Alan H. Coverstone

(Wake Forest ’91)

 

 

 

 

Courses:

 

American Government AP

 

American Government

 

Comparative Politics AP

 

Economics

 

Senior Seminar: 1960’s

 

Activities:

 

Interscholastic Debate

 

Government Club

 

Contact:

coversa@montgomerybell.com

 

 

 

 

American Government

Montgomery Bell Academy

 

Course Description

 

Final Project Instructions

 

Final Project Hypotheticals

 

General Course Syllabus

 

Exam Review Sheet 2001

 

Date

We The People

Topic

Resources/Assignments

8/28

 

Course Introduction

Unit One: Constitutional Founding

8/29

76-83

Founding Interests, The Declaration of Independence, and Articles of Confederation

Print and Begin Completing: Unit One: Must Know Sheet

8/30

83-90

The Constitutional Convention, Compromises, and Slavery

React: The Constitution was Written to Protect and Preserve the Institution of Slavery (1 page)

9/3

90-98

The Constitutional Structure

Print and Learn: Constitutional Outline

9/4

98-104

Ratification: Federalists and Anti-Federalists

Write a brief (2 - 1 page) statement against the ratification of the Constitution using arguments advanced by the Anti-Federalists

9/5

104-113

A Living Constitution

Complete Unit One: Must Know Sheet

9/6

 

TEST – Unit One (Constitutional Founding)

 

9/9

117-122

The Federal Framework

Unit Two: Federalism

Print and Begin Completing: Unit Two: Must Know Sheet

9/10

122-130

Historical Development of Federalism

Write a brief (1 page) response to the following: Identify the three most significant historical events in the evolution of America’s federalism and explain why you see each as significant.

9/11

 

Case Study: Alabama v. Garrett

Read Alabama v. Garrett Summary and Answer Questions

9/12

130-139

Fiscal Federalism

 

9/13

139-143

States v. Feds: Which Level is Better for What?

Identify 2 areas of public policy in which the states would perform better than the feds and 2 areas of public policy in which the feds would perform better than the states.

9/16

142

Welfare Reform

Answer these Questions

9/17

143-147

Conclusion: Unfunded Mandates and Devolution

Complete Unit Two: Must Know Sheet

9/18

 

TEST – Unit Two (Federalism)

 

9/19

182-183

Death Penalty

Unit Three: Civil Liberties

Print and Begin Completing: Unit Three: Must Know Sheet

Print Questions for Video and bring to class

9/20

173-175

Right to Keep and Bear

Print Questions for Video and bring to class

9/23

182-188

Right to Privacy

Print Questions for Video and bring to class

9/24

150-156

Civil Liberties

Know: What is the difference between Civil Liberties and Civil Rights?

9/25

156-159

Nationalization of the Bill of Rights

Write a brief (1/2 - 1 page) response to the following question: Why didn’t the Bill of Rights apply to State officials when it was added to the Constitution, and why does it apply today?

9/26

162-172

Free Speech and Press

 

9/27

175-182

Rights of the Accused

Visit School Prayer Web Site. Investigate Pros and Cons of the current law on religious exercise in public schools.

9/30

159-162 Religious Exercise

 

10/1

     

10/2

 

Case Study: The PATRIOT Act

Complete Unit Three: Must Know Sheet

10/3

     
10/4      

10/7

 

TEST – Unit Three (Civil Liberties)

 

10/8

194-201

The Fourteenth Amendment in the 19th Century

Brown v. Board of Education

Unit Four: Civil Rights

Print and Begin Completing: Unit Four: Must Know Sheet

10/9

201-205

The Civil Rights Movement

 

10/10

206-211

The Civil Rights Act

 

10/11

211-214

Employment, Voting, and Housing Rights

Print Questions for Video and bring to class

10/14

 

 

 

10/15

214-218

Gender Discrimination

 

10/16

217

Case Study: Violence Against Women Act

 

10/17

221-229

Affirmative Action

 

10/21

 

Affirmative Action Debate

Read: Taking Sides Debate on Affirmative Action

Write a brief (1 page) statement for or against affirmative action in college admissions

10/22

 

TEST – Unit Four (Civil Rights)

 

10/23

445-452

The Nature of Representation

Unit Five - Congress

Take the Extra-Credit Scavenger Hunt

10/24

452-457

Elections and Pork

Print and Begin Completing: Unit Five: Must Know Sheet

10/25

457-468

Organization of Congress

 Check out Congress.org

10/28

 

 

 Check out C-Span's Congress Site

10/29

468-473

How a Bill Becomes A Law

 Check out The Legislative Process

10/30

473-481

Influencing Congressional Action

 

10/31

481-488

Special Powers

 

11/1

 

Case Study: War Powers (Iraq)

 Read: President Needs Congressional Approval to Declare War on Iraq, by John Dean

11/5

 

TEST – Unit Five (Congress)

 

11/6

492-500

Head of State

Unit Six – President

Print and Begin Completing: Unit Six: Must Know Sheet

11/7

500-507

Executive Privilege: Nixon

Read: U.S. v. Nixon Excerpt and answer the questions

Read and Answer Questions Before Class

11/8

508-514

Head of Government and Institutional Resources of Power

 

11/11

 

 

 

11/12

514-526

Political Resources of Power

 

11/13

526-530

Historical Evolution of Presidential Power

 

11/14

 

TEST – Unit Six (President)

 

11/15

535-543

The Nature of Bureaucracy

Unit Seven – Bureaucracy

Print and Begin Completing: Unit Seven: Must Know Sheet

11/18

543-548

The Merit System

 

11/19

548-553

Clientele Agencies

 

11/20

553-557

Maintenance of the Union

 

11/21

 

Case Study: Office of Homeland Security

 

11/22

557-560

Regulation and Distribution

 

11/25

 

TEST – Unit Seven (Bureaucracy)

 

11/26

577-583

Basics of the Legal System

Unit Eight – Judiciary

Print and Begin Completing: Unit Eight: Must Know Sheet

12/2

583-590

This Honorable Court

Print Questions for Video and bring to class

12/3

590-605

The Foundations of Judicial Review

 

12/4

605-608

Activism and Restraint

 

12/5

 

Bush v. Gore

 

12/6

608-613

The Court’s Role in the Political Process

 Read Article on Bush's Federal Court nominees.

12/9

 

TEST – Unit Eight (Judiciary)

 

12/10

316-326

History of America’s Political Parties

Unit Nine – Parties and Elections

12/11

332-336

Party Ideologies and Identifications

 

12/12

 

Critical Elections: 1928, 1960, 1896

 

12/13

 

Critical Elections: 1932, 1968

 

12/16

 

1992

 Third Party Campaign Simulation

12/17

 

1996

 

 

 

2000

 

12/18

346-350

Do Parties Help or Harm Democracy?

 

12/19

 

TEST – Unit Nine (Parties and Elections)

 

1/6

 

Student Final Project Presentations

 

1/7

 

Student Final Project Presentations

 

1/6

 

Student Final Project Presentations

 

1/9

 

Student Final Project Presentations