Syllabus

AP United States Government and Politics Syllabus Mr. Braaten 

__Class Description__ AP United States Government and Politics is an intensive study of the formal and informal structures and processes of the American political system, with an emphasis on policy-making and implementation. This course is designed to prepare students for the AP exam in May.

The course will be taught as a college-level course with lectures, discussion, issue analysis, graph and data analysis, critical writing, group work, reserach papaers, presentations, and student-led civic discussions.



__**Textbooks**__ Wilson, James Q. //American Government: Institutions and Policies.// 9th Edition Boston New York, Houghton Mifflin 2004.

__**Course Outline**__ 

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. Checks and balances D. Federalism E. Theories of democratic government II. **__Political Beliefs and Behaviors__**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10–20% A. Beliefs that 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 III. **__Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media__**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10–20% A. Political parties and elections 1. Functions 2. Organization 3. Development 4. Effects on the political process 5. Electoral laws and systems B. Interest groups, including political action committees (PACs) 1. The range of interests 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 news media 2. The impacts of the news media on politics 3. The news media industry and its consequences IV. **__Institutions of National Government: The Congress, the Presidency, the__** A. The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power B. Relationships among these four institutions and varying balances of power C. Linkages between institutions and the following: 1. Public opinion and voters 2. Interest groups 3. Political parties 4. The media 5. State and local governments
 * __Bureaucracy, and the Federal Courts__** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35–45%

V. **__Public Policy__**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5–15% A. Policymaking in a federal system B. The formation of policy agendas 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: 1. Political institutions and federalism 2. Political parties 3. Interest groups 4. Public opinion 5. Elections 6. Policy networks

VI. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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  __**Grading System**__ Students Quarter Grade will be made up of the following:

__**Unit Tests (Multiple Choice and Essay)-**__ We will have unit tests on each of the majoe units. We will have two unit tests each unit, one multiple-choice and one essay. The multiple choice test will be timed, 60 questions in 50 minutes. The essay test will also be timed, 2 essays in 50 minutes. **//Each test//** **//will be worth sixty points//**. The dates of the test are listed below:

__Unit I:__ **Constitutional Underpinnings of American Government** Multiple Choice Test- September 24th Essay Test- September 25th

__Unit II:__ **Political Beliefs and Political Behaviors** Multiple Choice Test- October 29th Essay Test- October 30th

__Unit III:__ **Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media** Multiple Choice Test- December 10th Essay Test- December 11th

__Unit IV:__ **Institutions of National Government** Multiple Choice Test- February 4th Essay Test- February 5th

__Unit V:__ **Public Policy** Multiple Choice Test- March 11th Essay Test- March 12th

__Unit VI:__ **Civil Rights and Civil Liberties** Multiple Choice Test- April 22nd Essay Test- April 23rd

__Unit VII:__ **Military and Environmental Policy** TBA

__**Timed Comprehension Check Quizzes (once a week)-**__ These will be over chapter readings and you will need to answer 20 questions in 15 minutes. You will be able to use any reading notes on them, but will need to understand the material because they are timed. //**Each quiz will be worth 20 points**//. The dates/chapters of the quizzes are listed below:
 * Friday, August 28th-** Chapter 1 (pgs. 3-15)
 * Friday, September 4th-** Chapter 2 (pgs. 17-46)
 * Friday, September 11th-** Chapter 3 (pgs. 49-74)


 * Friday, October 2nd-** Chapter 4 (pgs. 77-99)
 * Friday, October 9th-** Chapter 5 (pgs. 104-127)
 * Thursday, October 15th-** Chapter 6 (pgs. 131-148)


 * Friday, November 6th-** Chapter 7 (pgs 151-182)
 * Friday, November 13th-** Chapter 8 (pgs. 185-220)
 * Friday, November 20th-** Chapter 9 (pgs. 223-248)
 * Friday, December 4th-** Chapter 10 (pgs. 251-277)


 * Friday, December 11th-** Chapter 11th (pgs. 281-325)
 * Friday, January 8th-** Chapter 12 (pgs. 329-369)
 * Friday, January 15th-** Chapter 13 and 14 (pgs. 373- 432)


 * Friday, February 19th-** Chapter 15 (pgs. 435-456)
 * Friday, February 26th-** Chapter 16 (pgs. 459-477)
 * Friday, March 5th-** Chapter 17 (pgs. 479-493)


 * Friday, March 19th-** Chapter 18 (pgs. 497-521)
 * Friday, March 26th-** Chapter 19 (523-582)

__**Current Event Assignments-**__ This is a critical part of the course and a successful core on this particular AP Test requires the students to analyze our current political situation. Each quarter we do current events differently. Each "type" is listed below:
 * __QUARTER ONE__**: Students will be expected to watch one-two hours of political "talk" a week. Acceptable shows will be found on FOX, CNN, MSNBC, or any of the major networks. Look for specific issues and the sides of the issue that will be presented by panel guests. These shows are normally on from 7:00-11:00 PM, and also on the week-ends. You will type a one-page response including the issue, the panelists, their views, and your opinion on the discussion. They will be due every other Friday and on the following Monday, we will discuss the most popular topics. Each response is worth 20 points, so your first quarter current grade will be worth 100 points. Here is the info sheet and grading rubric for this assignment: [[file:Current Events grading rubric.rtf]]

__**QUARTER TWO:**__ We will have a online discussion on this wiki page. I will choose the topic and each member of class will have a day or two to write a response citing a source from the past month. I will give you more details/grading rubric as we start the second quarter. We will have 4 that quarter, 25 points each for a total of 100 points.


 * __QUARTER THREE:__** Students will present their analysis of an article from a major publication like: the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post or other approved site. You will need to be able to summarize the article, discuss your view, and relate it to the topic we are discussing for that two weeks in class. There will be 5 due, 20 points each, for a total of 100 points.


 * __QUARTER FOUR:__** Students will work in teams of four and will present once for the semester. It will be a multimedia presentation and the final product will be done through PowerPoint and Voice Thread. Each group will have a different topic (from the 4th quarter) and you will need a minimum of 5 sources with articles or topics discussed. We will go over the grading rubric and specifics at the start of the 4th quarter.


 * __Readings-__** There will be a reading every week and you will have to complete the same process you did for the summer assignment. Here is the grading rubric for this type of reading: [[file:Reading assignment rubric.doc]]

If the reading is in a supplemental textbook, there is a diiferent procedure for completing it. Here is the question sheet you will need to fill out:

__**Group Work-**__ We will have one group related assignment due each week. These vary from discussions to presenatations or just filling out a chart. There are worth anywhere from 10-100 points depending on the assignment.


 * __Essays-__** Students will complete one major essay each quarter. These will combine the concptual and analytical knowledge we have learned and students will need to show their understanding of how our political system works and operates today. We will practice the skills needed to write a "good" essay.


 * __Donut Challenge:__** Each week students will team up in groups of 3-4 to try and answer 3 sample questions from past AP tests. Groups will need to answer the question and explain why they came to that answer. If ALL the groups answer the questions correctly, the class will receive donuts that Friday complements of Mr. Braaten. This is a "fun" way to prepare for the AP test and their is a nice reward if you perform as a class. We normally do this the first 10 minutes of class every Wednesday.


 * Final Note: Each quarter your grade approximately breaks down like this:
 * Current Events:** 100 points
 * Essay:** 100 points
 * Timed Quizzes:** 120 points
 * Unit Tests:** 240 points
 * Group Work:** 100 points
 * Other Assignments:** 100 points
 * Participation:** 140 points

This can vary a bit depending on the length of the quarter.
 * Total** 900 points

__**Daily Use of Class Time-**__ Generally, we do the same things every week. This can change, but I try and keep to the schedule. Mondays, we normally discuss current events, you are assigned your chapter readings, and we have vocabulary quizzes. Tuesdays, I assign the current events assignments, and we do some sort of assignment or group work. Wednesdays, we have our donut challenge, continue with a related assignment/group work, and/or present Tuesday's work. Thursdays, we take notes and that is your weekly lecture day. Fridays, we have our timed quizzes, readings are often due, and we wrap up the week. This is not set in stone, but that is a rough breakdown of what you can expect each week.

__**How to be Successful in this Class-**__ Generally, the more effort you put in, the more successful you will be in this class. This is different than some AP classes because there is a big emphasis on current events. In fact, understanding how our political system works is just as important as the information in the book. Reading your text is very important and you have to put the time in each week to be successful. You will also need to read and analyze the supplemental readings. If you do those two things, you will probably do well in this class. Obviously, test scores are an important part of your grade, we will review in class, but I will also be availabke during SIP and before and after school for help if needed. Success on the AP Test requires preparation on your part, a good AP score is my goal and it should be yours as well. I recommend you purchase an AP Prep guide, you can pick one up at Borders. The Barron guide is considered one of the best. I also have a set of flashcards that we will use and you can purchase your own set if you feel you need it. Your goal is to score a 4 or 5 on the test. I will do my best to prepare you and you will need to do your part as well.

__**Note-Taking-**__ I will lecture once a week and it will generally last the entire period. I use PowerPoint to present the notes, but you will not be able to simply copy it word for word. I asusme all of you have some sort of system for taking notes, be brief, but try and get the main point of each slide. Listen for key details and cues from me for what is important. if this is a trouble area for me, I am more than happy to sit down with you so we an discuss each lecture.


 * Final Note:** Due to my background in athletics and coaching, I tend to be very goal-driven. In other words, getting you to score a 4 or 5 on the AP test, is like winning the big game. Everything we do will be centered around that goal. If you do your part, i can promise you I will do mine!! We cannot use class time to go over things you are supposed to in your own time. I do not exoext you to dedicate 3 hours a night to this class, but I do expect you to put time in 5 days a week to prepare yourself for what we do in class. I have never taught this class, so there will be some roadblocks along the way, but i do guarantee you my best effort as a teacher!! Good luck this year and I look forward to working with all of you.