American Government

Structure and Origins of Government

The Legislative Branch

The Executive Branch

The Judicial Branch

Economic Policy

Domestic Policy

Foreign Policy

Types of Government

Origins and Founding Principles

Structure and Organization of Legislative Branch

Elections

Powers of Congress

Lawmaking

Structure and Organization of the Executive Branch

Elections

Powers of the Executive Branch

Regulatory Policy

Structure and Powers of the Judiciary

Landmark Decisions and Historical Impact of the Court on American Government

Criminal and Civil Law

Economic Systems

Economic Goals and Indicators

Fiscal Policy

Monetary Policy

Citizens and Public Policy

Regional Domestic Policy

Public Policy

Foreign Policy Goals and Tools

The United States role in the international community

Analyze advantages and disadvantages of various types of governments throughout the world by:

Analyze historic documents to determine the basic principles of United States government and apply them to real world situations by:

Evaluate how the principles of government assist or impede the functioning of government by:

Evaluate how the principles of government assist or impede the functioning of government by:

Evaluate how the principles of government assist or impede the functioning of the [Legislative Branch] of government by:

Explain roles and analyze strategies individuals or groups may use to initiate change in governmental policy and institutions by:

Evaluate demographic factors related to political participation, public policy, and government policies by:

Evaluate how the principles of government assist or impede the functioning of government by:

Evaluate how the principles of government assist or impede the functioning of the [Legislative Branch] of government by:

The student will evaluate how the principles of government assist or impede the functioning of the [Executive Branch] of government by:

Evaluate how the principles of government assist or impede the functioning of the [Executive Branch] of government by:

Evaluate how the principles of government assist or impede the functioning of the [Executive Branch] of government by:

Evaluate the impact of governmental decisions and actions that have affected the rights of individuals and groups in American society and/or have affected maintaining order and/or safety by:

Examine regulatory agencies and their social, economic, and political impact on the country, a region, or on/within a state by:

Evaluate how the principles of government assist or impede the functioning of the [Judicial Branch] of Government by:

Analyze the impact of landmark Supreme Court decisions on governmental powers, rights, and responsibilities of citizens in our changing society by:

Evaluate the principle of due process by:

Analyze elements, proceedings, and decisions related to criminal and civil law by:

Evaluate how governments affect the answers to the basic economic questions of what to produce, how to produce, and for whom to produce by:

Utilize the principles of economic costs and benefits and opportunity cost to analyze the effectiveness of government policy in achieving socio- economic goals by:

Evaluate the effectiveness of current monetary and fiscal policy on promoting full employment, price stability, and economic performance by:

Evaluate the effectiveness of current monetary and fiscal policy on promoting full employment, price stability, and economic performance by:

Explain roles and analyze strategies individuals or groups may use to initiate change in governmental policy and institutions by:

Analyze the roles and relationships of regions on the formation and implementation of government policy by:

Evaluate roles and policies the government has assumed regarding public issues by:

Evaluate the role of government in addressing land use and other environmental issues by:

Analyze policies designed to protect the rights of individuals and groups and to promote equity in American society by:

Analyze economic, political, and social issues and their effect on foreign policies of the United States by:

Evaluate the effectiveness of international alliances and organizations from the perspective of the United States by:

Comparing and describing the advantages and disadvantages of direct, representative, presidential, and parliamentary democracies.

Evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of democratic and authoritarian political systems.

Comparing authoritarian and democratic governments on distribution of power, efficiency of decision making, maintaining public order, protecting individual rights, and the ability to address a crisis.

Tracing the evolution of limited government and other principles from English common law through the Enlightenment philosophers to the foundations of American government.

Explaining representative democracy, popular sovereignty, and consent of the governed, and demonstrate how these concepts have ensured citizens' power over time.

Describing how the Declaration of Independence articulates the philosophy of government founded on basic principles.

Analyzing how the Constitution reflects the basic principles and eliminated the weaknesses of the Articles of the Confederation.

Analyzing how the principles of government are applied to real world situations.

Describing how the Constitution structures the government and provides for separation of powers, checks and balances, and judicial review, in such a way as to limit governmental power in favor of the people.

Explaining how the delegated, reserved, concurrent, and denied powers of government are divided in federalism and shared between national and state levels.

Describing the formal process for amending the Constitution and why this process is necessary.

Evaluating the balance between majority rule and the protection of individual rights.

Identifying the rights in the Bill of Rights and how they protect individuals and limit the power of government.

Analyzing the purpose of limited government and its impact on the structure, function, and processes of government.

Analyzing how principles are incorporated into the historic documents of American government and how those principles have been applied.

Analyzing how the principles of government are applied to real world situations.

Describing the bicameral structure, powers, and organization of the United States Congress and the Maryland General Assembly.

Comparing and contrasting the powers and responsibilities of local, state, and national legislative bodies.

Explaining tools used by political parties, interest groups, lobbyists, candidates, the media and citizens to impact elections, public policy, and public opinion.

Evaluating the effectiveness of tools used to impact elections, public policy, and public opinion.

Analyzing various methods that individuals or groups may use to influence laws, government policies, and elections including referendum, acts of civil disobedience, voting, boycotts, financial contributions, digital communication, and voting drives.

Evaluating how the election process, including open and closed primaries, affects political outcomes, individual voter behavior, and public opinion.

Analyzing how candidates, campaigns, political parties, and financial contributions influence the political process, policy, and public opinion.

Evaluating how the roles and strategies that individuals and groups use to influence government policy and institutions affect the concepts of government.

Determining the impact of reapportionment, redistricting, and gerrymandering on government policies, fiscal decisions, and representation.

Describing the structure, powers, and organization of the legislative branch on the federal, state, and local level.

Describing how the Constitution provides for separation of powers and checks and balances.

Evaluating the Elastic Clause and how implied powers impact the function of government.

Determining why Bills of Attainder, ex post facto laws, and the suspension of Habeas Corpus are denied powers.

Describing how laws are made and the tools that assist and/or impede the process.

Describing the structure, power, and organization of the executive branch on the federal, state, and local levels.

Explaining how executive departments and regulatory agencies assist in protecting rights, maintaining order and protecting the safety of citizens.

Determining how the nominating process, closed and open primaries, and general elections reflect the principles of representative democracy, consent of the governed, and majority rule.

Evaluating the utility of the Electoral College over time.

Comparing and contrasting the powers, roles, and responsibilities of local, state and national executives.

Describing the purpose, limitations and impact of executive orders in protecting rights, maintaining order, and providing safety for citizens.

Analyzing the impact of crisis on expansion of state and federal government power.

Evaluating the role of the state and federal governments concerning issues related to public safety and maintaining order and how those decisions affect individuals and groups.

Describing the role of regulatory agencies in carrying out the policies of the executive branch on the national and state level.

Describing the purpose, roles, and responsibilities of regulatory agencies: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Examining how regulatory agencies respond to social issues/concerns and/or market failures.

Describing the structure, power, and organization of the judicial branch on the federal, state, and local levels.

Analyzing how the Supreme Court decisions in Miranda v. Arizona (1966), Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), and T. L.O. v New Jersey (1985) impacted individual liberty.

Analyzing how the Supreme Court decisions in McDonald v. Chicago (2010) impacted federalism.

Analyzing how the Supreme Court's decision in the case of United States v. Nixon (1974) impacted the separation of powers.

Analyzing how the Supreme Court's decision in the case of Marbury v. Madison (1803) impacted limited government and checks and balances.

Analyzing how the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and Baker v. Carr (1962) impacted equal protection.

Explaining how the Supreme Court used the due process and equal protections clauses of the 14th Amendment to incorporate protection of individual rights and extend federal power.

Describing the role of the courts in settling disputes between individuals.

Analyzing the effectiveness of out- of-court settlements, arbitration, and mediation as alternatives to litigation.

Identifying the elements of civil law including: plaintiff, defendant, contract, breach of contract, torts, damages, preponderance of evidence, and petit jury.

Identifying the elements of criminal law including: defendant, prosecutor, reasonable doubt, felony, misdemeanor, grand jury, indictment, probable cause, presumption of innocence, plea bargaining, writ of habeas corpus, and subpoena.

Comparing the proceedings of civil and criminal cases including: grand jury, petit jury, indictment, standards of proof (beyond a reasonable doubt and preponderance of the evidence), plea bargaining, probable cause, writ of habeas corpus, and subpoena.

Explaining how traditional, command and market and mixed economies answer the basic economic questions of what to produce, how to produce and for whom to produce when resources are limited.

Determining how scarcity and opportunity cost affect government decision-making.

Evaluating the role of the United States government in answering the basic economic questions.

Explaining how the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the unemployment rate, and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measure economic performance.

Explaining how the business cycle reflects economic instability, including periods of inflation and recession.

Explaining how governments prioritize the competing socio-economic goals of freedom, growth, stability, equity, national defense, environmental protection, and educational quality in response to changing economic, social, and political conditions.

Evaluating how the principles of economic costs, benefits, and opportunity cost affect public policy issues, such as environmental and healthcare concerns, defense and education policy.

Describing the role of the state and federal legislative branches in developing fiscal policy.

Analyzing the role of the executive in the budgetary process on the national, state and local level.

Describing how the legislative branch influences economic performance by using the tools of fiscal policy including increasing and decreasing taxes and tariffs and/or spending.

Evaluating the effectiveness of fiscal policy in achieving economic growth, full employment, and price stability.

Describing how the Federal Reserve System uses the three tools of monetary policy, including open market operations, changes in the discount rate, and changes in the reserve requirements to influence the economy.

Evaluating the effectiveness of monetary policy in achieving economic growth, full employment, and price stability.

Analyzing how candidates, campaigns, political parties, the media lobbyists and financial contributions and citizens, influence the political process, policy, and public opinion.

Evaluating the tools that individuals or groups may use to influence laws, government policies, and elections including referendum, acts of civil disobedience, voting, boycotts, financial contributions, digital communication, and voting drives.

Identifying the voting patterns of various demographic groups and their impact on governmental policy.

Explaining how geographic characteristics and shared interests stimulate regional cooperation between governments and influence foreign policy and effect political decision-making.

Analyzing the importance of regional characteristics and interests including economic development, natural resources, climate and environmental issues, and population shifts in formulating local, state, and national government policy.

Analyzing patterns, trends, and projections of population and how these may affect environmental policy, education spending, health care, and social security.

Describing how limited government impacts the development and implementation of government policies for entitlements, including social security, housing, and nutritional assistance.

Evaluating how the rights and responsibilities of citizens impact government policies regarding Public Health, including immunization, Medicare and Medicaid, and food safety.

Analyzing how federalism impacts government policies for Education, including Elementary and Secondary Education Act and school choice.

Describing the impact of the rights and responsibilities of citizens on crime and punishment and incarceration.

Analyzing the impact of limited government on government policies for Technology, including cybersecurity, censorship, and energy.

Evaluating the way national, state, and local governments develop policy to address land use and environmental issues, such as pollution, urban sprawl, property rights and land use/ zoning.

Evaluating the effectiveness of governmental policies (legislation and executive orders) in promoting equity and civil rights for minorities, women and the disabled.

Examining the impact of equal protection on immigration and affirmative action policies.

Analyzing the conflicting demands of the United States foreign policy goals of trade, national security, and human rights.

Contrasting isolationism versus interventionism in United States foreign policy.

Explaining the tools used by the president to develop and implement foreign policy.

Examining how the foreign policy tools of military intervention, economic sanctions, foreign aid, and diplomacy affect American relationships with other countries.

Explaining the military and security functions of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United Nations (UN).

Explaining the humanitarian role of the Red Cross/Red Crescent and the United Nations.

Explaining the economic function of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the United Nations (UN), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Analyze how the United States involvement in international organizations advances or hinders the achievement of foreign policy goals.