Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics Syllabus

2017-2018

Instructor: Mary Beth Fox

Email: mfox@loyolaprep.org
Phone: 226-6296
Course Overview:

The AP U.S Government and Politics Course is a yearlong course that explores the formal and
informal structure of the US Government and the politics that influence it implementation. The
purpose of this course goes beyond the normal expectations and requires analysis and interpretation of
literature and data on how our government functions. Students who take this course should note that
they will be required to do 1 to 2 hours of homework each night mostly consisting of reading course
materials, and keeping up with current news and events happening nationally and worldwide. Students
are required to keep up with all reading as this is a college level course and we will not cover
everything in class that students will be tested on. The ultimate goal of this course is to prepare the
students for the AP Exam.

The major topics to be examined in this course are:

Constitutional Underpinnings Political
Beliefs and Behaviors
Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass Media
Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy, and
the Federal Courts
Public Policy
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Teaching Strategies

The instructor. will use lecture and the Socratic method to teach. Students will be exposed to graphs,
charts ,polls, daily newspapers including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal as well as
current events. Concentrated efforts will be placed on analyzing primary sources. Each chapter will
begin with a reading comprehension quiz. After completing each chapter students will be assessed
with a vocabulary quiz. Each chapter will contain written exercises in preparation for a Free Response
Questions on the AP exam.

Texts and Materials

1. George C. Edwards, Martin P. Wattenburg, and Robert L. Linesberry. Government in
America: People, Politics, and Policy, 16th ed. New York: Longman, 2014.
2. Readings and Cases in American Government, 17th Ed. Edited by Peter Woll, 2008.
These readings will be supplemented with other materials throughout the course.

Grading and Testing

Students will be tested using multiple choice and analytical and interpretive free- response questions
on each test and examination. Students may expect tests and examinations to test their understanding
of visually presented and quantitative information. Students will be assigned various writing
assignments throughout the course requiring students to demonstrate their ability to interpret and
analyze American government and politics. Grades will be on a running total with a twenty percent
midterm exam. Students will be required to take the Advanced Placement Government and Politics
exam in May in lieu of a final exam. Students who fail to sit for the exam will receive a letter grade
two grades lower. The grading scale is based on 10 points. All disciplinary rule of Loyola College
Prep will be enforced in the classroom.

Course Plan

Introduction to Government and America ( Week 1-2)

Edwards Chapter 1
Activities: Citizenship Test
Introduction of Candidates for 4th Congressional District Race

Unit I-Foundations of American Government ( Week 3-8)

1 Influences on the formation of the Constitution

2. Key principles of separation of powers, checks and balances
3. The theory and practice of Federalism
Edwards Chapter 2 & 3
Declaration of Independence (Appendix)
John Locke, "Second Treatise ...Government," Woll Reader
Charles Beard, "Framing the Constitution," Woll Reader
Debate the two authors positions with a student led discussion.

Debate the Federalist Papers # 10, 39, 51, 78 as propaganda.

Review the following cases as informal amendments to the Constitution:

Marbury v. Madison
McCulloch v. Maryland
Gibbons v. Ogden
NLRB v. Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp. Heart of
Atlanta Motel v. US
United States v. Lopez Printz
Assignments:
How were the problems found in the Articles of Confederation fixed in the Constitution
Federalism?
How were the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence addressed in drafting the
Constitution?
Constitutional Scavenger Hunt
Celebrate Constitution Day with What is the Constitution?
Discuss Dual or cooperative federalism.
Federalism in our daily lives
Free Response Questions from released exams

Albertio computer generated questions

Unit II - Civil Liberties and Civil Rights (Week 9-12)
1.Influential Federal judicial decisions that shape Civil and political rights granted under the
Constitution.
2.Understand the difference between a natural right and liberties.
3.Due Process ,substantive and procedural and its interpretation of civil rights and liberties.

Edwards Chapter 4 & 5

Supreme Court cases and arguments regarding constitutional protections as well as the impact of the
14th Amendment on civil rights and liberties at the state and local level.

Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment The following

cases:
New York Times v. Sullivan Engel v. Vitale
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris Roe v. Wade
Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena Plessy v. Ferguson
Gideon v. Wainwright Brown v. Board of Education

Student presentations of Selective Incorporation and the Bill of Rights, Cartoon Analyses of
the Bill of Rights
Debate: Equity vs Opportunity
Unit Test and Free Response Questions,Albertio

Unit III - Socialization, Political Parties and Interest Groups ( Week 13-15)
1. The process of political socialization,
2. Measuring public opinion and public opinion shaping society
3. American political ideologies
4.Voting behavior and the ways citizens participate in government I.
5.Functions, organization, and development of political parties.
6. Political parties effects on the society and electoral system .
7. Characteristics and effects of interest groups and the role of PAC

Edwards Chapters 6, 8,
V.0. Key, "A Theory of Critical Elections," Woll Reader
Larry Sabato, "A Misplaced Obsession with PAC's," Woll Reader
Assignment on Political Parties
Ideology Survey class activity
Red States Blue States Washington Post
Free Response Question and Unit Test,
Albertio

Unit IV - Campaigns, Elections and the Media ( Weeks 14-16)

1. The structure of the American electoral system, election operations on the local, state and federal
level, voting behavior, and the laws governing elections and campaigns.
2.The impact and organization of the mass media on politics and elections.
3. The voting patterns and campaign structure as well as the media's agenda-setting function.

Edwards Chapters 7 and 9

V.O. Key, "The Responsible Electorate," Woll Reader Selections
from the following:
California Democratic Party v. Jones Buckley
v. Valeo
C-Span John Roberts on Campaign Finance
and the First Amendment.
News Assignment on Campaigns Mass Media
Project
Alberio computer quizzes
Free Response Question and Unit Test

Unit V - Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy,
and the Federal Courts (Weeks 17-26)

1 . The Congress -
A.. Understand the formal and informal functions and powers of Congress,
B. The organization of Congress, and legislative process
C. The relationship of Congress to the other branches of government and
D. The evolution of Congressional power political events.

Edwards Chapter 11
How Come We Love our Congressmen So Much," Woll Reader
D. Mayhew, "Congress: The Electoral Connection," Woll Reader
Federalist 78
Polarization in Congress 538 website
Unit Test and Free Response Question, Albertio

2.The Presidency, Policymaking and The Bureaucracy

A. Understand the functions and power of the President

B. The organization and structure of the White House Staff, Executive Office,
Understand the relationship of the President to the other branches of government.
D. The evolution of the Presidency vs the original intent
E. Understand the function and evolution of the bureaucracy, the policy and budget
functions of the bureaucracy.

Edwards Chapter 12, 13, and 14

R. Neustadt, "Presidential Power," Woll Reader
Hamdi v. Rumsfeld
P. Woll, "Constitutional Democracy and Bureaucratic Power," Woll Reader News
Assignment on the Bureaucracy and Pizza
Free-Response Question, Unit test and Albertio
 3.The Judiciary -
A. Understand the power and functions of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts
B. The relationship of the Supreme Court to other branches of government

Edwards Chapter 15
J. Roche, "Judicial Self-Restraint," Woll Reader
Justice S. O'Connor, "Constitutional Liberty and the Right to Abortion," Woll
Reader
Free Response Question,Albertio

Unit VI - Public Policy ( Weeks 27-28 )

A. The policymaking functions of the U.S. Government.

B. The foundation and debates regarding economic policy, social policy, environmental
policy, healthcare policy and foreign policy.
Edwards Chapters 17, 18, 19, 21 Public Policy
Paper
News Assignment on Environmental Policy News
Assignment on Foreign Policy
Map Study, Unemployment Rates -Edwards p.548 Graph
Study -Edwards p.549
Free Response Question,Albertio

Review for the AP Exam ( Week 29-30)

Students will review the six major topic units.