American Government
Archbishop Stepinac
Mr. Hogan
Overview: Students will cover roughly half of the American Government Textbook, in a half year course, dedicated to the Three Branches of the United States Government. The focus of the material will be from chapters one through thirteen in the textbook. Students will trace the progress of Government in the United States from the institution of a representative government, to modern American Government in the “Post- 9/11” World.
Material Breakdown: The semester will break down into three main points of focus for the material. Part one, which will span the better part of the first quarter in each semester, will cover the Constitution and the formation of representative government. The middle portion of the material will span the latter half of the first quarter and continue into the second quarter and will cover voting behavior and elections in the United States. This year will see added focus on this section due to Presidential Elections. The last part of the material will cover the Three Branches of the United States Government, with the majority of the focus placed on The Legislative Branch/Congress.
Additional Projects/Material: In place of a final test, cumulative of all textbook material, students will be responsible for a Final Research Paper, based on their ability to use the material they have learned. Students will have to complete a six (6) to eight (8) page paper that will explain how the United States Congress works, How a Bill becomes a Law, and finally trace the steps of a given law that has been implemented in the United States.
(Additional information and outlines for the final paper are available on my webpage through Stepinac)
Students will also be expected to stay up-to-date on all Presidential Election coverage, and be knowledgeable when it comes to the important topics of the campaigns. Late in the First Quarter and early in the Second Quarter, students will be expected to debate and/or write about the 2008 Elections.
(Students should be familiar with CNN.com’s coverage of the 2008 Elections, which is available through the link labeled ‘Politics’ on CNN.com)
Grades: Students will be given a minimum of two (2) tests from textbook material, covering multiple chapters at a time in each quarter. Students will also be given a minimum of two (2) projects/papers each quarter. Each test and/or paper will count as 25% of the students’ overall grade. Any test or paper over the four (4) needed to calculate a students average will count as extra credit.
Material Breakdown in Three Parts over Two Quarters
I Chapter 1: Principles of Government
1 Government and the State
2 Forms of Government
3 Concepts of Democracy
Chapter 3: The Constitution
1 The Six Basic Principles
Chapter 4: Federalism
1 Federalism: The Division of Power
2 The National Government and the 50 States
3 Interstate Relations
II Chapter 5: Political Parties
1 Parties and What They Do
2 The Two-Party System
3 The Two-Party System in American History
4 The Minor Parties
5 Party Organization
Chapter 6: Voters and Voter Behavior
1 The Right to Vote
2 Voter Qualifications
3 Suffrage and Civil Rights
4 Voter Behavior
Chapter 7: The Electoral Process
1 The Nominating Process
2 Elections
3 Money and Elections
Chapter 9: Interest Groups
1 The Nature of Interest Groups
2 Types of Interest Groups
3 Interest Groups at Work
III Chapter 10: Congress
1 The National Legislature
2 The House of Representatives
3 The Senate
4 The Members of Congress
Chapter 11 Powers of Congress
1 The Scope of Congressional Powers
2 The Expressed Powers of Money and Commerce
3 Other Expressed Powers
4 The Implied Powers
5 The Non-legislative Powers
Chapter 12: Congress in Action
1 Congress Organizes
2 Committees in Congress
3 How a Bill Becomes a Law
4 The Bill in the Senate
Chapter 13: The Presidency
1 The President’s Job Description
2 Presidential Succession and the Vice President
3 Presidential Selection; The Framer’s Plan
4 Presidential Nominations
5 The Election