American Civics and Government Course outline and unit descriptions

Unit One – Introduction to Government

  Topics covered:

• Topic one: Forms of Government.
• Topic two: Why is the United States a Republic?
• Topic Three: Introduction to American Government.

Unit Two –  Legal Codes and Political Philosophies that Influenced the United States.

   Topics covered:

• Topic one: Legal codes from the past that influenced the United States.
• Topic two: Political Philosophers and their ideas that influenced the United States.

Unit Three – Key Ideas behind the creation of the United States.

  Topics covered:  

• Topic one: Constitutional debates and compromises
• Topic two: Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
• Topic three: Fundamental principles of the United States Constitution              
• Topic four: Ratification debates between the Federalists and the Anti Federalists.

Unit Four – Structure and Powers of the U.S. Federal government.

 Topics covered: 

• Topic one: Interpreting the U.S. Constitution
• Topic two: Express v Implied Powers
• Topic three: Congressional powers
• Topic four: Presidential powers
• Topic five: Judicial powers
• Topic six: Checks and Balances
• Topic seven: Separation of Powers

Unit Five – A Survey of the Federal System of the United States Government.

  Topics covered: 

•  Topic one: Federalism.
•  Topic two: Relationships between Federal and state governments.
•  Topic three: Enumerated, Implied, Reserved, Denied, and Concurrent Powers.
•  Topic four: Balance of powers between state and federal governments.
•  Topic five: The Supremacy Clause and the U.S. Constitution.
•  Topic six: State and Congressional roles in amending the U.S. Constitution.

Unit Six – The Bill of Rights: The Ultimate Protector of our Civil Rights.

 Topics covered: 

•  Topic one: Amendments 1-10 of the U.S. Constitution
•  Topic two: Origin of the U.S. Bill of Rights

Unit Seven – Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: What is the difference and why do these rights matter?

 Topics covered: 

• Topic one: Civil Rights.
• Topic two: Civil Liberties.
• Topic three: Due Process.
• Topic four: The Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• Topic five: Extension of voting rights.

Unit Eight – The Legislative Branch of the U.S. Government. 

 Topics covered:

• Topic one: Qualifications to become a member of the U.S. House ofRepresentatives.
• Topic two: Qualifications to become a member of the U.S. Senate.
• Topic three: How House and Senate members are elected.
• Topic four: The impact of the 17th Amendment on Senate elections.
• Topic five: The terms of office for House and Senate members.
• Topic six: The powers of the House.
• Topic seven: The powers of the Senate.
• Topic eight: How a bill becomes law.
• Topic nine: House and Senate leadership positions and their responsibilities.

Unit Nine – Presidential Impeachment: Conflict between the branches of the U.S. government.

 Topics covered: 

• Topic one: The impeachment process.
• Topic two: The impeachment of Andrew Johnson.
• Topic three: The impeachment of Bill Clinton.
• Topic four: The impeachment of Donald Trump
  

Unit Ten –  The Executive Branch of the U.S. government.

   Topics covered: 

• Topic one: Formal and Informal qualifications to be President of the United States.
• Topic two: The President’s term of office and the line of Presidential succession as these topics pertain to the 20th, 22nd and 25th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
• Topic three: The Electoral College and the election of the U.S. President
•  Topic four:  (The 12th Amendment).
•  Topic five: The roles of the U.S. President.
•  Topic six: The federal bureaucracy and the President’s cabinet.
•  Topic seven: The assets available to carry out the will of the U.S. President.

Unit Eleven – The Judicial Branch of the U.S. government. 

 Topics covered: 

• Topic one: The selection and approval process for federal judges.
• Topic two: Jurisdiction for the Supreme Court, federal courts and state courts.
• Topic three: The impact of John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, and the principle of Judicial Review.
• Topic four: How cases are heard and decided before the Supreme Court of the U.S.  (SCOTUS).
• Topic five: Legal philosophies: Judicial Restraint v. Judicial Activism.

Unit Twelve – The Criminal Justice Process. 

 Topics covered: 

• Topic one: Due process rights as they relate to the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 14th amendments.
• Topic two: Different types of crimes.
• Topic three: Procedures in the criminal justice process.
• Topic four: The different types of sentences a convicted person can receive.
• Topic five: Legal procedures related to civil suits with criminal proceedings.

Unit Thirteen – U.S. Public Opinion: What is it and why does it matter?

 Topics covered: 

• Topic one: What is Public Opinion?
• Topic two: Measuring public opinion.
• Topic three: Scientific polls v straw polls.
• Topic four: Elements of a scientific poll.
• Topic five: The “Universe” and scientific polling.
• Topic six: Random sampling.
• Topic seven: What makes scientific polling valid?
• Topic eight: Manipulating public opinion.
• Topic nine: Television, public opinion, and the U.S. Presidency.
• Topic ten: Factors that influence public opinion.
• Topic eleven: Mass media and public opinion.

Unit Fourteen – Duties of American Citizens.

  Topics covered: 

• Topic one: Voter registration
• Topic two: Registering for Selective Service.

Unit Fifteen – Local, State, and National Elections. 

  Topics covered: 

• Topic one: U.S. Political parties: Origins and development
• Topic two: The nomination and election process.
• Topic three: Campaign funding.
• Topic four: The influence of special interest groups on the election process.
• Topic five: Policy changes and Supreme Court rulings that have impacted the campaign finance process.
• Topic six: The influence of media coverage, campaign advertising, and public opinion polls on our election process.

Unit Sixteen – American Ideals versus Totalitarian Ideology.  

 Topics covered: 

• Topic one: The role of government in Totalitarian Systems.
• Topic two: Comparison of the structures, power-base, and decision-making processes of American democracy to those of totalitarian governments.
• Topic three: Comparison of  the rights and responsibilities of citizens in American democracy to those in totalitarian governments.
• Topic four: Conflict of ideals between American democracy and those of totalitarianism.
• Topic five: An explanation for the causes for the growth and decline of totalitarian forms of government.
• Topic six: American policies designed to resist the spread of Totalitarianism.