Bob Alley's Trinity Web Site

Click on the picture to access the AP Government WebSite

Prerequisites: Juniors and seniors who have achieved an A average in United States History, B+ average in United States History Honors or a B average in AP United States History and have a teacher recommendation.

Open to juniors and seniors, this course is designed to give students a thorough and critical perspective on American politics and government in preparation for the Advanced Placement examination in May.  Emphasis is placed on the constitutional underpinnings of American government including social contract theory and the colonial democratic tradition based on English government, United States political beliefs and behaviors, the role of political parties and interest groups, the major institutions of government including Congress, the Executive and Judicial Branches and the Federal Bureaucracy, as well as Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Current events are used to reinforce understanding of the formulation of public policy, both domestic and foreign.  It is expected that students will take the Advanced Placement exam in May and a fee applies.

Click on the picture to access the US Government and Economics WebSite

This course, open only to seniors, seeks to familiarize students with the concepts on which our government and economic systems are built. Emphasis will be placed on the constitutional underpinnings for American Government, the current political spectrum, political parties and interest groups, the three branches of our national government and their interaction, and civil rights and civil liberties.   An overview of the free market system will also be covered in the second semester.  Current events will be used to reinforce understanding about the formation of public policy.

Youth and Government involves students in several hands on activities concerning government.  The club conducts mock elections and participates in two simulations each year, the Model Judiciary Program(MJP) and the Model General Assembly(MGA).  The MJP consists of a mock trial where the students take on the roles of lawyers and witnesses and argue an assigned case against another school before a real judge in a real court room. There are also two rounds of appeals in this program where the student lawyers make oral arguments concerning a specific issue in their case to real judges and lawyers.  The appeals rounds are held in the VA State Court of Appeals and the Virginia State Supreme Court.  In the Model General Assembly Program, students from schools all over the state take on the role of legislators in the VA General Assembly.  Each school submits at least one bill proposal in December, and then students from all of the participating schools gather for three days to discuss and try to pass their bills at the State Capitol the following spring.