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=**__Home__**=


 * Welcome Mrs. Olson's American Government students. This is the home page for our class wiki. You will be finding all of the information you will need for our class, including notes and assignments, here. This class fulfills your one semester of American Government requirement for graduation.**

__**Course Materials**__


 * **Magruder's American Government**
 * **Magruder's companion website**
 * **Various primary source readings**
 * **Videos**
 * **Other various resources**


 * __American Government Syllabus__**

**American Government Syllabus**


 * Instructor:** Laurie Olson
 * School**: Peoria Notre Dame High School
 * Room** W-03
 * E-Mail**: l.olson@pndhs.org
 * Class Wiki** NDAmGovt.wikispaces.com


 * __Course Description:__** This course provides an overview of American government and politics. Instruction focuses on the political beliefs and behavior of the United States Government and its people with particular emphasis placed on the governmental structures and the duties and responsibilities of the people at the local, state, and national levels of government. Students are expected to complete individual and collaborative assignments/projects.

1. Identify and Comprehend the U.S. constitutional foundations. 2. Recognize and Evaluate U.S. political beliefs and behaviors. 3. Understand how U.S. political parties, interest groups, and mass media operate. 4. Know the important institutions of the national government. 5. Synthesize public policy. 6. Examine and Understand U.S. civil rights and civil liberties.
 * __Course Goals:__** Upon completion of this class, students will:

1. Be prepared for class everyday. Bring your book, notebook, pen/pencil, and all other required materials to class. 2. Be an active participant in class. Join in class discussions and be a productive member in group assignments. 3. Complete all class assignments when assigned. Remember this is a required class. The surest way to find yourself in academic trouble in this class is to not do your homework. 4. Treat peers and instructor with respect. 5. Do your own work//.// Cheating will not be tolerated. You are expected to do your own work to the best of your ability.
 * __Expectations__:** Students are expected to:
 * Engage in appropriate academic classroom behavior (e.g., arrive on time, prepared to take notes, discuss homework, participate in activities, etc.)
 * Keep an open mind and take the class seriously//.// If you come to class with a willingness to explore new ideas and question unexamined beliefs you will find the study of American Government very rewarding.
 * Respect your peers when participating in class discussions. Listen courteously to the ideas of others.


 * __Mrs. Olson’s Availability__**
 * I am here in the morning by 7:30 am. The only morning I am not available is on Wednesdays about twice a month as I have meetings on that morning.
 * I am usually available any day after school.
 * Please do not hesitate to talk to me if you have any question or problem. I am here to help you be successful in this class.


 * __Attendance, Homework, and Make-up Work Policies__:**
 * Attendance is mandatory and will be taken on a daily basis through the school program. Regular attendance is essential to your success in this class. I will be strictly following the schools guide lines and practices in regards to attendance.
 * Homework is an integral part of your educational career. Homework assignments will help to reinforce skills taught in the classroom and help you to develop responsibility and gain mastery of course content. Homework will be a regular and active part of your learning and is essential to this course, so you should incorporate helpful strategies into your daily study routine, like using your planner, to help you be successful with homework.
 * ** All assignments will be posted on the class wiki. Remember if you are absent it is your responsibility to check the wiki. ** If I have handed something out in class it is your responsibility to see me in order to get the materials. All assignments should be completed to satisfy the due date. Work handed in late will be accepted but with a reduction of points. **Please see the new grading policies adopted posted in your handbook.**


 * __Exams__**: Tests and exams are an integral part of your learning; they essentially gauge what you know in terms of course content, concepts, and skills. It is critical that students use good study techniques and strategies when preparing for an exam so that they can appropriately and effectively demonstrate to the teacher what they know or understand. It is mandatory that all students pass the course with at least a D- to receive credit for the class.


 * __Grading__:** Grades will reflect the measurable achievement of you as a student. There are several categories for grades given in this class. Grades are calculated on a total point scale. The scale is as follows:

A+ 100 – 98 A 97 – 95 A- 94 – 93 B+ 92 – 90 B 89 – 87 B- 86 – 85 C+ 84 – 82 C 81 – 79 C- 78 – 77 D+ 76 – 75 D 74 – 72 D- 71 – 70 F 69 – 0
 * __Scale__**

Besides written assignments, students will be assigned a considerable amount of reading. Studying American Government requires that one read. We cannot begin to cover in class what students are required to know. If you do not read the material, then you will find it hard to learn the necessary content and concepts and you will find it hard to pass the class. **//The bottom line is that you must take responsibility for reading the material for this class if you are to experience success.//**
 * __Assignments__:** Tests will be a combination of multiple choice, image analysis, short answer, and essay, and are structured college exams. //They will be challenging and will cover considerable amounts of material//. Each test will cover several chapters. This will make personal organization and disciplined study all the more important. There will be assigned a variety of written assignments throughout the year. The purpose of these is always to make you dig deeper and prepare you for exams.
 * __Plagiarism__:** To plagiarize is to present someone else’s work as your own. To present someone else’s work as your own means to use someone else’s __information__, __ideas__, and/or __writing__ without explicitly acknowledging with quotation marks and/or citations that the ideas and writing are not your own. You may be plagiarizing even if you are not directly quoting. Plagiarism is a serious offense and I will give a 0 to any assignment in which a student plagiarizes. Of course it is important to be using others’ ideas and information, but you must provide credit where credit is due. If you have ANY questions or confusions about plagiarism, please let me know before you turn in your work.

**__Class Schedule__**


 * __Date__ Topic Reading**

__Week 1 Principles of Government Chp. 1__
 * Themes __** :
 * Government & State
 * Forms of Government
 * Basic Concepts of Democracy

Week 2 The Constitution Chp. 3
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Six basic principles
 * Formal Amendments

Week 3 Federalism Chp. 4
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Division of Power
 * Interstate Relations

Week 4,5 Political Parties Chp. 5
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Two Party System
 * Minor Parties
 * Party Organization

Week 6 Voters and Voter Behavior Chp. 6
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Rights of Voters
 * Voter Qualifications
 * Suffrage & Civil Rights

Week 7 Electoral Process Chp. 7
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Nomination Process
 * Elections
 * Electoral Finance

Week 8 Mass Media & Public Opinion Chp. 8
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Formation of Public Opinion
 * Measurement of Public Opinion
 * Mass Media in Politics

Week 12 Interest Groups Chp. 9
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Nature of Interest Groups

Week 13 - 14 Congress Chp. 10
 * __ Themes __** :
 * National Legislature
 * House of Reps.
 * Senate

Week 15 – 16 Powers of Congress Chp. 11
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Expressed Powers
 * Implied Powers
 * Non-legislative Powers
 * Money & Commerce

Week 16 -17 Congress in Action Chp. 12
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Congress Organization
 * Congressional Committees
 * Turning Bills into Law

Week 18 **Finals**

Week 19 – 20 The Presidency Chp. 13
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Duties & Responsibilities
 * Succession
 * Framer’s Plan
 * Nomination & Election

Week 21 – 22 Presidency in Action Chp. 14
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Growth of Presidential Power
 * Executive Powers
 * Diplomatic & Military Powers
 * Legislative & Judicial Powers

Week 23 – 24 The Bureaucracy Chp. 15
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Executive Departments
 * Independent Agencies
 * Civil Services

Week 25 Financing Government Chp. 16
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Taxes
 * Revenue & Barrowing
 * Spending & Budget

Week 26 Foreign Policy & National Defense Chp. 17
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Foreign Affairs
 * Defense Agencies
 * Foreign Aide & Alliances

Week 27 Federal Courts Chp. 18
 * __ Themes __** :
 * National Judiciary
 * Inferior Courts
 * Supreme Courts

Week 28 Civil Liberties Chp. 19
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Unalienable Rights

Week 29 – 30 Protecting Individual Rights Chp. 20
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Due Process
 * Punishments

Week 31 Equal Justice under Law Chp. 21
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Equality before the Law
 * Federal Civil Rights
 * American Citizenship

Week 32 - 33 Comparative Political Systems Chp. 22
 * Themes **:
 * Differing Governmental Systems
 * America’s political system in the world
 * Separation of Powers
 * Types of Governments

Week 34 Comparative Economic Systems Chp. 23
 * __ Themes __** :
 * Capitalism
 * Socialism
 * Communism

Week 35 Governing by the States Chp. 24 & 25
 * __ Themes __** :
 * State Constitutions
 * State Legislatures
 * Governor & State Administration

Week 36 **Finals**
 * __Conclusion__: Finally, if you have a question or concern regarding the class, projects, readings, assignments, or absences, it is up to you to ask. You are ultimately responsible for your own learning!**

***The Timeline, activities, assignments, and syllabus are subject to revision by the Instructor***