POLITICAL PROCESS SYLLABUS
AP Gov/Ms. Strong
September-November, 2014
Sept. 22-23 (M-T): Your Political Ideology
• Quiz: Ch. 1 The Political Landscape (p. 1525)
• PPT: Political Ideology
• Online Ideology Surveys
Assignment
Current Events: 2014 Election OR Foreign
Policy Editorial
*Sabato: Ch 11 Public Opinion & Political
Socialization [due 9/26-30]
Sept. 24-25 (W-Th): American Political Culture
and Socialization
• Campaign Projects
• American Political Culture & Socialization
• Pop Culture: American Baby, SNL “Seinfeld’s
History Class,” Did You Know?
Assignment
Continue Ch 11 Public Opinion & Political
Socialization*
Sept. 26-30 (F-T): Candidate-Centered
Campaigns
• Quiz: Ch.11 Public Opinion & Political
Socialization
• PPT: Candidate Centered Campaigns &
Personality Politics
• C-C-C: Good thing or bad thing?
Assignment
Sabato: Ch 13 Elections and Voting –vocab
format; notecards recommended [due 10/3-6]
Oct. 1-2 (W-Th): Voter Behavior and Public
Opinion
• PPT: Public Opinion & Voter Behavior
• Pop Culture: Jimmy Kimmel “Obamacare v.
ACA,” SNL “The Undecided Voter”
Assignment
Continue Ch. 13 Elections & Voting
Oct. 3-6 (F-M): The War of the Airwaves
• Quiz: Ch 13 Elections & Voting (vocab)
• Campaign Ads: Strategy and Tactics
Oct. 3-6 (F-M): The War of the Airwaves (cont)
• Analyzing Campaign Ads
• Video: “Living Room Campaign”
Assignments
Article: Electoral College; Identify 5 Pro’s
And 5 Con’s [due next class]
*Sabato: Ch 14 The Campaign Process [due
10/9-10]
Oct. 7-8 (T-W): Elections and Campaigns
• PPT: Elections, Campaigns and the Rules of
the game
• Open Forum: The Electoral College
Assignments
Continue Ch 14 The Campaign Process*
Oct. 9-10 (Th-F): Presidential Selection Process
• Quiz: Ch 14 The Campaign Process
• Pop Culture: Sara Palin’s Katie Couric
Interview; SNL Tina Fey’s Sara Palin
• PPT: The Long & Winding Road to the White
House
• Campaign Strategy & the Electoral College
Assignments
Sabato: Ch 12 Political Parties [next class;
notes optional]
Oct. 13-14 (M-T): American Political Parties
• Quiz: Ch 12 Political Parties
• Pop Culture: SNL Rose Perot Infomercial,
The Rent is Too Damn High Party
• Role of American Political Parties
• PPT: Modern Party Coalitions, Dealignment
Assignments
*Sabato: Ch 16 Interest Groups [10/21-22]
*Denotes Mandatory Chapter Notes
9/19/2014
POLITICAL PROCESS SYLLABUS 2013 - Page 2
Oct. 15-16 (W-Th): Third Parties
• Clips: SNL Ross Perot skit, The Rent is Too
Damn High Party
• PPT: 3rd Parties – They Ain’t Got a Chance”
• Structured Discussion: Third Parties Barriers & Challenges
Assignment
Prepare for timed writing on Third Parties
Oct. 17-20 (F-M): Political Potpourri
• Timed Writing: Third Parties
• 2014 Campaign Update
• Campaign Project preparation
Assignments
Continue Ch 16 Interest Groups*
Oct. 21-22 (T-W): Presidential Campaigns
Assignments
• Quiz: Ch. 16 Interest Groups
• Video: Journeys with George
Assignment
Woll or Sabato: Federalist 10
Article: Interest Groups
Oct. 23-27 (Th-M): Interest Groups and
Factions
• PPT: Special Interest Groups and How
They Influence Government
• Socratic Seminar (fishbowl format):
Federalist 10, Interest Group article
Assignment
Campaign Project
Oct. 28-29 (T-W): Influence of Political Action
Committees, and Campaign Finance Laws
• School of Rock: Money (Pink Floyd)
• “Show Me The Money” - Campaign Finance,
McCain-Feingold and Citizens United
• Issue Ads & Political Satire – Colbert PAC
Assignment
Campaign Project
2
Oct. 30-31 (T-W): Mock Election and
Campaign Project Work Day
• YLI Mock Election
• Campaign Project Work Day
Assignments
*Sabato: Ch 15 The News Media
Nov. 5-6 (Th-F): Campaign Projects Due
• Campaign Project Presentations
Assignment
Continue Ch 15 The News Media*
Nov. 7-10 (F-M): Election 2014 Breakdown
• Quiz: Ch 15 The News Media
• Election 2014 Analysis
• Top 5 Election 2014 Takeaways
Assignments
None! Enjoy the DC Trip!
Nov. 11-12 (T-W): Washington DC Field
Trip/West Wing
• Red Day (11/11) – The West Wing
• Blue Day (11/12) – DC Trip
Assignment
Prepare for Political Process Test
Nov. 13-14 (Th-F): The Media
• School of Rock: Dirty Laundry
• PPT: The Role of the Media
• Media Bias: Jon Stewart, news clips
Assignment
Prepare for Political Process Test
Nov. 17-18 (M-T): TEST ON THE POLITICAL
PROCESS
Important Dates:
• Thursday, October 23 – 1st Quarter ends
• Friday, October 24; Monday-Tuesday,
November 3-4 (M-T): STUDENT
HOLIDAYS – NO SCHOOL!!!
• Wednesday, November 12 – DC Trip
9/19/2014