1. US Government Syllabus
Matthew Frost
Free State High School, Room 249
(785) 330-1997
mfrost@usd497.org
www.mattfrost22.weebly.com
Content: US Government is semester-long course required for graduation. You must past this
course and your senior elective to meet the graduation requirements established by Lawrence Public
Schools.
The course will include units on foundations of American government, political behavior: government
by the people, the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, comparative political
and economic systems and participating in state and local government. Current events and
discussions will be an important part of the class.
Course Objectives:
• Students will identify their roles in civic life, politics and government.
• Students will identify the foundations of the American political system.
• Students will understand how the government established by the Constitution embodies the
purposes, values, and principles of American democracy.
• Students will understand the relationship of the United States to other nations and to
world affairs.
• Students will identify their roles in American democracy.
• Students will become familiar with current events at the local, state, national and
international levels as they relate to government and how it functions.
• Students will register to vote and participate in local elections.
Course Text: American Government, William A. McClenaghan
Required Materials: Please come to class prepared. You should have paper and pencil or pen every
day. You should have your textbook and some type of notebook in which to keep lecture notes and
handouts.
Grades: Your grade will be based on a weighted grading system. Tests, quizzes and projects will be
worth 70%, participation and daily work will make up the remaining 30%. Daily points will be awarded
for the following: videos, worksheets, journals, current events, and letters to elected officials, etc.
Major projects may include the following: creating your ideal government, major decisions by the
US Supreme Court, third party politics and special interest groups, presidential powers and current
events. Posted assignments are subject to change at the teacher’s discretion as time and
circumstances change.
The grading scale is as follows: A = 90%; B = 80%; C = 70%; D = 60%. This scale applies to all
assignments in this class.

2. Study Guides: A study guide for each unit will be handed out before each test. This will help you
focus your studying.
Quizzes: There will be quizzes given for certain chapters of each unit, these quizzes will be short
answer and multiple choice.
Tests: There will be a test administered at the conclusion of every unit. Tests will be multiple
choice questions with a choice of several essay questions. Tests will not be considered complete
and ready to be graded if you have not attempted to answer the essay question.
Make-up work: Missed assignments can be made up, but it is your responsibility to take care of
that. If I have to ask you to leave the room due to inappropriate behavior you forfeit the
opportunity to make up any assignment for that day.
Class discussions: Discussions of current events and other topics relevant to public policy will be
regular occurrences in class. There will be natural differences of opinion that occur during
discussions. Students MUST respect the discussion process and concede that people WILL
disagree. If a student becomes combative or is verbally attacking another student during a
class discussion, that student will be asked to leave class and will forfeit the opportunity to
make up any assignment for that day.
Power Standards: The following standards have been established for this course.
Power Standards for U.S. Government:
Upon completion of U.S. Government, students will be able to:
1) Demonstrate the ability to interpret maps, charts, graphs, and diagrams.
2) Demonstrate research skills (use of databases, evaluation of websites, and use of primary
documents).
3) Demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of the foundations of American
Government (political tradition, principles, and values; Declaration of Independence,
Constitution, Bill of Rights).
4) Demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of political behavior, civic
responsibility, and the political landscape (political parties, voters and voter behavior,
electoral process, media and public opinion, interest groups).
5) Demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of the legislative branch (Congress,
Expressed/Implied powers, committees, legislative process, and amendment process).
6) Demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of the executive branch.
7) Demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of the judicial branch.
8) Demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of contemporary politics.

3. Units 1-2 will be covered during the 1st quarter, with 3-5 covered during the 2nd quarter, but
may be adjusted at time dictates to include units 6 & 7
Unit 1: Foundations of American Government, Chapters 1-4
Objectives: the students will be able to identify the following
1. the relationship between government and the state, theories on the origins of
the state, political philosophies that influenced US government and the goals, as
expressed in our founding documents
2. different forms of government and how power is shared and/or distributed in
each
3. basic concepts of democracy in the United States
4. origins of the American system of government
5. the six basic principles embedded in the US Constitution and the formal and
informal amendment process
6. how federalism works in the United States and the relationship between states
and the national government and interstate relationships
Unit 2: Political Behavior: Government By the People, Chapters 5-9
Objectives: the students will be able to identify the following
1. political parties, what they do and how they are organized
2. party systems and how the two-party system has worked in American history
3. minor parties in the United States
4. historical voting patterns and/or behaviors
5. voter qualifications
6. the role of the suffrage and civil rights movements in expanding voting rights in
US history
7. the electoral process from the nomination through election, including the role of
money in the process
8. the role of the mass media and public opinion in the electoral process
9. the role of interest groups in the political process
Unit 3: The Legislative Branch, Chapters 10-12
Objectives: the students will be able to identify the following
1. the structure of the national legislature
2. qualifications for the House of Representatives and Senate
3. Congressional powers: expressed, implied and nonlegislative
4. the committee process and how a bill becomes a law

4. Unit 4: The Executive Branch, Chapters 13-17
Objectives: the students will be able to identify the following
1. presidential qualifications and the succession process
2. the nomination and electoral process
3. presidential powers and the growth in scope for the executive
4. the role of the federal bureaucracy: presidential advisors, departments,
independent agencies and civil service
5. how government is financed: tax and nontax revenues, borrowing and the
budgeting process
6. the role of foreign affairs and national security in the political process:
agencies responsible for administering policies
7. American foreign policy and the role of alliances
Unit 5: The Judicial Branch, Chapters 18-21
Objectives: the students will be able to identify the following
1. the role of the national judiciary, including the structure and jurisdiction of the
Supreme Court, inferior courts and special courts
2. civil liberties and the First Amendment freedoms: religion, press, assembly,
petition
3. how civil liberties protect individual rights: due process, search & seizure,
accused persons, and punishment
4. major Supreme Court cases dealing with civil liberties
5. the modern and historic role of civil rights and equal justice
6. the role of Amendments and Civil Rights laws in providing equal protection
7. how citizenship is granted and reasons why it can be taken away
Major assignments:
1. Supreme Court case studies
Unit 6 & 7: Comparative Political & Economic Systems & Participating in State and Local
Government, Chapters 22-25 (there will be a combined unit exam)
Objectives for unit 6: the students will be able to identify the following
1. the political systems for the following countries: Great Britain, Japan, Mexico,
Russia, and China
2. the differences between the following economic systems: capitalism, socialism,
and communism
Objectives for unit 7: the students will be able to identify the following
1. the origins and structure of state constitutions
2. the power and role of state legislatures
3. the power and role of governors and other administrative offices at the state
level
4. the structure and jurisdiction of state courts
5. the power, structure and relationships between counties, towns and townships
6. the power, structure and relationships between cities and metropolitan areas
7. what services are provided and how those services are financed