HCS Curriculum: Social Studies 6 – 12
AP U.S. Government, 12th grade
Hoover City Schools Secondary Curriculum
Social Studies, 2005-06
Course Information:
Course Title: U.S. Government, AP
Grade Level: 12
Course Description: The AP U.S. Government course is designed for a
student to gain an analytical perspective on
government and politics in the United States. This
course includes both the study of general concepts
used to interpret U.S. politics and the analysis of
specific examples. It also requires familiarity with
the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas
that constitute U.S. politics.
State COS Correlate: United States Government
Calendar Type: Semester
Pre-requisite: Signature of AP instructor
Co-requisite: None
Textbook Title: WE THE PEOPLE: AN INTRODUCTION TO
AMERICAN POLITICS, 5th edition
Textbook Publisher: Norton
Textbook ISBN: 0-393-92620-6
Textbook Copy Year: 2005
Accountability Standards: None
LEA Curriculum Authors: M. Gann, M. Miller
Origination / Revision: Spring 2005, reviewed and revised Fall 2007
Topical Scope and Sequence:
Unit #
1-A
1-B
1-C
1st / 3rd Nine Weeks
Constitutional Underpinnings
Political Beliefs and Behaviors
Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media
Unit #
2-A
2nd / 4th Nine Weeks
Institutions of National Government: Congress,
Presidency, Bureaucracy, and Federal Courts
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Public Policy
2-B
2-C
Units and Outcome-Based Objectives:
Page 1 of 6
HCS Curriculum: Social Studies 6 – 12
AP U.S. Government, 12th grade
Unit 1- American Political Background, Development, and Culture
Essential Questions:
Why does the American system work only in the United States?
How does the past feed into the present and future?
How does the American political system diffuse social conflict?
Conceptual Connections:
Uniqueness
Outcome-Based Objectives:
#
Unit 1 Objectives
1
Explore the basic construction and functions of
the U.S. Constitution.
Explain the considerations that influenced the
formulation and adoption of the U.S.
Constitution.
Evaluate separation of powers, checks and
balances, and federalism.
Compare and contrast the theories of democratic
government.
Critique the political beliefs are held by citizens
about government and its leaders.
Examine the processes by which citizens learn
about politics.
Describe the nature, sources, and consequences of
public opinion.
Summarize the factors that influence voting and
participation in political life.
Analyze the factors influencing citizens to differ
from one another in terms of political beliefs and
behaviors.
Trace the development and impact of political
parties, interest groups, and mass media on the
American political landscape.
Investigate the organization and operation of
American political parties and the elective
process.
Examine how interest groups influence political
policy.
Determine the role of the media on American
politics
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Page 2 of 6
COS
Alignment
1&2
Accountability
Alignment
NA
1, 2, & 3
NA
3
NA
1
NA
4&5
NA
NA
NA
6, 7, & 8
NA
4, 5, 6, 7 &
8
4, 5, 6, 7, &
8
NA
6, 7, & 8
NA
8
NA
7
NA
6
NA
NA
HCS Curriculum: Social Studies 6 – 12
AP U.S. Government, 12th grade
Unit 2- How Does It All Work and Why?
Essential Questions:
What is the responsibility of government to the majority and the minority?
How does government achieve its goals?
Does policy always reflect the will of the people and should it always do so?
How does government promote liberty and order concurrently?
Conceptual Connections:
Rights and Responsibilities
Outcome-Based Objectives:
#
Unit 2 Objectives
1
Summarize the structures and functions of
Congress, the Presidency, Bureaucracy, and the
Federal Court System.
Detail the major formal and informal institutional
arrangements of power in the U.S. government.
Examine the relationships and the variable
balance of power among the four institutions of
American government.
Outline the linkages between each of the
institutions and voters, interest groups, political
parties, & media.
Inspect the policy making system of the federal
government.
Differentiate the various methods in which policy
agendas are created in the federal government.
Examine the role of the bureaucracy and courts in
policy implementation and interpretation of
policy.
Trace the linkages between policy processes and
political institutions, political parties, interest
groups, elections and policy networks.
Analyze the growth and development of civil
rights and civil liberties in the American
government.
Discriminate between rights and liberties gained
through legislation or judicial interpretation.
Display knowledge of substantive rights and
liberties.
Determine the impact of the Civil Rights
Amendments on judicial interpretation of
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Page 3 of 6
COS
Alignment
9, 10, & 11
Accountability
Alignment
NA
4, 6, 7, 8,
9,10, & 13
6, 7, 8, 9,
10, & 11
NA
6, 7, 8, 9,
10, & 11
NA
13
NA
13
NA
10, 11, 12
NA
6, 7, 8, 9,
10, & 11
NA
4, 5, 11, &
12
NA
5, 11, & 12
NA
1, 2, 11, &
12
5, 11, & 12
NA
NA
NA
HCS Curriculum: Social Studies 6 – 12
AP U.S. Government, 12th grade
#
Unit 2 Objectives
COS
Alignment
Accountability
Alignment
constitutional development of rights and liberties.
Alabama Course of Study Correlation: Social Studies
COS Title
#
1
United States Government
Bulletin 2004, No. 18
HCS UnitCOS Objectives
Objective
Identify origins and functions of government.
1.1, 1.2,
(a) Comparing essential characteristics of limited and unlimited
1.4, 2.11
governments throughout the world, including constitutional,
authoritarian, and totalitarian governments
2
Analyze purposes, organization, functions, and principles of the
Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.
1.1, 1.2,
2.11
(a) Comparing government structure under the Articles of Confederation
with government structure under the Constitution of the United States
(b) Comparing arguments for establishing a government with three
separate branches, including views presented in the Federalist Papers
regarding the branches of government
(c) Explaining the necessity for and inclusion of a system of checks and
balances
(d) Explaining the necessity for including a Bill of Rights in the
Constitution of the United States
(e) Outlining the process of amending the Constitution of the United
States
3
4
Explain how the federal system of the United States divides powers
between national and state governments, including areas of taxation,
revenue distribution, federal grants, distribution of entitlements,
regulation of interstate commerce, and enforcement of contracts.
Describe specific functions, organization, and purposes of state and
local governments.
1.2, 1.3
1.5, 1.8,
1.9, 2.2, 2.9
(a) Analyzing the 1901 Constitution of Alabama to determine its impact
on local funding and campaign reform
(b) Describing the influence of special interest groups on state government
5
Trace the expansion of suffrage and its effect on the political system
of the United States.
(a) Describing implications of participation of large numbers of minorities
and women in parties and campaigns
(b) Describing the impact of the Selma-to-Montgomery march on the
passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
6
Describe the development and functions of special interest groups.
(a) Identifying the impact of campaign contributions by political action
committees on the election processes at the state and national levels
(b) Analyzing rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States
regarding campaign financing to determine their effect on the election
process
Page 4 of 6
1.5, 1.8,
1.9, 2.9,
2.10, 2.12
1.7, 1.8,
1.9, 1.10,
1.13, 2.2,
2.3, 2.4, 2.8
HCS Curriculum: Social Studies 6 – 12
AP U.S. Government, 12th grade
COS Title
Bulletin 2004, No. 18
United States Government
#
7
COS Objectives
Trace the development and impact of the media on the political
process and public opinion in the United States.
(a) Explaining the effect of media consolidation on public opinion and
access to various viewpoints
(b) Describing regional differences in public opinion in the United States
(c) Analyzing the impact of television on the election process and
campaign spending
(d) Explaining the effect of attack advertisements on voter selection of
candidates
8
Identify roles political parties play in the functioning of the political
system of the United States.
(a) Describing the role of third-party candidates in political elections in
the United States
(b) Explaining major characteristics of contemporary political parties in
the United States, including the role of conventions, party leadership,
formal and informal memberships, and regional strongholds
(c) Describing the changing influence of political parties on individuals
and elected officials
9
Identify constitutional provisions of the legislative branch of the
government of the United States.
HCS UnitObjective
1.7, 1.8,
1.9, 1.10,
1.12, 2.2,
2.3, 2.4, 2.8
1.7, 1.8,
1.9, 1.10,
1.11, 2.2,
2.3, 2.4, 2.8
2.1, 2.2,
2.3, 2.4, 2.8
(a) Comparing rules of operation and hierarchies of the House and Senate
(b) Tracing the legislative process, including types of votes and committee
action, from a bill’s presentation to presidential action
(c) Identifying committee structure and types of committees
(d) Discussing problems concerning redistricting as populations shift
10
Identify constitutional provisions of the executive branch of the
government of the United States.
(a) Identifying constitutional provisions regarding the office of President
of the United States
(b) Identifying informal powers of the President of the United States
(c) Identifying the influence of White House staff on the President of the
United States
(d) Identifying powers held by the President’s Cabinet
(e) Comparing characteristics of the President of the United States with
characteristics of the electorate
(f) Identifying factors that influence voters’ choices of presidential
candidates
11
Identify constitutional provisions of the judicial branch of the
government of the United States.
(a) Describing the structure of the court system of the United States
(b) Tracing the process by which a case goes to the Supreme Court of the
United States
(c) Identifying the impact of landmark Supreme Court cases on
constitutional interpretation
(d) Identifying landmark decisions arising from Supreme Court cases
originating in Alabama
Page 5 of 6
2.1, 2.2,
2.3, 2.4,
2.7, 2.8
2.1, 2.3,
2.4, 2.7,
2.8, 2.9,
2.10, 2.11,
2.12
HCS Curriculum: Social Studies 6 – 12
AP U.S. Government, 12th grade
COS Title
Bulletin 2004, No. 18
United States Government
#
COS Objectives
HCS UnitObjective
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
Explaining politics involved in the appointment process
Describing the shifting political balance of the court system
Identifying influences on court decisions
Contrasting the strict and loose constructionist views of the
Constitution
(i) Tracing the nationalization of the Bill of Rights from Gitlow versus
New York to the present
12
Contrast rights and responsibilities of citizens in a representative
democracy.
13
Explain the foreign policy of the United States and national security
interests as they pertain to the role of the United States in the world
community.
(a) Discussing the changing role of the foreign policy of the United States
(b) Identifying positive and/or negative consequences of foreign policy
decisions
(c) Identifying traditional foreign policy allies of the United States and
potential areas of current and future intervention
Page 6 of 6
2.7, 2.9,
2.10, 2.11,
2.12
2.2, 2.5, 2.6