Oroville Union High School District
History-Social Science Curriculum

History-Social Science - AP US Government & Politics

AP US Government & Politics

COURSE TITLE:    AP US Government & Politics

LENGTH OF COURSE:    One Semester

TYPE OF CREDIT: Social Science Core (5 credits)

GRADE LEVEL:    12

PREREQUISITES:    Teacher Approval

TEXTBOOK:

Government in Action, 11th Edition, Edwards, Wattenberg & Lineberry
Prentice-Hall, 2004, ISBN# 0-321-19524-8
    

SUPPLEMENTAL TEXTBOOK:

United States Government: Democracy in Action, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Publishing, 2000 Edition ISBN 0 002 822148 6

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

AP U.S. Government and Politics studies the structure and operations of the U.S. government and the behavior of the electorate and politicians. Students will gain the analytic perspective necessary to critically evaluate political data, hypotheses, concepts, opinions, and processes. Along the way, they will learn how to gather data about political behavior and develop their own theoretical analysis of American politics. They will also build the skills they need to examine general propositions about government and politics, and to analyze the specific relationships between political, social, and economic institutions. The equivalent of an introductory college-level course, AP U.S. Government and Politics prepares students for the AP Exam and for further study in political science, law, education, business and history. Students are encouraged but not required to take the AP Exam.



BOARD ADOPTED DATE: April 2, 2003


Foundations of American Government

    Politics in a Democracy
The learner will be able to discuss the way politics influence a democracy and how political parties are not part of the Constitution.
Strand Scope Source
Principles of Government Master The College Board AP Advanced Placement Program
  
    Constitutional Foundations
The learner will be able to explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy.
Strand Scope Source
Principles of Government Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  
    Federalism
The learner will be able to define federalism and how the Federalist Papers influenced early American government.
Strand Scope Source
Principles of Government Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  

Political Beliefs and Attitudes

    Political Culture
The learner will be able to define what is political culture and put it into historical prospective.
Strand Scope Source
Politics in America Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  
    Public Opinion
The learner will be able to explain how civil society makes it possible for people, individually or in association with others, to bring their influence to bear on government in ways other than voting and elections.
Strand Scope Source
Politics in America Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  

Political Parties, Elections & Media

    Political Parties
The learner will be able to define various political parties and analyze the origin, development, and role of political parties, noting those occasional periods in which there was only one major party or were more than two major parties.
Strand Scope Source
Rise of Political Parties Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  
    Campaigns and Elections
The learner will be able to evaluate issues regarding campaigns for national, state, and local elective offices.
Strand Scope Source
Rise of Political Parties Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  
    Interest Groups
The learner will be able to recognize the influence of interest groups on campaigns and elections.
Strand Scope Source
Rise of Political Parties Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  
    The Media
The learner will be able to describe the influence of the media on elections and campaigns.
Strand Scope Source
Rise of Political Parties Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  

Institutions of American Government

    Congress
The learner will be able to analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the Legislative branch of government.
Strand Scope Source
The Houses of Government Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  
    The Presidency
The learner will be able to discuss Article II of the Constitution as it relates to the executive branch, including eligibility for office and length of term, election to and removal from office, the oath of office, and the enumerated executive powers.
Strand Scope Source
The Houses of Government Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  
    The Bureaucracy
The learner will be able to address the various bureaucracies in the Federal government and how they influence the government.
Strand Scope Source
The Houses of Government Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  
    The Courts
The learner will be able to summarize landmark U.S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendments and be able to understand the changing interpretations of the Bill of Rights over time.
Strand Scope Source
The Houses of Government Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  
    Checks and Balances
The learner will be able to describe the systems of separated and shared powers, the role of organized interests (Federalist Papers Number 10), checks and balances (Federalist Papers Number 78), enumerated powers, rule of law, federalism, and civilian control of the military.
Strand Scope Source
The Houses of Government Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

    Civil Liberties
The learner will be able to describe civil liberties and evaluate and defend positions on the scope and limits of rights and obligations as democratic citizens.
Strand Scope Source
Civil Liberties & Civil Rights in a Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  
    Civil Rights
The learner will be able to distinguish the importance of the rights of citizens and importance of each of the rights guaranteed under the Bill of Rights and how each is secured (e.g. freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, petition, privacy).
Strand Scope Source
Civil Liberties & Civil Rights in a Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  

Public Policy in US Government

    Domestic Policy
The learner will be able to define domestic policy and how it changes with different administrations.
Strand Scope Source
Foreign and Domestic policy Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  
    Foreign and Defense Policies
The learner will be able to define foreign and defense policies and how they change under different administrations.
Strand Scope Source
Foreign and Domestic policy Master The College Board AP Advance Placement Program
  

© 2006 by Oroville Union High School District and Scantron Corporation.  All Rights Reserved. Made with Curriculum Designer by Scantron Corporation.