LEARNING OBJECTIVES: UNIT I

After reading chapters 1, 2, and 3 in the Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry textbook and attending the lectures, the student should be able to:

Chapter 1: Introducing American Government

· Explain the importance of government and politics.

· List and explain the two central questions for governing.

· Differentiate between government and politics.

· Describe the policymaking system, including:

· How policy issues get on the agenda

· How policymakers make policy.

· How policies affect people.

· Describe the four theories of democracy:

· Traditional

· Pluralist

· Elitist

· Hyperpluralist

· Describe the four challenges to democracy.

· Describe how the textbook will evaluate democracy in the United States.

· Describe the scope of government in the United States.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 2: The Constitution

· Describe the origins of the U.S. Constitution:

· The road to revolution.

· Declaring independence.

· The English heritage: the power of ideas.

· Jefferson’s Handiwork: the American Creed.

· Winning independence

· The "conservative" revolution.

· Describe the first national government and the reasons for its failure.

· Describe the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

· Describe the issues confronted by the delegates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

· Describe the Madisonian model.

· Describe the ratification of the Constitution.

· Describe the methods of constitutional change and their impact:

· Formal amendments.

· Informal processes.

· Describe the effects of the Constitution on democracy and the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 3: Federalism

· Differentiate among federations, unitary governments, and confederations.

· Define federalism and describe its importance.

· Describe the constitutional basis of federalism:

· Division of powers.

· Events establishing national supremacy.

· States' obligations to each other.

· Describe the evolution of intergovernmental relations:

· From dual federalism to cooperative federalism.

· Rise of fiscal federalism.

· Assess the advantages and disadvantages of federalism.

· Assess the effects of federalism on democracy and the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Lectures

· Identify and describe the principal concepts in Huntington's theory of political change.

· Describe New Federalism.

· Describe the Supreme Court's decisions in the 1990s that affected federalism.

UNIT II: LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 in the Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry textbook and attending the lectures, the student should be able to:

Chapter 5: Public Opinion and Political Action

· Describe the trends in American demography:

· Immigrants

· American melting pot

· Regional shift

· Graying of America

· Describe the political socialization process and the agents of socialization.

· Describe how public opinion is measured.

· Describe the role of polls in the American democracy.

· Describe the public's knowledge about politics.

· Describe the political ideologies in America.

· Describe the degree of ideological thinking of Americans.

· Describe how, why, and who among Americans participate in politics.

· Describe the effects of public opinion on democracy.

· Describe the effects of public opinion on the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 6: The Mass Media

· Describe the development of media politics.

· Print media

· Broadcast media

· Cable TV

· Internet

· Describe how the news is reported in the United States.

· Assess whether the media is biased.

· Describe the effects of the media on public opinion.

· Describe the effects of the media on the policy agenda.

· Describe the effects of the media on democracy.

· Describe the effects of the media on the scope of government

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 7: Political Parties

· Identify the three components of a political party.

· Describe the roles of political parties.

· Describe the party in the electorate.

· Describe the party organization:

· Local

· State

· National

· Describe the party in government.

· Describe the party eras in American history:

· 1796–1824: Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans

· 1828–1856: Democrats vs. Whigs

· 1860–1928: Democrats vs. Republicans

· 1932–1964: New Deal Coalition

· 1968– : Divided Party Government

· Describe the impact of third parties.

· Describe the impact of parties on democracy.

· Describe the impact of parties on the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 8: Campaigns and Voting Behavior

· Describe how presidential candidates are nominated.

· Describe the delegate selection process.

· Evaluate the current nomination process.

· Describe the general election campaign.

· Describe the impact of money on campaigns and elections.

· Describe the impact of the media on campaigns and elections.

· Assess the impact of campaigns.

· Describe the factors affecting voter turnout.

· Describe the factors affecting the vote choice.

· Describe presidential and congressional elections.

· Describe the operation of the Electoral College.

· Describe the impact of campaigns and elections on democracy.

· Describe the impact of campaigns and elections on the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 9: Interest Groups

· Define interest groups.

· Describe the three theories of interest groups.

· Describe the factors that make an interest group successful.

· Describe the tactics of interest groups:

· Lobbying

· Electioneering

· Litigation

· Going public

· Describe the types of interest groups.

· Describe the impact of interest groups on democracy.

· Describe the impact of interest groups on the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Lectures

· Identify the factors affecting the accuracy of polls.

· Describe the effects of the media on:

· What people think about

· What people think

· How people think

· How people feel about politics

· Describe the costs and benefits of voting.

· Explain why voter turnout in the US has declined.

· Discuss whether the US is experiencing a party realignment or dealignment.

· Describe the 2000 presidential campaign and Election.

· Describe political action committees (PACs) in terms of:

· The history of PACs

· The types of PACs

· Their solicitation techniques

· Their contribution tendencies

· The benefits and limitations of PACs

UNIT III: LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading chapters 10, 11, 12 and 13 in the Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry textbook and attending the lectures, the student should be able to:

Chapter 10: Congress

· Describe the job of a representative and senator.

· Describe the members of Congress.

· Describe congressional elections:

· Who wins?

· Advantages of Incumbents

· Role of party identification

· Defeating incumbents

· Money in congressional elections

· Describe the organization of Congress:

· Bicameralism

· Congressional leadership

· Committees and subcommittees

· Caucuses

· Congressional staff

· Describe the legislative process in Congress.

· Describe the influences on the legislative process.

· Describe the effect of Congress on democracy.

· Describe the effect of Congress on the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 11: The Presidency

· Describe the presidents.

· Describe presidential powers.

· Describe the organization of the executive branch:

· vice president

· cabinet

· Executive Office of the President (EOP)

· White House staff

· Describe the president as congressional leader.

· Describe the president and national security policy.

· Describe the public presidency.

· Describe the effect of the president on democracy.

· Describe the effect of the president on the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 12: The Federal Bureaucracy

· Describe the bureaucrats.

· Describe the organization of the federal bureaucracy.

· Describe the bureaucracy as implementer.

· Describe the bureaucracy as regulator.

· Describe the effect of the bureaucracy on democracy.

· Describe the effect of the bureaucracy on the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 13: The Federal Courts

· Describe the nature of the judicial system.

· Describe the US District Courts, Courts of Appeals, and Supreme Court in terms of:

· organization

· jurisdiction

· operation

· selection of judges

· Describe the implementation of judicial decisions.

· Describe the effect of the courts on democracy.

· Describe the effect of the courts on the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Lectures:

· Compare and contrast the earthquake of 1974 and the tsunami of 1994.

· Describe the two presidencies.

· Describe the prerogative powers of the president.

· Describe the components of James David Barber's presidential character.

· Describe the components of Stanley Renshon's presidential character.

UNIT IV: LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading chapters 4, 14, 15, and 16 in the Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry textbook and attending the lectures, the student should be able to:

Chapter 4: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

· Differentiate between civil liberties and civil rights.

· Describe the original scope of the Bill of Rights and its expansion.

· Describe the First Amendment's freedoms concerning religion:

· Establishment clause.

· Free exercise clause.

· Describe the First Amendment's freedoms of expression:

· Prior restraint.

· Free speech and public order.

· Free press and public trials.

· Obscenity.

· Libel and slander.

· Symbolic speech.

· Commercial speech.

· Regulation of the public airwaves.

· Describe the First Amendment's freedom of assembly.

· Describe the rights of a person accused of a crime:

· Searches and seizures.

· Self-incrimination.

· Right to counsel.

· Trial by jury.

· Cruel and unusual punishment.

· Describe the right to privacy.

· Describe the struggle for equality.

· Describe the three eras of African Americans' struggle for equality.

· Describe the struggles of Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans for equality.

· Describe the struggles of women for equality.

· Describe the newly active groups in civil rights.

· Describe affirmative action programs and their effects.

· Describe the effects of civil liberties and civil rights on democracy and the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 14: The Congress, the President, and the Budget: The Politics of Taxing and Spending

· Describe the sources of federal revenue:

· Income Tax

· Social Insurance Taxes

· Borrowing

· Effects of tax policies

· Describe the federal expenditures:

· National Security State

· Social Service State

· Incrementalism

· “Uncontrollable” expenditures

· Balancing the Budget

· Describe the relationship between budgeting and democracy.

· Describe the relationship between the budget and the scope of government.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 15: Social Welfare Policymaking

· Describe social policy and why it’s controversial

· Describe the distribution of income in the United States.

· Describe the extent of poverty in the United States.

· Describe the effect of public policy in income:

· taxation

· government expenditures

· Describe the evolution of social welfare programs in the United States.

· Describe the welfare reform of 1996 and its effects.

· Describe social security and its problems.

· Describe the relationship between social welfare policy and democracy.

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.

Chapter 16: Foreign and Defense Policymaking

· Describe the instruments of foreign policy.

· Describe the policymakers involved in national security policy.

· Describe the eras in United States foreign policy:

· Isolationism

· Cold War

· Détente

· Reagan Rearmament

· The final thaw in the Cold War

· The War on Terrorism

· Describe the politics of defense spending

· Defense spending

· Personnel

· Weapons

· Describe the New Global Agenda

· Decreasing role of military power

· Nuclear proliferation

· The international economy

· International inequality and foreign aid

· The global connection: Energy and environment

· Describe the relationship between national security and democracy

· Describe the relationship between national security and the scope of government

· Define the Chapter's key terms, which are identified by boldface type.