Syllabus for AP U.S Government and Politics/2016-17
Lawrence Holland [email protected] (206) 855-0475 Room 328
Course Overview
A.P. U.S. Government and Politics is a one-year college level course, designed to give students a
comprehensive understanding of government and politics in the United States. The course will
include the study of broad concepts needed to understand U.S. politics and government as well
as analysis of specific examples of these systems. It will require familiarity with ideas,
individuals, groups and institutions that make-up U.S. politics. This is a preparatory course for
the AP exam on U.S. government and politics, which gives students the opportunity to earn
college credit while in high school. Students enrolled in the course are required to take the AP
exam. Therefore, the aim of the course is to give students a learning experience equivalent to a
one-semester introductory college course on U.S. government and politics. As a result, this
course requires significant reading every night in preparation for class, both in a textbook and
supplementary readings. A high score on this exam is accepted as college credit by most fouryear colleges and universities.
Texts/Materials
Texts should be critically read and challenged. Come to class prepared to share your thoughts,
ideas and questions.
 Edwards, George C., Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry. Government in
America: People, Politics and Policy. 16th ed. New York: Longman, 2013.
 Supplementary readings provided by instructor. These readings include the following
titles: Federalist Paper #10, Federalist Paper #51, selected articles from publications like
The New York Times and The Washington Post.
 A daily newspaper like The New York Times or The Washington Post and/or other
national newspapers/news sites that provide greater coverage of the federal government.
 You should have some sort of a notebook that you bring to class every day where you can
take notes and keep handouts.
Units
As provided by the College Board, percentages indicate the percentage of the exam dedicated to
the topic.
Unit One: Constitutional Underpinnings – Chapters 1-3 (5-15%)
 What is the purpose of government? What was the founders’ view of the purpose of
government and the role of the citizen in the U.S.? Are these views still relevant
today? How is the concept of “checks and balances” a novel idea in the 18th
century? Why?
 Why did the Anti-Federalists fear this new system? Does this new system strengthen or
weaken the concept of separation of powers? Why or why not? What are the powers of
state and local governments in an era of “new federalism”? What influence should the
federal government have over state and local issues such as education, affirmative action
and the environment?
 We will also cover:
o Federalist Papers #10 and 51
o Separation of Powers
o
o
o
Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution
Theories of democratic government
Federalism
Unit Two: Political Beliefs and Behaviors, Political Parties, and Media – Chapters 6-8 (1020%)
 How do we come by our political beliefs? What are the sources of public opinion? What
is “political culture”? How do these political beliefs define who we are as
citizens? What does it mean to be a citizen? Which citizens vote and why? Is
democracy in America healthy and viable today?
 Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders
 The nature, sources and consequences of public opinion
 What is the difference between a Democrat and a Republican? Are there other options
beyond these two choices? How do political parties and interest groups play a critical
role in our government, despite not being mentioned in the Constitution? Do they add to
our democracy or detract from it? How do these groups influence government decisions
and policymaking?
 Political parties and elections (including functions, organizations, historical developments
and effects on the political process)
 The mass media (functions and structures, impact on politics)
 What role do the media play in elections and shaping public opinion? Is the media an
observer or participant in elections and public policymaking?
Unit Three: Campaigns and Voting Behavior, and Interest Groups – Chapters 9 and 10
(10-20%)
 Do American elections help to develop and select the best leaders? Are citizens served
well by the current process? What role do party organizations, PACs and money play in
campaigns? What role should they play? Should our system be reformed?
 The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life
 Factors that influence citizens to differ in terms of political beliefs and behaviors
 Interest groups (including PACs)
o The range of interests that are or are not represented
o The activities of interest groups
o The effects of interest groups on the political process
o Characteristics/roles of PACs
Unit Four: Institutions - Congress, the Presidency, the Budget, the Bureaucracy and the
Judiciary – Chapters 11-15 (35-45%)
 How does Congress represent and reflect the interest and desires of the nation? Is
Congress representative of the nation as a whole? Is this the most efficient and effective
way to make policy?
 What are the formal and informal powers of the presidency? How does the president use
these powers to influence policy? Is the president too powerful in comparison to other
branches of government?
 What role do the courts play in interpreting the Constitution and implementing public
policy? What should their role be?
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Who controls the bureaucracy? Does a permanent professional bureaucracy serve
democracy?
Compare and contrast the functions and responsibilities of the House and Senate
Major formal and informal institutional arrangements of powers
Relationships among these institutions
Links between parties, groups, media, sub national governments, and public opinion
The federal budget
Unit Five: Public Policy: Economic, Social Welfare, Health Care, Environmental, Energy
and Foreign Policy – Chapters 16-18 (5-15%)
 What is an “iron triangle” and how does it influence public policymaking?
 Who sets the nation’s policy agenda?
 The formation of policy agendas and the role of institutions in policy enactment
 The role of bureaucracy and courts in policy implementation and interpretation
 Linkages between policy processes and:
o Political institutions and federalism, political parties, interest groups, public
opinion, elections, policy networks
Unit Six: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights – Chapters 4-5 (5-15%)
 What constitutes free speech? How does the national Bill of Rights apply to the
states? Do the courts “legislate from the bench”? What is “equal protection”?
 Development of civil liberties and civil rights by judicial interpretation
th
 Impact of the 14 amendment on rights/liberties
Assessments
After every textbook reading assignment, you will be quizzed on that material in order to assess
your understanding of the concepts in that section. These chapter quizzes will include multiple
choice questions on the concepts covered in the course and your understanding of quantitative
sources presented in the chapter (maps, charts, graphs, etc.). Additionally, you will be expected
to connect concepts learned in the text to current events. Therefore, it is essential that students
read a daily newspaper and/or listen to the news on a radio station like NPR.
At the conclusion of every unit you will take a test with 60 multiple choice questions to complete
in 45 minutes, mirroring the College Board exam in May. These questions will contain concepts
covered in the course and your understanding of quantitative sources (maps, charts, graphs,
etc.). Additionally, the unit exam will include one free response essay question to complete in
25 minutes, also following the College Board format. Every test is cumulative.
During the first semester, all students will participate in a semester-long simulation project called
LegSim. LegSim is a legislative simulation created by a professor at the University of
Washington that is intended to provide students with a better understanding of the complicated
legislative process. Students will represent a different U.S. legislative district and create, debate
and pass bills that benefit their constituents. In addition, students will act as members of
legislative committees. Students must spend time both in and out of class participating in this
simulation.
Grading
The following lists a rough breakdown of how much of your grade will be based on different
kinds of assessments. Your letter grade will be determined by the Bainbridge High School
grading scale:
 Exams – 40%
 Quizzes/Homework – 35%
 Projects/Participation – 25%
 BHS Grading Scale
o A = 93%+
C = 73 - 76%
o A- = 90 - 92%
C- = 70 - 72%
o B+ = 87 - 89%
D+ = 67 - 69%
o B = 83 - 86%
D = 60 - 66
o B- = 80 - 82%
F = 0 - 59
o C+ = 76 - 79%
Class Expectations
 Attendance is essential in this class in order to thoroughly prepare for the College Board
exam in May. There is a direct correlation between good attendance and strong
performance in this class and on the College Board exam.
 Students are expected to take an active role in class on a daily basis. You are expected to
come to class every day, ready to participate in active and lively discussion.
 Expect nightly reading assignments from the textbook as well as supplementary
readings. Take these seriously – they are the foundation of daily discussions and
lectures. Students should expect a quiz every class period on the textbook reading.
 Students must take excellent notes in order to prepare students for quizzes and unit tests
as well as to use when reviewing for the AP exam in the spring.
 Students should closely follow the news, paying special attention to current events related
to American government.
 Late work is not accepted unless it is an excused absence.
 It is the student’s responsibility to reschedule quizzes and unit exams missed due to an
excused absence. These assessments can be rescheduled before or after school within
one week of the student’s return to school after an excused absence.
 Students should not use electronic devices in class. Expect to lose cellphones that are
visible or audible in class. If a student uses a phone during class, at the end of the
semester, that student will not be allowed to drop her/his lowest quiz score.
Academic Honesty
Honesty is a compelling principle by which we operate all aspects of student and school life.
Academic honesty is highly valued. Students should not cheat, nor should they tolerate such
among fellow students. Therefore, students do not receive credit for work that is not their own.
Disciplinary sanctions will be administered for cheating on any school assignment or plagiarism,
or the use of material produced by someone else without acknowledging its source. Cheating is
defined as an attempt to earn credit or receive a grade for coursework in a manner other than
defined as acceptable by the teacher. Because of the serious nature of academic honesty,
violations of this code will result in loss of credit for assignment with a recorded failing grade. It
may also entail loss of credit for the course with a recorded failing grade, removal from the
course with a failing grade, and/ or additional appropriate disciplinary action.
Sensitive Materials
There are times in the course of Social Studies classes where sensitive materials will be shown to
students. If this is the case, parents/guardians will be notified ahead of time via letter about the
content of such materials. These materials may include nudity (indigenous people, famous works
of art, war), violence (war, social strife, protests, etc), extreme poverty, and some written/video
material with language considerations. At times in this course, rated R films may be
shown. These films are always shown with a purpose to add to the learning goals of the
course. It is your right to not view these materials if you are sensitive to them. You will be given
different materials to incorporate the same information.