Name________________________________________________ Date: __________ Period: ________

Unit 4: Congress and Domestic Policy

1/4 of Political Institutions Unit (35-45% of AP Exam) + 1/3 of Public Policy Unit (5-15% of AP Exam)
There are four institutions of Americas national government: Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, and
the Judiciary. We will pair each with a type of public policy and study it in depth. This unit we pair Congress
with domestic policy and will look specifically at the journey of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
through Congress, including its introduction, committee action, interest group pressure, public opinion, party
reaction, media coverage, effect on elections, floor debate, and ultimate passage.
Essential Questions
1. Is Congress a broken branch?
2. What would the Founders think of our modern Congressional system?
3. How do congresspeople carry out their jobs?
Unit Schedule

Day Dates Topics Readings Due

1 Dec. 11th + 12th History and Members of Congress Wilson pp. 302-318

Congress Project: We will spend time on days 1-3 of this unit working on a project in class which will build upon your reading. You
may still have pop quizzes this project does not assure no quizzes. You will construct a narrative of a congressperson (e.g.
a childrens book, comic, etc.) which answers all three essential questions above and incorporates boldface vocabulary from
the list on the reverse of this sheet.

2 Dec. 15th + 16th Structure and Organization of Congress Wilson pp. 318-325

3 Dec. 17th + 18th How a Bill Becomes a Law Wilson pp. 325-337

4 Dec. 19th + 22nd Obamacare (Frontline) Congress Project Due

5 Jan. 5th + 6th Domestic Policy: Social Welfare Wilson pp. 438-454

6 Jan. 7th + 8th Domestic Policy: Business Regulation and Environmental Policy Wilson pp. 454-469

Review Day: Jan. 9th + 12th Test: Jan. 13th + 14th

REMEMBER: (1) You may use notes for quizzes if they are handwritten + have your name on them. (2) All dates
are subject to change. (3) You are responsible for all assigned content for the test (even if we dont discuss it!).
Materials and Resources
Obamas Deal. Frontline. Dir. Michael Kirk. 13 Apr. 2010. Television.
Serow, Ann G. and Everett C. Ladd. The Lanahan Readings in the American Polity. 5th Ed. Baltimore: Lanahan
Publishers, Inc., 2011.
Wilson, James Q., John J. Dilulio, Jr., and Meena Bose. American Government: Institutions & Policies. 14th ed.
Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2015. Print.
 Key Vocabulary
Partisan Polarization Senate Foreign Relations Pork-Barrel Legislation
Parliament Committee Franking
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bicameral Legislature House Ways and Means
Social Welfare Policy
House of Representatives Committee
Cost
Senate House Rules Committee
Benefit
Millionaires Club House Foreign Relations
Legitimacy
17th Amendment Committee
New Deal*
Filibuster Staff
Social Security
Cloture Rule (defined: Day 3) Constituency Service*
Insurance Program
Marginal Districts Casework* Assistance Program
Safe Districts Staff Agencies Means Test
Conservative Coalition Congressional Research Service
Majoritarian Politics
Tea Party* Government Accountability
Client Politics
Representational View Office
Great Society*
Organizational View Congressional Budget Office
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Medicare
Attitudinal View
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Bill* Medicaid
President Pro Tempore Private Bill* Affordable Care Act*
(Senate) Simple Resolution Aid to Families with Dependent
Majority Leader (Both Houses) Concurrent Resolution Children
Minority Leader (Both Houses) Joint Resolution Temporary Assistance to Needy
Whip (Both Parties + Houses) Mark-Up Session* Families
Policy Committee (Both Parties Multiple Referrals* Supplemental Nutrition
Senate) Sequential Referral* Assistance Program
Steering Committee (Dem. Discharge Petitions Charitable Choice
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate) Congressional Calendars
Business Regulation Policy
Committee on Committees Restrictive/Closed Rule Antitrust Laws
(Repub. Senate) Open Rule Interest Group Politics
Speaker of the House Floor Debate
National Labor Relations Board
Rules Committee (House) House Committee of th Whole
Occupational Safety and
Steering and Policy Committee Quorum
Health Act
(Dem. House) Riders
Client Politics
Party Vote Double-Tracking
Agricultural Subsidies
Caucus Voice Vote
Environmental Policy
Democratic Study Group Division Vote
Environmental Protection
Blue Dog Democrats Roll-Call Vote
Agency
Tuesday Lunch Bunch Teller Vote
Cap and Trade
Congressional Black Caucus Veto
Endangered Species Act
Standing Committees Legislative Veto*
Clean Air Act
Select Committees Divided Government
Environmental Impact
Joint Committees Gridlock Statement
Conference Committees Unified Government Acid Rain
Seniority Earmarks
Pesticides
Senate Finance Committee Logrolling*
Senate Judiciary Committee 9/11 Commission
*Not explicitly defined in textbook. Bold terms are absolutely essential.