Mrs. Palmer AP Government Class 2014-2015
Summer Work
AP® U.S. Government & Politics is a yearlong political science course with a curriculum
designed to give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United
States. We study general concepts and interpretations of the U.S. Constitution and politics,
analyzing current events and other specific examples. The AP Government curriculum includes
the various institutions, group beliefs, and ideas that constitute U.S. politics. The coursework is
geared to prepare students to pass the College Board AP® United States Government and Politics
exam and earn college credit. As such, this course is more rigorous than most high school
classes and students should expect daily reading and homework assignments and to spend more
time and effort than in mainstream classes. You will be given an elective credit 1st semester and
the US government credit the 2nd semester.
Course Outcomes
Students successfully completing this course will:
1. Know important facts, concepts, and theories pertaining to U.S. government and politics.
2. Understand typical patterns of political processes and behavior and their consequences
(including the components of political behavior, the principles used to explain or justify various
government structures and procedures, and the political effects of these structures and
procedures.)
3. Be able to analyze and interpret basic data relevant to U.S. government and politics (including
data presented in charts, tables, and other formats.)
4. Be able to critically analyze relevant theories and concepts, apply them appropriately, and
develop their connections across the curriculum.
Course Syllabus
Text: Magleby, D.B., Light, P.C., Nemacheck, Christine L., Government by the People. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2014.
We cover chapters 1-18 in the text in the following thematic units:
Constitutional Underpinnings (Chapters 1-3)
The Political Process (Chapters 4-9)
Institutions of the National Government: Congress, Presidency, Judiciary, and Bureaucracy (1013)
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (14-15)
National Policy (16-18)
Summer Work
The following summer work will give you a foundation for beginning the AP Government class
in the fall. The summer work includes reading the Federalist papers and the Constitution and
doing the assignments for each.
Federalist Papers: The Federalist papers were a series of 85 Newspaper articles written by
Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the pen name of PUBLIUS. The
purpose of the papers was to help the state of New York ratify The Constitution. Federalists were
FOR having the Constitution ratified. (The Anti-Federalists didn’t want a strong central
government but they pushed for the Bill of Rights)
You can locate the Federalist papers on-line or you can down load The Constitution App that
includes all of the Federalist papers. It’s called The United States Constitution it has a feather
pen on it and it is free. (You may also want to search for a commentary on the Federalist papers
and they are old style English and may be difficult for you to interpret.)
Summer work #1: Read Federalist No.10 and answer the following questions:
(Answer
these questions with quotes from the reading and with your explanation
of what Madison said.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are the differences between a republic and a democracy?
What are the dangers of a pure or unlimited democracy?
How does a republic overcome weaknesses associated with pure democracy?
Why does the republican form of government fit the Federalists’ definition of free government?
Summer work #2: The Federalist No. 51 and answer the following questions:
(Answer these questions with quotes from the reading and with your explanation of what
Madison said.)
1.
2.
Madison says, “It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard the society against the oppression of
its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part.”
a. What does this statement have to do with civic values such as free government, individual liberty,
majority rule, and minority rights?
b. To what extent do you agree with Madison’s statement? Why?
Madison says, “If a majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure.”
a. Why does Madison say that majority rule could destroy the rights of minorities?
b. Does Madison believe that minorities could threaten majority rule?
c. What are Madison’s ideas about how to guard against the destruction of majority rule by
minorities?
d. Does Madison value both majority rule and minority rights? Explain.
Summer Homework #3: Read Federalist Papers No. 47, 48, and 51. Read the
sections that deal specifically with “Separation of Powers with Checks and
Balances” and answer the following questions.
1. What is Madison’s definition of separation of powers? (How is the related idea of checks
and balances linked to separation of powers in Madison’s definition?)
2. How is separation of powers with checks and balances connected to limited government
and protection of individual rights and liberties?
3. Examine the following statements and decide which items agree or disagree with
Madison’s ideas. Refer to 47 and 48 to explain and support your answers:
a. Separation of powers in the Constitution means that each branch of government is
detached totally for the other branches in exercise of powers and duties.
b. Separation of Powers in the Constitution involves sharing of duties and powers in
government as a means to limited government.
c. The system of checks and balances in the Constitution interferes with and
undermines separation of powers as a means to limited government.
d. Madison disagrees with the ideas of Montesquieu on separation of powers.
e. State governments in the United States practiced the principle of separation of
powers as defined by Madison.
4. (Use Fed #51) Would Madison have agreed with the statements below?
a. Government officials elected freely by a majority vote of the people should be
trusted to have all powers of government, unseparated and unchecked.
b. The main check or control on the power of government is active and intelligent
participation of the people.
Summer Homework #4: Read the Constitution of the United States and
summarize in your own words each section of the, Constitution, including all
the amendments. (I’ve summarized a few for you as an example.) You can
find a copy of the Constitution on line or in a history book at the library or a
free app download.
The Preamble_________________________________________________________
Article I – The Legislative Article
Section 1 The legislature will have a Senate and a House of Representatives.
Section 2
Clause 1_______________________________________________
Clause 2_______________________________________________
Clause 3 This clause details how many representatives are apportioned for each
state and the way taxes were
originally owed by states, but part of this clause
th
was modified by the 16 amendment and other parts were replaced by the 14th.
Clause 4 The governor of the state shall call for a special election to fill vacancies.
Your explanations should be brief, but thorough enough to use as a study guide—there is a
Constitution quiz & test. Be sure to note when a part of the Constitution is no longer valid. If
you don’t understand a portion, be ready to ask in class. THIS ASSIGNMENT WILL TAKE
THE MOST TIME SO DON’T LEAVE IT UNTIL THE NIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL
BEGINS.
Summer Homework #5: Read, “Preserving or ‘Pickling’ the Constitution by
Richard Davis
BYU Magazine URL: http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=940
Formulate some thoughts and ideas about the article and what the author is trying to say. Our
current President and Justice Ruth Ginsberg have been quoted as saying our current Constitution
is out of date. What do you think after reading this article? Write a 1-2 page paper on where you
agree or disagree or some of both depending on what section you’re referring to.
ALL OF THESE ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS.
Have a great summer and I look forward to
working with you in the fall.
Mrs. Palmer