AP Government Course Syllabus
Election Year
Because this course is going to be moving at an accelerated pace, the chapter should be read as we
are examining the topic. Tests will be given on the chapter and supplemental readings.
Lahanhan summaries: You are only required to write on one of the Lanahan articles per each unit in
unless otherwise directed. You should also be prepared to comment on the readings during class discussions.
The following is the class schedule for the year, changes may occur as the semester progresses. Each
unit will be two to three weeks in duration.
Readers
Sabato: Textbook
Lanahan: Supplemental
Unit 1 Introduction to Government
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 1-Political Landscape
Lanahan: Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy in America (page 3)
Unit 2 Constitution of United States Government
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 2- Constitution
Lanahan: James Madison, Federalist #10 and #51 (B: page 55 and page 107)
(R: page 65 page 105)
Unit 3 Political Ideology and Public Opinion
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 11 – Public Opinion and Political Socialization
Unit 4 Political Parties
Readings
Sabato : Chapter 12 – Political Parties
Lanahan: Walter Dean Burnham, Critical Elections and the Mainsprings of American
politics (B: page 443) (R: page 585)
Unit 5 Campaign Process
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 14 – The Campaign Process
Lanahan: Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Dirty Politics (B: page 410) (R: page 550)
Frank Sorauf, Inside Campaign Finance (B: page 397)
Unit 6 Voting and Elections
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 13 – Voting and Elections
Lanahan: Lani Guinier, The Tyranny of the Majority (B: page 401) (R: page 573)
Unit 7 Legislative Branch
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 7 – Congress
Lanahan: David Price, The Congressional Experience (B :page 193) (R: page 203)
Unit 8 Interest Groups
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 16 – Interest Groups
Lanahan: Dan Balz/Ronald Brownstein, Storming the Gates (B: page 390) (R: page 499)
Unit 9 Executive Branch
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 8 – The Presidency
Lanahan: Richard Neustadt, Presidential Power and the Modern President (B: page 211)
(R: page 215)
Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency (B: page 217) (R: page 221)
Unit 10 The Bureaucracies
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 9 – The Bureaucracies
Lanahan: James Q. Wilson, Bureaucracy (B: page 275)
Hugh Heclo, A Government of Strangers (B: page 257) (R: page 273)
Unit 11 Judicial Branch
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 10 – The Judiciary
Lanahan: Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #78 (B: page 293) (R: page 315)
Davis O’Brien, Storm Center (R: page 323)
Unit 12 Civil Liberties and Rights
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 5 – Civil Liberties
Lanahan: Anthony Lewis, Gideon’s Trumpet (B: page 521) (R: page 351)
Miranda v. Arizona (1966) (B: page 530) (R: page 360)
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 6 – Civil Rights
Lanahan: Ellis Cose, The Rage of a Privilege Class (B: page 543) (R: page 376)
Unit 13 Federalism
Readings
Sabato : Chapters 3&4- Federalism and State & Local Governments
Lanahan: James Madison, The Federalist #39 and #46 (B: page 131) (R: page 129)
United States v. Lopez (B: page 149) (R: page 147)
Unit 14 Economic Policy
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 18
Unit 15 Mass Media
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 15 – The News Media
Lanahan: Larry Sabato, Feeding Frenzy (B: page 491) (R: page 642)
Unit 16 Foreign Policy
Readings
Sabato: Chapter 19