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​In this five-section elective, high-school students will learn about the rights and responsibilities of being an American citizen. By studying different forms of government, students will investigate what motivated America's founding fathers as they drafted the U.S. Constitution. Students will also learn about the branches of the U.S. government as laid out in the Constitution and about the structure of state and local governments. In each unit, students will complete an in-depth project related to that unit's topic. 
UNIT 1 - A NEW NATION
UNIT 2 - THE CONSTITUTION
  1. Course Overview
  2. The Distinctions Among Civic, Political, and Private Life
  3. The Necessity of Politics and Government
  4. The Purpose of Politics and Government
  5. Quiz 1
  6. Why Independence
  7. Natural Rights
  8. Given Rights
  9. The Role of Religion
  10. The Protestant Reformation
  11. Babylonian Monarchy, Greek Democracy, Roman Republic
  12. Quiz 2
  13. Forms of Government
  14. Religious and Political Freedom
  15. Limits in Government
  16. Civil Society and Government
  17. Relationship of Limited Government to Political and Economic Freedom
  18. Liberalism, Republicanism, and American Constitutional Republic
  19. Project: Conflict of Interest   (Discuss the role of organized interests and the problems they present a popular government as articulated in The Federalist 10. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the checks placed on them in the Constitution by evaluating the role of organized interests in today’s government.  The Constitution was not the product of a single vision but was the result of a series of compromises. Many of the essential conflicts in government today are the same as those faced by the Founding Fathers. It has been said that "opinions are like noses, everyone has one." Usually it is fairly easy to convince others to join in a cause. Unless some checks and balances are in place a small group can control the majority.  The student will be expected to read The Federalist 10, conduct some basic research (Internet preferably) on a modern "faction," and answer the following questions in a paper of 500 words.  What does Madison mean by "faction?" (in your own words).  What does Madison think are the causes of factions, and why does he think those causes cannot be removed? Do you agree? Why or why not?  Find an example of competing factions today. What is their agenda? Who does their agenda help? Who does it hurt? Has their agenda been fully implemented? What obstacles prevent it or were overcome to implement it?  Do Madison's checks work? Is the fact that they "clog the administration" a good thing? Why or why not?)
  20. Quiz 3
  21. Unitary, Confederal, or Federal?
  22. Nature of Representation
  23. Fundamental Values and Principles
  24. The Great Compromise
  25. Quiz 4
  26. Test
  27. Alternate Test
  28. Reference
  1. Federalists and Anti-Federalists
  2. Project: Compare Bill of Rights
  3. As Good As it Gets
  4. The Peaceful Transfer of Power
  5. Quiz 1
  6. Introduction to Constitutional Government
  7. Constitutional Law in the United States Federal Government
  8. The Preamble
  9. Project: A Limited Government  (The student will write a paper of 500 words demonstrating his understanding of the principle of the rule of law. The paper should contain an explanation of how the Constitution provides that the three branches of government will effectively assure citizens of a limited government. What are the powers that are expressed versus some that are left to the states or to the citizens? How does due process guarantee that government cannot overstep its authority? Finally, what role does the election process play in maintaining a limited government?  How does the rule of law pertain to the question of a limited government?  What contribution does the three-branch system of our government make to the guarantee of a limited government?  What are the enumerated or expressed powers of the government? How does the principle of due process assure citizens that the government will be limited in its ability to control their lives?)
  10. Separation of Powers/Checks and Balances
  11. Quiz 2
  12. The Ability to Change
  13. The Bill of Rights: Protection
  14. The Bill of Rights: Interpretation
  15. Quiz 3
  16. Test
  17. Alternate Test
  18. Reference
UNIT 3 - BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
Unit 4 - GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE
  1. Presidential Power
  2. Electing a President
  3. Case Study: The Election of 1824
  4. The Federal Bureaucracy
  5. Project: Limits on Presidential Power  (This project will examine examples of presidents who tried to expand their power and failed (Taft) and ones who tried and succeeded (FDR).  WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT:   Dollar Diplomacy, Taft-Knox foreign policy.  FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT:   Court-packing, Expansion of Federal Regulation, Fireside Chats.  FDR aggressively formulated programs and took decisive action to expand role of government.  Delegation led to enhanced powers, and Supreme Court eventually allowed the New Deal; power was given to FDR because of the economic crisis of the Great Depression.  Use the Internet or other resources to research at least one example from Taft and one example from FDR of how they used their office to expand the limits of presidential power.  Write a short description of the example.  Describe the situation or circumstances that surrounded the example. Describe the personal perspective of each president that led them to pursue the example.  Describe the public expectations that would make the president move in a direction of authority that may have been beyond what was allowed.   Explain reasons why the examples were successful or unsuccessful.  Repeat these steps to examine one of the examples listed for the other presidents.       Answer the Critical Thinking Question.  In your REPORT document, answer the critical thinking question shown below in an essay of 500 words. Use the research you completed from the process above. Critical Thinking:  Has the presidency become too powerful in comparison to Congress? Explain your answer.)
  6. Quiz 1
  7. A Two-House System
  8. Committees in Action
  9. How a Bill Becomes a Law
  10. Impeachment
  11. Quiz 2
  12. Organization of the Judicial Branch
  13. The Role of the Supreme Court
  14. Judicial Activism vs. Judicial Restraint
  15. Making a More Perfect Union
  16. Quiz 3
  17. Test
  18. Alternate Test
  19. Reference
  1. State Branches
  2. Local Government: Types and Functions
  3. Financing Government through Taxation
  4. Case Study: Integration of Schools
  5. Direct Democracy
  6. Quiz 1
  7. Why Political Parties?
  8. Parties and Primaries
  9. Politics and Media
  10. Districts, Special Interests, and Funding
  11. Public Policy and Public Agenda
  12. Project: Your Politics  (The student should prepare a paper of at least 500 words in which he considers his personal answers to the questions and performs the research as required.  What is the individual citizen’s role in the political process? What does responsible citizenry entail? How can the citizen monitor and evaluate the process of public policy making? What is the role of political parties in the influencing of public opinion and the formulating of public policy? Analyze the conflicting points of view on at least one current issue. Express and then defend a personal viewpoint on some current topic.)
  13. Quiz 2
  14. Your Rights
  15. Citizens in Action
  16. Case Study: Prohibition
  17. Civic Responsibility
  18. Becoming a Citizen
  19. Quiz 3
  20. Diversity and the Character of American Society
  21. Voluntarism and Organized Groups
  22. American Political Conflict
  23. Conflicts of Values
  24. Disparities between Ideals and Reality
  25. Quiz 4
  26. Test
  27. Alternate Test
  28. Reference
UNIT 5 - RELATIONSHIP TO THE WORLD
  1. Government and Economics
  2. Project: Economics of a New Business
  3. International Economics
  4. Case Study: The Middle East
  5. Project: Environmental Politics  (Write a paper of no less than 500 words. In it provide examples of government policies and decisions that somehow affect the physical and/or human characteristics of a region. Examples might be: the land management policy in the nation of Brazil, logging of the redwoods in Western United States, drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), or placement of some freeway in a particular location. Select one example and discuss the arguments for and against pursuing the economic policy as determined by the government or an agency thereof. Take a stand, and defend it. How can economic factors affect environmental issues in a given location or region?  How does this impact the lives of those who live in these regions? Are they generally favorable or unfavorable to the economic decisions that may need to be made? What are negative environmental arguments that may be raised against actions that are being taken for primarily economic reasons?)
  6. Quiz 1
  7. Types of Economic Systems
  8. Communism
  9. Fascism
  10. American Capitalism
  11. Personal, Political, and Economic Rights
  12. Geography, Politics, and Economics of Governments
  13. Quiz 2
  14. Economic and Humanitarian Concerns
  15. Political Concerns
  16. Historical Context of Foreign Policy
  17. Making and Implementing Foreign Policy
  18. Means and Ends of Foreign Policy
  19. Impact of Democracy and Individual Rights on the World
  20. International Organizations
  21. Quiz 3
  22. Test
  23. Alternate Test