Download AP Government Syllabus FA13

Campbell High School
5265 Ward Street Smyrna, GA 30080
(678)842-6850
School Website: http://www.campellhs.com/
AP U.S. Government
Learning today for tomorrow’s world
Fall Semester 2013
Instructors: April Sandifer
Room: 2208
Phone: (404)314-1646
Email: [email protected]
Class Website: http://cobblearning.net/aprilsandifer
Course Texts:
O’Connor, Karen & Larry Sabato. American Government, Continuity & Change, 2008 ed. Pearson
Education, Inc; New York, 2007.
Canon, David T., John J. Coleman & Kenneth R. Mayer. Faultlines: Debating the Issues in
American Politics, 2 ed. W.W. Norton & Company; New York, NY 2007.
Additional materials including Primary Sources such as The Federalist Papers 10 & 51, The New
York Times, Newsweek Magazine, and Supreme Court Cases will be used in this course for
analysis of data and reinforcement of concepts.
The course is designed to teach students something about how people behave politically
and about the design of the American political system; that is, how the system is structured
and how it functions as a pluralistic system of various individual and group interests, all
promoting their own agendas as to what they claim is important and beneficial for the
country.
The major purpose of this course is to help students gain and display an understanding of
American politics and the processes of government that help shape our public policies.
Students should begin to learn about the methods of studying political behavior and
political institutions.
Course Components & Outline (% = Average Coverage on the AP Exam and Time Allotted
for this Course)
I. Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government (5-15%)
A. Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the
Constitution
B. Separation of powers
C. Federalism
D. Theories of democratic government
Constitutional Underpinnings:
The study of modern politics in the United States requires grounding in the Constitutional
underpinnings of its government. Students examine the kind of government the
Constitution established with particular attention to federalism and the separation of
powers. Understanding these developments involves both knowledge of the historical
situation at the time of the Constitutional Convention and a grasp of the ideological and
philosophical traditions on which the framers drew. We will also address specific concerns
of the framers: for example, why Madison feared “factions” (The Federalist Papers) and
reasons for the swift passage of the Bill of Rights. We might also choose to examine
fundamental pluralism.
II. Political Beliefs and Behaviors of Individuals (10-20%)
A. Beliefs 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 from one another in terms
of political beliefs and behaviors
Political Beliefs and Behaviors:
Individual citizens hold a variety of beliefs about their government, its leaders, and the U.S.
political system in general. It is important for students to understand how these beliefs
evolve and the processes by which they are transmitted. Specifically, students should know
why U.S. citizens hold certain beliefs about politics, and how families, schools, and the
media act to perpetuate or change these beliefs. The ways in which these beliefs affect
and inform political participation are also critical. For example, students should know what
voting and protest mean to those who engage in them. Finally, it is essential that students
understand what leads citizens to differ from one another in their political beliefs and
behaviors. A teacher may wish to examine the divergent views of the political process in
the United States held by members of specific ethnic and racial groups and the political
ramifications of these differences.
III. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media (10-20%)
A. Political parties and elections (including their functions, organization,
historical development, effects on the political process, & electoral laws
and systems)
B. Interest groups (including PACs)
1. The range of interests that are or are not 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
Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass Media:
Students should understand the mechanisms that allow citizens to organize and
communicate their interests and concerns. Among these are political parties, elections,
political action committees (PACs), interest groups, and the mass media. Students should
examine the historical evolution of the U.S. party system, the functions and structures of
political parties, and the effects they have on the political process. Important features of
this section of the course include an explanation for why some interests are represented by
organized groups while others are not, and the consequences of these differences.
Students are also expected to understand the role of the media in the political system.
IV. Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy,
and the Federal Courts (35-45%)
A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of powers
B. Relationships among these four institutions
C. Links between these institutions and political parties, interest groups,
the media, sub-national governments, and public opinion & voters
The Institutions of Government:
Students must become familiar with the organizations and powers of the Congress, the
presidency, the bureaucracy, and the federal courts. An understanding of both the formal
and informal powers of these institutions, as well as the ways in which they relate to one
another, is essential. Students are also expected to understand the ties between the
various branches of national government and political parties, interest groups, public
opinion, the media, and state and local governments. For example, a study of the
conflicting interests and powers of the President and Congress may help explain the recent
struggles to adopt a national budget.
V. Public Policy (5-15%)
A. Policy making in a federal system
B. The formation of policy agenda
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:
a. Political institutions and federalism
b. Political parties
c. Interest groups
d. Public opinion
e. Elections
f. Policy networks
Public Policy:
Public policy is the result of interactions and dynamics among actors, interests, institutions,
and processes. The formation of policy agendas, the enactment of public policies by
Congress and the President, and the implementation and interpretation of policies by the
bureaucracy and the courts are all stages in the policy process with which students should
be familiar. Students should also investigate policy networks, iron triangles, and other
forms of policy sub-governments in the domestic and foreign policy areas.
VI. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights (5-15%)
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
Civil Liberties and Civil Rights:
An understanding of United States politics includes the study of the development and
defense of issues involving civil rights and civil liberties. Basic to this study is an analysis of
the workings of the Supreme Court and an awareness of its most significant decisions.
Students examine Constitutional interpretations of freedom of speech, assembly, and
expression; the rights of the accused; and the civil rights of minority groups and women.
For example, students should understand the legal and political evolution of the Supreme
Court's decisions on segregation. Finally, it is important that students be able to assess the
strengths and weaknesses of Supreme Court decisions as tools of social change.
Course Breakdown with Primary Focus Topics
Fall Semester:
Unit I, Weeks 1-2: Introducing Government in America (chapters 1 and 11)
Formations of Governments, The Articles of Confederation, Federalist
Papers 10 & 51
Unit II, Weeks 3-6: Constitution and Federalism (chapters 2 and 3)
The U.S. Constitution, National Supremacy, Modern Federalism, Block
Grants & Mandates
Unit III, Weeks 7-8: Political Beliefs and Behaviors (chapters 11 and 13)
Political Socialization, Political Ideology, Public Opinion
Unit IV, Weeks 9-11: Political Parties, Campaigns & Elections (chapters 12, 13 & 14)
Major Parties, Minor Parties, Congressional v. Presidential Campaigns, Primaries &
Elections, Electoral College
Unit V, Weeks 12-18: Congress, Interest Groups, & Media (chapters 7, 16, & 15)
Powers of Congress, The Legislative Process, Committee System, PACs & Interest Groups,
Lobbyists, The Mass Media
Winter Semester:
Unit VI, Weeks 1-4: The Presidency & Federal Bureaucracy (chapters 8 & 9)
Presidential Powers, WHO, Cabinet, Organization of the Bureaucracy, The Federal Budget,
Implementation & Regulations
Unit VII, Weeks 5-8: The Judiciary, Civil Rights & Civil Liberties (chapters 10, 5, & 6)
Judicial Powers, Lower Federal Courts, The Supreme Court, Judicial Interpretation, Rights of
the Accused, Privacy Issues, Landmark Cases including Gender – Race – Ethnicity –
Organizations
Unit VIII, Weeks 9-12: Public Policy (chapters 17, 18, 19)
Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, Economic Policy, Environmental Policy, Health Care and
Welfare Policies
AP Exam Review, Weeks 13-18: Recommended Exam Prep-Book is Larry Krieger’s AP US
Government & Politics Crash Course
Assessments:
Each Unit will be evaluated with both Formative and Summative assessments.
Potential assessments will include the following: Exams, Analysis of Multiple Choice
Questions, Quizzes, Free Response Questions, Student Projects and Written Assignments.
Multiple Choice Analysis may take place after each unit for conceptual
understanding.
Free Response Questions will be given at each exam and students must answer these
questions in a manner that reflects an understanding and analysis of the content being
addressed. Support evidence, such as a court case or policy initiative, is expected for each
FRQ. This is intended to help students prepare for the AP EXAM. In addition to exams,
Free Response Questions may be assigned during the interim period between units,
following the same criteria listed above.
Vocabulary Quizzes & Projects may be assigned for each unit. Each topic will include a
rubric and completion deadline.
Grading Scale
Unit Exams
Classwork
Midterm Exam
Quizzes
Final Exam
50%
20%
10%
10%
10%
Expectations
This course requires extensive out-of class reading. Preparation is essential for success.
You will be tested over material from your readings that will not be addressed in depth
during class. It is expected that adequate preparation time will take place that is assumed
for AP courses.
Tutoring
 We are available via email or text message outside of school hours, in Room 2208 until
4:00 p.m. daily, or you may schedule an appointment as necessary.
Attendance & Missing Work
Good attendance is one of the most important things for passing this class.
Attendance is an important part of becoming academically successful, and it is very important that you
show up to our class. We expect to see you in class every day. If you miss class, it is YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY to retrieve missed work from the folders or the class website and to turn it in. It is
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to remember to turn in missed work. Furthermore, missed quizzes or exams
must be made up outside of class time (that means before or after school). We strongly urge you:
DON”T MISS CLASS ON A QUIZ OR TEST DAY. Absences from class prior to a scheduled exam DO
NOT excuse you from taking the test on the day it is given.
Cheating
Cheating results in a zero on any assignment or exam. Cheating includes:
 Copying answers from another student.
 Looking onto another student’s paper during a test or quiz.
 Using notes during a test or quiz without teacher permission.

Copying information from any source, including the Internet, without giving credit to the person
who wrote the words. This includes rearranging the order of words and/or changing some words
as written by the author and claiming the work as your own. This is called plagiarism, and in
many situations it is illegal.
Restroom and Hall Passes
Restroom and hall passes will be limited and at our discretion. As a young adult, we trust that you
know when you can’t wait and you really need to go to the restroom. However, if you abuse our
trust, you will have to wait until after class even if it is intensely uncomfortable. Students that
require frequent trips to the restroom for medical reasons must bring a doctor’s note. Dead time
will be observed the first and last 15 minutes of every class period.
Behavior Expectations
Students are expected to adhere to all rules in the Student Handbook. Failure to do so will result in
consequences as outlined in the Student Handbook.
This syllabus may be amended throughout the year at the discretion of the instructor.
CAMPBELL HIGH SCHOOL
SYLLABUS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
TEACHER:
COURSE:
Fall 2013
April Sandifer
AP U.S. Government
Parents & Students, please read through and check (√) the boxes to the left indicating
your agreement to the following:
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I have read the class syllabus.
I understand the cheating policy and the grading policy.
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Please provide a translator if you wish to contact me. Language: ___________
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COMMENTS:
RETURN THIS FORM WITH BOTH SIGNATURES BY Monday, August 12, 2013.
Please feel free to contact the teacher(s) if you have any additional questions or
concerns.