FOLSOM CORDOVA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
CORDOVA HIGH SCHOOL
2012-2013
COURSE: A.P. Government
MR. ARELLANO
Course Description
This course explores the political theory and everyday practice that direct the daily
operation of our government and shape our public policies. The purpose of this
course is to prepare students to take the AP Exam for U.S. Government and
Politics. This is course is taught on a college level and it requires a substantial
amount of reading and preparation for every class. The objectives of this course go
beyond a basic analysis of how our government “works”. Students will develop a
critical understanding of the strengths and weakness of the American political
system, as well as their rights and responsibilities as citizens.
Text
Wilson, James Q., John J. Dilulio Jr. American Government, 10th ed. New York:
Houghton Mifflin, 2005.
Supplemental Text
Woll, Peter. American Government: Readings and Cases, 16th ed. New York:
Longman, 2005.
Other Materials
Assigned and used in class: articles from current newspapers, such as the
Sacramento Bee, Washington Post or the Wall Street Journal; news footage and
documentaries; numerous Web sites.
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Current Events
Students are responsible for keeping up with the daily events in the nation and the
world. Students will need to skim a major daily newspaper such as the Sacramento
Bee, San José Mercury News, New York Times or log into those paper’s websites,
listen to radio news program or watch a TV news station such as Fox News, CNN
or MSNBC.
Grading and Course Requirements
Grades are figured on a cumulative point basis. Each test, quiz, homework
assignment, etc., is worth a given number of points according to the quality and
level of completion of the work. At the end of the marking period, a grade is
determined by dividing the total points possible by points earned.
Examinations
Examinations will be given after each unit. Each exam will be timed. All exams
will consist of 60 multiple choice questions and four free response analytical
questions which will include quantitative and visually presented information
(charts and graphs).
Course Plan – Readings and Assignments
Unit One
Constitutional Underpinnings of the United States
Week One
Wilson, Chapter One – The Study of American Government
Wilson, Chapter Two – The Constitution
Woll, Chapter One – “Second Treatise on Civil Government,”
“Founding Fathers: Reform Caucus in Action,”
pp. 4-30
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Woll, Chapter One – “Federalist Papers 47, 48, 51,”
“How Not to Read the Constitution,” pp. 41-49
Woll, Chapter Three – “Antifederalists,” pp. 106-108
Week Two
Wilson, Chapter Three – Federalism
Woll, Chapter Two – “Federalist 16, 17”
“Anti-Federalist Papers No. 17” pp. 53-59
“Federalist 39,”
“Merits of the Federal System,”
“McCulloch v. Maryland,”pp.66-77
“The Federal System,” pp. 84-87
Designing a Political System Assignment
Exam
Unit Two
Political Beliefs and Behaviors
Week Three
Wilson, Chapter Four – American Political Culture
Wilson, Chapter Five – Public Opinion
Woll, Chapter Four – “Theory of Critical Elections,” pp. 202-211
Week Four
Wilson, Chapter Six – Political Participation
Woll, Chapter Four – “Voting Behavior: Democratic Practice and
Democratic Theory,” pp. 219-225
Exam
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Unit Three
Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass Media
Week Five
Wilson, Chapter Seven – Political Parties
Woll, Chapter Four – “Federalist 10,” pp. 176-180
Woll, Chapter Four – “Perspectives on American Political Parties,”
“Divided We Govern,” pp. 194-200
Wilson, Chapter Eight – Campaigns and Elections
Woll, Chapter Five – “Myths and Realities about the Bipartisan
Campaign Reform Act of 2002,” pp. 247-252
Woll, Chapter Five – “Madison’s Dilemma,” pp. 254-258
Woll, Chapter Six – “How to Run for President.” pp. 327-330
Week Six
Wilson, Chapter Nine – Interest Groups
Woll, Chapter Five – Interest Groups and the American Political
System,”
“The Misplaced Obsession with PACs,” pp.273284
Wilson, Chapter Ten – The Media
Woll, Chapter Three – “New York Times v. Sullivan,” pp. 130-135
Exam
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Unit Four
Institutions of National Government
Week Seven
Wilson, Chapter Eleven – Congress
Woll, Chapter Eight – All
Gerrymandering Assignment
Week Eight
Wilson, Chapter Twelve – The Presidency
Woll, Chapter Six – “Federalist 70,” pp. 288-289
Woll, Chapter Six – “Presidential Power’”
“Presidential Paradoxes,”
“Presidential Character,” pp. 296-312
Week Nine
Wilson, Chapter Fourteen – The Judiciary
Woll, Chapter Nine – All
Week Ten
Wilson, Chapter Thirteen – The Bureaucracy
Woll, Chapter Seven - All
Exam
Unit Five
Public Policy
Week Eleven
Wilson, Chapter Fifteen – Policy-Making Process
Wilson, Chapter Sixteen – Economic Policy
Wilson, Chapter Seventeen – Social Welfare
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Week Twelve
Wilson, Chapter Twenty – Foreign & Military Policy
Woll, Chapter Six – “A Mixed Precedent for Military Tribunals”
“Ex Parte Quirin”
“Hamdi v. Rumsfeld.” Pp.339-349
Wilson, Chapter Twenty-one – Environmental Policy
Exam
Unit Six
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Week Thirteen
Wilson, Chapter Eighteen – Civil Liberties
Woll, Chapter Three – “The Need to Maintain a Free Marketplace of
Ideas,” pp. 126-129
Woll, Chapter Three – “Engle v. Vitale,”
“Zelman v. Simmons-Harris,” pp.147-154
Week Fourteen
Wilson, Chapter Nineteen – Civil Rights
Woll, Chapter Three – “Gideon v. Wainwright,” pp. 116-123
Woll, Chapter Three – “Plessy v. Ferguson,”
“Brown v. Board of Education I & II,”
pp. 136-144
Woll, Chapter Three – “Roe v. Wade,”
“Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena,” pp.156-172
Week Fifteen
Wilson, Chapter Twenty-two – Who Governs? To What Ends?
Final Exam
Review!
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