12th Grade US Government
Essential Questions:
1. Why are governments necessary?
2. How do the principles in the Constitution guard against tyrannical government?
3. Explain the basic functions of and within the three branches of government?
4. What is your role as a citizen of the United States?
Standard 2: Students analyze how people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance to understand the operation of
government and to demonstrate civic responsibility.
2.1 Benchmark: Analyze the historical and contemporary purpose of government and how the powers of government are acquired, modified,
justified and used.
Enduring Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. Divine Right, Force Theory, Social
1. governments evolve in many different
1. compare and contrast theories of
Contract
ways.
government.
2. the influence of Enlightenment thinkers
2. American political systems were a
2. analyze the transition from British
and their impact on the US political
combination of previous political
colonies to the Articles of Confederation
system.
practices/ideas.
to the Constitution.
3. founders created a governing system
3. dynamics of federalism have changed
3. apply their understanding of federalism
where sovereignty is shared local, state,
the relationship between states’ rights
and how it relates to state vs. federal
and national institutions (i.e.
and powers of the national government.
policy/issues.
federalism).
Essential Vocabulary – Majority Rule vs. minority rights, Plurality, divine right, consent, rule of law, equality of all people, necessity of
compromise , Locke, Rousseau, Hobbes, Montesquieu. federalism, 10th Amendment, enumerated/delegated powers.
2.2 Benchmark: Compare and contrast various world political systems. (i.e. ideologies, structures, institutions) with that of the United States.
Enduring Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. the terminology used to describe
different governing systems ranging
from authoritarian to democracy.
2. the three branches of government and
their roles/responsibilities.
1. governments differ in terms citizen
participation, rule of law, and basic
freedoms.
2. governments differ in where their
power originates (i.e. the people, force)
1. distinguish between characteristics of
different governing systems and
interactions with their citizens.
Essential Vocabulary – dictatorship, monarchy, theocracy, oligarchy, democracy, representative democracy, republic, autocracy, parliamentary,
presidential.
September 2014
2.3 Benchmark: Identify representative political leaders and philosophies from selected historical and contemporary settings.
Enduring Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. current national political leaders and
political spectrum
2. political influence of enlightenment
thinkers.
1. there are fundamental interests and
ideological principles that define
political parties.
2. political parties emerged over time in
order to influence elections and shape
public policy.
1. identify and analyze different political
stances concerning national issues
(abortion, gun control, immigration,
etc…)
2. compare and contrast differing
historical philosophies and analyze how
those philosophies have impacted the
American Government system.
Essential Vocabulary – moderate, conservative, liberal, libertarian, radical, reactionary, authoritarian, democrat, republican, third parties
2.4 Benchmark: Relate the concept of tribal sovereignty to the unique powers of tribal governments as they interact with local, state and federal
governments.
Enduring Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. tribal sovereignty was pre- existing and
is recognized by the treaty system.
2. Indian tribes have an individual
relationship with the federal
government.
1. the federal government has a
paternalistic relationship with tribal
nations.
2. on reservations people are subject to
tribal as well as federal laws.
1. identify the relationship between the
federal government and tribal nations
and how those institutions interact with
one another.
Essential Vocabulary – sovereignty, paternalistic, domestic dependent, jurisdiction.
2.5b Benchmark: Analyze the impact of the Constitution, laws and court decisions on the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
Enduring Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. the role of the Bill of Rights in
1. the difference between civil liberties
1. analyze the constitutionality of
protecting peoples liberties from
and civil rights.
government policies and practices.
government.
2. rights and responsibilities of citizens
2. analyze significant Supreme Court cases
2. the role of government is to protect the
and the effect of court decisions on
and their effect on the interpretation of
rights of the people and how it has
public policy.
the Constitution and Bill of Rights in
evolved over time.
current American Government system.
3. Constitutional impact of expressed and
inherent powers, judicial review.
Essential Vocabulary – Bill of Rights, limited government, rule of law, separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial review, federalism, civil
rights, civil liberties, Marbury v. Madison, Supreme Court jurisdiction, Writ of Certiorari, Amicus Curiae, judicial activism, judicial restraint
September 2014
2.6 Benchmark: Analyze and evaluate conditions, actions, and motivations that contribute to conflict and cooperation within and among groups
and nations (e.g., current events, from newspapers, magazines, television)
Enduring Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. how political factions, interest groups
1. public policy is often a result of
1. evaluate the motivations and
and parties interact to create conflict
interaction and compromise.
methodology of various groups (i.e.
and cooperation within the American
lobby, interest, pressure) on the creation
political system.
of public policy.
Essential Vocabulary – Policy, special interest groups, political action groups, factions, pluralism, lobbying
2.7 Benchmark: Analyze laws and policies governing technology and evaluate the ethical issues and the impacts of technology on society.
Enduring Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. the relationships between public and
1. there is a tension between citizens’
1. apply Constitutional ideas to
private communications and
rights to privacy and government’s
determine the appropriate level of
government oversight.
duty to protect public safety.
government regulation of
information and technology.
Essential Vocabulary – Government oversight, NSA, Bill of Rights, implied right of privacy, technology
12th Grade US Government
Standard 5: Students make informed decisions based on an understanding of the economic principles of production, distribution, exchange,
and consumption.
5.3 Benchmark: Assess the costs and benefits to society of allocating goods and services through private and public sectors.
Enduring Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. the general differences between
1. evaluate the effectiveness of
1. there are reasons and rationales for the
planned and free market economies.
government intervention of the
government intervening in the
economy in the name of the public
economy.
good.
Essential Vocabulary – planned economies, free market, laissez-faire, capitalism, socialism,
5.5 Benchmark: Explain the operations, rules and procedures of common financial instruments and financial institutions.
Enduring Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. the basics of fiscal and monetary policy.
1. analyze the difference between fiscal
1. the United States government
and monetary policies and their impacts
influences the economy using its
on the macro economy.
powers to tax and spend and regulating
the money supply.
September 2014
Essential Vocabulary – fiscal policy, monetary policy, macro economy
12th Grade US Government
Standard 6: Students demonstrate an understanding of the impact of human interaction and cultural diversity on societies.
6.3 Benchmark: Analyze the impact of ethnic, national and global influences on situations or events.
Enduring Understandings
Students will know…
Students will understand that…
Students will be able to…
1. the various relationships the 12th Grade
1. political interdependence places unique
US Government has with assorted
demands on stakeholders in American
foreign nations and leaders.
foreign policy.
Essential Vocabulary – political interdependence, domestic and international politics
September 2014
1. identify US foreign policy stakeholders
and their roles and responsibilities. (i.e.
Secretary of State, President of USA.)