Course Description

"American Government" is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of the single-semester American Government course. The class provides an important opportunity for students to learn the core concepts of American Government and understand how those concepts apply to their lives and the world around them. "American Government" adheres to the scope and sequence of introductory American government courses nationwide. I have endeavored to make the workings of American Government interesting and accessible to students while maintaining the conceptual coverage and rigor inherent in the subject. The content of this course has been developed and arranged to provide a logical progression from the fundamental principles of institutional design at the founding, to avenues of political participation, to thorough coverage of the political structures that constitute American government. The class builds upon what students have already learned and emphasizes connections between topics as well as between theory and applications. The goal of each section is to enable students not just to recognize concepts, but to work with them in ways that will be useful in later courses, future careers, and as engaged citizens.