AP United States
Government and Politics
Syllabus
Instructor: Danny M. Miller
E-mail School dmiller@alpinedistrict.org Home milld754@gmail.com
Textbook:
American Government by James Q Wilson and John J. Dilulio Jr. 9th Edition.
We the People The Citizen and the Constitution (level 3), by Center for Civic Education.
Course Description
One of the goals of the AP Government course is to give you, the students, an understanding of the United States Government as a process, rather
than to accumulate discrete and unrelated facts to be memorized. To help achieve this goal, we will present to you six major themes that will be used
to guide us as we explore the government and political systems of the United States. We will use these themes to provide you with the opportunity to
connect the political knowledge you gain to the major issues of our society. This will help you become political literate citizens.
These themes are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Constitutional Underpinning of The United States Government.
The Political Beliefs and Behaviors of the American People.
The Role of Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass Media in our Society.
The Institution we Call our National Government.
How do we Establish and Carryout Public Policy.
The Preservation and Extension of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
A second goal of this course is set in the following nine concepts or guaranteed curriculum. These are listed below, and will be the used as a
guide to reach an understanding of the six themes listed above.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Students will recognize the process of the formation and adoption of the Constitution.
Students will understand the concept of separation of powers.
Students will be able to apply and recognize the idea of Federalism in our current society.
Students will have a working knowledge of the different theories of democratic government.
Students will explore the beliefs and behaviors of the American people as they relate to their government and its leaders.
Students will gain an understanding of the party system, interest groups, and how the media impacts the voting public.
Students will seek to understand all aspects of government (Judicial, Legislative and Executive Branches) and the relationships
between them.
Students will understand the role the public has in establishing policies as it relates to both current and historic events in the political
systems of the United States and in the world
Students will understand the historical and continual struggle to ensure civil rights and liberties to all people.
What you will learn:
With these nine standards listed above we would like to explore more specifically what you will learn this year.
Each concept is restated and then broken down into very explicit ideas or concepts. This should help you focus your efforts in this class.
1)
Students will recognize the process of the formation and adoption of the Constitution by:
a) Understanding the historical background involved in the creation of our government
i) Original Colonies and why they came.
ii) Revolutionary war and the reasons behind it.
iii) The Articles of Confederation.
iv) The Constitutional Convention.
v) Ratification struggles of the Constitution.
2)
Students will understand the concept of separation of powers by:
a) Understanding the different branches of government.
b) Analyzing the checks and balance that exist between the branches.
c) Understanding how this power has sifted over time.
3)
Students will be able to apply and recognize the idea of Federalism in our current society by:
a) Being able to define Federalism.
b) Being able to give example of Federalism in our current society.
c) Explaining the role of Federalism in government today.
4)
Students will have a working knowledge of the different theories of democratic government by:
a) Explaining the different theories of democratic government.
b) Giving examples in history of different democratic governments and the results of these governments.
c) Defining the type of government that we have in the United States.
5)
Students will explore the beliefs and behaviors of the American people as they relate to their government and its leaders by:
a) Understanding the beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders.
b) Explaining the processes by which citizens learn about politics.
c) Defining the nature, sources, and consequences of public opinion.
d) Explaining the ways in which citizens’ vote and otherwise participate in political life.
e) Describing the factors that influence citizens to differ from on another in political beliefs and behaviors.
6)
Students will gain an understanding of the party system, interest groups and how the media impacts the voting public will be explored by:
a) Understanding the functions, organization and development of political parties in the US.
b) Recognizing the effects of political parties have on the electoral laws and political systems.
c) Explaining what and interest group is and who it functions.
d) Recognizing the effects of interest groups have on the political systems.
e) Understanding the role mass media has on the political systems of the US.
7)
Students will seek to understand all aspects of government (Judicial, Legislative and Executive Branches) and the relationships between them
by:
a) Understanding the formal and informal institutional arrangements of power in government between the judicial, legislative and executive
Branches.
b) Discussing the relationships among the four institutional and varying balances of power in the federal government.
c) Describing the linkages between institutions of government and
i) Public opinion and votes.
ii) Interest groups.
iii) Political parties.
iv) The media.
v) Other sub-national governments.
8)
Students will understand the role that public has in establishing policies as it relates to both current and historic events in the political systems of
the United States and in the world by:
a) Understanding who are the policymakers in the federal governmental system.
b) Understanding the formation of policy agendas by the government.
c) Understanding the process used to create, revise, pass and implement bills into law and public policy.
d) Recognizing the role of government in the enactment of policy.
e) Explaining the role that the bureaucracy and the courts play in the implementation and interpretation of policies.
f) Understanding the linkage between policy processes and the different factors that influence government (i.e. world view economics, etc).
9)
Students will understand the historical and continual struggle to ensure civil rights and liberties to all people by:
a) Understanding the development of civil liberties and civil rights by judicial interpretation.
b) Having a working knowledge of substantive rights and liberties afforded to all Americans.
c) Understanding the impact of the fourteenth amendment on the constitutional development of rights and liberties.
So, now that you understand what you are expected to learn we want you to understand how you will know that you have obtained this
knowledge.
1.
Students will recognize the process of the formation and adoption of the Constitution by:
a.
Reading all assigned Chapters in the textbook and other supplementary materials.
b.
Writing a paper explaining the historical pressures that brought about our Constitution.
c.
Passing exams and quizzes at 70% or higher.
2.
Students will understand the concept of separation of powers by:
a.
Creating a collage showing the concept of separation of powers in our government.
b.
Writing a paper describing the powers of each branch of government and how the other branches limit these powers.
c.
Reading all assigned Chapters in the textbook and other supplementary materials.
d.
Passing exams and quizzes at 70% or higher
3.
Students will be able to apply and recognize the idea of Federalism in our current society by:
a.
Teaching their family the concepts of Federalism as it relates to their home environment and then outline those who
have power in their homes.
b.
Writing a paper describing their experience in their home as it relates to federalism.
c.
Writing a paper comparing the pros and cons of federalism.
d.
Reading all assigned Chapters in the textbook and other supplementary materials.
e.
Passing exams and quizzes at 70% or higher.
4.
Students will have a working knowledge of the different theories of democratic government by:
a.
Creating tables, charts and graphs of the different theories of democratic government.
b.
Writing a paper from the tables charts and graphs that explain the type of government that we use in the United States.
c.
Reading all assigned Chapters in the textbook and other supplementary materials.
d.
Passing exams and quizzes at 70% or higher.
5.
Students will explore the beliefs and behaviors of the American people as they relate to their government and its leaders by:
a.
Studying the major beliefs and behaviors of the American public.
b.
Researching the beliefs and behaviors of the American public and make predictions of what the key issues are in
people’s minds as they relate to political issues.
c.
Writing a brief to a presidential candidate that would help him or her create a platform of key issues to run on.
d.
Reading all assigned Chapters in the textbook and other supplementary materials.
e.
Passing exams and quizzes at 70% or higher.
6.
Students will gain an understanding of the party system, interest groups, and how the media impacts the voting public will be explored
by:
a.
Studying the two major party systems in the US and compare and contrast their view on a national and state level.
b.
Researching the different special interest groups and how they influence politics in America.
c.
Creating a Survey that you would use to poll the general public about a key local issue.
d.
Understanding the role media plays in an election campaign and creating a political ad for your favorite candidate.
e.
Reading all assigned Chapters in the textbook and other supplementary materials.
f.
Passing exams and quizzes at 70% or higher.
7.
Students will seek to understand all aspects of government (Judicial, Legislative and Executive Branches) and the relationships
between them by:
a.
Explaining in writing the role of the Judicial, Legislative and Executive Branches of government, understanding
what they have in common and what is uniquely their own.
b.
Researching the role that government bureaucracy has in the powers of government as they relate to the public.
c.
Reading all assigned Chapters in the textbook and other supplementary materials.
d.
Passing exams and quizzes at 70% or higher.
8.
Students will understand the role that public has in establishing policies as it relates to both current and historic events in the political
systems of the United States by:
a.
Creating bill that they would hope would mover to a policy concerning a current national, state or local issue.
b.
Follow a bill in the state or national government from it’s inception to becoming a law.
c.
Reading all assigned Chapters in the textbook and other supplementary materials.
d.
Passing exams and quizzes at 70% or higher.
9.
Students will understand the historical and continual struggle to ensure civil rights and liberties to all people.
a.
Creating a brief concerning a civil right or liberty including in the brief the background, court cases and historical and
cultural powers that influenced these rights
b.
Reading all assigned Chapters in the textbook and other supplementary materials.
c.
Passing exams and quizzes at 70% or higher.
So, what will we do to help you if the above items are not completed?
1) If you do not pass the test at the 70% standard, you will be asked to review all the questions on the test and come to an understanding of what
you did not grasp in that unit. After you have done this you will be given a similar test to see if you have mastered the material.
2) You will not be able to take the exam the first time unless all assignments, and activities have been completed in an acceptable manner.
3) As we identify areas in which your lack of understanding is apparent, you will be required to spend time studying during extended lunch with
your instructor.
4) If, after these steps, you still are not able to grasp the key concepts in this class we request that adjustments be made in your schedule to so
that you can be in the study hall.
5) You need to understand that at this school failure is not an option. We will do all we can to ensure your success in this school.
MATERIALS
You will need the following materials for this course:
-Textbook: American Government by James Q Wilson and John J. Dilulio Jr. 9th Edition
-Princeton Review for AP United States Government and Politics
-We the People The Citizen and the Constitution Level 3 Center for Civic Education
-Notebook for Class
Supplemental Reading Material
Primary Source Documents as selected by the instructor from the 100 Milestone Documents collection at the NARA website
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/
Newspapers
The Deseret News or Salt Lake Turbine
U.S.A. Today,
The New York Time.
News magazines
Time Magazine,
Newsweek,
U.S. News and World Report,
Congressional Quarterly Weekly Reports
Books
Federalist Papers http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fedpapers.html
Anti Federalist Papers http://librivox.org/the-anti-federalist-papers-by-patrick-henry/
Communist Manifesto http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/index.htm
HOME WORK
You can expect to have homework every day that this class meets. This is a college level course. You are expected to maintain high standards of
performance. Please make sure you have blocked out significant time in your otherwise busy lives to invest in this class. Homework will generally
consist of reading assignments, completions of the study guides for each chapter, and essay questions along with any the activities describe above.
Progress will be monitored by taking reading quizzes each day and periodic tests as outlined in this syllabus. Any test that you score lower than
70% must be retaken.
GRADING:
1) Exams will comprise the majority of the points possible. Four to five 100-point exams (Short answer and essay) will be given each term as we
come to a close of a unit. These test are to be informative to see what you have learn to this point. You will be required to score at least 70% on
these tests. If you score below that you will be required to retake the exam within a timely fashion (with in one week in most cases). The retakes
will have an added degree of difficulty.
2)
A mid term and term final will also be given each term they will be worth 200 points and are both formative and summative in nature. You will
also be required to score at least 70% in the midterm exam. Exams will be returned the following class.
3)
Homework and assignments must be turned in on time for full credit. The work must be accurate and complete. Score of 7 or better on a 10point assignment must be maintained or the work will be redone. The goal is best effort and good work all the time. All assignments will be tied
to the guarantee curriculum given above and is to help ensure that you have learned what is required.
4)
Quizzes will be given daily at the beginning of class. Each quiz will be worth 5 points. Missed quizzes due to absences or tardies will not be
made-up. Students will be allowed to drop their lowest two scores if all quizzes are taken. Missed quizzes will be the ones that are dropped.
5)
Each quarter there will be a several major assignments or projects worth 100 points. Information on each assignment will be given at the
beginning of each quarter.
6)
The final grade will be determined by dividing your total points by the number possible that term. See the grading breakdown below. Total points
for each quarter will be approximately 800 to 1000.
7)
Progress reports will be given to students at mid-term and during the final week of the term. Also you may check your progress on the skyward.
ATTENDANCE:
1) Students will be expected to be in class on time. The policy adopted by Orem High School will be followed.
2) Class work missed due to truancies may not be made up.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
1) Students will be expected to bring text, notebook, paper, and working materials (paper and pencil) each day to class.
2) It will be expected that each student spend a minimum of 4 to 6 hours on homework each week.
3) It is suggested that each student keep a record of exam, and assignment.
DISCIPLINE:
1) Students will be expected to conduct themselves properly in class. Unreasonable disturbances or distraction to property will result in
student/teacher counseling. Further problems will be referred to administrators and/or parents.
2) Head phones Walkman’s/Disc-mans, Cell-phones, pagers, games, etc. are not to be used in class. Please leave them in your locker, backpack
(turned off) or home. Any of the above devices seen in class will be confiscated and your parents will need to come pick them up.
3) This class is open to all students. Orem High School offers education to all students. Orem High School does not discriminate on the basis of
race, color, religion, sex, disability, or national origin. Students who have a grievance with another student or any school employee should talk
to the school administration or a counselor about their concerns.
GRADING BREAKDOWN
94-100 A
90-93 A87-89 B+
84-86 B
80-83 B77-79 C+
74-76 C
70-73 C-
67-69 D+
64-66 D
60-63 D00-59 F
Administrator Approval
Cut and return to teacher by date given below
I will occasionally have students in class correct the work of other students. This practice has an important educational purpose in that it allows the
students to review, as well as consider problem solving and ideas that may be different than their own. If you have any questions please call or email me at Orem High School.


I give permission for my child’s work to be corrected by other students in his/her AP Government class.
I do not give permission for my child’s work to be corrected by other students in his/her AP Government class.
Student Signature
Printed Name
Parents Signature
Printed Name
Please return this signed disclosure document by second day of class
Date