NJ Core Curriculum Standard 6.2
A. Civic Life, Politics, and Government
The students will:
1.
Analyze how reserved and jointly held powers in the United States Constitution result in tensions among the
three branches of government and how these tensions are resolved, including:
o
o
o
o
2.
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Federalist #78
United States v. Nixon (1974)
Claims of Executive Privilege by Presidents Nixon, Clinton, and Bush)
Apply the concept of the rule of law to contemporary issues, including:
o
o
o
o
o
Impeachment of President Clinton
Use of Executive Privilege
Recess appointments to federal courts
The Senate’s advise and consent process
The use of litmus tests
3.
Analyze how individual responsibility and commitment to law are related to the stability of American
society.
4.
Evaluate competing ideas about the purpose of the national and state governments and how they have
changed over time, including:
o
o
o
The American version of federalism
The powers of the federal government and the states
Differing interpretations of Article I, Sections 8-10
5. Discuss how participation in civic and political life can contribute to the attainment of individual and
public good.
6. Evaluate ways that national political parties influence the development of public policies and political
platforms, including:
o
o
o
o
Political action committees
The McCain-Feingold Act
Platform committees
Political campaigns.
7. Analyze how public opinion is measured and used in public debate and how public opinion can be
influenced by the government and the media, including:
o
o
o
o
Electronic polling
Focus groups
Gallup polls
Newspaper and television polls
B. American Values and Principles
The students will:
1. Analyze major historical events and important ideas that led to and sustained the constitutional
government of the United States, including:
o
o
o
o
The Constitutional Convention of 1787
The Judiciary Act of 1789
The first Cabinet under George Washington
Amendments 1-15
2. Propose and justify new local, state, or federal governmental policies on a variety of contemporary issues,
including:
o
o
o
o
Definition of marriage
Voting systems and procedures
Censorship
Religion in public places
3. Describe historic and contemporary efforts to reduce discrepancies between ideals and reality in American
public life, including:
o
o
o
Amendments 13-15
The Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1875
The Abolitionist movement, the Civil War, and the end of slavery in the United States.
4. Discuss how a common and shared American civic culture is based on commitment to central ideas in
founding-era documents, including the United States Constitution and in core documents of subsequent periods of
United States history, including:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Washington’s Farewell Address
The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions (1848)
The Gettysburg Address
President Franklin Roosevelt’s "Four Freedoms" speech (1941)
President Kennedy’s Inaugural Address (1961)
The 17th, 19th, and 24th Amendments
Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech and the "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
5. Analyze the successes of American society and disparities between American ideals and reality in
American political, social, and economic life and suggest ways to address them, including:
o
The rights of minorities, women, physically and mentally challenged individuals, foreign born
individuals
6. Explore the importance and presence of voluntarism and philanthropy in America and examine the role of
local, state, national, and international organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the
Rotary.
C. The Constitution and American Democracy
The students will:
1. Debate current issues and controversies involving the central ideas of the American constitutional system,
including representative government (e.g., Electoral College and the popular vote), civic virtue (e.g., increasing voter
turnout through registrations and campaigns), checks and balances, and limits on governmental power.
2. Analyze, through current and historical examples and Supreme Court cases, the scope of governmental
power and how the constitutional distribution of responsibilities seeks to prevent the abuse of that power.
3. Compare the American system of representative government with systems in other democracies such as
the parliamentary systems in England and France.
4. Compare and contrast the major constitutional and legal responsibilities of the federal government for
domestic and foreign policy and describe how disagreements are resolved.
5. Describe the nature of political parties in America and how they reflect the spectrum of political views on
current state and federal policy issues.
6. Explain the federal and state legislative process and analyze the influence of lobbying, advocacy groups,
the media, and campaign finance on the development of laws and regulations.
D. Citizenship
The students will:
1. Evaluate the characteristics needed for effective participation in civic and political life.
2. Compare and contrast the rights and responsibilities of government and its citizens as delineated in the
United States Constitution, the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, and the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.
3. Compare and contrast the benefits of American citizenship (e.g., habeas corpus, secret ballots, freedom of
movement and expression) with those of citizens of other nations, including democratic and non-democratic
countries.
4. Recommend ways that citizens can use knowledge of state or federal government policies and decisionmaking processes to influence the formation, development, or implementation of current public policy issues (e.g.,
First Amendment right to petition for redress of grievances).
5. Discuss how citizens can participate in the political process at the local, state, or national level (e.g.,
registering to vote, voting, attending meetings, contacting a representative, demonstrating, petitions, boycotting) and
analyze how these forms of political participation influence public policy.
E. International Education: Global Challenges, Cultures, and Connections
The students will:
1. Compare and contrast key past and present United States foreign policy actions (e.g., diplomacy,
economic aid, humanitarian aid, military aid) and positions (e.g., treaties, sanctions, interventions) and evaluate their
consequences.
2. Analyze and evaluate United States foreign policy actions and positions, including the world-wide struggle
against terrorism, and the Iraq War.
3. Describe how the world is organized politically into nation-states and alliances and how these interact
with one another through organizations such as the European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),
the United Nations, the World Court, and the Group of Eight Industrialized Nations (G8).
4. Analyze and evaluate the interconnections of local, regional, and national issues with global challenges
and issues, and recommend possible solutions.
5. Discuss how global interconnections can have both positive and negative consequences (e.g., international
companies, transfer of jobs to foreign plants, international security and access to transportation).
6. Investigate a global challenge (e.g., hunger, AIDS, nuclear defense, global warming) in depth and over
time, predict the impact if the current situation does not change, and offer possible solutions.
7. Participate in events to acquire understanding of complex global problems (e.g., Model United Nations,
international simulations, field trips to government sites).
8. Justify an opinion or idea about a global issue while showing respect for divergent viewpoints.
9. Discuss the impact of technology, migration, the economy, politics, and urbanization on culture.
10. Compare and contrast common social and behavioral practices in various cultures (e.g., birth, marriage,
death, gender issues, family structure, health issues).
11. Participate in activities that foster understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures (e.g., world
language instruction, student exchange, clubs, international forums, community service, speaker programs, arts,
sports).
12. Analyze the impact of communication networks, technology, transportation, and international business
on global issues.
13. Analyze how the media presents cultural stereotypes and images and discuss how this impacts beliefs and
behaviors.
14. Connect the concept of universal human rights to world events and issues.
15. Compare and contrast current and past genocidal acts and other acts of hatred and violence for the
purposes of subjugation and exploitation (e.g., Holocaust, Native Americans, Irish famine, Armenia, Ukrainian
collectivization, Cambodia, Rwanda) and discuss present and future actions by individuals and governments to
prevent the reoccurrence of such events.
NJ Core Curriculum Standard 6.1
The students will:
1.
Analyze how historical events shape the modern world.
2.
Formulate questions and hypotheses from multiple perspectives, using multiple sources.
3.
Gather, analyze, and reconcile information from primary and secondary sources to support or reject
hypotheses.
4.
Examine source data within the historical, social, political, geographic, or economic context in which it was
created, testing credibility and evaluating bias.
5.
Evaluate current issues, events, or themes and trace their evolution through historical periods.
6.
Apply problem-solving skills to national, state, or local issues and propose reasoned solutions.
7.
Analyze social, political, and cultural change and evaluate the impact of each on local, state, national, and
international issues and events.
8.
Evaluate historical and contemporary communications to identify factual accuracy, soundness of evidence,
and absence of bias and discuss strategies used by the government, political candidates, and the media to
communicate with the public.
IV. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND CONTENT
A. AMERICAN POLITICS IN CONTEXT
1. The International Perspective
Questions:
1. What are the essential qualities and characteristics of democratic societies?
2. How does the American political system compare with other western democracies?
Key Ideas:
1. Compare and contrast democratic and non-democratic regimes.
2. Explain the difference between federal, unitary, and confederal systems of government.
3. Distinguish between parliamentary and presidential systems of government.
2. The Ideological and Cultural Perspective
Questions:
1. How do American attitudes about government, economy and politics compare with those of other western
democracies?
2. What are the sources and essential elements of American political culture and how do they shape the political
process?
3. What is political power and how is it distributed within the American political system?
Key Ideas:
1. Distinguish between power, authority and legitimacy.
2. Identify key elements of American political culture and compare these with other western democracies.
3. Describe the differences between direct democracy and representative democracy.
4. Identify the historical and philosophical sources of American political culture.
5. Explain the relationship between political culture and the political process.
B. THE CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
Questions:
1. In what ideological and political context was the Constitution created?
2. How did the ratification process impact the content, interpretation, and legitimacy of the constitution?
3. What key features distinguish our national constitution from the instruments of government developed by other
nations?
Key Ideas:
1. Discuss the origins and nature of the American Revolution.
2. Discuss the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation and the problems encountered during the “Critical
Period” of 1781-1787.
3. Explain the goals of the “founding fathers” in calling for the Constitutional Convention.
4. Explain why separation of powers and federalism became key parts of the Constitution.
5. Evaluate the arguments made by the Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the debate over ratification of the
Constitution.
6. Explain the significance and adoption of the Bill of Rights.
7. Explain what is meant by reference to the Constitution as “a living document”.
8. Explain the role of the Washington Administration and the Marshall Court in shaping the meaning of the newly
minted constitution.
9. Compare the United States Constitution with that of other western democracies.
C. FEDERALISM
Questions:
1. How do the powers of state government compare with those of political sub-units in other western democracies?
2. How has the relationship between state and federal government evolved since the adoption of the federal
constitution in 1788?
3. How has the federal structure served to either deny or protect the rights and liberties of Americans throughout the
history of the republic?
4. How have federal monies been used to influence the policies of state governments?
Key Ideas:
1. Compare the powers of political sub-units in a unitary system of government with those of states in a federal
system.
2. Explain how reserved powers have been (and continue to be) used by states to both protect and deny the rights of
citizens.
3. Evaluate the ways in which national and state powers have been interpreted by the courts, and how the doctrine of
“dual federalism” came to an end.
4. Explain why federal grants-in-aid to the states have been politically popular yet less successful than their
proponents would like to admit.
5. Explain why, despite repeated attempts to reverse the trend, categorical grants have continued to grow more
rapidly than block grants.
6. Distinguish between mandates and conditions of aid and identify objections to each regularly voiced by state and
local governments.
7. Discuss to what extent federal grants to states have succeeded in creating uniform national policies comparable
with those of unitary governments.
D. CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
Questions:
1. What are the philosophical and historical roots of American civil liberties?
2. Does the American emphasis on personal freedoms diminish the focus on the collective good?
3. How have civil rights been expanded in America in the past 40 years?
4. What roles do civil rights and liberties play in American politics?
Key Ideas:
1. Explain the relationship between the ideas of the Enlightenment and the body of rights embraced in American life
and law.
2. Connect the civil liberties enshrined in the Bill of Rights to specific British policies that the American’s found
objectional during the colonial era.
3. Compare and contrast the civil rights and liberties Americans enjoy with that of other western democracies.
4. Discuss key cases where the courts have had to weigh protection of personal freedoms against the promotion of the
common good.
5. Trace the emergence of the civil rights movement and evaluate whether the struggle for expanded rights among
women and minorities has been fully successful.
6. Explain the role of civil rights and liberties in American electoral politics.
E. PUBLIC OPINION
Questions:
1. What is public opinion and how is it formed?
2. What factors contribute to cleavages in public opinion and what impact does this have on the political process?
3. How do the cleavages in American public opinion compare with those that exist in other western democracies?
4. What effect does/should public opinion have on the operation of our political institutions and the formation of
public policy?
5. How is public opinion measured and what are some of the difficulties encountered by those who try to measure
public attitudes?
6. In what ways has the technological revolution changed the way public opinion is formed and measured?
Key Ideas:
1. Identify and discuss the most important sources of public opinion.
2. Define “political ideology” and explain the limitations of classifying citizens and political actors simply as
“conservative” or “liberal”.
3. Explain how cleavages in pubic opinion form and the impact they have on electoral politics and the policy-making
process.
4. Discuss the ways in which politicians and political leaders attempt to shape public opinion and evaluate the
effectiveness of their methods.
5. Explain how public opinion impacts the development of public policy, focusing on the actions of the executive,
legislative and judicial branches of government.
6. Identify and evaluate the accuracy of the main ways public opinion is measured.
7. Evaluate the impact of technological innovation on the formation, measurement and impact of public opinion in
the American political system.
F. THE MEDIA
Questions:
1. In what way does the media determine the beliefs that people hold about politics?
2. How have globalization, business consolidation and technological innovation changed the content and character of
the news media?
3. How has the institutionalization of investigative reporting changed the relationship between the news media,
government officials and politicians?
4. In what ways does the news media influence electoral politics and public policy?
5. Is the media a global or national phenomenon?
Key Ideas:
1. Explain the relationship between the news media, public opinion and political participation.
2. Discuss the impact of globalization, business consolidation and technological innovation on the content and
character of the news media.
3. Discuss the collegial and confrontational relationship between the news media and political leaders.
4. Evaluate the impact of the news media on modern state, local and national elections.
5. Discuss the ways in which the news media influences the formulation of public policy.
6. Evaluate the power of the media to shape global public opinion since the advent of the telecommunications
revolution.
G. POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
Questions:
1. What are some of the principle ways Americans participate in the political process?
2. What main factors have contributed to the decline in voting among Americans over the last four decades?
3. What are the modern trends in political participation in the United States?
4. How does political participation in the United States compare with that of other western democracies?
Key Ideas:
1. Identify and evaluate the efficacy of the main forms of political participation exercised in the United States today.
2. Identify the principle reasons that fewer and fewer Americans exercise their right to vote and evaluate the impact
of non-voting on electoral politics and the policy-making process.
3. Identify and evaluate the impact of recent trends in political participation among Americans.
4. Compare and contrast political participation in the United States with that of other western democracies.
H. POLITICAL PARTIES
Questions:
1. How do the roles of political parties differ between the United States and the other western democracies?
2. How has the organization, power and role of political parties changed throughout the history of the republic?
3. What are the main factors that contribute to sustaining the two-party system in the United States?
4. How do political parties influence the electoral process at the state and local level?
5. What role do political parties play in presidential elections?
6. What factors contribute to the formation (and relative lack of electoral success) of minor parties?
4. Are political parties in decline and, if so, what has/will emerge to take their place in American politics?
Key Ideas:
1. Compare and contrast party organization and function in the United States and other western democracies.
2. Trace the evolution of political parties throughout American history.
3. Explain why the two-party system is an enduring feature of American political life.
4. Describe the role of political parties in electoral politics at the national, state and local level.
5. Explain how political party organizations influence the outcome of presidential elections.
6. Explain the impact of minor parties on electoral politics and election outcomes.
7. Trace the rising and falling influence of political parties in American political life.
I. ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGNS
Questions:
1. How do Congressional and Presidential election politics differ?
2. Why does winning a primary require a different strategy than winning a general election?
3. How does money influence the outcome of elections and the policies of candidates who win political office?
4. What are the key factors that determine the outcome of elections?
5. Do election outcomes typically lead to major changes in public policy?
6. How do American campaigns and elections differ from those in other western democracies?
Key Ideas:
1. Explain the different characteristics of Congressional versus Presidential elections.
2. Compare and contrast the strategies for winning primary elections with those used for general elections.
3. Discuss the differences between party oriented election campaigns of the past and the candidate oriented
campaigns of the present.
4. Define the term “realigning election” and discuss examples from past elections.
5. Evaluate the role of money in American electoral politics.
6. Assess the efficacy of efforts to limit the influence of money in American electoral politics.
7. Evaluate the relative importance of the key factors that determine the outcome of elections.
8. Discuss the impact of technological innovation on American electoral politics and the conduct of local, state and
national elections.
9. Explain why election outcomes rarely lead to major changes in public policy.
10. Compare and contrast American electoral politics with the election practices of other western democracies.
J. INTEREST GROUPS
Questions:
1. What accounts for the explosion in the type and number of interest groups in American political life?
2. What are the different types of interest groups and on what issues do they attempt to influence public policy?
3. How are interest groups funded and how do the sources of funding influence the work of the organization?
4. What is the “revolving door” and how does it impact the policy making process?
5. Has the influence of interest groups eclipsed that of all other actors in American political life?
Key Ideas:
1. Explain the proliferation of interest groups in American government and politics.
2. Identify the four main types of interest groups and distinguish between their organizational structure, membership,
funding and goals.
3. Discuss the influence of the staff within interest group organizations.
4. Identify key sources of funding for interest groups and discuss the impact donors have on the work of interest
group organizations.
5. Evaluate whether aggregate interest group activity favors the liberal or conservative agenda in American political
life.
6. Explain how international interest groups influence the development of American domestic and foreign policy.
K. THE CONGRESS
Questions:
1. How do the powers and institutional behavior of Congress differ from those of a Parliament?
2. To what degree does the membership of Congress reflect the background and views of the public as a whole?
3. How is the institution of Congress organized and how does this organizational pattern influence the exercise of
legislative authority?
4. How does a bill become a law and how do institutional pressures influence the outcome of a piece of legislation?
5. Are the present level of Congressional checks on executive authority necessary and desirable?
Key Ideas:
1. Compare and contrast the powers, structure and function of Congress and Parliament.
2. Create a demographic profile of the current Congress and evaluate whether elected officials are representative of
the general public.
3. Chart the organizational structure of the legislative branch and identify the key positions of power within the
institution.
4. Explain how power is acquired, maintained and used within the legislative branch.
5. Diagram the way in which a bill becomes a law, noting points where the bill can be modified and/or killed.
6. Trace the historical development of Congress as an institution, noting the ebb and flow of power in and out of the
legislative sphere.
7. Evaluate the necessity and efficacy of Congressional checks on executive authority
L. THE PRESIDENCY AND THE BUREAUCRACY
Questions:
1. Who enjoys greater power, a president or a prime minister?
2. What are the key characteristics Americans seek in a candidate for the presidency?
3. What powers does the constitution confer upon the presidency and what other factors influence the power of the
executive branch?
4. Should Americans be concerned about the steady accumulation of power in the office of the presidency since the
early years of the republic?
5. How have globalization, technological advancements and the nature of global conflict impacted the power of the
presidency?
6. How does the selection and organization of the White House staff influence the exercise of presidential power?
7. In what ways does the bureaucracy enhance and subtract from the powers of the presidency?
8. Does Congressional oversight of the federal bureaucracy provide adequate or unnecessary checks on executive
authority?
Key Ideas:
1. Compare and contrast the powers of the executive in a presidential and parliamentary system.
2. Identify the essential qualities of a candidate for the office of the presidency.
3. Identify the powers granted to the president under Article II of the constitution and evaluate whether adequate
checks of those powers have been incorporated into the constitution.
4. List and evaluate the extra-constitutional sources of presidential power.
5. Trace the accumulation of governing authority in the office of the chief executive.
6. Evaluate the impact that growing presidential authority has had on American democratic institutions, the rights of
citizens and the formulation and execution of American foreign policy.
7. Evaluate the president’s power to persuade and identify factors that may diminish this capability.
8. Assess the impact that technological advancements have had on the president’s ability to influence public opinion.
9. Explain how the federal bureaucracy can serve to both enhance and limit the powers of the presidency.
10. Evaluate the need for Congressional oversight of the federal bureaucracy.
M. THE JUDICIARY
Questions:
1. How has the role and authority of the federal courts changed since the early years of the republic?
2. Why did the founding fathers construct an independent judiciary and has the judicial system fallen victim to
partisan politics?
3. What factors determine whether a case gets to the Supreme Court?
4. What ideological and jurisprudential cleavages undermine the solidarity of the Supreme Court?
Key Ideas:
1. Trace the development of the modern federal court system.
2. Identify the key constitutional features that ensure an independent and impartial judiciary.
3. Provide examples that demonstrate the impact of politics and public opinion on the work of the Supreme Court.
4. Identify the major decisions of the Supreme Court on key constitutional questions since the Marbury v. Madison
case of 1803.
5. Explain the factors that determine whether the Supreme Court will hear and try a case brought from one of the
lower courts.
6. Discuss the trends in modern jurisprudence and discuss the significance of ideological cleavages among the current
Supreme Court.
N. THE POLICY MAKING PROCESS
1. Domestic Policy Making
Questions:
1. What factors contribute to the domestic decision making process?
2. What tools are employed by government officials to manage American economic, environmental and social
welfare policy?
3. How has globalizaton and economic integration impacted the ability of government officials to formulate domestic
economic policy?
Key Ideas:
1. Identify and evaluate the effectiveness of the various levers of domestic economic policy.
2. Discuss the factors that determine the outcome of domestic policy disputes.
3. Evaluate the efficacy of federal policies and programs designed to promote economic prosperity, social welfare and
a clean environment .
2. Foreign and Military Policy Making
Questions:
1. How are the foreign policy powers divided between the Congress and the presidency under our constitution?
2. How have globalization and economic integration changed the foreign policy making process?
3. How do international actors such as allies, non-governmental and supranational organizations influence the
making of United States foreign policy?
4. To what degree should United States foreign policy be subject to global public opinion?
Key Ideas:
1. Explain the division of powers between Congress and the President with respect to the formulation and execution
of American foreign policy.
2. Discuss the impact of globalization and economic integration on the formulation of American foreign policy.
3. Explain the role of international corporations in influencing American foreign and military policy.
4. Discuss the impact that the United Nations, NATO, NAFTA, the G8 and other supranational entities have on the
formulation and execution of American foreign policy.
5. Discuss the impact that terrorist organizations, insurgent groups and other non-governmental actors have on the
formulation and execution of American foreign policy.
6. Assess the degree to which United States foreign policy should be influenced by global opinion.
V. INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
A. Reading of primary and secondary sources
B. Interpretation of political cartoons, graphs, charts, data tables and other graphics
C. Lecture/Demonstrations
D. Class discussion and debate
E. Guest speakers
F. Independent research
G. Media presentations
VI. EVALUATION
Evaluation of student performance will occur through the following:
Regular homework assignments. These include such activities as notes from assigned readings, answers
to study questions, timelines, summaries, fact sheets, opinion pieces, graphics, and news stories.
Tests
Participation in class discussions and activities.
Writing assignments
Oral presentations based on research by both individuals and small groups.
Participation and preparation for panel discussions, debates, and simulations.
Quizzes
Makeup work is the student’s responsibility and must be completed within the school’s guidelines (two days for each
day’s absence) unless specific arrangements are made with the teacher. All students must complete a summer
assignment which is due on the first day of class—no exceptions.
VII. REQUIRED RESOURCES
Recommended text:
Wilson, James Q. and John J. DiLulio, Jr. American Government, 10th Edition, (2006) Houghton Mifflin
Company.
Supplemental resources:
DiLulio, John J. and Meena Bose. Classic Ideas and Current Issues in American Government. (2007) Houghton
Mifflin Company.
A variety available from Morris County Media Center, the Social Studies Department and the MHS Media
Center per unit of study. These sources will be used whole or in part to enhance student learning.
Reading a daily newspaper is required for this course. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are
suggested. Current periodicals such as Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report and Time are also recommended as
relevant to the units of study. Daily newspapers are available in the MHS Media Center.
VIII. SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
1. INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF SUMMER ASSIGNMENT-One Week
a. Course overview and expectations.
b. Discussion of A.P. examination
c. Electoral college and electoral reform
i. DiLulio pp. 304-313 (Wayne: Reforming the Electoral College System)
2. AMERICAN POLITICS IN CONTEXT: The International Perspective-Two Weeks
a. Democratic and non-democratic regimes.
b. Federal, unitary, and confederal systems of government.
c. Parliamentary and presidential systems of government.
3. AMERICAN POLITICS IN CONTEXT: The Ideological and Cultural Perspective-Three Weeks
a. Power, authority and legitimacy.
i. Wilson pp. 3-6
ii. DiLulio pp. 4-8 (Locke: Second Treatise on Government)
b. Direct democracy and representative democracy.
i. Wilson pp. 6-8
ii. DiLulio pp. 18-24 (Madison: Federalist No. 10)
iii. DiLulio pp. 28-32 (The Anti-Federalist: Cato No. 3)
c. Sources and elements of American political culture
i. Wilson pp. 76-87
ii. DiLulio pp. 107-116 (Alexis de Tocqueville: “Democracy in America”)
d. Political culture and the political process
i. Wilson pp. 87-96
4. THE CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK-Two Weeks
a. Prelude to the Constitutional Convention
i. Wilson pp. 16-25
b. The Constitutional Convention
i. Wilson pp. 25-27
c. The Constitution and Ratification
i. Wilson pp. 27-40
ii. DiLulio pp. 25-28 (Madison: Federalist No. 51)
iii. DiLulio pp. 33-37 (The Anti-Federalist: Brutus No. 2)
d. Constitutional Reform
i. Wilson pp. 40-47
ii. DiLulio pp. 44-60 (Sundquist: Constitutional Reform and Effective Government)
5. FEDERALISM-Two Weeks
a. Distribution of powers in unitary and federal systems
i. DiLulio pp. 61-70 (Madison: Federalist No. 39)
b. Evaluation of the federal system
i. Wilson pp. 48-59
ii. DiLulio pp. 70-77 (McCulloch v. State of Maryland 1819)
iii. DiLulio pp. 90-105 (Derthick: Keeping the Compound Republic: How Many
Communities?)
c. Federal-state relations
i. Wilson pp. 60-73
ii. DiLulio pp. 77-90 (Nathan: Hard Road Ahead: Block Grants and the “Devolution
Revolution”)
6. CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES-Three Weeks
a. Origins of American civil liberties
i. Wilson pp. 97-102
ii. DiLulio pp. 523-525
b. American civil liberties: challenges and interpretations
i. Wilson pp. 102-123
ii. DiLulio pp. 526-533, 538-541
c. The African-American struggle for civil rights
i. Wilson pp. 124-139, 144-149
ii. DiLulio pp. 533-538, 541-547
d. The broader struggle for civil rights
i. Wilson pp. 139-144, 146-7, 149-152
7. PUBLIC OPINION-Two Weeks
a. Sources of public opinion
i. Wilson pp. 154-162
ii. DiLulio pp. 143-150 (Lippmann: The Phantom Public)
b. Cleavages in American public opinion
i. Wilson pp. 162-167
ii. DiLulio pp. 154-164 (Fiorina: Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized Electorate)
c. Political ideology
i. Wilson pp. 167-172
d. Public opinion and public policy
i. Wilson pp. 172-176
ii. DiLulio pp. 150-154 (DiLulio: Election Results, Rally Effects and Democratic Futures)
8. THE MEDIA-Two Weeks
a. Evolution of the American news media
i. Wilson pp. 291-298
b. Structure and function of the news media
i. Wilson pp. 298-303
ii. DiLulio pp. 315-333 (Dowd: Whereas, He Is an Old Boy, If a Young Chief, Honor Him
and Kurtz: Spin Cycle: How the White House and the Media Manipulate the News)
c. Government, elections and the media
i. Wilson pp. 307-314
ii. DiLulio pp. 339-352 (Noyes: Media Research Center Report: The Liberal Media)
d. Technology, globalism and the media
9. POLITICAL PARTICIPATION-Two Weeks
a. Comparing voting behavior
i. Wilson pp. 177-180
ii. DiLulio pp. 166-167, 207-216 (Wattenberg: Where Have All the Voters Gone?)
b. Evolution of the American electorate
i. Wilson pp. 180-187
ii. DiLulio pp. 167-171 (Key: The Responsible Electorate)
c. Forms and efficacy of political participation
i. Wilson pp. 187-196
d. The problem of apathy
i. DiLulio pp. 172-207 (McDonald and Popkin: The Myth of the Vanishing Voter and
Mattson: Engaging Youth: Combating the Apathy of Young Americans Toward Politics)
10. POLITICAL PARTIES-Two Weeks
a. Political parties here and abroad
i. Wilson pp. 198-201
ii. DiLulio pp. 218-221
b. The rise and fall of political parties
i. Wilson pp. 201-207
c. Party types and organization
i. Wilson pp. 207-217
d. The two-party system
i. Wilson pp. 217-223
ii. DiLulio pp. 221-225 (Schneider: The Nader Calculation and Shane: Nader Is Left With
Fewer Votes, and Friends, After ’04 Race)
e. Parties and elections
i. Wilson pp. 223-229
ii. DiLulio pp. 226-235 (Sundquist: Dynamics of the Party System: Alignment and
Realignment of Political Parties in the United States)
11. ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGNS-Three Weeks
a. Types of elections and campaigns
i. Wilson pp. 230-244
ii. DiLulio pp. 263-299 (Fiorina: Theories of Retrospective Voting and Stokes and DiLulio:
The Setting: Valence Politics in Modern Elections)
b. Money, elections and campaigns
i. Wilson pp. 244-253
ii. DiLulio pp. 300-303 (Justice: Even with Campaign Finance Law, Money Talks Louder
Than Ever)
c. Election outcomes
i. Wilson pp. 253-263
d. Elections here and abroad
12. INTEREST GROUPS-Two Week
a. Types and numbers of interest groups
i. Wilson pp. 264-276
b. Interest group funding
i. Wilson pp. 276-279
c. Interest group activities
i. Wilson pp. 279-282
ii. DiLulio pp. 253-261 (Birnbaum and Murray: Showdown at Gucci Gulch: Lawmakers,
Lobbyists, and the Unlikely Triumph of Tax Reform)
d. Contemporary problems
i. Wilson pp. 282-290
e. Supranational interest groups
13. THE CONGRESS-Two Weeks
a. Comparing Congress and Parliament
i. Wilson pp. 317-321
b. The evolution of Congress
i. Wilson pp. 321-325
c. Profile of the Congress
i. Wilson pp. 325-330
d. Problems of representation
i. Wilson pp. 330-333
ii. DiLulio pp. 354-377 (Hamilton/Madison: Federalist No. 57 & 63 and Mayhew:
Congress: The Electoral Connection)
e. Organization of the national legislature
i. Wilson pp. 334-347
f. The legislative process
i. Wilson pp. 347-366
g. The struggle for power: Congress and the President
i. Wilson pp. 427-430
ii. DiLulio pp. 482-489 (Wilson: Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why
They Do It)
iii. DiLulio pp. 382-391 (Nather: Congress as Watchdog: Asleep on the Job?)
14. THE PRESIDENCY AND THE BUREAUCRACY-Three Weeks
a. Comparing Presidents and Prime Ministers
i. Wilson pp. 367-370
ii. DiLulio pp. 406-414 (Hamilton: Federalist No. 70)
b. The problem of divided government
i. Wilson pp. 370-372
c. The evolving presidency
i. Wilson pp. 372-379
ii. DiLulio pp. 415-423 (Neustadt: Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents)
d. Winning (and losing) the presidency
i. Wilson pp. 388-389, 397-407
ii. DiLulio pp. 424-433 (Greenstein: The Presidential Difference)
e. The exercise of presidential authority
i. Wilson pp. 379-380, 385-388, 390-397, 409-414, 422-423
ii. DiLulio pp. 433-446 (Wildavsky: The Two Presidencies)
f. The federal bureaucracy
i. Wilson pp. 414-422, 423-427, 430-436
15. THE JUDICIARY-One Week
a. Emergence of the federal judiciary
i. Wilson pp. 437-445
b. Structure and function of the federal courts
i. Wilson pp. 446-456
ii. DiLulio pp. 491-494
c. Powers of the judiciary
i. Wilson pp. 456-466
ii. DiLulio pp. 495-501 (Hamilton: Federalist No. 78)
d. Conflict and consensus on the modern Supreme Court
i. DiLulio pp. 505-521 (Scalia: A Matter of Interpretation: Federal Courts and the Law and
Breyer: Active Liberty: Interpreting Our Democratic Constitution)
16. THE POLICY MAKING PROCESS-Three Weeks
Domestic Policy Making
a. The policy making process
i. Wilson pp. 468-490
b. Economic policy making
i. Wilson pp. 491-510
c. Social welfare policy making
i. Wilson pp. 511-528
d. Environmental policy making
i. Wilson pp. 559-574
e. Domestic policy making in a global context
Foreign and Military Policy Making
a. Foreign policy making
i. Wilson pp. 529-545
b. Military policy making
i. Wilson pp. 545-558
c. Foreign and military policy making in a global context
17. AMERICAN POLITICS IN FILM – Five Weeks