Contents
Question of the Week - APUSH and GoPo
Class Information
| GOPO | AdvUSH |
| APUSH | C & E |
| AP Euro | America at War |
AP United States Government and Politics
Links on Government and Politics
Links on United States History
Links on the Revolution and Civil War
Advanced United States History
Links on United States History
Talk to Me
E-mail betsynewmark @ gmail.com
More Information
More on History
Advanced Placement United States Government and Politics
Summer Reading Assignment for the 2018 - 2019 year:
Summer Assignment for 2018 in Word
Summer Assignment for 2018 as PDF
The textbook is American Government, 13th edition by James Q. Wilson and John DiIulio - 13th Edition
The readings book for this class is Lanahan Readings in the American Polity - 6th edition
You may want to order the Lanahan Readings book from Amazon and save money. Be sure to order the 6th Edition which just came out in the Spring of 2016.
Every student will also need a pocket copy of the Constitution. It doesn't matter which one you use. Here is the one that we recommend.
Political Culture, Public Opinion, and Political Participation
Study Guide and Assignments for Unit One
Quiz: Do you live in a bubble? Some of these questions are geared toward adults. You might want to ask your parents how they would answer those questions or you can just guess. You might also ask your parents to take the quiz themselves.
New York Times Interactive: Do You Live in a Political Bubble?
Instructions for setting up your Google Drive
Larry Sabato and Glenn Simpson: "Dirty Little Secrets"
New report finds that voter turnout in 2016 topped 2012
Class Activities
1. Reasons Given for Not Voting
Turnout in the 2012 Presidential Election
"73 Rules for Running for President as a Republican"
Michael Barone: "Polls are part of the air that Politicians Breathe"
Study Guide for Unit Two: Chapter 9 - Political Parties
PowerPoint on Political Parties
"How a little-known task force helped create Red State/Blue State America"
Class Activities
"How American Politics Went Insane"
Earl and Merle Black: "The Rise of Southern Republicans"
No Longer a 'Solid South' of all-red or all-blue
Fiorina article: "The Decline of Collective Responsibility in American Politics
Study Guide for Unit Three: Chapters 8 Elections and Campaigns
My Vote Means Nothing: How Presidential Primaries Backfired" by David Greenberg
Wikipedia entry on Citizens United v. FEC
Wall Street Journal editorial on the Citizens United ruling.
New York Times editorial on the Citizens United ruling.
Scotusblog on Citizens United - Scroll down for responses in the media and blogosphere
Go to the Links Page for more links on the case.
"Why Obama is Better at Getting Out the Vote" by Sasha Issenberg
The Creepiness Factor: How Obama and Romney Are Getting to Know You
How Social Media Can Enhance Political Campaigns
Campaign Ads
Living Room Candidate 2016 -Follow the links at the bottom to view ads
Powerpoint: Who Wants to Be an A Student?
Study Guide for Unit Four: Chapter 10 The Media
Media and Candidate-Centered Campaigns
Study Guide for Interest Groups
"Interest Groups in American Politics"
"Lobbying is Democracy in Action"
"Washington's Once and Future Lobby"
The Study of American Government and The Constitution
Study Guide on The Constitution
Excerpts from Federalist 10 and 51
Worksheet: Federalist vs Antifederalist
Self-Checking Quizzes on the Amendments to the Constitution
Supreme Court Cases on Federalism
Link to find information on Supreme Court Cases
Selections from Randy Barnett's Proposed Constitutional Amendments
Constitutional Convention Assignment
Edmund Burke's Speech to the Electors of Bristol
Podcast: "Constitutionally Speaking: The Congressional Beast" Listen the sections from 12:56--15:33 and from 27:21--29:35
Ideological Distribution in Congress
Hit “Play the Game.” Then choose Partisan Gerrymander - Basic Level. (If you get the message about Java, click on “This link.") Play the game for a bit. It’s not necessary that you complete the mission. Just try to figure out what you would need to do in order to complete the mission. If you have time, try some of the other missions. I’m more interested in your figuring out how to achieve each mission than in your actually completing the mission.
Quiz: Gerrymandered US Congressional District or Rorschacch Inkblot?
The Senate Syndrome by Steven Smith
Article: "The 60 Vote Senate" by Barbara Sinclair
Why Woodrow Wilson Hated the Filibuster by Joyce Appleby
The Senate Loses Its Tradition of Consensus by Fred Bauer
"Why Can't Congress Get More Done?"
"Pork is Still King of the Hill"
Powers, Separated on Purpose by Charles C. W. Cooke
The Shutdown is the Constitution's Fault by Dylan Matthews
Essay Assignment: Checks and Balances
The Basics of the Budget Process
The Presidency and The Bureaucracy
Study Guide for Unit Eight - The Presidency and the Bureaucracy
Restraining the Imperial Presidency
Kenneth Mayer "With the Stroke of a Pen"
Links for Arguments on the Electoral College
How to Pick a Veep by Carl M. Cannon
Article on Bureaucracy by James Q. Wilson
The Rise of the Fourth Branch of Government by Jonathan Turley
"A Government of Strangers" by Hugh Heclo
From Administrative State to Constitutional Government by Joseph Postell
Presidents and Presidential Elections
Rasmussen Reports: Presidential Approval Index (scroll down for the table)
Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Study Guide for Unit Ten - Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Powerpoint on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Ex-Day Handout on Hate Speech and Speech Codes
"Letter from a Birmingham Jail" excerpts
Supreme Court Writing Assignment
Links for exploring cases
Exploring Constitutional Law (Scroll down to find links to cases based on topic)
First Amendment Center (Click on the links to the parts of the First Amendment that interest you. Use the links right below the title.)
Government Printing Office Style Manual on capitalization rules
Antifederalist Essay Excerpts from Brutus XI, XII, and XV
The Warren through the Rehnquist Courts
Wikipedia information on judicial nominations
PBS video on the President and the Judiciary
Senate votes on John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Neil Gorsuch
How the Supreme Court Arrives at Decisions by William Brennan
The Supreme Court by William Rehnquist
Justice Souter's Harvard Commencement Address
Video Discussion between Justices Scalia and Breyer (start at 2:00 and end at 37:28) Here's another link for the video if the first one doesn't work for you.
Video Questions on Scalia-Breyer Discussion
Laurence H. Tribe on "The Myth of Strict Constructionism"
Select Smart Quiz on which Supreme Court justices you are closest to
Reading on the Federal Reserve
Video Questions: The Fed Today
50 Dead-Simple Ways for the US to Cut Its Budget - slideshow
Balance the Budget yourself
iCivics People's Pie (You can play this without having to register)
Handout on Welfare and Education Policy
Handout on Economic Policy and the Budget Process
Review Study Guide (You can copy and write on as a Google Doc.)
Links for Cases
Rucho v. Common Cause at Scotusblog
Oral Argument for Rucho v. Common Cause
Department of Commerce v. New York at Scotusblog
Oral Argument for Department of Commerce v. New York