Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics
Third Quarter 2012/2013
Purpose
Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics is a one semester college level course designed to help the
student understand the structure, operation, and organization of government at the national level. The state of
Alabama awards a half credit for the government requirement. This is a 9 week course that meets each day for
85 minutes. The course has a direct purpose of preparing students to take the Advanced Placement (AP) Exam
in the spring. Passing this test with a score of 3, 4 or 5 will result in the awarding of college credit at
participating colleges and universities. Students should commit to taking the AP Exam in the spring, as this is
the purpose of the course offering. Passing this exam can give the student a head start on their college career
by awarding credit hours worth several hundred dollars.
A special focus in the course will be placed on political culture, which is the political behavior of people in the
United States. The course will also help students acquire an appreciation and understanding of what being an
active participating citizen means. The major focus is to gain understanding and knowledge of the structure and
functions of the government and how it shapes policies that affect all people in the United States. Students will
also improve their skills in research, writing and analyzing related to social sciences.
Requirements
It must be understood from the beginning of the course that there is extensive reading, and it should be
completed in advance of the content being covered in class. Assessments will test for understanding of the
material covered in and out of class. It is not possible to lecture and or discuss all the material required of the
course. Class lectures and discussions are meant to bring understanding to the readings and not to repeat the
material, although some repetition is likely and desirable from the student. The readings should promote
thought and questions that the lecture and discussions can elaborate upon. Participation is class discussion is
important to understanding the material. Again, it is very important to read the assigned text and supplemental
readings. Vocabulary comprehension and proper use is important for success in the course. Students need to
practice vocabulary in writing and discussion and it is expected as a part of class participation.
Format
The course will be taught using a variety of techniques and methods including: lecture, class discussion, group
activities, Power Point presentations, documentary explorations and possibly guest lectures. An objective sheet
and list of important terms will be assigned with each topic, and is on the AP GOPO file page on the instructor’s
school web page. The objectives point out the main concepts you should know after completion of each section.
The terms will help the student build a vocabulary that is necessary in understanding government and politics in
the United States. It is expected that the student will utilize the vocabulary in discussion and writings.
Text and other Readings
The textbook is property of the school system and therefore cannot be written in or highlighted. (In college you
can buy your own and write in them) If students choose to write in the text the replacement they will be
responsible for the cost for a new text. Please write name in the text in case it is misplaced.
Text:
Thomas E. Patterson The American Democracy 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Other readings:
Peter Woll American Government Reading and Cases 16th ed.
Ann G. Serow & Everett C. Ladd The Lanahan Readings in the American Polity 5th ed.
R. Diclerico & A. Hammock Points of View: Readings in American Government and Politics, 9th ed.
William Lasser, Perspectives on American Politics, 4th ed.
G. M. Scott & L Gatch, 21 Debated Issues in American Politics 2nd ed.
The Federalist Papers
Presidential Elections Since 1789, Congressional Quarterly,
Internet Sources: NPR.org, CNN.com, Frontline: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline, C-SPAN.org
(see others under links on teacher’s school web page).
Periodicals: Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, Local Newspaper, Christian Science Monitor, Time Magazine,
The Week.
AP United States Government and Politics Course Outline
Current Events:
Students are responsible for keeping up with current political and U.S. government topics. Weekly periodicals,
daily newspapers, such as Time, U.S. News, Newsweek, CNN, and National Public Radio are suggested
sources.
Data Analysis:
Maps, charts and graphs will be used throughout the course to analyze U.S. government and politics. In
addition to the text data from various other sources will be used.
Court Cases:
The study of key Supreme Court cases will be used to analyze and evaluate U.S. government topics. Students
will be expected to cite outcomes of cases and relate the impact in government and policy making. Students’
should dedicate a section of their notes to knowing the following about key cases: Constitutional question,
Ruling, Impact of ruling.
Legislation:
Knowing key pieces of legislation and the impact on policy making is very important in making connections in
how government performs its duty of managing the nation. Being able to recognize and cite legislation as it
relates to policy is an essential skill for success in the course.
Topics, Readings, Assignments and Assessments**
First 4.5 Weeks
I.
Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government
Content Goals
 Characteristics of a State
 Purposes of Government
 Theories of Democratic Government
 Early Documents
 Principles of Government







Influential Philosophers
Articles of Confederation
Colonial Governments
Constitutional Convention
Federalists and Antifederalists
Separation of Powers
Federalism
Essential Questions
What is the purpose of government? What was the founders’ view of the purpose of government and the
role of the citizen in the American Republic? Are these views still relevant today? How does the
Constitution underpin U.S. government? Why is the concept of “checks and balances” a novel idea in
the 18th century? How does Madison’s concept of checks and balances challenge popular understanding
of Montesquieu’s theory of separation of powers?
Readings:
Lanahan 6, People of Paradox, p. 30
Lanahan, 9, The Federalist 10, p. 49
Lanahan 10, A Machine That Would Go of Itself, p. 62
Lanahan, 11, The Tyranny of the Majority, p. 62
Lanahan 15, The Federalist 51, p. 135
Chapter 1: American Political Culture: Seeking a More Perfect Union
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 5-25, pp 25-33
Map: Political culture and level of education
Activity/Handout: American Political Culture Traits
Articles of Confederation and the Constitution
Quiz Key Terms
Test Ch 1 Multiple Choice and Free Response Questions
Chapter 2: Constitutional Democracy: Promoting Liberty and Self-Government
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 37-45, pp. 45- 58, 58-67
Activity: Constitution Scavenger Hunt
Quiz key terms
Chapter 3: Federalism: Forging a Nation
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 71-79, pp 79 – 101
Patterson: Debating the Issues p 98
Case: McCoulloch v. Maryland
Graph: Federal Grants
Federalist Papers # 51
Quiz Key Terms
Test Chapters 2 & 3 Multiple Choice and Free Response Questions
II.
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Content Goal
 Freedom of Speech, press, and assembly
 Life, liberty and property
 Equal protection and the 14th amendment
Essential Questions
What constitutes free speech? How does the national Bill of Rights apply to states? Do the courts
“legislate from the bench”? What forms of speech are protected? How is the 1st amendment affected in
times of crisis? What constitutes “establishment”? What are the limits of “free exercise”? What is “equal
protection” under the law? What is procedural due process? How has the interpretation of the equal
protection clause changed over time? How have laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting
Rights Act of 1965, and affirmative action influenced our understanding of the clause?
Readings:
Lanahan, 47, Gideon’s Trumpet, p. 317
Lanahan, 48, Miranda v. Arizona, p. 326
Lanahan, 49, System under Stress, p. 331
Lanahan, 53, In Our Defense,p. 366
Lanahan, 87, Jihad v. McWorld, p. 631
Chapter 4 Civil Liberties: Protecting Individual Rights
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 105- 120, 120 – 139
Table: Selective Incorporation of Rights of Free Expression
Table: Selective Incorporation of Rights of the Accused
Activity: Becoming a U.S. Citizen, Citizenship Test
Free Response Question (2005 AP Exam)
Quiz key terms
Chapter 5 Equal Rights: Struggling toward Fairness
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 143- 162, pp 162 – 177
Graph: The Gender Gap in Congressional Voting
Chart: U.S. per capital income by race and ethnicity
Lasser: Affirmative Action pp 121-127
Free Response Question
Quiz Key Terms
Test Chapters 4 and 5 Multiple Choice and Free Response Question
III.
Political Beliefs and Behaviors
Content Goals
 Citizens and their beliefs about government
 Learning about politics
 Nature, sources, and consequences of public opinion
 Ways citizens vote
 Ways citizens participate in public life

Factors that influence political beliefs and behaviors
Essential Questions
How do we come by our political beliefs? What are the sources of public opinion? What is “political
culture” and is there a unique American political culture? What is the “political spectrum”? How do the
political beliefs define who we are as citizens? What does it mean to be a citizen? What is the role of the
citizen in a civil society? Which citizens vote and why? What is the relationship between individual
rights and the needs of the larger community? Is democracy in America healthy and viable today?
Readings:
Lanahan, 55, The Phantom Public, p. 383
Lanahan, 56, Public Opinion and American Democracy, p. 387
Lanahan, 57, Direct Democracy, p. 393
Lanahan, 58, Politicians Don’t Pander, p. 401
Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization: Shaping the People’s voice.
Identify key terms
Ideology Handout
Patterson pp 183 – 196, pp 196- 209
Graph: Partisanship and Issue Opinions
Map: Conservatives and Liberals
Diclerico: Vox Populi in Cyberspace, The Promise and Perils of Cyberdemocracy, pp 78-86
Writing Assignment: Position Paper Internet and Voting
Online Assignment: Political Compass
Quiz Key Terms
Chapter 7: Political Participation and Voting: Expressing the Popular Will
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 213- 231, pp 231- 237
Graph: Voter Turnout 1960-2004
Test Chapters 6 and 7 MC & FR Questions
IV.
Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media
Content Goals
 Major and minor political parties
 Methods of nomination
 Voting requirement and methods
 Sources of public opinion and which is most effective
 Elections at the national, state, and local level
 Participation of citizens in political life
 Analysis of voting behavior by age, race, etc.
 Electoral maps and charts are used in analyzing the Presidential elections and shifts in regional
voting patterns
 Interest groups and their role in elections
 Functions and structures of the media
 Impact of media on politics
Essential Questions
What is the difference between a Democrat and a Republican? Are there other options beyond these two
choices? Political parties and interest groups ae not mentioned in the constitution yet they play a critical
role. How? Why? Do they serve our democracy or are they an obstacle? How do interest groups
influence government decisions and policy making?
Readings:
Lanahan, 59, Democracy in America, p. 411
Lanahan, 61, The End of Liberalism, p. 418
Lanahan, 68, Government 2.0, p. 473
Lanahan, 70, Going Negative, p. 487
Lanahan, 71, Red Over Blue, p. 494
Lanahan, 72, Why Americans Still Don’t Vote, p. 500
Chapter 8: Political Parties, Candidates, and Campaigns: Defining the Voter’s Choice
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 241- 273
Graph: Partisan Identification
Graph: National Party Fund-raising 1993-2004
Woll: Political Parties and Campaign Finance, Buckley v. Valeo, pp 230 – 236
Web site: www.Livingcandidate.org
Quiz key terms
Chapter 9: Interest Groups: Organizing For Influence,
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 277 – 293, 295 – 303
Diagram: Iron Triangle
Graphs/Chart: PACS, Growth and Categories
Activity: Interest group input on congressional decision making
Iron Triangle Internet assignment www.OpenSecrets.org
Woll: pp 230-231, 232-237, 237-241
Quiz Key Terms
Test Chapter 8 and 9 Free Response
Chapter 10 The News Media: Communicating Political Images,
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 307- 328
Graph: Negative coverage of Presidential Nominees 1960- 2004
Activity: Looking for Bias and Balance in the News
Quiz Key Terms
Test Chapter 10 Multiple Choice and Free Response Questions
Second 4.5 Weeks
V.
Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy and the
Federal Courts
Content Goals
 Qualifications of President and Vice President
 Tenure, salary, and benefits
 Analysis of past executives by region, age, education, religion, etc.






















Duties and powers of the President
Presidential succession and disability
Duties and roles of the Vice President
Qualifications of members of Congress
Legislative and non-legislative powers
Organization and roles of members in the Senate
Organization and roles of members in the House
The legislative process
Similarities and difference of the House and Senate
Salary, benefits, and penalties
Terms of office and term limits
Qualifications of Justices and tenure
Sources of American law
Organization of courts
Types of courts
Selection of judges
Factors which influence the court to hear a case and the opinion
Ideology of the court and the politics of the court
Judicial Review (Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland)
Judicial Activism vs. Judicial Restraint
Important Supreme Court cases
State and local governments
Essential QuestionHow does Congress represent and reflect the interest and desires of the nation? Is
Congress representative of the nation as a whole? Is this the most efficient and effective Congress
representative of the nation as a whole? Is this the most efficient and effective ways to make policy?
Compare and contrast the makeup and operations of the House and Senate. How has Congress’ role in
policy formulation changed over time in relation to the other branches? What are the formal and
informal powers of the presidency? How does the president use these powers to influence policy? Is the
president too powerful fo not powerful enough vis-a’-fix the legislative and judicial branches? What role
do the courts play in interpreting the Constitution and implementing public policy? Are the courts
“guilty,”as some of the critics charge, of supplanting the legislative and executive branches by
legislating from the bench? What is the proper role for the judicial branch in the public policy process?
What is the evolving relationship between the courts and the “civil rights”? What are the specific issues
address in public policy maiking? Define an “Iron Triangle,” does it exist and if so how does it influence
policy implementation? Who controls the bureaucracy: the president? Congress? The people? Does a
largely permanent professional bureaucracy serve democracy?
Readings
Lanahan, 31, Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents, p. 199
Lanahan, 32, The Imperial Presidency, p. 205
Lanahan, 33, The Paradoxes of the American Presidency, p. 212
Lanahan, 37, A Government of Strangers, p. 249
Lanahan, 41, The Federalrist 78, p. 283
Lanahan, 44, Brennan vs. Rehnquist, p. 296
Activity: Who’s Who Government Officials Search
Chapter 11 Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests,
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 335- 351, pp 351- 358, 358 – 369
Graph: Reelection rates of House and Senate, Congressional Campaign Expenditures
Diclerico: Legislative Process: the Fillibuster: pp174- 184
Woll # 61
Writing Assignment: Should the filibuster be changed?
Quiz Key Terms
Test Chapter 11 Multiple Choice
Chapter 12 The Presidency Leading the Nation
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 373 – 391, pp 391 – 397, 397 – 409
Graph: Percentage of Bills passed by Congress where President announced position 1953-2003
Scott: The Electoral College, pp 123- 136
Writing Assignment: To keep or not to keep the Electoral College
Quiz Key Terms
Test Chapter 12 Multiple Choice
Chapter 13 The Federal Bureaucracy: Administering the Government
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 413 – 426, pp 426 – 441
Activity: Federal Budget: A look at Spending
Declerico: Bureaucracy pp 200- 209
Writing Assignment: Fixing Civil Service
Woll #53
Quiz Key Terms
Test Chapter 13 Multiple Choice and Free Response Questions
Chapter 14 The Federal Judicial System: Applying the Law
Identify key terms
On going Assignment
Patterson pp 445 – 460, pp 461 – 467, 467 – 475
Woll: Federalist Papers #78, Marbury vs. Madison, Judicial Self Restraint, The Pledge of Allegiance
Case, pp 435-442
Quiz Key Terms
Test Chapter 14 Multiple Choice & Free Reponse Questions
VI.
Public Policy
Content Goals
 Cabinet Departments
 Independent executive agencies
 Independent regulatory agencies
 Government corporations
 Staffing agencies and political appointments
 Financing the government
 Spending and the budget
 Foreign policy

Bureaucracy
Essential Questions
How is public policy made? Does the “system” work for citizens today? Who sets policy agendas for
our nation? How does federalism work for citizens today? Who sets policy agenda for our nation? How
does federalism affect public policy? How is the federalism affect public policy? How is the federal
budget made? How is monetary policy different from fiscal policy? What is the “global economy”? How
does the global economy ingluence U.S. policy generally and you specifically? What are subsidies and
entitlements? What is the proper role for government in social issues such as education, welfare, and
crime? What role should the United States play in the world? What is, and what should be, our
relationship with the United Nations?
Chapter 15 Economic and Environmental Policy; Contributing to Prosperity
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 481 – 494, pp 494 – 511
Graph: The Federal Budget Dollar
Iron Triangle p 293
Lasser: Domestic Policy Making p 377- 382
Lasser: America and the World pp 389-396
Quiz Key Terms
Chapter 16 Welfare and Education Policy: Providing for the Personal Security and need
Identify key terms
Patterson pp 515 – 525, pp 525 – 543
Chart: Income Inequality
Lasser: Nine Misconceptions about Social Security pp. 382-388
Quiz Key Terms
Test Chapters 15 and 16 Free Response Questions
** Readings and assignments are tentative. Students must keep up with any changes discussed in
class, noted on assignment board or posted on instructor’s web page.
VII.
Court Cases
CASE LAW LIST
ESTABLISHMENT: UNDERPINNINGS
Marbury v Madison
FEDERALISM
McCullogh v Maryland
Gibbons v Ogden
CHECKS AND BALANCES
US v Nixon
CIVIL RIGHTS
Plessy v Ferguson
Brown v Board of Education
Shelley v Kramer
FREE SPEECH
Schenck v US
Smith v Allwright
Gitlow v NY
Bradenburg v Ohio
Hazelwood v Kuhlmeier
Tinker v DesMoines School District
RIGHT TO PRIVACY
Roe v Wade
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (ESTABLISHMENT AND FREE
EXCECISE CLAUSES)
Lemon v Kurtzman
Engle v Vitali
DUE PROCESS
Miranda v Arizona
Mapp v Ohio
Gideon v Wainright
Furman v Georgia
VIII.
Review and Final Exam
Assessment
Students will be quizzed from assigned readings and terms. Students will be tested at the completion of each
chapter. Tests will be similar to the structure of the AP exam consisting of multiple choice and free response
questions. Students will also be assigned various essay assignments. A comprehensive exam will be given at
the end of the course.
Grading
Grades are based on percents in the following categories
Chapter Tests:
60%
Quizzes/Essays/Short Papers:
30%
Class Participation/Homework:
10%
Final Exam:
20% * 1/5 of overall course grade
ATTENTION!!!
One of the differences between a college class and a high school class is that high school students depend on the
class for all the learning. It is not possible to cover all the material that is going to be tested. Students will have
to read and learn material on your own very much like a college class. Material that is NOT covered in class
will be tested. Students will need to obtain this information on your own from reading and other inquiries.
Honor Code
It is expected and should be understood that all work is to be accomplished by the student without the aid of
others. Students will not be allowed to harm the integrity of the course or for that matter their own integrity as
students by allowing such behavior. Students who engage in such activity will not receive credit for tests or
papers that have been produced by ill-gotten means.
Rules
All rules of ________ High School and ________ County Public Schools are expected to be honored by the
students in the class. The classroom rules posted in the classroom must be adhered to as well.