This advanced American Government course covers the foundations of American government, political parties and the Fourth
Estate, interest groups, the electoral process, the three branches of our federal government, comparative international political and
economic systems, and the foundations of state and local government. Through in-depth milestone assignments, students will
critically analyze the election process, public policy, and foreign affairs, as well as becoming involved with a personal service project.
One semester
None
Magruder’s American Government Prentice Hall, ISBN#9780131335790
Text-based
UC Approved
UC a –g: a (History/Social Science)
NCAA Approved
Explain and evaluate the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and
other essential documents of American democracy, taking and defending positions on the scope and limits of rights and obligations
as democratic citizens, the relationships among them, and how they are secured, as well as what the fundamental values and
principles of civil society are (i.e., the autonomous sphere of voluntary personal, social, and economic relations that are not part of
government), their interdependence, and the meaning and importance of those values and principles for a free society. Analyze the
unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government as established by the U.S. Constitution, the origins,
characteristics, and development of different political systems across time, with emphasis on the quest for political democracy, its
advances, and its obstacles. Formulate questions about and defend their analyses of tensions within our constitutional democracy
and the importance of maintaining a balance between the following concepts: majority rule and individual rights; liberty and
equality; state and national authority in a federal system; civil disobedience and the rule of law; freedom of the press and the right
to a fair trial; the relationship of religion and government as well as the Acquisition of 21st Century skills in preparation for college
and career.
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© 2013 Laurel Springs School
Lesson 1: Principles and Origins of American
Government
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Lesson 12: Milestone:
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Chapter 1: Principles of Government
Chapter 2: Origins of American Government
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Lesson 13: The Judicial Branch
Lesson 2: Federalism and the Constitution
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Chapter 3: The Constitution
Chapter 4: Federalism
Lesson 3: Government by the People
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Chapter 5: Political Parties
Chapter 6: Voters and Voter Behavior
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Chapter 7: The Electoral Process
Chapter 8: Mass Media and Public Opinion
Section Assessment – Part 2 – Campaign Finance
Essay
Lesson 5: Interest Groups and Congress
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Option 1: Working to Improve Your Community
Option 2: Profile the Last General Presidential
Election
Lesson 7: The Legislative Branch
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Chapter 11: Power of Congress
Congressional/Senatorial Profiles
Chapter 22: Comparative Political Systems
Create a Flowchart on International Holocaust
Events
Comparing the Governments of Britain and Mexico
Lesson 16: Comparative Economic Systems
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Chapter 23: Comparative Economic Systems
Short Essay on Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Economic
Vision
PowerPoint on America’s Current Recession and its
Impact on World Markets
Lesson 17: State and Local Government
Chapter 12: Congress in Action
Write a Letter as a “Representative”
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Lesson 9: The Executive Branch
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Lesson 8: Congress in Action
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Chapter 20: Civil Liberties – Protecting Individual
Rights
Chapter 21: Civil Rights – Equal Justice Under Law
Civil Rights/Immigration Interview and Personal
History
Lesson 15: Comparative Political Systems
Chapter 9: Interest Groups
Chapter 10: Congress
Lesson 6: Milestone:
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Chapter 18: The Federal Court System
Chapter 19: Civil Liberties – First Amendment
Freedoms
Supreme Court Graphing Activity
Lesson 14: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Lesson 4: Electoral Process, Mass Media
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Option 1: Foreign Affairs Country Study as It Relates
to U.S. Relations
Option 2: Draft a Public Policy Petition
Chapter 13: The Presidency
Chapter 14: The Presidency in Action
Current Events Watch – Tracking the President’s
Roles
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Chapter 24: Governing the State of California
Chapter 25: California Local Government and
Finance
Design a Collage of Your State’s Governmental Issues
Lesson 18: Final Exam
Lesson 10: Government: Bureaucracy and Financing
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Chapter 15: Government at Work – The Bureaucracy
Chapter 16: Financing Government
Interview an Agency or Government Commission
Representative
Lesson 11: Foreign Policy and National Defense
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Chapter 17: Foreign Policy and National Defense
Create a Current Foreign Affairs Chart
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© 2013 Laurel Springs School