American Government 

Unit 1: Government in America

Introduction

What is Government?

Elitism, Pluralism, and Tradeoffs

Engagement in a Democracy

Unit 2: The Constitution 

• Introduction

• Roots of the American Political Tradition

• The Articles of Confederation

• The Development of the Constitution

• The Ratification of the Constitution

• Constitutional Change

Unit 3: Federalism

• Introduction

• The Division of Powers

• The Evolution of American Federalism

• Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism

Unit 4: Public Opinions and Mass Media 

• Introduction

• The Nature of Public Opinion

• The Effects of Public Opinion

• What Is the Media?

• Regulation and Impact of the Media

Unit 5: Political Parties 

• Introduction

• What Are Parties and How Did They Form?

• The Two-Party System

• The Shape of Modern Political Parties

• Divided Government and Partisan Polarization

Unit 6 Voting and Elections 

• Introduction

• Voter Registration and Turnout

• Elections

• Campaigns and Voting

• Direct Democracy

Unit 7: Interest Groups 

• Introduction

• Interest Groups Defined

• Collective Action and Interest Group Formation

• Interest Group Participation and Influence

• Free Speech and the Regulation of Interest Groups

Unit 8: The Legislative Branch 

• Introduction

• The Institutional Design of Congress

• Congressional Election and Representation

• House and Senate Organizations

• The Legislative Process

Unit 1: The Executive Branch ( Part 1)

• Introduction

• The Design and Evolution of the Presidency

• The Presidential Election Process

• Organizing to Govern

Unit 2: The Executive Branch ( Part 2) 

• Introduction

• The Public Presidency

• Presidential Governance: Direct Presidential Action

Unit 3: Bureaucracy 

• Introduction

• Bureaucracy and the Evolution of Public Administration

• Toward a Merit-Based Civil Service

• Understanding Bureaucracies and their Types

• Controlling the Bureaucracy

Unit 4: Judicial Branch (Part 1)

• Introduction

• Guardians of the Constitution and Individual Rights

• The Dual Court System

• The Federal Court System

Unit 5: Judicial Branch (Part 2) 

• Introduction

• The Supreme Court

• Judicial Decision-Making and Implementation by the Supreme Court

Unit 6: Civil Liberties 

• Introduction

• What Are Civil Liberties? 


• Securing Basic Freedoms

• The Rights of Suspects

• Interpreting the Bill of Rights

Unit 7: Civil Rights 

• Introduction

• What Are Civil Rights and How Do We Identify Them?

• The African American Struggle for Equality

• The Fight for Women’s Rights

• Civil Rights for Indigenous Groups

• Equal Protection for Other Groups

Unit 8: Local and State Government 

• Introduction

• State Power and Delegation

• State Political Culture

• Governors and State Legislatures

• County and City Government