First Assignment of the New Year...in the last semester of your High School career...

Read Chapter 1 and complete the Self-Check and Applying What You Have Learned questions at the end of each section.

We will have a test over the Chapter on Wednesday, January 14 using the questions posted on Quizlet.


The first essay question, which will be due along with your test on the 14th is:

"What are the trade-offs you make, and the opportunity costs paid when you decide to go to college rather than get a job straight out of high school?  How will you maximize the payoff from the choices you will make in the next 6 months?"

Finals Schedule

2015 AVC Europe Trip

We will likely be transitioning to a Rome-Paris-London version...but signing up as quickly as possible is a good idea.

EF Tours website.     

Government Final Exam Test Bank

Here is the test bank for the Government Final exam.  100 questions will be chosen randomly from this bank, and will make up the final exam.  Please identify, and email or message me if there are any duplicates, spelling or grammar errors, or any factual errors.

Due December 12

Read Chapter 8 and complete the following questions:

1.  How has eligibility to vote in American elections changed during our history?

2.  Why were poll taxes unfair?  What eventually got rid of poll taxes in America?

3.  How did the 19th and 26th Amendments change the nature of our elections?  

4.  Why is it required that voters register before an election?  What would be the problem if people were not required to register beforehand?  What benefits might there be if people were not required to register beforehand?  Do you personally think that registration should be required?

5.  Identify a high-stimulus election in our history, and explain how it impacted the turnout for the election, and the decision in that election?

6.  What should be the basis for voter's decisions on who to vote for?  Why?

7.  Why was the 22nd Amendment ratified?  What does "ratified" mean?  Should it have been ratified?  Why or why not?

8.  Why do campaigns need to have media consultants today?  Why are they also a problem for Americans as they are preparing to vote?

9.  What is soft money?  What are the benefits, for society, in allowing soft money in elections?  What are the problems, for society, in prohibiting soft money?  Should it be allowed?  Why or why not?

10.  Compare and contrast primary and general elections.  Compare and contrast open and closed primaries,

11.  Should the US continue to use the Electoral College to elect Presidents?  If so, why?  If not, why not, and what should replace it?  

We will have a test over this chapter using the questions from Quizlet on Friday, December 12.

Be prepared to answer the above questions by December 8...I will be asking.

Notes from the week of November 17-21

Here are the notes from this week's class.

Chapter 5 Study Questions

Please discuss and complete these questions, and turn in your answers on or before December 4, when we will have a Test over Chapter 5 using the questions from Quizlet.

1. What is Political Socialization?  How does it normally occur for most people?

2.  What is meant by the term Public Opinion? What, in general terms, do most Americans think about issues of how the government is dealing with Education, Taxation and Entitlement Spending?

3. What is the difference between an intensely held political position, and a casually held position?  

4.  Which political party now controls House of Representatives?  Which controls the Senate?  

5.  “In a 2009 poll, 81% of Americans said they were either “extremely proud” or “very proud” to be an American.  This quote from the book illustrates what about public opinion in the United States?

6.  What is the basic tension in America over the relationship between Majority Rights and Minority Rights?

7.  What is equality?  Is it necessary that a society engenders equality?

8. How has your own personal political socialization taken place?  (Not what you believe, but how have you come to believe what you believe about politics)

9.  Compare and contrast Social Learning Theory, Transfer Theory, and Cognitive Development Theory.

10. As Christians, how involved should we be in politics?  Why?

Website for the 2015 Trip to Europe

Here is the website for our upcoming Europe Trip.

The price will be higher than listed because we are using the "In-City" option for rooms, and we are attempting to add an excursion to Normany.

Notes can finally be posted here...Thank God!

To access the notes from this week, just click here.

New Government-Economics Website

The website we have been using has become unwieldy...so I have created this new site for your class.

Welcome to the new site

Please feel free to make suggestion for improving it as the year progresses