Name: ______________________________ Date: _______________ Period: _____
Advanced Placement Government and Politics Course Syllabus
2012 – 2013
Mr. English/Room B 9/10
(503) 408-2633
engliric@parkrose.k12.or.us
Course Summary
This course is a one-year, college-level study of general concepts used to interpret US politics
and government. The study of modern politics in the US requires students to examine and
understand the Constitutional underpinnings of government, American political beliefs and
behaviors, political parties, interest groups, mass media, the institutions of national
government, public policy, and civil rights and civil liberties. Along with an in-depth study of
political philosophy and politics in the classroom, there is also a healthy dose of discussion of
current events, field trips to the county and federal courthouses, guest speakers, and
participation in the We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution competition, where
students test their knowledge against a panel of judges selected from some of the most
prestigious citizens in the state.
Students will have the opportunity to take the College Board’s AP US Government and
Politics exam in May. Most colleges and universities in the US, as well as schools in 21 other
countries, have an AP policy granting incoming students credit, placement, or both on the
basis of their AP Exam grades. For more information, you can explore the AP website at
www.apcentral.collegeboard.com.
Expectations
Students who enroll in an AP course of study will be studying at the college-level. There are
weekly reading and writing assignments posted on the board with due dates. Attendance is
therefore vital to success in this course. In addition to what we study in class, it is important to
keep abreast of current events. Stay informed!
Rules

Come to class on time, prepared, and sit in your assigned seat.

Pay attention and listen to Mr. English. Ask permission.

Use appropriate language and dress.

Put I-pods, CD players, and headphones away.

Eating and drinking only in the cafeteria.

Use phone and text outside and after class.

Dress professionally when required for class activities.
I expect you to follow all of the rules and guidelines printed in the Official Parkrose Student
Handbook. If you have any questions regarding policy, rules, procedures, or official conduct,
consult the handbook. If these become consistently unclear to you and you have difficulties
following them, I will arrange a meeting between you, an administrator, and a parent to clarify
the rules for your benefit.
Supplies
1. textbooks - We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution published by the Center for
Civic Education and American Government by James Q. Wilson and John J. DiIulio, Jr.
You can find online resources for both texts.
2. paper, pencil or pen, and highlighter.
3. three-ring notebook section entitled AP Government and Politics for all Cornell lecture
notes, handouts, and returned work. This syllabus should be first in your binder.
4. professional dress for We the People competition and dress rehearsals.
Assignments (posted with due dates on the board)
Most of your assignments will be reading or analyzing political opinions, events, court
decisions, or statistical data, followed either by Free-Response Questions, a class presentation
or simulated Congressional hearing and written assignment. I will grade written assignments
based on the quality of the ideas and content, properly supported by specific facts or examples
and authoritative citations, organization, grammar, and spelling. Keep all of your returned
work in the AP Government & Politics part of your binder.
Participation in We the People
Students are required to participate in the We the People program that is designed to promote
civic responsibility through an intensive study of citizenship, American political culture, and
civil rights and liberties. Students will be placed into groups to prepare unit presentations.
Attendance and participation are crucial since this will be a team effort. Groups that perform
well together earn better grades and better prepare themselves for the AP exam: however, I do
not penalize a whole group for the lackluster performance of a few individuals. The
culminating activity is a simulated We the People competition, which takes place in January.
Parents, relatives and friends will be invited to watch you perform.
Quizzes and Tests
Quizzes and tests are designed to prepare students to master the AP exam. Accordingly, they
will focus on the major Curricular Objectives attached in the form of multiple choice and
timed "Free-Response" questions (FRQs), where students are given a multi-part question
accompanied by a statement, political cartoon, graph, etc. Students then analyze, interpret,
and articulate an answer that is well-organized and clearly supported by relevant facts.
Students earn a grade using a simple point system. Each assignment, quiz, test, presentation,
We the People hearing, etc will have a carefully weighted point value. Once the total points
have been added for all graded assignments, I will calculate a percentage. A passing grade
earns one (1) credit in social studies. Letter grades are based on the following:
90-100% = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, 0-59 = F
I do not “round” percentages up to the next highest grade (ex. 89% to 90%). There is a
comprehensive final exam at the end of each semester with a point value not to exceed 20% of
your final grade.
Note: Students may earn extra credit for outstanding scores at the We the People competition
and participation in the regional Mock Trial competition in March.
Late Policy
I will always post due dates on the board. You should have plenty of time to finish
assignments. You may turn in late work with a written explanation and supporting
documentation (attendance slip, doctor’s appointment slip, etc…): however, I reserve the
right to determine whether to grade it or not.
Unexcused absences on the day of a test, quiz, or We the People hearing will earn a "0",
with no possibility of make-up. If you have an excused absence on the day of an exam,
you must take it on a make-up date scheduled by me. If you miss the make-up date, you
will receive no credit.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN “EXCUSED” ABSENCES WILL AFFECT
CLASS PERFORMANCE.
Advanced Placement US Government and Politics – Curricular Objectives
Each Unit contains the particular Curricular Objectives required by the AP College Board,
readings, assignments, and assessments designed to measure your understanding of the
material. Note that many of the objectives may overlap from unit to unit and that much of the
material will be as up to date as possible (i.e. most current legislative session, elections,
significant Supreme Court rulings, fiscal or opinion poll data). The order, readings, and
assignments may be subject to change or amendment throughout the year.
Constitutional Underpinnings of US Government
A. Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the
Constitution
B. Separation of powers
C. Federalism
D. Theories of democratic government
Readings:
 We the People, Units I and II, “What Are the Philosophical and Historical Foundations of
the American Political System?” “How Did the Framers Create the Constitution?”
Additional Readings:
 selections from John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government

Virginia Declaration of Rights

Declaration of Independence

Federalist Papers #10 and 51

selections from The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates,
edited by Ralph Ketcham
Assignments and Assessments:
 Simulated Congressional Hearings and essays for We the People Units I and II, Unit
tests/quizzes

Selected Supreme Court cases.
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
A. The development of civil liberties and civil rights by judicial interpretation
B. Knowledge of substantive rights and liberties
C. The impact of the Fourteenth Amendment on the constitutional development
of rights and liberties
Readings:

We the People, Units III and V, “How Has the Constitution Been Changed to Further the
Ideals Contained in the Declaration of Independence?” “What Rights Does the Bill of
Rights Protect?”
Additional Readings:
 Federalist Paper #78

Irving Bryant, The Bill of Rights, (New American Library, New York, 1965). Chapter 3,
“Textbooks on Tyranny”

Anthony Lewis, Gideon’s Trumpet, Vintage Books, New York, 1964. Chapter 1.

Civil Rights Act of 1965
Assignments and Assessments:
 Simulated Congressional Hearings for We the People Units III and V, Unit tests/quizzes

Selected Supreme Court cases: Dred Scott, Plessy, Brown, Mapp v. Ohio, Gideon,
Miranda, and Oregon v. Smith.
Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy,
and the Federal Courts
A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power
B. Relationships among these four institutions, and varying balances of power
C. Linkages between institutions and the following
1. Public opinion and voters
2. Interest groups
3. Political parties
4. The media
5. Subnational governments
Readings:

We the People, Unit IV, “How Have the Values and Principles Embodied in the
Constitution Shaped American Institutions and Practices?”
Additional Readings:
 Constitution

selected state constitutions

Washington’s Farewell Address

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

War Powers Act of 1973
Assignments and Assessments:
 Simulated Congressional Hearings for We the People Units III and V and Unit
tests/quizzes.
Political Beliefs and Behaviors
A. Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders
B. Processes by which citizens learn about politics
C. The nature, sources, and consequences of public opinion
D. The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life
E. Factors that influence citizens to differ form one another in terms of political
beliefs and behaviors
Readings:

We the People, Unit VI, “What Challenges Might Face American Constitutional
Democracy in the 21st Century?”
Additional Readings:
 selections from Tocqueville, Democracy in America

Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone: the Collapse and Revival of American Community,
(Simon and Schuster, New York, 2000). Chapter 15, “What Killed Civic Engagement?”
Assignments and Assessments:
 Simulated Congressional Hearings for Unit VI and Unit quizzes/tests
 Mock Trial
 Selected Supreme Court cases: Roe v. Wade and Lawrence v. Texas. Students will analyze
public opinion shifts regarding government’s role in defining and regulating the right to
privacy.
 Statistical Research (Updated yearly. Examples of most recent topics follow here and in
other units):
 examine voter turnout data and compare discrepancies in rates according to age,
education, income, and race,
 compare and contrast data on US and British political participation,
 trace the apparent decline in traditional US political participation
The We the People Competition takes place during the second week of January. First
Semester Final Exam takes place during the week of January 28 - 30, 2013.
Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy,
and the Federal Courts (continued)
A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power
B. Relationships among these four institutions, and varying balances of power
C. Linkages between institutions and the following
1. Public opinion and voters
2. Interest groups
3. Political parties
4. The media
5. Subnational governments
Readings:

Wilson and DiIulio, American Government, Chapters 13 – 16, “Congress” “The
Presidency” “The Bureaucracy” “The Judiciary”
Additional Readings:
 William Manchester, The Death of a President, (Harper & Row, New York, 1967).
Selections from Chapter Five, “Go, Stranger”

State of the Union Address (updated yearly)

James B. Raskin, We the Students, (Congressional Quarterly Press, Washington, DC,
2003). Selections from Chapter 1, “The Constitution and the Courts”
Assignments and Assessments:
 Wilson and DiIulio, American Government, Chapters 13-16 chapter tests,
 Simulated Congressional Hearing on pending House or Senate legislation or appropriation
Political Parties, Interest Groups, Mass Media
A. Political parties and election
1. Functions
2. Organization
3. Development
4. Effects on the political process
5. Electoral laws and systems
B. Interest groups, including political action committees (PACs)
1. The range of interests represented
2. The activities of interest groups
3. The effects of interest groups on the political process
4 . The unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the political process
C. The mass media
1. The functions and structures of the media
2. The impacts of media on politics
Readings:
 Wilson and DiIulio, American Government, Chapters 9 – 12, “Political Parties” “Elections
and Campaigns” “Interest Groups” “The Media”
Additional Readings:

Constitution

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Richard Nixon, In the Arena, (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1990). Chapter 29,
“Campaigning”

David T. Z. Mindich, Tuned Out : Why Americans Under 40 Don't Follow the News,
(Oxford University Press, NewYork, 2005). Chapter 5, “Television, the Internet, and the
Eclipse of Local News”
Assignments and Assessments:
 Wilson and DiIulio, American Government, Chapters 9 – 12 chapter tests,
 Public Interest Law Firm or Think Tank student presentation,
 Statistical Research:
 analyze [most recent] election to determine participation rate of Democrats and
Republicans and breakdown of voters by race and gender

explore the “rating” system used by selected interest groups to grade legislators

compare PAC contributions to Democrats and Republicans in Congress for current
legislative session
 Selected Supreme Court cases.
Public Policy
A. Policy making in a federal system
B. The formation of policy agendas
C. The role of institutions in the enactment of policy
D. The role of the bureaucracy and the courts in policy implementation and
interpretation
E. Linkages between policy processes and the following:
1. Political institutions and federalism
2. Political parties
3. Interest groups
4. Public opinion
5. Elections
6. Policy networks
Readings:
 Wilson and DiIulio, American Government, Chapters 17-20, “The Policy Making Process”
“Economic Policy” “Social Welfare” “Foreign and Military Policy” and “Environmental
Policy”
Additional Readings:
 selected state constitutions, city charters, and ballot measures

Allen Schick, The Federal Budget, (Congressional Quarterly Press, Washington, DC,
2002). Chapter 1, “Conflict and Resolution in Federal Budgeting”

selections from Robert F. Kennedy, Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis,
(WW Norton, New York, 1969).

selections from current or pending legislation (examples used No Child Left Behind and
The Patriot Act).
Assignments and Assessments:
 Wilson and DiIulio, American Government, Chapters 17-20 chapter tests,

Simulated Congressional Hearing on pending House or Senate legislation or appropriation
(examples used, Defense of Marriage Act, No Child Left Behind, Patriot Act),

Statistical Research:
 analyze and compare Presidential and Congressional approval ratings in a given
year
 follow the growth of entitlement programs from the Roosevelt Administration to
the present
 locate, examine, and compare differences in annual Federal Revenues and annual
Federal Expenditures for a given time period.
 Selected Supreme Court cases.
The AP US Government & Politics Exam takes place on Tuesday, May 14 @ 8:00 am.
Second Semester Final Exam for Seniors takes place during the last week of May.
Dear Parents,
I am looking forward to teaching your student! It always remains a source of great
satisfaction to see the personal and intellectual growth of these young people.
As in previous years, students in AP Government will be representing Parkrose High School at
the annual We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution competition which takes place the
second week in January. It is important that students understand and follow through with
their commitment to this class. This includes: attending study sessions with their We the
People Unit team, completing assignments for the group presentations, and dressing
professionally for in-class rehearsals and the competition.
Attendance and completion of assignments simply cannot become a problem or there will be
consequences.
Please sign and return this page with your student. I look forward to meeting you at “Back to
School Night” and at Parent/Teacher conferences. If you have any questions, please do not
hesitate to contact me!
Sincerely,
Richard English
(503) 408-2633
engliric@parkrose.k12.or.us
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