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AP US Government and Politics
Palo Verde High School, 2015-16
Mr. Hechter
mshechter@interact.ccsd.net
PVHS Room 328
Office Hours are by appointment
TEXTBOOK, RESERVED READINGS; and MATERIALS:
(1) Edwards, George C., Wattenburg, Martin P., and Lineberry, Robert L. Government in America.
(2) Serow, Ann G. and Lass, Everett C. (eds.) (2011). The Lanahan Readings in the American Polity, Fifth Edition
is on reserve in the library for supplemental readings as assigned.
(3) Selected articles from journalist or other academic sources will be assigned.
(4) Blue or black ink pens only for any assignments.
(5) College-ruled notepaper is recommended.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This survey course emphasizes the philosophical and institutional framework of the federal government. The
principles of the US Constitution, intergovernmental relations between the States and the national government, the
evolution of civil rights, civil liberties, and citizen responsibilities will be examined. The course will also examine
American political economy, and domestic and foreign policy. State government structure and institutions will be
examined as time permits. All students are expected to sit for the AP US Government and Politics examination.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
This is considered a college level course. Students need to be prepared for each class, and take thorough reading,
lecture and discussion notes. Students are expected to demonstrate higher-level verbal and written communication
skills. Lectures tend to follow the text, or other assigned readings. Students must keep abreast of current issues and
events affecting US politics and policy. Students are responsible for all information posted on the instructor’s
website at my.ccsd.net. At these pages students will find, among other items, conduct and academic dishonesty
policies, support materials including slides, chapter vocabulary and objective questions, talking point formats, and
.pdf files of supplemental readings, as well as other assignments and learning tools.
Extra credit assignments are not offered for this course.
Tests and Quizzes: Tests and quizzes will account for 60% of the quarter grade. Quiz and test questions are
selected from the reading assignments, lectures, and class discussions. Chapter quizzes are comprised of 10-15
multiple choice and 2-3 short answer questions. These quizzes may be used for both formative and summative
measurement. Unit tests are comprised of 35-50 multiple-choice questions and 2-3 free response questions. This
format is consistent with the AP Exam. Correct answers may require demonstrating descriptive, analytical,
evaluative, and interpretive skills.
Projects: Socratic Seminars and Analysis exercises will account for 20% of the quarter grade. Seminar discussions
are based upon assigned selected readings from academic and quality journalism sources, or other similar narratives.
Students will be required to critically annotate each article, and to develop meaningful talking points to guide their
discussions.
Analytical exercises involving both individual and, as appropriate, group responses to theses, resolutions, printed
activities, short narratives, political and socioeconomic and political scenarios, statistical data, political history, and
similar activities from a variety of sources will be assigned from time to time.
Revised 08/15
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Classwork: Free response practice essays, and general discussions will account for 20% of the quarter grade. The
essay assignments will mostly be written in class. On occasion, extended time essays on central or critical
questions, research questions, outside non-text readings, or text-based essay questions may be assigned.
Chapter Objective Questions and Lecture Slides: Students will have access to recommended vocabulary and
chapter objective questions as guides for their text based readings. These are not assignments to be turned in for
grading. The vocabulary listings and questions, along with the posted lecture slides that accompany the text, are
tools to help students develop an understanding of the course content. Students are strongly encouraged to use the
vocabulary and objective questions, as well as the slides, to guide reading for understanding and to prepare for tests
and quizzes.
Semester Exams and Grades: There will be a semester exam for each semester. The semester grade is based on
each quarter weighted at 40%, with the semester exam comprising the remaining 20% of the semester grade.
Semester exams will be comprised of two to three questions selected randomly from a set of five to six questions
that the students will be given to study prior to the semester exam.
Plagiarism: Directly quoting, summarizing, paraphrasing the ideas of others, or handing in the work of others as
your own, without specific identification of the sources constitute plagiarism. Plagiarism, and any other form of
academic dishonesty, will result in an “F” for the assignment and an automatic “U” for the quarter citizenship grade.
Attendance, Tardy Arrival, and Participation: The policies and regulations regarding attendance are found in the
student handbook. Regular attendance and active participation in discussions is expected. Tardy arrivals will result
in a reduction of both your class and citizenship grades. Consistent disregard for the classroom conduct policies,
available online, will result in a reduction of both your citizenship grade and your class grade.
Make-up and Late Assignments: Make-up assignments will be scheduled in accordance with CCSD policies.
Late assignments will be subject to a 50% reduction in credit. Assignment and topic dates are subject to change as
the timing and sequencing of the course over the school year necessitates.
COURSE GRADES:
Student grades are regularly reported on line. Students may earn the following grades:
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F < 60%.
Citizenship grades are also awarded. Students are “graded” based on “participation” points:
O = Outstanding (70-100)
S = Satisfactory (50-79)
N = Needs Improvement (<50).
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UNIT TOPICS, TEXT & SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS, QUIZ, AND TESTS (SY 2015-2016)
Dates are subject change, as course requires.
Units
Text Assignments, Quizzes,
& Unit Tests
Supplemental
Readings
Date
TBD
Unit 1: Constitutional Underpinnings
Introduction to Government
The Constitution
Ch. 1 Reading & Quiz
Ch. 2 Reading & Quiz
John Locke: Second
Treatise of Civil
Government
(handouts)
Robert Dahl: Who
Governs…
P88-94
09/03/15
09/17/15
Publius (James
Madison): Federalist
No. 10. P56-62
Federalism
Ch. 3 Reading & Quiz
Publius (James
Madison): Federalist
No. 51. P97-101
Unit 1 Test
09/25/15
09/29/15
Unit 2: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Civil Liberties and Public
Policy
Ch. 4 Reading & Quiz
Civil Rights and Public Policy
Ch. 5 Reading & Quiz
Eugene Rostow: The
Democratic
Character of Judicial
Review. P316-320
Donald Kettl: System
Under Stress. P360370
Unit 2 Test
10/06/15
10/19/15
10/21/15
Unit 3: Political Ideology, Public Opinion, & Mass Media
Public Opinion and Political
Action
Mass Media and the Political
Agenda
Unit 3 Test
Ch. 6 Reading & Quiz
V.O. Key: Public
Opinion and
American
Democracy. P419-24
10/29/15
Ch. 7 Reading & Quiz
Larry Sabato:
Feeding Frenzy.
P581-588
11/12/15
11/16/15
Revised 08/15
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Unit 4: Political Parties & Interest Groups
Political Parties
Ch. 8 Reading & Quiz
Interest Groups
Ch. 11 Reading & Quiz
Morley Winograd &
Michael Hais:
Millennial Makeover.
P549-556
E.E. Schattschneider:
The Semisovereign
People. P454-458
Unit 4 Test
11/24/15
12/04/15
12/08/15
Unit 5: Campaigns and Elections
Nominations and Campaigns
Ch. 9 Reading & Quiz
Elections and Voting Behavior
Ch. 10 Reading & Quiz
David Mark: Going
Dirty. P506-514
David Campbell:
Why We Vote. P515526
12/16/15
01/07/16
Unit 5 Test
01/11/16
SEMESTER EXAM
TBD
Unit 6: Institutions – Congress
Congress
Ch. 12 Reading & Quiz
David Mayhew:
Congress: The
Electoral Connection.
P147-150
01/29/16
Sarah Binder:
Stalemate. P157-162
Unit 6 Test
02/02/16
Unit 7: Institutions – The Presidency
The Presidency
Ch. 13 Reading & Quiz
The Federal Bureaucracy
Ch. 15 Reading & Quiz
Thomas Cronin &
Michael Genovese:
The Paradoxes of the
American Presidency.
P236-246
Paul Light: A
Government Ill
Executed. P282-289
Unit 7 Test
02/17/16
02/29/16
03/02/16
Unit 8: Institutions – The Federal Courts
The Federal Courts
Ch. 16 Reading & Quiz
Publius (Alexander
Hamilton):
03/16/16
Revised 08/15
5
Federalist 78. P311315
Richard Fallon: The
Dynamic
Constitution. P333341
Unit 8 Test
03/18/16
Unit 9: Economic Policy
Economic Policymaking
Ch. 14 Reading & Quiz
Ch. 17 Reading & Quiz
Kevin Phillips: Bad
Money. P668-675
Milton Freidman:
Free to Choose.
P636-641
Unit 9 Test
04/04/16
04/12/16
04/14/16
Unit 10: Social, Health Care, and National Security Policy
Social Welfare Policymaking
Health Care and Environmental
Policy
Ch. 18 Reading & Quiz
Ch. 19 Reading & Quiz
04/22/16
Sharon Hays: Flat
Broke with Children.
P642-651
04/29/16
Joseph Nye: Soft
Power. P706-714
National Security Policymaking
Ch. 20 Reading & Quiz
05/05/16
Unit 10 Test
05/09/16
AP TEST PREPARATION
TBD
AP EXAM
08:00 5/10/16
SEMESTER EXAM
TBD
Revised 08/15