AP AMERICAN GOVERNMENT SYLLABUS
Instructor: Dr. Sandra B Crihfield
sandra_crihfield@sarasota.fl.us – day to day communication
dr_crihfield@yahoo.com – assignments
www.shshistory.com - website
Location: Building 13 Room 210
Course Description: A survey course of American political science. Emphasis will be placed on the Constitution and its impact on American society. Types of governments, the three branches of government, checks and balances, elections, political parties, interest groups, the media, civil rights, and the bureaucracy will be included in the course.
Text: Wilson, J. & Dilulio, Jr., J. (2004). American Government(9th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Each student will receive a text to take home to use. The student is responsible for returning the text, in good condition, at the end of the year or pay for a replacement ($72.00). A classroom set of the same books will be available in the classroom. The text is also available on the Internet on the text website on-line. A link for the text is located on the instructor’s website.
Supplemental Readings: The student is required to read additional material throughout the semester. The readings will be available in the classroom and the library. The articles may be read in the library or the classroom on the student’s own time. Some of the readings may be available on the teacher website. The library sources may be copied on the library copier. The schedule of readings is may be changed or added to throughout the semester. The calendar on the instructor web site will indicate due dates.
Website and E-Mail: The website has all the materials the student needs to successfully navigate the course. It also has links to the text, supplemental readings, and a calendar for the course.
All communications via e-mail should be at the school address listed above. I check my e-mail at least once a day but do not expect an immediate answer it will take 24 hours for a guaranteed reply. If you want me to preview an assignment or store a document you may use the Yahoo address to send it. At the same time e-mail the school e-mail address to tell me to look for it. I only look at the Yahoo site once a week. Make sure to put your full name and AP American Government in the subject line. If you do not have an e-mail address you may use the Yahoo account by signing in as dr_crihfield and the password is school. This account is only used for assignments.
Course Goals: The student will be able to:
Develop a desirable attitude toward the study of Political Science
Develop a clear understanding of the interdisciplinary approach to the study of Political Science
Develop a clear understanding of the larger historical and political themes and to correlate the supporting task
Understand the value of other’s feelings and the importance of seeing worth of the individual as a human being
Understand that the principal names and events in Political Science are of importance to your their personal orientation
Identify and appreciate the reasons why knowledge of the past is relevant and important to every American
See the influence of the past on the present and to understand that Political Science is much more than a list of presidents or a series of names and dates
See the influence of the political past upon the future
Conceptualize and develop analytical questions for analyzing political, economic, and social systems
Write a persuasive essay based on factual evidence
Correctly utilize the tools of Political Science research
Construct and read graphs, timelines, maps, and political cartoons
Correctly cite material used in all assignments
Evaluate materials as to the ethnic and gender bias in documents, texts, and media
Create their own interpretations and themes of American Political History based on a body of facts
Understand major themes in American Political History
Compile a body of factual information on American Political History
Correctly utilize note taking skill, writing skills, and discussion skills in the science of history
Create a world view based on political fact, current events, and political theory
Employability Skills: According to school board policy, the following skills will observed and recognized. The skills are: attendance, punctuality, bringing required materials to class, appropriate on task behavior, task completion, and displaying an attitude of cooperation. The employability component of the course is 20% of the course grade for each nine weeks.
Evaluation: The nine week evaluation is based on the following criteria: news gathering project, essays, papers, exams, and employability skills. Employability skills count 20% and the academic achievement is the remaining 80% of the grade. This 80 % is equally based on the other four criteria. The student will write two essays each nine weeks. The essays will be averaged together to create one grade. The student will write a paper each nine weeks, the instructions for these papers will be discussed later in the syllabus. The student will complete one in class exam. Missed or late assignments will count as 0% and receive no credit. . Plagiarism, cheating with the computer or phone, and missed assignments will not be tolerated. All assignments must be word processed in Microsoft Word. Make sure have up to date information as to due dates, assignment criteria, and evaluation procedures.
Assignments: 1) Read text in an ongoing manner to match material from lectures 2) Supplemental Readings should be read in an on going manner 3) Additional assignments, as necessary, to prepare the student for the successful completion of the course goals 4) Write two persuasive essays. 5) Write one paper per nine weeks (topics for papers are book/movie reviews, theme anthologies, current events, topical papers, and oral histories) 6) Take a multiple choice exam. 7) Daily news project.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PAPERS
Due Dates for all papers:
The student should be ready for all class assignments. No late assignments will be accepted without a school excused admit for the absence. All papers must be submitted toTurnitin.com no later than class time the day it is due. Absence from school does not change this rule. Turnitin.com will be open a week before the paper is due. If the student is absent from school the day a paper is due the paper must be submitted via e-mail no later than class time the date the paper is due. When the student returns to school with a valid admit a hard copy of the paper must be given to the instructor. Monitor the website calendar to check due dates for assignments.
Turnitin.com rules and regulations:
Turnitin.com is a website that all papers must be submitted to before the paper is accepted. The site helps the instructor check the paper for plagiarism. The student needs to register on the site and if the student is registered for another class they do not need to re-register. After the student registers the student does not need to do anything else till the paper is submitted. The student needs to get the class name and password from the instructor to submit their paper for this class. The document can only be submitted once so be sure that all parts of your paper are in ONE document, written in word, and are submitted during the open week that the paper is due. After the student submits the document it will take from a few minutes to a few hours to complete the process. The student can check the submission but the determination of plagiarism is made by the instructor. If the student sees that they have made an error in citation and it is not past the due date the student can make the corrections on the hard copy of the paper and note the changes made by placing a note on the title page as to the corrections.
THEME PAPER
Select ten themes that represent this time period. Each theme needs to be represented by a photo, artwork, song lyrics, or poetry. The student will write a paragraph about why this illustrates the theme the student has chosen. A second paragraph will discuss the political concept or institution for each theme.
A second paragraph will explain the
Elements of the paper are as follows:
Title page – name, paper title, date due
The theme, including the time period (dates)
The photo, artwork, song lyrics, or poetry need to be attached and properly cited.
Write a paragraph explaining the reason why the student has chosen the photo, art work, song lyrics, or poetry to represent the theme. A second paragraph is then written to explain the historical context (relate the time period or event to the theme).
Grading Criteria:
The paper must be word-processed, submitted to turnitin.com, and be turned in on the appropriate date to be accepted. If you are absent the day of a paper being due it must be sent via e-mail before or during the class period it is due. Turnitin.com will be available the week before the paper is due and will close at the end of the class period it is due. Turnitin.com will accept only one complete document. Make sure you know the turnitin.com password and id for this class.
Title page, clean presentation, and organization – 5%
Citation (must be cited or the paper is a 0%)–15%
10 Themes and their photos or words – 20%
10 Paragraphs – 50%
Unique Quality – 10%
TOPICAL RESEARCH PAPER
Select a topic to research from the appropriate time period. Research topics need to be fully researched and correctly documented. Appropriate topics are: civil rights, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, states rights, federalism, political parties, electoral college, interest groups, PACs, third parties, foreign policy making, immigration policies, domestic policies, Presidential Doctrines, media and politics, specific elections, candidates and the political process, minority rights, and women rights.
The paper should be five to ten pages in length. The paper must be correctly documented. The must have at least five sources. One of the sources must be a book. The topic must be approved by the instructor. Be careful of Internet sources, many are not historical research and are not sufficiently researched and documented. Anyone can post information on the Internet!
Grading Criteria:
The paper must be word-processed and be turned in on the appropriate date to be accepted. Options for presentation of this may be discussed. If you are absent the day of a paper being due it must be sent via e-mail before or during the class period it is due. Turnitin.com will be available the week before the paper is due and will close at the end of the class period it is due. Turnitin.com will accept only one complete document. Make sure you know the turnitin.com password and id for this class.
Title page, clean presentation, and organization – 5%
Grammar and structure – 10%
Citation (must be cited or the paper is a 0%) – 10%
Research material – 25%
Written thesis and support material – 40 %
Uniqueness – 10%
CURRENT EVENTS PAPER
Select five topics from current events that the student sees as relevant to the time period being studied. The student will then collect five current articles on the topic. The student will research an historical source from the appropriate time period to use as a comparison for the current article. The article must be copied into the paper and be correctly cited. The student will then write a one-page essay on how the past and present tie together on each event. The essay must be cited.
Grading Criteria:
The paper must be word-processed and turned in at the appropriate time to be accepted. If you are absent the day of a paper being due it must be sent via e-mail before or during the class period it is due. Turnitin.com will be available the week before the paper is due and will close at the end of the class period it is due. Turnitin.com will accept only one complete document. Make sure you know the turnitin.com password and id for this class.
Title page, clean presentation, and organization – 5%
Grammar and structure – 10%
Selection of articles and historical sources – 25%
Essays – 50%
Uniqueness – 10%
BOOK or MOVIE REVIEW PAPER
The student will select a book from the booklist or another book approved by the instructor. The student will answer the following questions after reading the book.
Questions to be answered.
1. Select four characters and in a paragraph (one for each character), describe the character and what their role is in the story.
2. Select two characters and in a paragraph discuss why the student thinks the author placed the characters in the story.
3. In a paragraph describe the time and place of the story.
4. Ina paragraph describe the plot of the story.
5. Discuss four scenes or events of the story and explain what theme or idea they represent. (Do not spend time relating the scene discussing the theme.) Write one paragraph for each scene.
6. Write a one-page biography of the author. Do not use the dust jacket as a source. Research on the author must be cited.
7. In a page, discuss the political history of the time period in which the story is set. Also include how it impacted the readers when it was introduced and today.
8. In a page, discuss the value of this book to the study of political science or American political history.
9. Fill out a multicultural rating chart on the film or book. Then discuss why you, the reviewer, felt that way.
Discuss the possible options associated with this paper.
Grading Criteria: The paper must be word-processed and be turn in at the appropriate date. If you are absent the day of a paper being due it must be sent via e-mail before or during the class period it is due. Turnitin.com will be available the week before the paper is due and will close at the end of the class period it is due. Turnitin.com will accept only one complete document. Make sure you know the turnitin.com password and id for this class.
Title page, clean presentation, and organization – 5%
Grammar, structure and correct citations – 15%
Book questions – 40%
Author’s biography – 20%
Reading the book – 10%
Uniqueness – 10%
Citations to the text can be noted by page number for all answers 6, 7, and 8 except for outside the text references which should follow standard APA form and style. The movie or the book must be cited on the reference page.
ORAL HISTORY PAPER
This paper is creating an oral history of an individual.
Elements of the paper are as follows:
The student will select a subject to interview. The student needs to explain the assignment to the subject and their right to privacy. The subject can request to stay anonymous or use their names. The student needs to create a waiver for the subject to sign (as to privacy and who will read).
Select a topic or a time period to create questions. The student will create fifty questions to ask and have these approved by the instructor.
Questions and answers can be submitted by word-processing the questions and answers, or video or audio taping. If the student submits a tape a typed copy of the questions must be attached. Tapes will not be returned. If you are absent the day of a paper being due it must be sent via e-mail before or during the class period it is due. Turnitin.com will be available the week before the paper is due and will close at the end of the class period it is due. Turnitin.com will accept only one complete document. Make sure you know the turnitin.com password and id for this class.
The student will write a one-page overview of the experience.
Grading Criteria:
The paper must be word-processed and turned in at the appropriate time to be accepted.
Title page and waiver – 5%
Fifty questions and approval – 40%
Fifty answers – 20%
Interview style – 10 %
Evaluation – 15%
Uniqueness – 10%
NEWS GATHERING ASSIGNMENT
The student is responsible for watching or reading the news four times a week through out the semester.
The schedule is as follows:
2 weeks 6:30 evening national news, major network ABC, NBC, or CBS
1 week of a traditional news station or media outlet
1 week of a liberal news station or media outlet
2 weeks Internet news (front page national and international news) opening page major stories that can be clicked from the front page,
2 weeks to write an essay on the topics presented to the American public and how you think this effects government and the American public. Create a summary chart to show what was on the news and the categories in which they belong (during the first six weeks).
1 week magazine news(can be Internet magazines) major stories in the table of contents
1 week International news media outlet (BBS, etc.)
2 weeks newspaper news (can be Internet newspapers) front page news,
1 week of watching commercials for thirty minutes on any media
1 week of watching political candidates running for the presidency
2 weeks to write an essay on observations about how the news has changed American political thinking and create a statistical representation of the information you observed.
The assignment is due each Monday. Create a format to do the assignment. The charts on the website might be helpful. The assignment as all assignments is to be word processed, complete and on time or a zero is recorded. The type of media needs to be reported with the date. If it is a signed article it needs listed. If the news cast has a regular anchor also record. List the title to each segment and or article. Label each as national, international, science, environment, medical, criminal, entertainment, sensational junk, or trivia fill in. Each week select two articles or segments to summarize in a paragraph. After you have summarized discuss what it has to do with the study of the American political system. The project will be checked each Monday and a final grade will be recorded after the eighth week.
GRADING:
60 % - 6 X 10% - Weekly News
10 % - Chart to carry news (creating a workable format)
20 % - Essay
10 % - Summary or Statistical Chart
100 % - News Project Grade for the nine weeks
AP AND HONORS COMMITMENT
PRESENT – You have elected to be an honor student; the student must be present for successful completion of course goals. A parent conference is required when the student has missed six classes. Failure to meet this commitment will cause a zero percent employability grade. Being absent will cause the student to fall behind and excessive absences will result in a decision about the student’s AP commitment and deductions from the student’s employability grade.
ON TIME- Being tardy is unacceptable, if you have to be late place the note on my desk and then sit and start note taking or the assignment without disturbing the class or instructor. Changes to the schedule and important announcements will be made at the beginning of the class period.
PREPARED-Be ready for all the class assignments. Check the website calendar……..
RESPECT-The student is responsible to follow all SHS and county rules and guidelines. The student is responsible to articulate his/her needs for a successful semester and behave in a respectable manner to all students and the instructor. There will be zero tolerance to disrespectful language, gestures, or written material as regards to race, sex, or cultural heritage. Tolerance of other people's ideas is important to the understanding and development of the American experience.
RESPONSIBILITY-Come to class ready to work. NO CELL PHONES! Cell phones disrupting class in unacceptable, if I see it or hear it, it is gone for the day. If this happens again, half of the employability points will be deducted. If you need to use the restroom, take the pass and go. We will be moving on without you.
ATTENTION AND NOTETAKING- This is not a place to do homework, to sleep, to talk on the phone, or to run errands. Playing on the computer during class lectures will cause the privilege to be revoked. If you choose the use a computers follow all class computer rules. You have chosen to take on this responsibility.
HONESTY-Cheating is unacceptable, check your student handbook. Plagiarism is unacceptable and all cases of plagiarism will result in a zero. Failure to cite a source in a written assignment will result in an F on that assignment. You have chosen to be an honor student act like one.
Course Outline
Week One
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
The Study of American Government
What Is Political Power?
What Is Democracy?
Direct Versus Representative Democracy: Which is Best?
How Is Power Distributed in a Democracy?
Political Change
Finding Out Who Governs
American Political Culture
Political Culture
Comparing America with Other Nations
The Sources of Political Culture
Mistrust of Government
Political Efficacy
Political Tolerance
Week Two and Three
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
The Constitution
The Problem of Liberty
The Constitutional Convention
The Challenge
The Constitution and Democracy
The Constitution and Liberty
The Constitution and Liberty
The Motives of the Framers
Constitutional Reform: Modern Views
Federalism
Readings due: The Federalists Papers #10 and #78 (Internet)
Governmental Structure
The Founding
The Debate on the Meaning of Federalism
Federal-State Relations
Federal Aid and Federal Control
A Devolution Revolution?
Congress and Federalism?
Week Four and Five
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
Public Opinion
What Is Public Opinion?
The Origins of Political Attitudes
Cleavages in Public Opinion
Political Ideology
Political Elites, Public Opinion, and Public Policy
Political Participation
A Closer Look at Nonvoting
The Rise of the American Electorate
Who Participates in Politics?
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
Political Parties
Parties—Here and Abroad
The Rise and Decline of the Political Party
The National Party Structure Today
State and Local Parties
The Two-Party System
Minor Parties
Nominating a President
Parties Versus Voters
Elections and Campaigns
Presidential Versus Congressional Campaigns
Primary Versus General Campaigns
Money
What Decides the Election?
The Effects of Elections on Policy
Week Six
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
Interest Groups
Explaining Proliferation
The Birth of Interest Groups
Kinds of Organizations
Interest Groups and Social Movements
Funds for Interest Groups
The Problem of Bias
The Activities of Interest Groups
Regulating Interest Groups
The Media
Journalism in American Political History
The Structure of the Media
Rules of Governing the Media
The Effects of the Media on Politics
Interpreting Political News
Week Seven and Eight
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
Congress
Congress Versus Parliament
The Evolution of Congress
Who Is in Congress?
Do Members Represent Their Voters?
Ideology and Civility in Congress
The Organization of Congress: Parties and Caucuses
The Organization of Congress: Committees
The Organization of Congress: Staffs and Specialized Offices
How a Bill Becomes Law
Reducing Power and Perks
Ethic and Congress
Week Nine and Ten
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
The Presidency
Presidents and Prime Ministers
Divided Government
The Evolution of the Presidency
The Powers of the President
The Office of the President
Who Gets Appointed
Presidential Character
The Power to Persuade
The Power to Say No
The President’s Program
Presidential Transition
How Powerful Is the President?
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
The Bureaucracy
Distinctiveness of the American Bureaucracy
The Growth of the Bureaucracy
The Federal Bureaucracy Today
Congressional Oversight
Bureaucratic “Pathologies”
Reforming the Bureaucracy
The Policy-Making Process
Setting the Agenda
Making a Decision
Majoritarian Politics: Distributed Benefits, Distributed Costs
Interest Group Politics: Concentrated Benefits, Concentrated Costs
Client Politics: Concentrated Benefits, Distributed Costs
Entrepreneurial Politics: Distributed Benefits, Concentrated Costs
Week Eleven and Twelve
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
The Judiciary
The Development of the Federal Courts
The Structure of the Federal Courts
The Jurisdiction of the Federal Courts
Getting to Court
The Supreme Court in Action
The Power of the Federal Courts
Checks on Judicial Power
Week Thirteen and Fourteen
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
Civil Rights
The Black Predicament
The Campaign in the Courts
The Campaign in Congress
Women and Equal Rights
Affirmative Action
Gays and the Supreme Court
Civil Liberties
Politics, Culture, and Civil Liberties
Interpreting and Applying the First Amendment
What Is Speech?
Who Is a Person?
Church and State
Crime and Due Process
Week Fifteen
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
The Case of Business Regulation
Perceptions, Beliefs, Interests, and Values
Economic Policy
The Politics of Economic Prosperity
The Politics of Taxing and Spending
Economic Theories and Political Needs
The Machinery of Economic Policy
Spending Money
The Budget
Reducing Spending
Levying Taxes
Social Welfare
Social Welfare in the United States
Two Kinds of Welfare Politics
Week Sixteen
Readings due: 2 Supreme Court Decisions (see online website)
Foreign and Military Policy
Kinds of Foreign Policy
The Constitutional and Legal Context
The Machinery of Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy and Public Opinion
Cleavages Among Foreign Policy Elites
The Use of Military Force
The Defense Budget
The Structure of Defense Decision-Making
Spending for the War on Terrorism
Environmental Policy
The American Context
Entrepreneurial Politics: Global Warming
Majoritarian Politics: Pollution from Automobiles
Interest Group Politics: Acid Rain
Client Politics: Agricultural Pesticides
The Environmental Uncertainties
The Results
Who Governs? To What Ends?
Restraints on the Growth of Government
Relaxing the Restraints
The New System
Consequences of Activist Government
The Influence of Structure
Influence of Ideas