College Prep/Tech Prep Government Syllabus
College Prep/Tech Prep AmericanGovernment and Economics Syllabus
Wade Kurzinger
wkurzinger@ldsd.org
Goal for theCourse: Students will be able to understand the structure of our government and economic systems, and also to understand the role that they play in the formation, change, and application of government and economic policies.
Requirements and Expectations:
1. Students will not be required to adhere to any specific point of view, but they will be required to respect the opinions of others, and appreciate alternate points ofview.
2. Students will be required to take an active role in discussions and group projects, participation will be a contributing factor in their grades on these assignments.
3. Students are expected to ask questions whenever necessary.
Texts: MagrudersAmerican Government.
Economics for Today. 3rdEdition, Thomson, 2003;
- Various other primary and secondary documents to be selected by the teacher
Grading: The grading scale will be the standard school grading scale (i.e. 90-100 =A, 80-89 =B, etc.)
- Student grades will be calculated using a total point system based on student scores on: homework, quizzes, exams, group and individual projects, reaction papers, class debates and discussions, political cartoon analysis, and all other assessments assigned by the teacher.
Absentee WorkPolicy: Students who are absent should consult the teacher to obtain any missed classroom information and/or missed work.
- Absent students must make up missed tests or quizzes during study halls, before school, or after school
Scope of the Course:
I. Constitutional Foundations
a. Establish Political Ideology and Answer the Question, “Why Government?”
b. Investigate “How Involved Should Government be in our Lives?”
c. The Origins of our Political System
d. The U.S.Constitution and Other Contributing Documents
e. Federalism in America
II. Structure of Government
a. Federalism
b. Relationship Between Federal, State and Local Governments
c. Legislative Branch
d. Executive Branch
e. Judicial Branch
f. Checks and Balances
g. Separation of Powers
III. Government/CitizenInteraction
a. Civil Liberties
b. Civil Rights
c. Political Ideology
d. Political Parties
e. Interest Groups
f. Political Action Committees (PAC’s)
g. Election Process
h. Voting Patterns
IV. Governmental Policies
a. Departments and Federal Agencies
b. Foreign Policy
c. Economic Policy
d. Social Policy
V. Economics
a. Introduction to the Market Economy
b. Market Supply and Demand
c. Fundamentals of Microeconomics
d. Fundamentals of Macroeconomics
e. Macroeconomic Theory and Policy
f. Money, Banking, and Monetary Policy
g. The Global Economic System
VI. Current Topics of Interest (To be Embedded Throughout the Course)
a. Freedom of Expression
b. Gun Control
c. Special Interest Groups and PAC’s
d. Cloning and Stem Cell Research
e. Campaign Finance Reform
f. America’s Role in Foreign Policy
g. Capital Punishment
h. Same-sex marriage