American Government

MindEdge’s American Government course is designed to help college and university students gain a solid foundation in the theory and practice of American government by utilizing games, videos, interactive exercises, quizzes, and other engaging content.

MindEdge’s American Government content helps students understand the historical framework for America’s constitutional democracy, recognize the different roles of the three branches of government, appreciate the role of the courts in protecting civil rights and civil liberties, trace the evolving role of political parties in the American system, consider the growing influence of the mass media on government decision-making, explore how public opinion affects both politics and policy-making, and contrast the historical role of the federal government with those of the individual states.

This course employs narrative scenarios while developing reasoned thinking and writing skills.

Module 1: History and Constitutional Background

Explain the historical forces that led to the creation of the U.S. Constitution
Compare and contrast different systems of government
Discuss the two main types of democracy
Outline different models for the distribution of power in a democracy
Discuss the importance of the First and Second Continental Congresses
Assess the specific weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Explain the conflict between large and small states during the Constitutional Convention, and the significance of the Great Compromise
Discuss how the Constitution’s treatment of slavery affected the course of American history
Summarize the key provisions of the Constitution
Discuss the debate over ratification and the significance of <em>The Federalist Papers</em>
Explain the specific protections of civil liberties embodied in the Bill of Rights
Outline the different views of American federalism
Discuss the core democratic principles embodied in the Constitution
Explain and provide examples of the separation of powers
Explain and provide examples of the system of checks and balances
Discuss the process of amending the Constitution
Explain how the amendment process has affected the cause of women’s rights

Module 2: Congress: Legislation and Oversight

Detail the different roles played by the House and the Senate
Explain the difference between the Congressional system and the parliamentary system
Discuss the organizational structure of Congress
Identify the five types of Congressional committees
Describe the Congressional budget process
Explain how a bill becomes a law
Discuss the impact of lobbying on the legislative process
Explain the importance of Congressional oversight as a check on the Executive Branch
Assess the importance of the “revolving door” between Congress and the private sector
Explain how redistricting and gerrymandering affect the makeup of the House of Representatives

Module 3: The Presidency: Leadership and Administration

Discuss how the relationship between Congress and the President has evolved over time
Describe the process for nominating and electing a President, and assess how this process affects national policy
Distinguish between the President’s formal and informal powers
Discuss the President’s varying roles as head of state, chief executive, commander-in-chief, and party leader
Discuss how the President can use judicial nominations to affect public policy
Explain the use of executive orders and signing statements
Evaluate the effectiveness of the “bully pulpit” as a leadership tool
Discuss how the President’s leadership in foreign affairs can affect domestic policy-making
Describe the role of the Vice President, and explain the process of Presidential succession
Outline the organization of the Executive Branch, including both the President’s staff and the Cabinet
Explain the President’s role in the legislative process
Discuss how the Tenure of Office Act and the War Powers Resolution of 1973 affected the balance of power between President and Congress
Describe the impeachment process, and assess its effectiveness as a check on Presidential power

Module 4: The Judiciary: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

Explain the main sources of American law, including the state and federal constitutions; statutes and regulations; and common law
Outline the structure of the federal court system
Distinguish between judicial activism and judicial restraint
Give specific examples, within the last ten years, of the Supreme Court’s role in making policy
Distinguish between “civil liberties” and “civil rights”
Specify the circumstances under which governments may override the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech
Discuss how security concerns in the post-9/11 era have affected American civil liberties
Identify the constitutional rights of criminal defendants
Trace the evolution of civil rights for African-Americans, from the Reconstruction Amendments to the 1960s
Define affirmative action, and summarize the arguments for and against it
Summarize the fight from women’s rights, from voting to the ERA
Detail the rights provided by the Americans With Disabilities Act
Summarize the key court decisions affecting the civil rights of gay men and lesbians

Module 5: Political Parties and Interest Groups

Explain the key functions of political parties in the American system
Trace the development of the American two-party system
Identify the key positions taken by the major parties on economic and social issues
Describe the elements of a political party: the party organization, the party-in-the-electorate, and the party-in-government
Assess the impact of third parties on American politics
Explain the declining power of party organizations, and the increasing importance of independent voters
Assess the role of the political parties in the wake of the Citizens United decision
Describe the basic characteristics of interest groups
List the major types of interest groups
Discuss the principal reasons for individuals to join interest groups
Explain why some interest groups become more powerful than others
Identify the principal interest-group strategies, both direct and indirect
Describe the role of lobbyists and explain how they are regulated
Discuss interest groups in the context of pluralism and elite theory

Module 6: Bureaucracy and the Media

Name and describe the different models of bureaucratic behavior
Describe the growth of the federal bureaucracy, from the Civil War to the present
Identify the largest federal departments and spending programs
Describe the different types of agencies and organizations in the federal bureaucracy
Discuss the evolution of hiring practices, from the spoils system to the modern civil service
Assess the effectiveness of differing strategies for reforming the bureaucracy and improving its efficiency
Evaluate the role of whistleblowers in reforming the federal bureaucracy
Discuss the federal rule-making process, and the role of Congress in that process
Describe the different types of mass media
Explain how the role of the media in American politics has changed over time
Assess the importance of the media as a factor in the decline of political parties
Discuss the growing importance of digital media in politics, both in advertising and in organizing
Evaluate the impact of highly concentrated media ownership on the political process
Discuss the need for balancing the free speech rights of journalists against the need for reducing media bias

Module 7: Political Socialization and Public Opinion

Define the term public opinion, and distinguish between consensus and divided opinion
Discuss the major sources of political socialization, including family, schools, and the media
Identify the most important demographic and behavioral influences on public opinion, including party identification, education, gender, religion, and race
Describe the characteristics of a scientific public-opinion poll, and explain the factors that affect polling accuracy
Explain how new technologies are affecting public-opinion polling
Discuss the positive and negative impacts that polling can have on political decision-makers
Trace the growing success of women and minorities as candidates for political office
Describe the current system of political finance, and explain the impact of the Citizens United decision on campaign fundraising
Identify the different mechanisms for voting, including mail and electronic voting, and how they make affect election outcomes
Discuss the importance of voter turnout in determining election outcomes
Identify the different factors that affect voter turnout, including age, education, income, ethnicity, and ideology
Summarize the arguments for and against stricter voter-ID laws

Module 8: The States: Federalism and States’ Rights

Outline the powers exercised by the states, including the reserve powers and the concurrent powers
Describe how the Constitution provides a framework for federalism
Describe the benefits of federalism
Summarize the contemporary arguments against federalism
Identify the key Supreme Court cases that confirmed the authority of the federal government within the federal system
Describe the relationship between the states and local governments
Define dual federalism, and explain how this concept affected the national debate over slavery in the early 19th century
Explain how the Civil War and the New Deal each affected the American system of federalism
Discuss how the concept of states’ rights affected the civil rights of African-Americans, from the Jim Crow era through the civil rights movement
Define cooperative federalism, and discuss its impact on the states
Explain how federal funding can shape federal-state relations
Describe the Supreme Court’s recent trend toward a more expansive view of states’ rights
Discuss how the concept of states’ rights influenced the national debate over same-sex marriage

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