Whether you like it or not, you cannot escape "Government".
One way or another, elected and appointed government officials and agencies, on the national, state or local level, affect every aspect of your daily existence, from the food you eat, to the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the roads you drive on, the air you breath, the water you drink, the education you receive, the rabies shots for your pet, the plants in your yard, how loud you can play your music, your job, the shows you watch on television, sanitation services and the list goes on and on....
"Government", in other words, is not simply a required course. It is something you have to deal with every day of your life and it is my goal is to equip you (in the most informative, interesting and stimulating manner I can) with the knowledge and thinking skills necessary to understand (and influence) the American political system.
TEXTBOOK:
The Challenge of Democracy
by Janda, Berry and Goldman, Houghton Mifflin, 4th edition, 1995
SUPPLEMETARY READERS (Advanced Placement only):
(1) Hardball by Christopher Matthews
(2)The Bill of Rights: A Users Guide by Linda Monk (Close-Up Foundation)
(3) Annual Editions: American Government 98/99 - Dushkin/McGraw Hill
(4) American Government: Readings and Cases - by Peter Woll
All students are required to complete a minimum of 15 hours of Community service.
a. The fears of the founders (Ch 3)
b. The clash between freedom, order and equality (Ch 1)
c. Federalism (Ch 4)
d.Separation and duplication of powers (Ch 3)
e. Pluralist, Majoritarian and Elite theories of government (Ch
2)
a. The means by which citizens learn about politics (Ch
5)
b. What leads citizens to differ from one another in their political
beliefs ? (Ch 5)
c. The Mass Media (Ch 6)
d. The ways in which people participate in political life (Ch
7)
e. Political parties (Ch 8)
f. Elections and campaigns (Ch 9)
g. Lobbies and interest groups (Ch 10)
a. The Presidency (Ch 12)
b. Congress (Ch 11)
c. The Bureaucracy (Ch 13)
d. The Courts (Ch 14)
a. Civil Order vs Civil Liberties (Ch 15)
b. Equality vs Civil Rights (Ch 16)
a. The interaction of individuals, interest groups and institutions
in the creation of public policies (Ch 17)
b. Creating Economic Policy (Ch 18)
c. Creating Domestic Policy (Ch 19)