Instructor: Lou SartorInformation about the course: Textbooks: American Government and Politics Today (Schmidt) and Government By the People (Burns); AP Government Booklet.pdf; AP US Government@AP Central
Recommended AP US Government Exam Preparation Books: Barron's AP U.S. Government and Politics--2008 (Barron's How to Prepare for the Ap Us Government and Politics Advanced Placement Examination); Master the AP Government and Politics (Peterson's Ap U. S. Government & Politics) (Paperback) by Peterson's (Author); AP Kaplan AP U.S. Government & Politics 2007 Edition (Kaplan AP Series) (Paperback) by Ulrich Kleinschmidt (Author), William L. Brown (Author)
Weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4
Unit 1: The American System & Constitutional Principles
Articles & Essays: Appetite for Change Finally Draws Young Voters to the Polls; Women are Never Front-Runners; Sorry, Young America; How Republicans Win If We Lose in Iraq, What If We Are to Blame?: Public Opinion and Muddled Public Policies; Rebellion of the States: Red, Blue and Angry All Over; The New Blue Federalists: The Case for Liberal Federalism
Talking Points: Constitutional Principles; The Living Constitution; American Federalism
Burns Readings: Constitutional Principles (chapter 1), The Living Constitution (chapter 2), and American Federalism (chapter 3)
Homework Questions: The Constitution; Federalism
Schmidt Readings: The Democratic Republic (chapter 1), The Constitution (chapter 2), and Federalism (chapter 3)
Revelant Links: The US Constitution; The U.S. Constitution; dKosopedia.com
Audioclip: Naomi Wolf Warns of Threat to American Constiutional Government (May 2008)
Unit One Test
Weeks 5, 6 and 7
Unit 2: People, Politics and Process
Articles & Essays: (Pollsters) Getting It Wrong; The Boomers Had Their Day-Make Way For The Millenials; You're 16-You're Beautiful and You're a Voter; Appetite For Change Finally Draws Young Voters to the Polls; Not So SuperDelegates
Talking Points: Political Culture and Ideology; Interest Groups; Political Parties; Campaigns and Elections
Burns Readings: Political Culture and Ideology (chapter 4), Public Opinion, Participation and Voting (chapter 8), Interest Groups: The Politics of Influence (chapter 6), Political Parties: Essential to Democracy (chapter 7), and Campaigns & Elections: Democracy in Action (chapter 9)
Homework Questions: Interest Groups; Political Parties, Campaigns, Nominations and Elections
Schmidt Readings: Public Opinion and Political Socialization (chapter 6), Interest Groups (chapter 7), Political Parties (chapter 8), Campaigns, Nominations, and Elections (chapter 9)
Burns Readings: Political Culture and Ideology (chapter 4), Public Opinion, Participation and Voting (chapter 8), Interest Groups: The Politics of Influence (chapter 6), Political Parties: Essential to Democracy (chapter 7), and Campaigns & Elections: Democracy in Action (chapter 9)
Revelant Links: Crystal Ball, CQ Politics, OpenSecrets.org, Political Wire, Political MoneyLine; The Politics Test; On the Issues; Project Vote Smart; Public Campaign; Where Do You Fit? Political Compass; Common Cause; Public Citizen; Buying of the President; ElectionLine.org; Campaign Finance Reform; DailyKos; Pollster.com; FiveHundredThirtyEight.com; SunLight Foundation.com
Videos: So Goes the Nation and A Perfect Candidate
Audioclips: Robert Reich Discusses the Impact of Lobbyists in American Politics (June 2008); Glenn Greenwald discusses the extreme police tactics taken against journalists and protesters during the Republican Party convention (September 2008); Rick Shenkman discusses Low Information Voters (Sept2008);
Unit Two Test
Weeks 8, 9, 10 and 11
Unit 3: Policy Making Institutions
Articles & Essays: Oh, How Courageous the Senate Could Be; Contempt for Congress; Pelosi Weighs Ban on Earmark Spending; The Imperial Presidency 2.0; A Better Way on Presidential Succession; Move Over Hoover; Bush v. Congress: The Looming Battle Over Executive Privilege; Ranking the Presidents; A Second Term--Seldom a Charm;
Talking Points: Congress, The Presidency; Congressional-Presidential Relations; The Bureaucracy
Burns Readings: Congress, The People's Branch (chapter 11), The Presidency: The Leadership Branch (chapter 12), Congressional-Presidential Relations (chapter 13), and The Bureaucracy (chapter 15)
Homework Questions: The Congress, The President, The Bureaucracy
Schmidt Readings: The Congress (chapter 11), The President (chapter 12), and The Bureaucracy (chapter 13)
Revelant Links: Clerk of the House of Representatives; The Politico; The US Congress;
Video: CSPAN2--Norm Ornstein and Thomas Mann et al: The Broken Branch; CSPAN2 AfterWords Interview of Carl Cannon discussing his book: Reagan's Disciple: George W. Bush's Troubled Quest for a Presidential Legacy
Audio Clips: Ken Silverstein interviewed about Congressional Perks (March 2008); Rep. Dennis Kucinich discussing his 35 Articles of Impeachment of President George W. Bush (June 2008); Thomas Frank interviewed about his book, The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule (August 2008)
Unit Three Test
Weeks 12, 13 and 14
Unit 4: The Courts, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Articles & Essays:Roberts' Rules; Rehnquist Pushed the Court to the Right; A Growing Campaign to Undo the New Deal; The President's Prison; Clear and Present Danger; Freedom of Assembly; Democrats Wary of Tightening (Gun) Laws
Talking Points: The Judiciary, First Amendment Freedoms, Rights to Life, Liberty and Property, Equal Rights Under the Law
Burns Readings: The Judiciary: The Balancing Branch (chapter 14), First Amendment Freedoms (chapter 16), Rights to Life, Liberty and Property (chapter 17), and Equal Rights Under the Law (chapter 18)
Homework Questions: The Courts, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights
Schmidt Readings: The Courts (chapter 14), Civil Liberties (chapter 4), and Civil Rights (chapter 5)
Revelant Links: US Supreme Court; American Civil Liberties Union; Center for Constitutional Rights; People for the American Way; The Federalist Society; Southern Center for Human Rights; Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Equal Opportunity and Discrimination;
Video: C-SPAN2 panel discussion featuring Jeffrey Rosen discussing his book The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries That Defined America and Jan Crawford Greenburg discussing her book Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the US Supreme Court
Audio Clip: Dan Lazare discussing the Supreme Court (Jan 2006); Jeffrey Toobin discusses the 2008 Supreme Court
Unit Four Test
Week 15
Review for AP Government Exam: Practice Tests
AP US GOVERNMENT and COMPARATIVE POLITICS exams--Monday, May 5
Weeks 16 & 17
Unit 5: Domestic and Economic Policies
Burns Readings: Making Economic and Regulatory Policy (chapter 19) and Making Social Policy (chapter 20)
Schmidt Readings: Domestic Policy (chapter 15) and Economic Policy (chapter 16)
Makeup Questions: Domestic Policy; Economic Policy, Regulatory Policy, Social Policy
Revelant Links: National Priorities Project; National Taxpayers Union;
Audio Clips: Kevin Phillips discussing the financial crisis and rising oil prices; Larry Bartels discussing public policy and economic inequality (June 2008)
Videos: An Inconvenient Truth; Why We Fight; The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream; The Atomic Cafe; Fog of War
Week 18
Final Exam