Advanced Placement
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT and POLITICS
Introductory Information for Students
And Course Syllabus
Teacher: Mr. Snyder
James Monroe High School
2012-2013
General Information
You have chosen to pursue advanced studies in the field of American government and politics.
Whatever your motivation for selecting this class on your course schedule for this year, make no
mistake, you will have a considerable amount of work to complete before graduation day! I do not
care how many other Advanced and AP classes you are taking, you made a choice in creating your
course load and schedule. Please be prepared to work accordingly. By June 2011, you will receive
an excellent and thorough introduction into such topics as the foundations of American government,
the major branches of our institutional government, avenues for participation in the political
process, civil rights and civil liberties, and social, foreign, and economic policy to name a few.
Students successfully completing this course will:
• know important facts, concepts, and theories pertaining to U.S. government
and politics
• understand typical patterns of political processes and behavior and their
consequences (including the components of political behavior, the principles
used to explain or justify various government structures and procedures, and the
political effects of these structures and procedures)
• be able to analyze and interpret basic data relevant to U.S. government and
politics (including data presented in charts, tables, and other formats)
• be able to critically analyze relevant theories and concepts, apply them
appropriately, and develop their connections across the curriculum
This course has another purpose above and beyond the basic handling of the listed topics that can be
found in any other high school government course. You will take this class as if it is for college
credit. The level of reading, writing, and critical thinking will match that for most first-year
university courses in political science. In order for you to actually receive college credit for the
work you do this year, you must take the AP United States Government test on MAY 15th 2013.
Part of your job is to prepare yourself to do very well on that exam if you would like to begin
college with a few credits already under your belt. Be sure to check with the college or universities
that you are considering for the details of their Advanced Placement Course policies.
To reach these two course objectives, this class includes the following requirements:
First, you will read a large amount of material. You must KEEP UP with your reading assignments
if you expect to pass the course. You will have quizzes from time to time on the readings, and your
essays and exams will draw almost exclusively from the reading material. This includes readings
that incorporate maps, graphs, and charts. An outline of readings follows this general information
and will give you a good overview of the course’s reading expectations.
Second, you will write and write and write. Writing is an excellent chance for you to hone your
communication skills, review important material, and comment intelligently on the subjects at hand.
In today’s world of high technology and mass communication, the skills that you develop now will
be a great asset in your future endeavors. Learning how to clearly state and defend a thesis is
required on the AP exam and will be essential for your college and university courses. You will
submit regularly during each unit an essay on certain topics from that unit. You will complete your
reading assignments with one page summary papers.
Third, you will be called on most weeks to take part in discussions on both topics we are reviewing
and on topics reflected in current events. These discussions will come as debates, open or circular
discussions, and group work. It is essentially that you develop the ability to speak your thoughts as
well as you write them.
Fourth, you will regularly take comprehensive exams for every chapter and unit. The majority of
these will be objective (i.e. multiple choice and short essay) and include analysis and interpretation
of maps, charts and graphs. You will have time to prepare and organize your notes and thoughts
before each exam, but they are NOT open note. You MUST keep up with your readings in order to
do well.
Fifth, you will “cultivate the news habit”, as a former teacher of mine used to say. We will
frequently refer to current events to illustrate the topics covered in this course. You will also turn in
current events journals ever week for a grade. I will provide more information on this during the 1st
week of class. You are expected to be aware of major happenings in American and world politics
and to give your informed, reasoned opinion in class discussions. Develop a habit of reading
national and international news in a reliable newspaper (Free Lance-Star or Washington Post) and
in a weekly news magazine (Newsweek, Time, U.S. News). Remember that these are also on-line.
You should also keep up with TV network news (not just local or regional news). Yes, I am telling
you to watch television for school!!!
Finally, you will attend class and participate in discussions and activities. This is your opportunity
to merge your readings with current events and your own experiences in class discussions. Many
activities may lure you away from the classroom-do all that you can to minimize your absences.
There is no substitute for time spent actively participating in class!
Democratic values and citizen participation in community are stressed throughout the course.
Student involvement in their community is a goal and a request. This is also an election year,
so there will be heavy emphasis on the voting process and participation in the first semester.
Students will become extensively involved in the election process and will help conduct a schoolwide mock election. As well as use data from elections graphs, charts and maps to track political
participation, elections trends, campaign finances, and exit polling.
Some Specifics
Grading
The James Monroe grading scale will be followed (see student handbook). This course will be
graded on a percentage system. Tests will count around 50 % of the students overall grade.
Quizzes and unit essays will account for another 30%. Homework and in-class work will generally
make up the remaining 20%. Several projects within in each semester shall be scored as either a
test or quiz grade. Lowest quiz grade is dropped at the end of each nine weeks as long as we have
more than 2 quizzes in the grade book. This does not include projects, current events, or zeroes.
Grades will be calculated at the end of each nine weeks based on the total number of graded
materials and their average.
Extra Credit
It is available on a limited basis only. However, extra credit is not given to compensate for work
that has not been turned in. Extra credit will only be offered to those who have completed all their
regularly assigned work. There will be one extra credit assignment offered per nine weeks for a
total of 2 extra credits per term. Any of the below assignments may be used to earn extra credit.
Extra credit will only be applied to a students lowest test grade, NOT to their mid-term exam, final
exam, or final grades.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Extra credit assignments:
Advanced reader – see teacher or librarians for details.
PowerPoint Presentation on lessons covered in that nine weeks
Volunteering with local government agencies (voter’s office, city council,
etc…) and must be documented and attested by an adult working for that
agency.
Any project or work approved by Mr. Snyder. You must ask first and get
approval before starting work.
Late Work
1. Generally it will not be accepted unless absence is excused under the updated JM attendance
policy as of 8/10.
2. Following your student handbook guidelines on make-up work, responsibility for asking for
make-up work starts with you, the student. You have the same number of days to make-up
the work as days that you were absent from my class. After that the grade is a zero. So if
you miss one day, you have one day after returning to make it up, two days if you missed
two days of my class. More details can be found in your student handbook.
Test/Quiz Makeup:
There will be no make-up tests and quizzes unless certain circumstances exist. If you fail to fall
under those circumstances, you will receive a zero test grade and no opportunity to make it up.
Those circumstances are outlined in your student handbook for excused absences. Also, remember
makeup tests and quizzes are generally more difficult than the ones given on the regularly scheduled
day. Make every effort to be in class.
Current Events
Every week of every nine weeks grading period, students will be expected to complete a current
events journal. It is worth a quiz grade (that cannot be dropped) and will be graded cumulatively
out of all your journal entries. The articles must relate to the topics covered in that nine weeks.
Format and details will be provided later in the 1st week of class.
General Policies
Along with the rules and guidelines for James Monroe School, the following are rules specific to
this class:
1. Be respectful of everyone (including me) at all times.
2. Be prompt and prepared. Be in class BEFORE the bell rings and in your desk ready to
start class.
3. Raise your hand when you have a question or comment. There is no need to say my
name repeatedly to get my attention- I am not hearing impaired (if you do this, I will
likely ignore you until you sit quietly with your hand raised). If your hand is raised but I
do not acknowledge you, say my name once to get my attention.
4. Do your own assignments. YOU MAY NOT COPY OR LOAN OUT YOUR WORK
- EVER. Not on tests, not on classwork, not on homework. Assignments that look
copied will earn a 0- whether the work was copied or used to copy from. If this happens,
I will photocopy the questionable assignment and contact your parents. This policy
includes plagiarism.
5. You may not sleep, put your head down, or slouch lifelessly. If you do so, you will
stand.
6. I will not tolerate general disruptions of my classroom. As a rule of thumb, if as a result
of your behavior, more than 2 people have diverted your attention to you and away from
the learning activities at hand, you are disrupting my class.
7. No eating and/or drinking allowed during class.
8. You may not pack up before the bell rings. I will hold you for an extra minute for every
minute you pack up early. You may pack up 1 minute before the bell rings.
9. Cell phones need to be away and out of reach.
10. All bags, purses and non-class related materials need to be on the floor and not on the
desk.
Consequences for Disruptive Behavior
The following steps will be taken for each incident
1. Verbal warning
2. Removal from class for remainder of period
3. Phone call or letter home to parent(s)
4. DR to office
How to earn and lose class participation points (added up per week):
-1: Talking while someone else in class is talking, wandering the classroom, or distracting another
student, being off task, violating pencil rule, violating the saying Mr. Snyder rule (lose one point
each time).
-5: Distracting more than 3 people/disrupting the class, showing disrespect, sleeping/head down.
-10: If I call home or send you to the hall.
-20: If I write a discipline referral.
+1: Being prepared with pencil, textbook, being on time (each day).
+1: Being on task (each day).
+5: Participating in class discussion or group work in a positive way (each day).
+10: Quietly, discreetly, and genuinely attempting to correct a classmates’ behavior (yelling “shhh”
does not count, nor does yelling “shut up ya’ll,” those are actually disruptions).
Rewards
From time to time, as the teacher sees fit, free days and other activities will be allowed to reward
hard work and class achievements
Office Hours
I will normally be available before school (7:15 to 7:45 am). My free period is 3rd period first term
and 2nd period second term. If you wish to ensure I will be available at the time you wish to see me,
or you wish to see me after school hours, you may choose to schedule an appointment. My phone #
is 786-8683 and can be called for questions or for parents to contact me. Please, no calls after
10pm. Email is jsnyder@cityschools.com and jaysnyder247@hotmail.com . School number is
540-372-1100 ext 2212.
Textbook used in the
American Government and Politics Course:
(all, except newspapers and magazines, are provided by the teacher)
TEXT:
Steffen W. Schmidt, Mack C. Shelley, Barbara A. Bardes, American Government and Politics
Today, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009-2010 Edition
READER:
Peter Woll, American Government: Readings and Cases
Longman, Inc., 1999, 2002, 2005, 13th, 15th, and 6th Editions
Supplemental Materials:
Fredrik Logevall, Terrorism and 9/11: A Reader
Allan J. Cigler, Perspectives on Terrorism: How 9/11 Changed U.S. Politics
Newspapers: (not required)
Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star
Washington Post
Washington Times
News Magazines: (not required)
Time
Newsweek
U.S. News and World Report
UNIT I: The American System of Government
(about 3 weeks)
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 1, The Democratic Republic
Textbook: Appendix B: James Madison, “Federalist 10”
Textbook: Chapter 2, The Constitution
Woll: John Locke, “Second Treatise, Of Civil Government
Textbook: Chapter 3, Federalism
Woll: James Madison, “Federalist 47, 48, 51”
Woll: Alexander Hamilton, “Federalist 16, 17”
Woll: McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819
Woll: Morton Grodzins, “The Federal System”
Objectives: At the conclusion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. Identify the various elements present in the national state and differentiate the national
state from other of the world’s political subdivisions.
2. Explain the various classifications of governments according to the form of the central
government and according to the geographic distribution of power.
3. Identify and explain the principal characteristics that distinguish between constitutional
democracies and dictatorships in the modern world.
4. Explain what is meant by power in general human terms and by political power in
particular. Relate power to authority, legitimacy, and democracy in the context of
American government.
5. Differentiate between majoritarian politics and elitists politics and explain the major
theories of the latter.
6. Identify and explain the significance of the basic principles of government that grew
from the colonial period and its English heritage.
7. Explain the notion of “higher law” that led to the notion of entitlement to certain “natural
rights.” List and explain these rights. Tie this into role of the Declaration of
Independence in constitutional government in the United States.
8. Identify and explain the significance of these compromises at the Constitutional
Convention: the Connecticut Compromise, the Electoral College Compromise, the
Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Slave-Trade Compromise.
9. List, differentiate among, and explain the great principles of government contained in
the United States Constitution: popular sovereignty, federalism, representative
government, limited government, separation of powers, and judicial review.
10. Explain and compare the significance of the various methods by which the Constitution
of the United States may be changed, formally and informally.
UNIT II: Civil Rights and Liberties
(about 2 weeks)
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 4, Civil Liberties
Woll: Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963
Woll: Engel v. Vitale, 1962
Woll: Roe v. Wade, 1973
Textbook: Chapter 5, Civil Rights
Woll: Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka, 1954
Woll: Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, 1995
Objectives: At the conclusion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. Discuss the relationship of the Bill of Rights to the concept of democratic rule by the
majority and give examples of tension between majority rule and minority rights.
2. Identify examples of expression (cite cases) not protected by the Constitution of the
United States.
3. Explain current interpretations of the Constitution’s provisions dealing with church and
state.
4. Explain changing conceptions of the due process and equal protection clauses of the
Fourteenth Amendment.
5. Explain the exclusionary rule as now interpreted by the Supreme Court and develop an
argument for whether or not it should be modified or eliminated.
6. Analyze why the resolution of civil liberties issues involves politics as well as law.
Discuss the factors that influence the Supreme Court when it decides civil liberties cases.
7. Summarize the legal struggles of African Americans to secure rights under the
Fourteenth Amendment, and indicate the various ways the Supreme Court has construed
that Amendment.
8. Distinguish between “de jure” and “de facto” segregation and indicate whether
government has an obligation to deal with the latter.
9. Identify civil rights problems facing women today and indicate whether and how the
government should deal with them.
10. Identify civil rights problems facing other minorities today and indicate whether and
how the government should deal with them.
UNIT III: People and Politics
(about 5 weeks)
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 6, Public Opinion and Political Socialization
Textbook: Chapter 7, Interest Groups
Woll: David B. Truman, “The Governmental Process”
Woll: Larry J. Sabato, “The Misplaced Obsession with PAC’s”
Textbook: Chapter 8, Political Parties
Woll: E.E. Schattschneider, “Party Government”
Woll: Martin P. Wattenberg, “Perspectives on American Political Parties”
Textbook: Chapter 9, Voting and Elections
Woll: V.O. Key, Jr., “The Responsible Electorate”
Textbook: Chapter 10, Campaigning for Office
Textbook: Chapter 11, The Media and Cyberpolitics
Woll: Timothy E. Cook, “Media Power and Congressional Power”
Objectives: At the conclusion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. List the sources of our political attitudes and indicate which are usually the most
important sources and why.
2. Assess the influence of various religious, ethnic, racial, and other traditions on political
attitudes. Identify in graph and chart form various voting blocks.
3. Define “political ideology” generally and explain the major categories of political
ideology commonly found in the United States: liberalism, conservative, populism, and
libertarianism.
4. Give reasons why most Americans do not think or act ideologically.
5. Explain why there is no single great division between liberals and conservatives in the
United States and why there are cross-cutting great divisions.
6. Identify and explain the reliability of the various manifestations of public opinion.
Create graphs and charts that show trends on current issues and public opinion.
7. Define the term “major American political party” giving particular attention to parties as
labels in the minds of voters, as organizations that recruit and campaign, and as sets of
leaders who try to organize and operate government.
8. Identify and explain the main distinctions between the Democratic and Republican
Parties and between mainstream Democrats and Republicans.
9. Offer explanations for the persistence of the two-party system in the United States.
10. Distinguish pressure groups from political parties by contrasting their functions.
11. Indicate conditions under which pressure groups are likely to form and specify the kinds
of these organizations most Americans are likely to join.
12. Describe several important methods that pressure groups use to formulate and carry out
their political objectives. Give special attention to PAC’s.
UNIT IV: The Legislative Branch
(about 3 weeks)
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 12, Congress
Woll: David Mayhew, “Congress: The Electoral Connection”
Woll: Richard F. Fenno, Jr., “If Ralph Nader Says, Congress is ‘The Broken Branch’…?”
Woll: Richard F. Fenno, Jr., “Home Style and Washington Career”
Objectives: At the conclusion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. Explain the major differences between the United States Congress and a parliament in a
parliamentary system.
2. Describe the significant periods in the evolution of Congress from its beginning in 1789
to the present.
3. Identify and explain both the legislative and the non-legislative powers of Congress.
4. Identify the principle source of bills and explain the major steps in the process of how a
bill becomes law. Illustrate this process in flow chart form.
5. Explain when and how the House of Representatives is reapportioned and explain how
the composition of the State legislatures affects the process?
6. Identify and explain the functions that political party affiliation play in the organization
of the two houses of Congress.
7. Name and explain the advantages of incumbency in each of the two houses of Congress.
8. Prepare an argument supporting or opposing a limit on the number of terms
representatives and senators serve.
9. Name and explain the ethical problems confronting Congress and recommend a policy
or legislation dealing with one of these issues.
10. Explain how constituents, party affiliation, hope for advancement, and personal
philosophy/ideology affect the voting of members of Congress.
UNIT V: The Executive Branch and the Bureaucracy
(about 4 weeks)
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 13, The Presidency
Woll: Clinton Rossiter, “The Presidency-Focus of Leadership”
Woll: Richard E. Neustadt, “The Presidential Power”
Woll: James David Barber, “The Presidential Character”
Textbook: Chapter 14, The Bureaucracy
Woll: Peter Woll, “Constitutional Democracy and Bureaucratic Power”
Woll: James Q. Wilson, “The Rise of Bureaucratic Power”
Objectives: At the conclusion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. Identify and explain the principle roles of the President and give examples of each.
2. Describe the concerns of the Framers of the Constitution regarding a strong executive.
3. Explain the affects of a president’s personal popularity.
4. Explain how the modern media have affected both the election of presidents and their
conduct of affairs.
5. Trace the presidential election process from announcement of candidacy through
nomination, election, and inauguration. Describe the operation of the Electoral College.
6. Explain the paradox implicit in the fact that the president has more responsibility than he
has authority. Discuss the challenges presidents must face in exercising the power to
persuade their various constituencies.
7. Describe the factors that affect the degree of success a president has in his relations with
Congress. Show whether anything can be done to relieve the natural tensions that seem
to build between the president and the Congress.
8. Describe the role of the vice president and examine whether or not the office requires
institutional change to give it more significance.
9. Respond to this question: have the White House staff and certain elements of the
Executive Office of the President become too powerful at the expense of the heads of the
major departments?
10. Discuss why and how the bureaucracy plays a key role in policy-making. Indicate
whether or not the bureaucracy needs restraint and, if so, how is it to be restrained.
11. Respond to these questions: does the bureaucracy enhance or inhibit democracy in the
United States? How?
12. Distinguish between types of Federal agencies and describe the external constraints that
act upon them. Identify and chart or graph impact of bureaucracy on federal spending
and budgeting.
UNIT VI: The Judicial Branch
(about 2 weeks)
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 15, The Courts
Woll: Alexander Hamilton, “Federalist 78”
Woll: Marbury v. Madison, 1803
Woll: John P.Roche, “Judicial Self-Restraint”
Woll: William J. Brennin, Jr., “How the Supreme Court Arrives at Decisions”
Woll: Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, “Constitutional Liberty and the Right to Abortion”
Woll: Justice Antonin Scalia, “Liberty and Abortion: A Strict Constructionist’s View”
Objectives: At the conclusion of the unit, the student should be able to:
1. Explain what is meant by a “dual” court system and describe the effect it has on
jurisdiction and on how cases are appealed.
2. Name and explain the basic functions of courts and describe the principle difference
between American courts and those in most other democracies.
3. Explain judicial review and trace its history through the three great eras of Supreme
Court influence on national policy.
4. Discuss the dimensions of power exercised by the Supreme Court and the opposing
viewpoints on the desirability of activism by that court.
5. Develop arguments (citing cases) for and against an activist Supreme Court.
UNIT VII: Public Policy
(about 3 weeks)
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 16, Domestic Policy
Textbook: Chapter 17, Economic Policy
Textbook: Chapter 18, Foreign Policy and National Security
Objectives: At the conclusion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. Explain majoritarian politics, interest groups politics, client politics, and entrepreneurial
politics and give examples of each.
2. Discuss the roles played in the process of public policy formation by people’s
perceptions, beliefs, interests, and values.
3. List and explain four competing economic theories: monetarism, Keynesianism, supplyside approaches, and government planning.
4. List the four major federal agencies involved in setting economic policy and explain the
major role(s) of each.
5. Describe the goals of the American social welfare system and contrast it with other
systems in other nations. Identify and explain in what direction the American social
welfare system should be moving.
6. Explain why the checks on the powers of the national government in foreign affairs are
primarily political rather than constitutional.
7. Analyze the key allocative decisions about the defense budget.
8. Review the present structure of the Defense Department and explain how that
organization either enhances or inhibits good military policy.
UNIT VIII: State and Local Government
(about 2 weeks)
Readings:
Textbook: Chapter 19, State and Local Government
Objectives: At the conclusion of this unit, the student should be able to:
1. Identify and explain the principle functions of the state government.
2. Distinguish between the “Jacksonian” and the “progressive” models of state and local
government.
3. Identify and explain the major powers and duties of the Virginia General Assembly and
the Governor of Virginia.
4. Compare state governors, legislature, and political parties with their opposite numbers in
the Federal government.
5. Show how reformed and unreformed city governments differ from each other and
explain the resulting differences in policy outcomes.
6. Differentiate among the counties and cities in Virginia according to their governing
bodies and their responsibilities.
7. Discuss the severe tax problems that states and local governments face today and
analyze the sources of those problems.
PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION
For Mr. Snyder’s Class
Parent(s) or Guardian(s),
Please fill in the information requested below in order to better encourage communication between
me and you about what is going on in class and with your child.
Sincerely,
Mr. Snyder
Parent Name(s): __________________________________________
___________________________________________
Student Name: ___________________________________________
Parent Email(s): ____________________________________________________
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Parent(s) Phones: __________________________________________________
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Please indicate whether you prefer to be contacted by phone or email.
Also, please look into using the Parent Portal access to your child’s grades for my class online.
Information on this program can be found on our school’s webpage. In addition, please refer to my
blog located at http://www.cityschools.com/jsnyder/ for more information and resources.