Mundelein High School - Faculty & Departments

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS - Units

Unit 1: Foundations of the American Government


Essential Questions

1.	How did historical philosophers influence the American government?
2.	Why did the Articles of Confederation fail to bring ability order and stability to the new nation?
3.	How was power distributed and the abuse of power prevented at the Constitutional Convention?
4.	How did the Constitution balance individual liberties and order?


Objectives

•	Students will explain how the values of John Locke impacted American government.
•	Students will describe the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
•	Students will discuss the compromises developed at the Constitutional Convention.
•	Students will examine the structure of the Constitution and identify key principles.


Key Terms

•	Articles of Confederation- weaknesses
•	John Locke
•	Declaration of Independence
•	Constitutional Convention (Compromises)
•	6 Principles of the Constitution (separation of powers, checks and balances, popular sovereignty, federalism, limited government, judicial review)


Enrichment

•	Montesquieu
•	Hobbes
•	Machiavelli
•	Rousseau
•	Ratification
•	Federalist Paper 51
•	Stamp Act
•	Intolerable Acts

Unit 2: Federalism & Local Government


Essential Questions

1.	How is power divided between the state and national government?
2.	How is the Illinois Constitution similar to and different from the US Constitution?
3.	What is the role of the Supreme Court in deciding between states’ rights and a strong central government?
4.	How can individual citizens and groups influence local government?


Objectives

1.	Students will compare and contrast the Illinois Constitution and US Constitution.
2.	Students will analyze the development of federalism and the growth of federal power over time.
3.	Students will classify powers delegated to the Federal Government, reserved to the states and powers concurrent to both the state and federal governments.
4.	Students will examine the role of the Supreme Court in settling disputes between the state and federal government.
5.	Students will debate various issues in Illinois and local government (taxes, education, voting age, moment of silence, gambling)


Key Terms

•	Federalism
•	States' Rights
•	Delegated Powers
•	Interstate Commerce Clause
•	Concurrent Powers
•	Reserved Powers
•	McCulloch v Maryland
•	Full Faith and Credit Clause
•	Line-Item Veto
•	General Assembly
•	Comptroller
•	Appellate Court/Federal Court of Appeals
•	Circuit Court/Federal District Courts


Enrichment

•	US v Lopez
•	Gonzales v Oregon
•	Gonzales v Raich
•	Extradition
•	New Federalism
•	Grants: Block, Categorical

Unit 3: Congress


Essential Questions

•	How can citizens and groups become involved in the law making process?
•	How does Congress use its power and how is the abuse of their power prevented in our governmental system?
•	How does the institution of Congress influence public policy?


Objectives

•	Students will explain how a bill becomes a law.
•	Students will describe the roles, functions, and limitations of Congressional power.
•	Students will compare and contrast key characteristics of the House and Senate
•	Students will examine how legislators influence foreign and domestic policy.


Key Terms

•	Bill
•	Filibuster
•	Cloture
•	Expressed powers
•	Implied powers/Elastic Clause
•	Qualifications of House and Senate
•	Committees
•	War Powers Act
•	Non - legislative powers
•	Veto
•	Speaker of the House
•	President Pro Tempore
•	Pork Barrel Legislation
•	Whips
•	Minority/Majority party leaders
•	Gerrymandering/Redistricting
•	Incumbent


Enrichment

•	Reapportionment
•	Revenue bills
•	Appropriations bills
•	Baker v Carr
•	Reynolds v Sims
•	Wesberry v Sanders
•	Shaw v Reno

Unit 4: The American Presidency


Essential Questions

1.	Who are the key advisors to a president and what role(s) do they play in the political process?
2.	What are the constitutional roles a president possesses?
3.	How has presidential power grown over the past 200 years?
4.	What kinds of qualities and skills do presidents need in order to exercise leadership?


Objectives

1.	Students will identify key Cabinet officers as well as positions in the Executive Office of the President.
2.	Students will explain the various powers held by the president as found in Article II of the Constitution.
3.	Students will analyze how and why presidents use their various powers and how those powers are limited by other branches of government.
4.	Students will identify leadership skills and how presidents have exercised those skills over time.


Key Terms

•	22nd Amendment
•	25th Amendment
•	12th Amendment
•	Cabinet
•	Executive Office of the President
•	War Powers Act
•	Executive Order
•	Pardon
•	Amnesty
•	Treaty
•	Executive Agreement
•	Presidential Succession Act of 1947
•	US v Nixon


Enrichment

•	Leak
•	Mandate
•	Football/black box
•	Reprieve
•	Bully pulpit

Unit 5: Judicial Branch/Civil Liberties


Essential Questions

1.	What is the role of the judicial branch in American government?
2.	How does the Supreme Court exercise judicial review to check the powers of the legislative and executive branches?
3.	What roles do civil rights and liberties play in American politics?
4.	What roles does the government play in promoting national security and protecting the civil liberties of its citizens?


Objectives

•	Students will compare the jurisdiction of federal and state courts and describe the growth of the Supreme Court.
•	Students will explain the workings of the Supreme Court, how it shapes public policy, and the forces that shape its decisions.
•	Students will analyze the basic civil liberties contained in the Constitution and review the constitutional protections provided for each.
•	Students will discuss the nature, rights, and responsibilities of US citizenship and the role of the government in protecting these rights.


Key Terms

•	Original jurisdiction
•	Appellate jurisdiction
•	Marbury v Madison
•	Judicial review
•	Writ of certiorari
•	Majority opinion
•	Dissenting opinion
•	Appeal
•	Bill of Rights
•	Incorporation
•	Fourteenth Amendment
•	Establishment Clause
•	Free Exercise Clause
•	Mapp v Ohio (Exclusionary Rule)
•	Miranda v Arizona (Self-Incrimination)
•	Gideon v Wainright (Right to Counsel)


Enrichment

•	Concurrent jurisdiction
•	Amicus curiae
•	Concurring opinion
•	Stare decisis
•	Pure speech
•	Symbolic speech
•	Seditious Speech
•	Defamatory speech
•	Slander
•	Libel
•	“clear and present danger”
•	Prior restraint
•	Heckler's veto

Unit 6: The American Political System


Essential Questions

1.	What factors influence voter behavior and participation?
2.	What role do political parties play in the U.S. electoral system?
3.	What are the fundamental ideological principles that define the major political parties in the United States?
4.	How do interest groups influence the political process?


Objectives

1.	Students will identify ways in which the media and interest groups influence voters and potential voters.
2.	Students will be able to trace the election cycle from primaries and caucuses to general elections.
3.	Students will analyze the factors influencing voter participation, behavior and voting trends.
4.	Students will be able to explain the differing positions taken by the major political parties on current domestic and international issues.


Key Terms

•	Democrat
•	Republican
•	populism
•	ballot
•	primary
•	caucus
•	conservative
•	liberal
•	Electoral College
•	delegate
•	ideology
•	general election
•	moderate
•	propaganda
•	open/closed primaries
•	Campaign Finance Reform
•	Buckley v Valeo
•	Interest Groups
•	Lobbying
•	“Horse Race Journalism”


Enrichment

•	grass roots
•	retail politics
•	pork barrel politics
•	coat tail effect
•	GOP
•	third parties
•	Political Action Committees