Welcome to AP Government

AP Exam Review

• Click on Exam Review to prepare for the AP Exam and access the information necessary for this course.
• AP Free Response Questions 1988-2006

Assignments!

Summer Assignment

In The News

• Click Here For Current Events Assignments

Table of Contents

• Constitutional Underpinnings
  • Constitutional Democracy in the U.S.
  • Political Culture and Ideology
  • American Political Landscape
  • The Constitution
  • Federalism
• Political Beliefs and Behaviors
  • Public Opinion, Participation and Voting
  • Campaigns and Elections
• Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass Media
  • Interest Groups
  • Political Parties
  • The Media
• Institutions of Government
  • Congress
  • The Presidency
  • Congress and the President
  • The Bureaucracy
  • The Judiciary
• Civil Rights and Liberties
  • First Amendment Rights
  • Rights to Life, Liberty and Property
  • Equal Rights Under the Law
• Public Policy
  • Making Economic and Regulatory Policy
  • Making Social Policy
  • Making Foreign and Defense Policy

Constitutional Underpinnings

Constitutional Democracy in the United States

Political Culture and Ideology

The American Political Landscape

September 6-20

• Review Website
• Check Summer Assignment
• Current Events

• Review Journal Sunday show format
  • Meet The Press
  • This Week
  • Face The Nation
  • Fox News Sunday
• Review Chapter One The Political Landscape
  • Outline
  • PowerPoint
• Read Second Treatise, Of Civil Government(Full Text-You only need to read the Abbreviated Version) by John Locke, and answer Quiz Questions in Journal.
• Read the Declaration of Independence.
• Chapter One Quiz

The Constitution

September 23 - 26

• Read the Preamble to the Constitution.
• Read Federalist 51
• Read Chapter Two The Constitution
  • Outline
  • PowerPoint
• Read Framing the Constitution by Charles Beard (Optional)
• Read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights

September 27

• Chapter Two Quiz
• Current Events

Federalism

September 28 - October 7

• Read Chapter Three Federalism
  • Outline
  • PowerPoint
• Read All the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers in Woll
  • Federalist 16
  • Federalist 17
  • Anti-Federalist 17
  • Federalist 44
  • Federalist 45
  • Federalist 39
• Read United States v. Morrison (2000)
  • Complete Supreme Court Case Summary
• Read Gonzales v. Raich (2005)
  • Complete Supreme Court Case Summary
• Read Wickard v. Filburn (1942)
  • Complete Supreme Court Case Summary
• Current Events

October 7

• Chapter Three Quiz
• Test Review

October 7, 11-17

• Test Review
  • Chapters 1-3 in Sabato
  • Other Readings
    • Constitutional Underpinnings Outline
      • Constitutional Underpinnings PowerPoint
    • Second Treatise, Of Civil Government (Full Text-You only need to read the Abbreviated Version)
    • Declaration of Independence
    • The Federalist 51
    • Federalist 16
    • Federalist 17
    • Anti-Federalist 17
    • Federalist 44
    • Federalist 45
    • Federalist 39
    • The Constitution and Its Amendments
    • The Supremacy of National Law
      • Includes McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) and United States v. Morrison (2000)
      • Gonzales v. Raich (2005)
      • Wickard v. Filburn (1942)
  • AP Questions 1988-2006

October 18

• Constitutional Underpinnings Test

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

First Amendment Rights and Rights to Life, Liberty, and Property

October 19

• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)  and Handout Questions (Answer Discussion Question 2)
• Read Chapter Four or Five on Civil Liberties
• Open Book Quiz

October 20

• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
• History of Bill of Rights, 14th Amendment, and Incorporation Doctrine

October 21

• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)  and Handout Questions

October 24-31

• First and Fourth Amendment Rights

November 1

• Read pages 103-109 in the Woll(Little) book.

• Summarize Federalist 84 using bullet points in your journal

• Read pages 115-121 in the Woll book.

• Summarize The Need to Maintain a Free Marketplace of Ideas using bullet points in your journal

• Read Engel v. Vitale beginning on page 142 in the Woll book

• Summarize Engel v. Vitale using the Supreme Court Case Summary form in your journal

November 2-4

• Read Chapter Five Civil Liberties
  • Outline
  • PowerPoint

November 8

• Quiz on Civil Liberties

Equal Rights Under the Law

November 9

• Watch Eyes on the Prize.

November 10

• Watch Eyes on the Prize.
• Read Chapter Five or Six on Civil Rights
• PowerPoint
• Practice Quiz

November 11

• Watch Eyes on the Prize.
• Read Chapter Five or Six on Civil Rights

November 15-16

• Watch Eyes on the Prize.
• Read Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1955).
• Read Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena (1995).
• Answer Questions
• Discussion of readings

November 17

• Civil Rights Quiz
• Current Events

Institutions of Government

The Judiciary

March 14 - March 18

• Read Article III of the Constitution.
• Read Federalist 78.
• Read Marbury v. Madison (1803).
• Answer Questions
• Discussion of readings and chapter
• Committee Phase of eCongress
• PowerPoint
• Alley Point
• Outline

March 21 - March 25

• Read Judicial Self-Restraint by John P. Roche.
• Read How the Supreme Court Arrives at Decisions by William J. Brennan, Jr.
• Answer Questions
• Discussion of readings and chapter
• Committee Phase of eCongress
• AP Exam Prep
• Quiz on the Judiciary on March 25

Extra

• Read Roe v. Wade (1973).
• Read Constitutional Liberty and the Right to Abortion by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
• Read Liberty, Privacy, and the Right to Abortion by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.
• Read Liberty and Abortion: A Strict Constructionist's View by Justice Antonin Scalia.
• Answer Questions
• Discussion of readings and chapter
• Listen to oral arguments in Roe v. Wade (1973).

Congress

January 5-10

• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• PowerPoint
• Outline
• Practice Quiz

January 11

• National E-Congress
  • Go to youthleadership.net
  • Click on the Student Portal in the bottom right corner of the page
  • In the Student Portal, Find the E-Congress Log-in Box
  • Click on Register for E-Congress in the E-Congress Log-in Box
  • Enter the following Teacher Code
    • VA1646-001
  • Click Save Changes
  • Select your Classroom
    • If you are in 2nd Period, Select Alley 1
    • If you are in 4th Period, Select Alley 2
    • If you are in 5th Period, Select Alley 3
  • Click Save Changes
  • You should now be on the Create New Student page
  • Enter your first and last names
  • Create a log-in name and a password that you will use to access the site
  • Once you are done, Click Save
  • You should now be on the Welcome Screen
  • Read the screen and Click Continue
  • Work your way through the different screens until you finish the Introduction Phase
  • During the Introduction Phase you will do the following
    • Complete Phase I Study Guide
    • Complete the Ideological Survey
    • Complete the Introduction Quiz
    • Must be completed by January 14
  • Once you have finished the Introduction Phase, you should begin the Research Stage
  • During the Research Phase you will do the following
    • Complete Phase II Study Guide
      • Must be turned in on due date
    • Must be completed by January 19

January 12

• Constitutional Structure
  • Read The Constitution and the Legislative Branch of Government in Sabato
  • Read Article I of the Constitution.
  • Read Federalist 53, 56, 57, 58, 62, and 63.
    • Answer Questions in Journal
      • How do the authors of The Federalist explain the different terms of office for the House and the Senate?

      • According to the theory of The Federalist, how does the Constitution bring about a system of checks and balances between the House and the Senate?

      • Why does The Federalist proclaim that it is necessary to have an internal check within the legislature itself?

      • Do you agree with the theory of Federalist 58 that: .In all legislative assemblies, the greater the number composing them may be, the fewer will be the men who will in fact direct their proceedings. In the first place, the more numerous any assembly may be, of whatever characters composed, the greater is known to be the ascendancy of passion over reason. In the next place, the larger the number, the greater will be the proportion of members of limited information and of weak capacities.. What factors lend support to or detract from the validity of this statement?

      • What are the primary functions of the legislature to be according to The Federalist?
• Political Ideology
• Class Discussion

January 13

• Organization and Procedure and Reelection
  • Read How Congress is Organized in Sabato
  • Read The Rise of the Washington Establishment by Morris P. Fiorina.
    • Answer Questions in Journal

      • What major assumptions does Fiorina make about the Washington political establishment and those within it?

      • What conclusions about the Washington establishment does Fiorina draw from his assumptions?
  • Read Congress: The Electoral Connection by David Mathew.
    • Answer Questions in Journal
      • Define and give an example of advertising.
      • Define and give examples of credit claiming.
      • Define and give examples of position-taking.
• Class Discussion

January 14

• Complete Phase I of E-Congress
• Class Discussion
• Current Events

January 18

• Members of Congress and What They Do
  • Read The Members of Congress and How Members Make Decisions in Sabato
  • Read Congress and the Quest for Power by Lawrence Dodd.
    • Answer Questions in Journal
      • What is the personal power incentive on Capitol Hill, and how does it affect Congress as an institution?
      • Contrast the reelection and personal power incentives. Which is dominant and why on Capitol Hill?
      • What are the normal stages of a congressional career?
  • Read Home Style and Washington Career by Richard F. Fenno, Jr.
    • Answer Questions in Journal

      • Explain Fenno’s thesis that individual congressmen may be loved while the institution of Congress lacks respect.

      • How does the behavior of members of Congress tend to fortify their popularity at the expense of the institution of Congress?

  • Read Speech to the Electors of Bristol by Edmund Burke.
    • Answer Questions in Journal

      • Do you agree that the public will, or opinions of constituents, should be subordinate to the judgment of the elected representative. If 80% of a congressional district’s voters desire one policy outcome, and the representative desires another, is the representative justified in voting his conscience and not the will of his constituents? Should officials be subject to mandates and instructions from the populace?

      • What is the national interest? Can it be defined? Burke argues that a deliberative body serves one national interest, and not the diverse and hostile interests of different localities and districts. Critics of Congress often argue that it fails to serve the nation, fragmenting instead into warring factions serving narrow, local interests. Is Burke’s reasoning still valid if there is no national interest?

      • Have recent developments in American politics taken us away from the Burkean theory of representation? Recall elections, candidate-centered elections, pandering to public opinion through photo opportunities, and constant polling--do these mechanisms of modern politics threaten the freedom of elected officials to decide based on their own judgment, their trust from Providence?

• Class Discussion

January 19

• The Law Making Function of Congress
  • Read The Law Making Function of Congress in Sabato
  • I'm Just A Bill
  • I'm Just A Bill
• Complete Phase II of E-Congress

January 20

• Congress and the Other Branches
  • Read Congress and the President and Congress and the Judiciary in Sabato
• Class Discussion

January 21

• Congress Quiz

The Presidency

February 14

• Roots of and Rules Governing the Office of President
  • Read the beginning of the chapter on the Presidency in the Sabato Textbook until you reach the Powers of the President
• PowerPoint
• Outline
• Practice Quiz
• Congressional and Presidential Powers Assignment
• Class Discussion

February 15

• Congressional and Presidential Powers Assignment

February 16

• Development and Expansion of Presidential Power
  • Read this section in the Sabato Textbook
• Class Discussion

February 17

• The Presidential Establishment and The President as Policy Maker
  • Read these sections in the Sabato Textbook
• Class discussion

February 18

• The President and Public Opinion
  • Read this section in the Sabato Textbook
• Class Discussion
• Current Events Game

February 22

• The Presidency Quiz

The Bureaucracy

February 23

• The Origins and Growth of the Federal Bureaucracy and The Modern Bureaucracy
  • Read these sections in the Sabato Textbook
  • Read The Rise of the Bureaucratic State by James Q. Wilson.
• PowerPoint
• Outline
• Practice Quiz
• Class discussion

February 24

• How the Bureaucracy Works and Making Agencies Accountable
  • Read these sections in the Sabato Textbook
  • Read Constitutional Democracy and Bureaucratic Power by Peter Woll.
• The Federal Register
• Class Discussion

February 25

• Bureaucracy Open Book Quiz
  • You May Use The Following Sources While Taking This Quiz
    • The chapter in the Sabato Textbook entitled The Executive Branch and the Bureaucracy
    • Any other chapter in the Sabato Textbook
    • The two articles in the chapter on the Bureaucracy in the Woll Book
      • The multiple choice questions with only four choices will be based on these articles
    • Any other articles in the Woll Book
    • The PowerPoints and Outline
      • Sabato PowerPoint
      • Woll PowerPoint
      • Outline
    • Any notes you have taken in class or elsewhere related to this class
    • Any handouts distributed in class
  • You May Not Not Use Each Other
    • You must do this on your own
  • Use Of Sources Other Than Those Listed Above Will Not Be Tolerated And Will Be Punishable By Death Or Worse!
  • The Quiz

February 28 - March 4

• Committee Phase of eCongress
• Congressional and Presidential Powers Assignment
  • Due March 4
  • Outline
• Journals Due March 4

Political Beliefs and Behaviors

Public Opinion, Participation, and Voting

March 28 - March 29

• Read Chapter on Political Socialization and Public Opinion in Sabato.
• PowerPoint
• AlleyPoint
• Outline
• Answer Review Questions
• Class discussion

Campaigns and Elections

March 30 - March 31

• Read Chapter on Voting and Elections in Sabato.
• PowerPoint
• Outline
• Answer Review Questions
• Class discussion

April 1

• AP Exam Review
• eCongress
• Current Events Game

April 4 - April 5

• Read Chapter on The Campaign Process in Sabato.
• PowerPoint
• Outline
• Answer Review Questions
• Class discussion

April 6 - April 12

• Read Democratic Practice and Democratic Theory by Berelson, Lazarsfeld, and McPhee
• Read The Responsible Electorate by V.O. Key, Jr.
• Read Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
• Read Campaign Finance Reform by Sabato and Simpson
• Read Political Parties and Campaign Finance by Frank J. Sorauf
• Read Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v. Federal Election Commission (1996)
• Political Beliefs and Behaviors Outline
• Demographics of Virginia's Congressional Districts
• The Candidate?
• AP Exam Review
• eCongress
• Current Events Game

April 13

• Test on Political Beliefs and Behaviors

Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media

Political Parties

April 14 - April 15

• Read Chapter on Political Parties in Sabato.
• PowerPoint
• Outline
• Answer Review Questions
• Class discussion

April 18 - April 19

• Read Federalist 10 by James Madison
• Read Party Government by E.E. Schattschneider
• Read California Democratic Party et. al. v. Jones, Secretary of State of California, et. al. (2000)
• Read Toward A More Responsible Two-Party System by the American Political Science Association
• Read Perspectives on American Political Parties by Martin P. Wattenberg
• Read Divided We Govern by David B. Mayhew
• Read A Theory of Critical Elections by V.O. Key
• Read Politics by Other Means by Ginsberg and Shefter
• Class discussion

Interest Groups

April 20 - 21

• Read Chapter on Interest Groups in Sabato.
• PowerPoint
• Outline
• Answer Review Questions
• Class discussion

April 26

• Read Madison's Dilemma by Jeffrey M. Berry
• Read The Governmental Process by David B. Truman
• Read The End of Liberalism: The Indictment by Theodore J. Lowi
• Read Interest Groups and the American Political System by Rozell and Wilcox
• Read The Misplaced Obsession with PACs by Larry J. Sabato
• Class discussion

The Media

April 27 - April 29

• Read Chapter on The Media in Sabato.
• PowerPoint
• Outline
• Answer Review Questions
• Read Feeding the Beast by Kenneth T. Walsh
• Read Media Power and Congressional Power by Timothy E. Cook
• All the President's Men
• Class discussion

Political Parties, Interest Groups and the Media Outline

Public Policy

Making Economic and Regulatory Policy

May 2

• Read Chapter on Voting and Elections in Sabato.
• PowerPoint
• Outline
• Answer Review Questions
• Class discussion

Making Social Policy

May 3

• Read Chapter on Voting and Elections in Sabato.
• PowerPoint
• Outline
• Answer Review Questions
• Class discussion

Making Foreign and Defense Policy

May 4

• Read Chapter on Voting and Elections in Sabato.
• PowerPoint
• Outline
• Answer Review Questions
• Class discussion

Exam Review

May 5 - 6

• Review

May 10

• Exam Date

		Select Grade Level Elementary School Middle School High School & Beyond

Government Links

I will periodically post relevant class links here.  For a more extensive list, click on the link above.

Government by the People

First Gov

Political Resources on the Web

This Nation

Polisci.com

American Political Science Association

Chapter One in The Power Game

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