AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
SUBJECT/COURSE: U.S. Government
Overarching Idea
Guiding
Questions
Overarching Idea
Guiding
Questions
Overarching Idea
Guiding
Questions
IPG: First Six Weeks GRADE LEVEL: 12
MAJOR CONCEPT #1: Government
Government is essential to the existence of human beings in a civilized society .
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How do the actions of government impact the lives of people who live within its reach?
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How are specific societies impacted by their forms of government?
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What does democratic government demand of its citizens?
MAJOR CONCEPT #2: Origins
Our system of government has its origins in the concepts and political ideas that English colonists brought with them when they settled North America.
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How do the founding documents reflect ideas that originated with the English?
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Why are the rights that originated in landmark English documents considered revolutionary for their day?
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How have political ideas that originated and are expressed in documents from the colonial and revolutionary eras as well as in early state constitutions influenced the development of our modern system of government in the United States?
MAJOR CONCEPT #3: Compromise
Compromise in writing the Constitution has been responsible for national unity and the capability of handling the nation’s problems.
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How has compromise promoted national unity and protected individual rights?
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How do compromises in the Constitution set the stage for a divided nation and Civil War?
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Why is compromise necessary when considering a change to the Constitution?
©Austin Independent School District, 2009-2010 1

AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
SUBJECT/COURSE: U.S. Government
Overarching
Idea
Guiding
Questions
Overarching
Idea
IPG: First Six Weeks GRADE LEVEL: 12
MAJOR CONCEPT #4: Power
Political power in the United States rests in the hands of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen by the people.
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How do citizens control political power?
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How does the physical geography of the United States lend itself to the distribution of political power?
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How does the division and limitation of power in our government prevent the abuse of power?
MAJOR CONCEPT #5: Systems
In the United States, the people use a two-party system to choose their representatives.
Guiding
Questions
Overarching
Idea
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Why are systems such as political parties essential to democratic government?
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How does the two-party system in the United States provide political stability?
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Why has the two-party system dominated the American political system?
MAJOR CONCEPT #6: Freedom
Citizens should remember the sacrifices made for freedom in the founding of a country and the values on which a country was established.
Guiding
Questions
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How does a government reflect a commitment to the personal freedoms that are part of its history?
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Why is it important for the public to observe past sacrifices made for freedom?
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How can the public observe past sacrifices and values on which their country was founded?
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How are individual rights connected to freedom promoted in a society?
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How do the values of a society influence the rights associated with freedom?
©Austin Independent School District, 2009-2010 2

AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
SUBJECT/COURSE: U.S. Government
Overarching
Idea
IPG: First Six Weeks
MAJOR CONCEPT #7: Citizenship
Good citizenship is demonstrated through the right to vote.
Guiding
Questions
Overarching
Idea
Guiding
Questions
GRADE LEVEL: 12
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Why is it essential that all citizens living in a democracy remain actively engaged and informed while participating in the electoral process?
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How do external factors influence behaviors related to citizenship, including the right to vote?
MAJOR CONCEPT #8: Ethics, Values, and Beliefs
Public opinion, the mass media, and interest groups influence the ethics, values, and beliefs connected to the political system.
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How do values and belief systems shape public opinion and political socialization?
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How do external factors such as the mass media, propaganda and economics impact our traditional values and belief systems?
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How do interest groups represent the diversity of Americans and their values and opinions about issues?
©Austin Independent School District, 2009-2010 3