Summer Assignment
AP US Government & Politics
Mr. DeLaney
mike_delaney@bigwalnut.k12.oh.us
Welcome to Advance Placement United States Government! Congratulations on your willingness to
take on the challenges of this course. Rewards of the course will vary based upon the individual efforts of
each student, but at a minimum each student will have the opportunity to work towards the following goals1.) Students have the chance to receive college credit through the national test.
2.) Students will have the opportunity to satisfy their intellectual curiosity
3.) Students have the opportunity to improve their writing, reasoning and analytical skills.
4.) Students will become more familiar with current events in the US and abroad.
What is Political Science?
● Political Science is the attempt to study politics and government in a systematic way in order to learn
how power works.
● Political Scientists study systems of government, as well as how political systems change over time.
● Political Scientists study the systemic way in which governmental decisions are made. The process of
who gets what, where, when and how is of great interest.
● A Political Scientist should be an objective observer who asks questions and studies the effects of
different systems of government.
General Overview of A.P. U.S. Government & Politics
Is designed as a freshman college level political science course which requires an analytical approach to
the study of government.
The AP Government program is designed to give students a critical perspective on politics and
government.
This course involves both the study of general concepts used to interpret United States politics and
the analysis of specific case studies. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions,
groups, beliefs and current events which comprise the American political scene.
2 Components of the Summer Assignment
1. AP US Government and Politics Content Review Ch.1,2,3: Due August 14th
2. Current Event Journal: Due August 14th
All summer assignments must be submitted online to my email on or before the date listed on the assignment!
#1
AP US Government and Politics Content Review: Chapters 1-3(Due August 14th)
-
I will email you a document that is hyperlinked to either the HippoCampus website. You will need to answer and
STUDY the following questions. You should keep your answers succinct and detailed as possible. This is an
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT. Please have it completed and ready to turn in August 14 th!
#2
Current Event Journal ( Due August 14th )
Students will be required to follow the national political news throughout the summer. Students should be familiar with
relevant executive branch personalities, congressional leadership and developments related to the workings of the Supreme
Court. We will start the first day of school with a discussion and a summative evaluation covering current political events.
Learning Target- This assignment will aid you in becoming familiar with the major and minor political
events and will help relate the theoretical concepts of the course to actual events.
Two Requirements
1. Monitor the major and minor political stories throughout the summer and submit a journal which
should include the following two parts:
A. You should begin your DAILY journal entries the week of July 4th and continue throughout the
Summer. Include the date and the source of the story at the start of the entry. Journals should be in size
12/Times New Roman font. There is no word count requirement. Students should summarize the events and
details in a manner which best suits your own understanding. You will be allowed to use this journal, if
submitted on time, with the first Current Event summative quiz. Your journal for July and August should be
submitted electronically via email by midnight, August 14th. You should have 40 Journal Entries
B. Until you gain a feel for the relevant stories, begin your journal entries with a brief overview
of the following political news stories found below:
● Federal & state government response to the flooding in the Southern United States
● Developments in Africa and the Middle East
● Military developments in Iraq & Afghanistan or terrorism in general
● Developments related to the economy, jobs or financial markets
● Monitor and include other major events which might unfold over the summer
which are unknown at the moment.
What should I Journal?
1) Basic facts of the story
2) Observations related to differences in how the story is covered in terms of political bias
3) Predictions about how the story will evolve
In the first weeks of this assignment it is common to record too much information. As your understanding
of current events develops, your ability to synthesize the news will improve and the process will become
easier. Also, endeavor to vary your sources in terms of print vs. electronic media and political bias
associated with the news gathering organization doing the reporting- MSNBC versus FOX.
2. Be able to identify the following members of government by picture, video or relevant current event.
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
President (Obama)
Vice President (Biden),
Senate Majority Leader (Reid)
Attorney General (Holder)
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Speaker of the House (Boehner)
House Minority Leader (Pelosi)
Senate Minority Leader (McConnell)
Director of Homeland Security (Napolitano)
JUDICIAL BRANCH
Chief Justice (Roberts)
Chief of Staff (McDonough)
Sec. of State (Kerry)