Download Unit 1 Outline - Bensalem Township School District

AP U.S. Government & Politics
Course Syllabus 2014-2015
Roxanne Bongiorni Dorand
[email protected]
Twitter: dommibear
AOL IM: roxannemdb
Brief Overview of the Course:
AP U.S. Government and Politics is an intensive study of the formal and informal structures of
government and the processes of the American political system, with an emphasis on policy-making and
implementation. This course is designed to provide you with a thorough understanding of those topics
as well as to prepare you for the AP Exam. This year’s AP U.S. Government exam will be given on
Tuesday May 13, 2014 at 8 AM.
Course Outline:
Unit I: The Constitutional Underpinnings of the United States Government (20 days)
Unit II: Political Beliefs and Behaviors (26 days)
Unit III: Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass Media (24 days)
Unit IV: Institutions of National Government (40 days)
Unit V: Public Policy (18 days)
Unit VI: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (16 days)
Review for AP Exam: Until Tuesday May 13, 2014 at 8AM
Concluding Activities: May 14th through end of school year
Please keep in mind that this syllabus and its assignments are subject to change.
Texts:
Magleby, David B., O’Brien, David M., Light, Paul C., Burns, James MacGregor, Peltason, J.W., and
Cronin, Thomas E. Government by the People. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 21 st ed.
[This is the main text and will be referred to as “Burns/P” in the attached unit outlines.]
We will also be reading excerpts from the following supplemental texts:
Cigler, Allan J., Loomis, Burdett A., American Politics Classic and Contemporary
Readings. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 7th ed.
Lasser, William. Perspectives on American Government. New York, Houghton Mifflin, 4th ed.
Serow, Ann G., Ladd, Everett C., The Lanahan Readings in the American Polity. Baltimore:
Lanahan, 3rd ed.
Woll, Peter. American Government: Reading and Cases. New York: Longman, 16th ed.
A Word About What “AP” Means
Like any Advanced Placement class, this is a college level course. It’s important that you understand that
for several reasons.
First, I will not check notebooks. You are at a point in your academic career that
you should be responsible enough to take notes on a daily basis. That includes not only taking notes
during lectures but during group discussions, when I conduct Socratic questioning, and when you read.
Next, you must come to class prepared. That means that you have to keep up with nightly reading
assignments and current events. The former can be lengthy at times. If you start to fall behind in your
reading, you will quickly have a hard time staying on top of the course as each chapter and unit builds on
what came before it. It also will make it very difficult for you to participate in a meaningful way in our
daily classroom discussions and activities. As I stressed in the summer assignment, you also need to stay
abreast of current events by reading The New York Times, Washington Post or Philadelphia Inquirer (in
that order of preference) on a regular basis and listening to “All Things Considered” (broadcast on NPR,
WHYY 90.9 FM weekdays from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm) or watching “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer”
(broadcast on WHYY, Channel 12, weekdays from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm). There will be periodic pop
quizzes to verify that you are keeping up with current events.
Finally, you must do your own work. Our school’s rules on plagiarism and cheating are clear. I will
enforce them without exception. If you’re having trouble understanding the material or if there is some
other problem, please come and see me (but do not wait until the last minute). When you use someone
else’s work, you’re not cheating me; you’re cheating yourself.
Grading Policy:
Please refer to the Bensalem Township School District’s Unified Grading Policy. If you earn a “5” on the
AP Exam, your course grade will be changed to 100%.
Note: Attendance and participation are crucial for your academic advancement.
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Absenteeism:
All tests, quizzes, projects, and other assignments will be made up upon the student’s return. In the
event of a permitted absence, any assignment due on the day of the absence will become due on the day
of the student’s return, with one exception: If the assignment was given on a day of an excused absence,
and the student continued to be legally absent for each consecutive day up to and including the due date
of the assignment, and the total number of days absent did not exceed three days, the assignment will be
due on the day after the student’s return.
It is the student’s responsibility to monitor Student Portal in eSchool as I post grades frequently.
Except as stated above, no assignments will be accepted after their due dates.
Students excused for school activities are responsible for all assignments and materials covered during
their absence. Unless special arrangements are made in advance, missed assignments can be picked up in
my classroom between 7:15 am and 2:45 pm, daily.
For the consequences of unauthorized absences, see the Student/Parent Handbook.
Unit Outlines
UNIT 1 OUTLINE
CONSTITUTIONAL UNDERPINNINGS OF UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Total days of instruction: 20
I.
Unit Description:
Understanding modern politics in the United States requires knowledge of the political situation
at the time of the Constitutional Convention and an awareness of the ideological and
philosophical traditions on which the framers drew, because the principles that form the
foundation of American Government are a reflection of these situations and traditions. This unit
will include an analysis of these foundational principles, including Federalism, Separation of
Powers, Checks and Balances, and provisions both allowing and limiting a democratic form of
government. Emphasis also will be placed on the evolution and devolution of national/state
government relationships.
II.
Reading Assignments:
Burns/Peltason Chapter 1

Lanahan 1
“Constitutional Democracy”
“Democracy in America”
3


Woll 1
Woll 11
Burns/Peltason Chapter 2

III.
“The Living Constitution”
Lasser 12.2 Marbury v. Madison
Burns/Peltason Chapter 3

“The Second Treatise”
“The Merits of the Federal System”
Woll 12 & 13
“American Federalism”
McCulloch & Gibbons
Chapter Study Questions
a.
Chapter 1:
1.
2.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Distinguish between direct and representative democracy.
Explain the interacting values that comprise the democratic faith, such as popular consent,
respect for the individual, equality of opportunity, and personal liberty; and examine how
democratic values may conflict with one another.
Analyze the interrelated political processes that comprise democracy.
Identify the interdependent political structures that make up the American system of democracy.
Discuss the educational, economic, social, and ideological conditions conducive to establishing
and maintaining democracy. Be sure to explain why Constitutional Democracy is not a
“spectator sport”?
Trace the historical roots of the American Revolution.
Explain the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Discuss the impact of the Annapolis Convention and Shay’s Rebellion on the calling of the
Constitutional Convention.
List the major issues on which the delegates to the Constitutional Convention had consensus as
well as those issues on which the delegates had conflicts and compromise.
Summarize the arguments against ratification.
Summarize the steps involved in ratifying the Constitution.
Discuss the major challenges for the American system of Constitutional Democracy.
Discuss the reasons why democracies fail.
b.
Chapter 2:
1.
Explain the various ways the framers tried to limit government, including federalism, free
elections, and checks and balances.
Describe the concept of separation of powers and its relationship to checks and balances.
Define judicial review.
Explain how the case Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
2.
3.
4.
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5.
6.
7.
8.
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10.
11.
Explain how the checks and balances system has been modified by the rise of national political
parties, creation of an independent regulatory commission, changes in the electoral system,
changes in technology, and in international affairs.
Contrast the British and American political systems.
Explain the process of the impeachment and removal power.
List presidential practices, and discuss how such practices have evolved.
Discuss how two aspects of the Constitution have made it unnecessary for new constitutions.
Explain the two methods for proposing and for ratifying amendments to the
Constitution.
Explain how the different philosophies of Supreme Court justices affect their views on the
Constitution.
c.
Chapter 3:
1.
2.
Define federalism and its constitutional basis between the national and state governments.
Examine various interpretations of federalism, such as dual, cooperative, marble cake,
competitive, permissive, and "New Federalism."
Identify and describe alternatives to federalism.
List advantages of federalism as they relate to the needs of a heterogeneous people.
Examine powers of the national government, powers reserved for the states, and concurrent
powers shared by the national and state governments.
Identify limits and obligations on both national and state powers.
Describe the federal systems found in Canada, Germany, and Switzerland.
Discuss the changing role of federal courts in national-state relations, especially following
McCulloch v. Maryland.
Describe the expanding role of the federal courts in reviewing state and local government
activities through the Fourteenth Amendment, federal mandates, and federal preemption.
Explain the historical growth in national governmental powers relative to the states, including
the debate between the centralists and decentralists.
Identify and describe four types of federal grants, and state the goals of federal grants.
Examine the politics of federal grants, including how the battle over the appropriate level of
government to control the funds tends to be cyclical.
Analyze the impact of federal mandates on state and local government.
Identify and describe new techniques of federal control.
Examine reasons for the growth of big government and reasons why Congress is pressured to
reduce national programs.
Discuss why federalism has grown increasingly complicated, with changing political power
distribution, and the reemergence of the states.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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10.
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UNIT II OUTLINE
POLITICAL BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS
Total days of instruction: 26
I.
Unit Description:
Political beliefs drive political behaviors. We will examine the forces that inform an individual’s
political beliefs and discuss why some individuals choose to participate in the political system (and
how) and why others do not. In addition, we will address the differences in the beliefs and behaviors
of different segments of American society.
II.
Reading Assignments:
Burns/Peltason Chapter 4



Lasser 5.1
Lasser 5.2
Lasser 5.3
Burns/Peltason Chapter 5

“Democracy in America”
“One Nation, Slightly Divisible”
“American Exceptionalism: A Double-Edged Sword”
“The American Political Landscape”
Ciglar/Loomis 6.2 “A Tale of Two Electorates: The Changing American Party
Coalitions, 1952 - 2000”
Burns/Peltason Chapter 8
III.
“Political Culture and Ideology”
“Public Opinion, Participation, and Voting”
 Lanahan 72 “Why Americans Still Don’t Vote”
 Lanahan 69 “Dirty Politics”

Chapter Study Questions
a.
Chapter 4:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Define political culture. Also, explain where we learn the American
political culture.
Identify and describe the major values that are shared by most
Americans, in the tradition of classical liberalism.
Assess the relationship between political values and economic
change (such as industrialization and depression).
List Franklin Roosevelt's “Second Bill of Rights.”
Analyze what is meant by the "American Dream" and its impact on
American political, economic, and social life.
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
b.
Define ideology and identify five schools of political thought.
Examine liberalism and cite criticisms of this school of political
thought.
Examine conservatism and cite criticisms of this school of political
thought.
Examine socialism, environmentalism and libertarianism in
American politics.
Explain the distribution of ideologies in the American population
and what those ideologies mean to most Americans. Explain why few
Americans consider themselves political extremists.
Compare the differences between liberals and conservatives on
tolerance and support for civil liberties.
Define and explain the significance of Putnam’s “social capital.”
How might the Enron scandal, which was clearly
economic/business corruption, be viewed as political corruption as well?
Chapter 5:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Define ethnocentrism.
Define political socialization and demographics.
Distinguish between reinforcing cleavages and cross-cutting
cleavages.
Assess the impact on the development of American democracy of
geographic isolation and a large land area.
Evaluate sectional differences in the United States. Include the
sunbelt/frostbelt idea.
Examine the effect of state and local identity on politics.
Identify and describe the four kinds of places in which Americans
live.
Examine the impact on American politics of race and ethnicity.
Outline the agenda of the Women's Movement in American politics
and the current gender issues and the impact of “sexual orientation” as well.
Examine the significance of the FAIR ad in Iowa and Proposition
187 in California.
Explain how family structure impacts upon the American political
landscape.
Identify ways in which religion can be important in American
politics.
Evaluate the impact of religious diversity and of the clustering of
religious population groups on politics.
Explain what is meant by the “underrepresentation of Hispanics.”
Describe income and wealth distribution in the United States.
Analyze how aside from race, income may be the single most
important factor in explaining views on issues, partisanship, and ideology.
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17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
c.
Explain what is meant by the post-industrial American society.
Analyze the reasons why social class appears not to have as strong
an impact in explaining political behavior in the United States as it does in other
countries.
Describe the political agenda of older Americans.
Analyze generational and life cycle effects in politics.
Examine the relationship between differing educational levels and
political behavior.
Discuss reasons for the remarkable national unity and identity that
exists in a land of such demographic diversity.
Distinguish between the melting pot and salad bowl analogies.
Chapter 8:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Identify and define the characteristics of public opinion.
Define political socialization and identify sources of our views.
Evaluate the impact that public opinion and polls can and should
have upon government.
Describe the general public's varying level of interest in politics.
Identify the ways Americans can participate in politics and
influence government.
Explain how the September 11, 2001, attacks on America affected
the public’s trust and confidence. Discuss the affect, if any, they had on the 2002
mid-term elections.
Discuss the level of voter turnout in the United States and the
factors that may influence turnout.
Explain why voting turnout is so low in the United States. Name
some recent national and international events that might affect an increase in
voter turnout in the coming elections.
Describe the demographics of voters.
Debate whether nonvoting is a critical problem for the American
political system.
Identify and discuss three main elements of the voting choice.
Explain why electoral reform became an important national issue
after the 2000 election.
Summarize the key components of the Motor-Voter law. How has the law
affected turnout?
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Unit III Outline
POLITICAL PARTIES, INTEREST GROUPS AND MASS MEDIA
Total days of instruction: 24
I.
Unit Description:
In Unit III, we will address the role that political parties, interest groups, and the mass media play in the
political process. Throughout the unit, we will examine how the role of each of the above political actors
has evolved over the years. We will focus on campaigns and elections, the function and structure of
political parties, the differences between the major parties, the influence of competing interest groups,
and the increased power of the media in shaping public opinion. This unit will be completed over the
course of twenty-one school days.
II.
Reading Assignments:
Burns/Peltason Chapter 6


Woll 48
Woll 49
Burns/Peltason Chapter 7

Woll 35
Burns/Peltason Chapter 9

Lasser 8.1
Burns/Peltason Chapter 10

III.
“Interest Groups: The Politics of Influence”
“Interest Groups and the American Political System”
“The Misplaced Obsession with PACs”
“Political Parties: Essential to Democracy”
“Divided We Govern”
“Campaigns and Elections: Democracy in Action”
“Towards a More Responsible Two-Party System”
“The Media & American Politics”
Lanahan 80 “Feeding Frenzy”
Chapter Study Questions
a.
Chapter 6:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Explain Madison's analysis of the problems of faction and possible solutions.
Discuss why Americans organize and join groups so readily.
Define interest group and movement.
Define economic interest groups and cite three present-day examples.
Indicate the most influential economic interest groups, and their primary concerns relative to
government.
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6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Discuss the special role played by public interest groups.
Provide examples of foreign policy interest groups.
Provide examples of government interest groups.
Discuss the factors that make an interest group politically potent.
Summarize the major techniques of interest groups, including e-mail and litigation.
Describe who lobbyists are.
Explain the functions of lobbyists, include political/substantive information.
Describe the growth of PACs and their role in American politics.
Evaluate the impact of PACs on the electoral process, especially campaign finance.
Examine reasons for concerns about the power of faction.
Discuss the methods used by government to regulate interest groups and their effects.
Explain why it is difficult for Congress to pass campaign finance reform legislation.
Explain the issues involved in the Seattle group protests of 1999.
List some major environmental groups and explain how they do business.
Discuss the 2002 campaign finance reforms. What, exactly, do these reforms cover?
b.
Chapter 7:
1.
2.
Explain the functions of political parties.
Describe the methods used by parties to nominate candidates and how these methods have
changed over time.
Compare the American two-party system with the multiparty system.
Discuss factors that are associated with the emergence of third parties and independent
candidates.
Explain how closed and open primaries work.
Trace the development of political parties and the two-party system in America.
Explain why the electorate prefers divided government.
Identify key characteristics of American political parties today.
Define the main function of the national committees and the main job of the national party chair.
Outline party organization below the national level.
Analyze how the public perceives the parties to be different and the role of party platforms in
revealing or concealing those differences.
Explain the structure and function of parties in government.
Examine why parties remain important in the electorate.
Evaluate whether the United States is experiencing party dealignment or
realignment.
Trace the development of the political parties, especially as a response to changing ideas of party
reform.
Examine the problems of soft money and outside issue advocacy as they relate to the principle of
accountability.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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10.
11.
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13.
14.
15.
16.
c.
Chapter 9:
1.
Assess the impact of the rules of the electoral game on electoral outcomes.
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2.
3.
4.
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7.
8.
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21.
21.
Examine the importance of regularly scheduled elections, fixed terms, winner take all, and the
Electoral College.
Compare and contrast House and Senate elections.
Identify three stages of the formal process of running for the presidency.
Discuss the different procedures used to choose delegates to the national conventions.
Analyze how different delegate selection procedures affect candidate campaign strategies.
Trace the changes in the role of the national party conventions.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of proportional representation.
Outline the usual course of the presidential campaign after the close of the conventions.
Discuss the most important factors in shaping campaign strategies for the presidential general
election.
Explain the role played by debates between the presidential candidates since 1960.
Debate the pros and cons of presidential primaries.
Evaluate the major proposals for reforming the presidential nomination process.
Analyze the major proposed reforms of the electoral college system.
Explain why so much attention is paid to the money in U.S. elections.
Trace the major efforts proposed and taken to reform campaign finance.
Explain why campaign finance reform, especially of the role of PACs, was so difficult to
accomplish.
Discuss what factors significantly influenced the outcomes of the 1996, 2000, and 2002 elections.
What are the pro and con arguments concerning soft money in American
politics?
Describe the proposed improvements in administering elections.
Discuss the role of soft money in previous elections and what its role is likely to
be, if any, in post campaign finance reform elections.
Explain whether or not much changed in financing the 2002 elections and
whether or not there are likely to be major changes in funding in the 2004 elections.
d.
Chapter 10:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Define mass media.
Describe the pervasiveness of television, talk radio, newspapers, and the World Wide Web.
Explain how the media handled the 2000 presidential election.
Outline the evolving influence of the media over the past 200 years.
Assess the replacement of parties by the media as mediators between the public and government.
Identify and explain factors that influence how people interpret political messages.
Assess the political bias of the news media.
Explain why the news media has a potent influence in setting the national agenda and framing
the issues.
Indicate the extent to which the news media are regulated by the government.
Outline the media’s role in keeping government honest.
Describe the impact of the media on the choice of candidates.
Describe the impact of the new campaign technology, especially media consultants, on the
campaign process.
9.
10.
11.
12.
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13.
14.
15.
Assess the impact of the media on how voters make choices.
Discuss how the media are both observer and participant in government policymaking.
Compare the differing relationships between the press and the president, the Congress, and the
Supreme Court.
Evaluate whether the news media is doing a good job of bringing information to the citizens and
providing a forum in which to debate complex issues.
Explain the media’s role in times of crisis or war (e.g., the September 11 terrorist attacks or
Operation Iraqi Freedom).
Define a horse race and give recent examples of horse races at national and local levels of
government.
16.
17.
18.
UNIT IV(A) OUTLINE
THE CONGRESS
Total days of instruction: 14
I.
Unit Description:
In this Unit, we will look at the Congress. Our focus will be on the way that the Congress is set up as
well as the procedures by which it does its business. Our study also will include the political forces
that shape the behaviors of Congressmen and women and the agendas that they pursue both
personally and for their parties.
II.
Reading Assignments:

III.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Burns/Peltason Chapter 11
 Lanahan 22 “Congress: The Electoral Connection”
 Lanahan 29 “In Praise of Pork”
 Woll 68
“Speech to the Electors of Bristol”
Chapter 11 Study Questions
Consider the 2004 congressional elections. Who were the big winners and losers?
Why did the Senate minority leader loose his seat? Did President Bush have "coattails"?
Assess the factors that go into redistricting, reapportionment, and gerrymandering, as well as
their impact on House elections. How can the 2003 redistricting of Texas be an example of all
three?
Describe the professional qualifications and profile the typical member of Congress.
Explain the importance of bicameralism.
Define enumerated powers. List some of enumerated powers given to Congress.
List differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Identify and define the basic functions of Congress.
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8.
9.
Identify the major leadership positions in the House and Senate.
Examine the political environment in the Senate. Explain why some consider the job of U.S.
senator to be more prestigious.
Indicate the role of unlimited debate and the filibuster in Senate proceedings.
Explain the role of and procedures used in the Senate confirmation powers.
Distinguish between Congress as a law-making institution and as a representative assembly.
Distinguish between the delegate and trustee roles of legislators.
Identify the various types of congressional committees.
Analyze the types of pressures and influences a member of Congress is subject to in the
decision-making or law-making role.
Evaluate the impact and power of congressional staff.
Trace the pathway of a bill through both houses of Congress.
Analyze the importance of committee and subcommittee chairs and the process by which they
are chosen, especially the impact of seniority.
Explain why so many congressional incumbents win.
Describe the job of the legislator.
Explain how the congressional impeachment process works.
List and define four types of representation.
Outline the steps involved in a bill becoming a law.
Suggest ways that Congress could become more efficient and effective.
In early 2005, Republicans had a majority in both houses of Congress. How was this majority and
control of the White House used?
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25.
UNIT IV(B) OUTLINE
THE PRESIDENCY
Total days of instruction: 14
I.
Unit Description:
This part of Unit IV addresses the presidency. In it, we will discuss how the presidency is structured,
including how the executive branch is organized and operated on a day to day basis. We also will
examine the process by which we elect our presidents. Finally, we will consider how the presidency
interacts with the other branches of government and how presidential power has been expanded over
the years.
II.
Reading Assignments:

Burns/Peltason Chapter 12
 Lasser 10.1 “Federalist 68”
 Lasser 10.2 “Federalist 70”
 Lasser 10.3 “Presidential Power”
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


III.
Woll 58
Woll 61
Lanahan 32
Ex Parte Milligan
Hamdi v. Rumsfeld
“The Imperial Presidency”
Chapter 12 Study Questions:
1. Analyze the relationship between the President and the other branches of government.
2. Discuss the historical impact of the Presidency
3. Discuss the link between the President, voters, public opinion, interest groups, political parties
and the media.
4. Explain the process by which we elect our presidents.
5. Explain the different aspects of a presidential campaign.
Unit IV(C) Outline
THE BUREAUCRACY AND THE JUDICIARY
Total days of instruction: 12
I.
Unit Description:
This part of Unit IV addresses the federal bureaucracy and the judiciary. In it, we will discuss how
the bureaucracy and the courts are structured. Our discussion will include the cabinet level
departments, how cabinet members are selected, the appellate review process and how judges are
selected at every level of the federal courts system. Finally, we will consider how the judiciary
interacts with the other branches of government and how the power of judicial review has expanded
the power of the courts.
II. Reading Assignments:

Burns/Peltason Chapters 13 & 14
 Woll 63
“The Rise of the Bureaucratic State”
 Lanahan 41 “Federalist 78”
 Lanahan 42 “The Democratic Character of Judicial Review”
III. Chapter Study Questions
a.
Chapter 13:
1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Describe the size of the federal bureaucracy
Define bureaucracy and bureaucrat
Describe who bureaucrats are and what bureaucrats do.
Describe the formal organization of the bureaucracy.
Indicate the importance of the informal organization.
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5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Explain the importance and impact of the Hatch Act, old and new.
List the principles of the formal textbook model of bureaucratic administration.
Describe the limitations on bureaucratic power.
Assess bureaucratic realities.
Discuss the need for big government and big bureaucracy, including a discussion of how to
reorganize and eliminate waste in them.
10. Discuss the extent to which government should privatize public services.
11. Discuss the leadership within the bureaucracy and how it is chosen/appointed.
12. Examine bureaucratic accountability to the President and to Congress.
b.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Chapter 14:
Identify the powers given to the judicial branch in Article III of the Constitution.
Cite examples of the historical impact of the Supreme Court on government.
Identify and explain some of the significant cases heard by the Supreme Court.
Distinguish the differences between federal and state court systems.
Explain the role of partisan politics in the appointment of federal judges and justices.
Identify the criteria used in selecting cases for presentation in the Supreme Court.
Identify political factors that influence the Supreme Court’s decision making.
Unit V Outline
PUBLIC POLICY
Total days of instruction: 18
I.
Unit Description:
This unit will discuss the formation of policy agendas, the enactment of public policy by Congress
and the President, and the implementation and interpretation of policies by the bureaucracy and the
courts. Students also will investigate policy networks, iron triangles, and other forms of policy subgovernments in the domestic and foreign policy areas.
II.
Reading Assignments:
Burns/P Chapter 17 and 18 “Public Policy” and “Making Economic and Regulatory Policy”

Lasser 13.1 “Domestic Policy Making”
Burns/P Chapter 19

“Making Social Policy”
Lanahan 84 “The Other America”
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Burns/P Chapter 20

“Making Foreign and Defense Policy”
Lanahan 88 “The Clash of Civilizations”
III.
Chapter Study Questions:
a.
Chapters 17 and 18:
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Define public policy.
Identify and define stages of the policy-making process.
Explain why the absence of government activity in a particular area does not necessarily mean
government is without a policy in that area.
Distinguish between fiscal and monetary policy.
Identify the major sources of revenue for the national government and the relative importance of
each.
Distinguish between gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national product (GNP).
Define value-added tax (VAT) and give examples of this tax.
Explain the distinction between deficit and debt.
Examine how the federal budget process operates.
Explain what the item veto allowed and why it was eventually declared unconstitutional.
Describe the functions and operations of the Federal Reserve System.
Discuss the causes and impact of the trade deficit. Explain the role of GATT.
Describe the purpose and impact of NAFTA.
Explain the pros and cons of protectionism as government policy.
Describe how the Clinton regulatory policy differs from that of the Reagan-Bush years and the
George W. Bush proposals.
Explain what government regulation is and why we have it.
Distinguish between economic and social regulation.
Analyze the major arguments of supporters and opponents of regulation.
Discuss the slowly eroding government surplus of in the late 1990s. Where did the money go?
Outline federal regulations designed to protect workers.
Discuss the provisions of the Wagner Act and the Taft-Hartley Act.
Explain the reasons for government involvement in environmental regulation.
Explain the provisions of the Clean Air Act of 1990.
Analyze the reasons for the deregulation movement.
Evaluate the reasons why deregulation works better in some fields than in others.
Define insider trading.
b.
Chapter 19:
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Analyze the arguments over public versus private approaches to social policy.
Indicate the role played by federalism in the debate over social policy.
Outline the early history of social policy in the United States.
List and explain the various types of social policy in the United States. Include
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c.
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social policy goals and types of protection offered.
Explain the role of the New Deal in social policy.
Explain the funding process for Social Security and the questions associated with the future
financial stability of the program.
Describe the major components of and basis for the Great Society.
Explain the difficulties in changing social policy funded as entitlements.
Identify provisions of the 1996 welfare reform bill.
Analyze the federal government's three major approaches to health policy: research, cost control,
and access.
Describe the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.
Discuss the major problems of the U.S. health care system.
Evaluate the major approaches to health care reform, including single-payer, managed
competition, employer-mandated coverage, spending caps, individual responsibility for
coverage, and medical savings accounts.
Explain how and why the federal government became involved in crime control policy.
Identify the major federal agencies involved in crime control and the major federal programs
directed to crime control.
Identify bills passed that affect gun control, crime rates, and domestic terrorism.
Explain the politics involved in social policy.
Chapter 20:
List the new foreign policy challenges facing the United States and George W. Bush’s
administration in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Discuss the U.S.’s vital foreign policy interests in the twenty-first century.
Describe how foreign policy goals have changed to include winning the war on
terrorism, controlling weapons of mass destruction, and finding peace in the
Middle East.
Describe the constitutional position of the executive and legislative branches in foreign policy.
Assess the impact on foreign policy making of: Secretary of State, State Department, National
Security Council, Foreign Service, and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Assess the impact of public opinion on American foreign policy.
Describe the kinds and role of interest groups involved in foreign policy making.
Define bipartisanship in foreign policy.
Describe the role of Congress in making foreign policy.
Identify and describe six foreign policy strategies.
Examine differing U.S. positions toward the United Nations.
Explain the constitutional positions of the president and Congress in defense policy.
Describe the major organizations involved in the making of overall defense policy.
Examine the pattern of U.S. defense expenditures relative to the rest of the budget.
Outline the Department of Homeland Security. Include its varied roles in national and
international affairs.
Debate the role of the military in a constitutional democracy.
Explain the various foreign policy “strategies.”
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UNIT VI OUTLINE
CIVIL RIGHTS & CIVIL LIBERTIES
Total days of instruction: 16
I.
Unit Description:
This unit explores the development of civil liberties and civil rights by judicial interpretation. Discussion
will also focus on substantive American rights and liberties. This unit also surveys a number of pressure
points that have developed in the American political system regarding the liberties of individuals and the
government's involvement in protecting or restricting those liberties. Included among these pressure
points are national security issues, federal versus state enforcement of rights, First Amendment freedoms,
and criminal law. We also will focus on the impact of the Fourteenth Amendment on the development of
constitutional rights and liberties.
II.
Reading Assignments:
Burns/P Chapter 15 and 16 “Civil Liberties” and Civil Rights”
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III.
Woll 26
Engle v. Vitale
Woll 20
Gideon
Lanahan 48
Miranda
Woll 28
Roe
Mapp v. Ohio
TLO v. NJ
Lasser 3.1 On Liberty
Woll 23
Plessy
Woll 24
Brown I
Woll 25
Brown II
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Chapter Review Questions:
Chapter 15 and 16:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Explain the Nationalization of the Bill of Rights through selective incorporation.
Define the Establishment Clause, including what it does and does not prohibit; and the prevailing
doctrine.
Describe the three-part test created in Lemon v. Kurtzman to determine if a statute violates the
Establishment Clause, and identify and describe various tests advocated by various judges to
interpret the establishment clause.
Explain how and when tax funds may be used to fund educational programs at church-related
schools.
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Discuss the controversy over vouchers and state aid being used for religious schools.
Assess how the Supreme Court altered the interpretation of the free exercise clause in the
compelling interest test, Employment Division v. Smith (1990), and how the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act of 1993 was explicitly designed to reverse that Court decision.
Distinguish among belief, speech, and action.
Define the following historic constitutional tests on freedom of speech issue: bad tendency test,
clear and present danger test, and the preferred position doctrine.
Identify and compare protected speech and unprotected speech.
Explain the prevailing view of the freedom of the press and the Court's position of the press's
right to know.
Summarize how the Constitution protects other media.
Explain the libel guidelines established by the New York Times v. Sullivan case.
List the standards of obscenity as defined by the Miller decision.
Assess the problems involved in regulating "fighting words."
Describe the impact of time, place, and manner regulations on the freedom of assembly.
Explain the significance of “sunshine laws,” the FOIA, and the electronic FOIA.
Discuss how aid may be provided to children attending parochial schools.
Discuss the security versus civil liberties debate in the wake of September 11, 2001.
Define due process. Explain how the September 11 terrorist attacks on America have forced us to
re-evaluate due process.
What are the major naturalization requirements?
Describe dual citizenship.
Explain how citizenship is acquired and lost.
Identify and describe rights of American citizens.
Examine the rights of aliens.
Summarize immigration laws for admission to the United States.
Examine the political and practical problems caused by the presence of undocumented aliens.
Examine the constitutional protections of property.
Compare and contrast procedural and substantive due process.
List three aspects of privacy rights.
Analyze the current standing in the courts of the right to privacy, especially in regard to state
power to regulate abortions and sexual orientation.
Distinguish between unreasonable and reasonable searches and seizures.
Identify and describe the exceptions to the general rule against warrantless searches and seizures.
Explain the exclusionary rule, the right to remain silent, and the Miranda warning.
Summarize a criminal case in the federal court system, listing the major rights to be protected and
the procedures to be followed.
Specify the connection between the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment.
Debate whether the American system of justice is unjust, in that it has too many loopholes, is too
unreliable, and is discriminatory.
Discuss the necessary role of the Supreme Court in protecting civil liberties and the constraints
on that role.
Discuss the controversy over the death penalty, noting the new variable of DNA testing.
Explain the significance of racial profiling.
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Define human rights and how the Constitution provides for protecting civil rights. Differentiate
between civil rights and civil liberties.
Discuss the various ways equality can be conceptualized.
Summarize the development of the African-American struggle for racial justice from the Civil
War to the present.
Compare the historical experiences and current demands for equality of women, Hispanics,
Asian-Americans and Native Americans. Also, why have Hispanics not had more political clout?
Describe how the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is used to limit state
action that classifies individuals unreasonably.
Compare three tiers of tests used to determine whether a law complies with the equal protection
requirement.
Define what makes a right fundamental in the constitutional sense.
Compare disparate impact and intent to discriminate in proving discrimination.
Define Jim Crow laws.
Discuss the question raised in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court's ruling and its effects,
and the Court's reversal of Plessy in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case.
Distinguish between de facto and de jure segregation.
Examine the efforts made in the past by state governments to prevent Blacks from voting, and the
steps taken by the Supreme Court to end those efforts.
Describe the content and impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Evaluate the impact of the Supreme Court decision in Shaw v. Reno that race cannot be the sole
reason for drawing district lines.
Analyze the measures used, especially the commerce clause and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to
regulate discriminatory conduct by private individuals and groups.
Examine features of Title II and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Discuss the controversies caused by the implementation of affirmative action programs.
Discuss the Supreme Court rulings in University of California Regents v. Bakke, Richmond v. Croson,
and Hopwood v. Texas cases.
Evaluate the condition of America's African-American underclass a generation after the Kerner
Commission Report.
What was the significance of the Bakke decision? How has admission to public colleges changed
since Bakke?
PRE-EXAM Preparation
Approximately 10 school days spent reviewing each unit (one unit per day) and taking practice exams
(actual AP exams as well as practice exams prepared by commercial sources.)
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