Title

Course: American Government

V American Government • 2009 listing - for reference only • Grade 10 or above • Government Sequence
* Primary Instructor
Paul Christiansen
* Sections
[Enrolled students will be notified if teacher schedules change between course posting in April and the scheduled start of classes. Please see Tuition and Fees for refund policy.]
Section 1 Instructor: Paul Christiansen
Classes meet from August 31, 2009 to May 28, 2010
Friday 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Tuition: $400.00

* Website
There is currently no teacher website for this course.
* Description
This course will study the government of the United States from two perspectives: through the Constitution, and through current events. We shall address questions such as, What is Government? What role does it serve in our lives? How did the Founding Fathers answer these questions, and how closely have we kept to the Founder's design? We will focus each branch of the United States Government in turn, concluding with attention to the various so-called "Fourth Branches" of government: the news media, the military, the lobbyists, etc.
* Meetings
This course meets once a week for discussion and review of assigned homework.
* Homework
Every student will be required to read, watch, or otherwise consult a news source, as reviewed and approved by the instructor, on a daily basis. Any text-based news medium will likely be acceptable. From time to time the instructor may provide the class with brief further readings. Students are also expected to take part in the ongoing discussions in the class forums. There will be four papers written in this course, each pertaining to a branch of government.
* Prerequisites
American History. (Students need not have taken American History with the current instructor.)
* Recommended background
A vague understanding of the US Constitution would be helpful, but is not a necessity. Also, it would be highly useful if students began following the news prior to the first day of the course.
V Textbooks and Materials
* Constitution of the United States of America. (Edition: 1)
James Madison et al.
This text is required.
ISBN: None
Publisher's website: Constitution of the United States of America.
Best sources: www.usconstitution.net/const.html
Other information: Obviously this text is widely available, including full-text online versions. Any version will serve, so long as the student can refer to it easily. Annotated versions, in any form, are welcome but not required. See course description for further details on course materials.

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