AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
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1st/4th 6-WKS
UNIT 1: Foundations of American Government (1 – 2) (3 – 4)
Chapter 1: Principles of Government
Chapter 2: Origins of American Government
Chapter 3: The Constitution
Chapter 4: Federalism
UNIT 2: Political Behavior: Government By The People (5 – 7)
Chapter 5: Political Parties
Chapter 6: Voters and Voter Behavior
Chapter 7: The Electoral Process
2nd/5th 6-wks
UNIT 2: CONT. (8 -9)
Chapter 8: Mass Media and Public Opinion
Chapter 9: Interest Groups
UNIT 3: The Legislative Branch (10 – 12)
Chapter 10: Congress
Chapter 11: Powers of Congress
Chapter 12: Congress in Action
Movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"
UNIT 4: The Executive (13 – 17)
Chapter 13: The Presidency
Chapter 14: the Presidency in Action
TEST will follow completion of Chapter 17
3rd/6th 6-wks
UNIT 4: The Executive; Cont. (13 – 17)
Chapter 15: Government at Work: The Bureaucracy
Chapter 16: Financing Government
Chapter 17: Foreign Policy and National Defense
UNIT 5: The Judicial Branch (18 ONLY)
Chapter 18: The Federal Court System
Movie: "12 Angry Men"
UNIT 6: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (19 – 21)
Chapter 19: Civil Liberties: First Amendment Freedoms
Chapter 20: Civil Liberties: Protecting Individual Rights
Chapter 21: Civil Rights: Equal Justice Under Law
UNIT 7: Comparative political, economic systems and Texas State government
Chapters 22, 23, 24
Overview of Comparative Political and Economic systems
Texas Government (comparisons made throughout the study)
FINAL EXAM is comprehensive (covers all material in semester)))
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TO REGISTER FOR THE AP EXAMS, SEE THE NEWSFLASH SECTION
AP GOVERNMENT AP EXAM MAY 15, 2012 8:00 AM
TEXT: Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy:
Edwards, Wattenburg and Lineberry
Supplemental: American Government: Readings and Cases: Peter Woll
Internet: Library of Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov
UNIT 1 – INTRODUCING GOV’T IN AMERICA
Intro to Government; Government in America: Chapter 1
Woll: John Locke: Second Treatise of Civil
Government, page 4
UNIT 2 – CONSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS
Readings: Government in America: Chapters 2, 3
Woll: Federalist 47, 48, 51, page 41
Federalist 39, page 55
Roche: The Founding Fathers: A Reform Caucus in Action, p.10
Beard: Framing the Constitution, page 31
Grodzins: The Federal System, page 74
UNIT 3 – POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: Ideology, Parties & Interest Groups
Readings: Government in America Chapters 6, 8, 11
Woll: Federalist 10 page 164
Truman: The Governmental Process, page 246
Lowi: The End of Liberalism, page 252
V.O. Key: The Responsible Electorate, page 214
UNIT 4 – CAMPAIGN, ELECTIONS, AND THE MEDIA
Readings: Government in America Chap. 9, 10, 7
Woll: Berelson, Democratic Practice and
Democratic Theory, pg 207
Sabato: The Misplaced Obsession with PACs, page 260
Senator Mitch McConnell, et al v.
Federal Election Commission pg
UNIT 5 – CONGRESS
Readings: Government in America Chapter 12
Woll: Federalist 53, 56, 58, 62 & 63, page 343
Polsby, Congress Bashing for Beginners, page 390
Cook, Media Power and Congressional Power, page 372
UNIT 6 – THE PRESIDENT, THE BUDGET AND THE BUREAUCRACY
Readings: Government in America Chapters 13, 14, & 15
Woll: Federalist 70, page 272
Neustadt, Presidential Power, page 280
Wilson, The Rise of the Bureaucratic State, page 334
Barber, The Presidential Character page 288
United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp. page 303
UNIT 7 – THE JUDICIARY
Readings: Government in America Chap. 16
Woll: Federalist 78, page 409
Brennen, How the Supreme Court Arrives at a Decision, page 428
Roche, Judicial Self-Restraint, page 418
UNIT 8– CIVIL LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS
Readings: Government in America Chapters 4 & 5
The Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment
UNIT 9 – THE MAKING OF POLICY
Readings: Government in America: Chapters 17, 18, 19, & 20
Presidential Powers: Foreign Policy (handout)
Constitution: Art 1: Sec 8; Art 2: Sec2
The list of reading requirements for each unit is ¬not absolute. Some
readings may be omitted and others added during the semester. The days are
the appropriate number of class days that we will spend on each unit.
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AP MACROECONOMICS AP EXAM: MAY 17, 2012 8:00 AM
(Based on College Board outline)
Unit 1 Foundations
Thinking like an Economist Chapters 1 – 4
Scarcity (choice, opportunity cost)
Production possibilities curve
Comparative advantage
Market Interaction (supply and demand)
AP EXAM 8 – 12%
Unit 2 Measuring Economic Performance Chapters 23, 24, 28
Circular Flow
Gross Domestic Product: Components/Real vs. Nominal
Inflation
Indices / Nominal and Real / Costs of Inflation
Types of Inflation (Demand-pull, Cost-push)
Unemployment
Definition/measurement: Types /Natural Rate
AP EXAM 12 – 16%
Unit 3 Economic Growth Chapter 25
Investment in Capital (human and physical)
Research and development, technology
Growth policy
AP EXAM 5 – 10%
Unit 4 Financial Sector Chapter
Money, banking, financial markets
Definition of financial assets / Time value of money
Measurements of money supply
Creation of money by banks
Money demand and market (Chapter 34)
Loanable funds market
Central bank and control of the money supply
Tools / Quantity theory of money
Real vs. Nominal Interest Rates
AP EXAM 15 – 20%
Unit 5 International Trade Chapters 9, 31, 32
Balance of Payments
Foreign exchange market
Exchange rate determination /appreciation vs. depreciation
Net exports and capital flow
Links to financial and goods markets
AP EXAM 10 – 15%
Unit 6 Short-Run Economic Fluctuations Chapters 33, 34, 35
Aggregate Demand
Determinants / Multiplier and crowding out
Aggregate Supply
Short-Run and long-run
Sticky vs. Flexible prices and wages / Determinates
Macroeconomic equilibrium
Real output and price level / Short and long run
Actual vs. Full Employment Output 10 -15%
Fiscal and Monetary Policies 20-30%
Demand-side policy / Supply-side policy
Government deficit and debt (chapter 26)
Phillip’s curve: short and long run
Role of expectation
Review and
Practice AP Macroeconomics Exams