Conservapedia:American Government Fall 2012

Enroll by inserting your user name into this file: click "Edit this page" below, then position your cursor in the Enrollment section below, and then click 10th tab from the left above.

"American Government Fall 2010" is a 14-week course that teaches the basics of government, both federal and state. It covers the political process and operation of the U.S. government, and may be the most important course you will ever take. It includes review of the U.S. Constitution, including concepts like the separation of powers among the branches of government.

Students seeking to earn college credit can take the CLEP or AP exams upon successful completion of this course.

This course begins in September and already several dozen students have enrolled in person. Please add your user id. (as explained above) if you would like to participate in this course in any way, either as a student or as a teacher on this site.

The instructor is Andy Schlafly, who has taught over 15 courses, including one as an adjunct professor at a major law school.

Enrollment

--Andy Schlafly 10:39, 6 June 2010 (EDT) (instructor)

--Martin Amrowski 13:11, 6 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--Davidkon 15:04, 6 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--Beardude1963 15:00, 7 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--Paul Narcisse 13:02, 8 June 2010 (EDT) (student)

--Florencia Miguez (Student)

--AJ4JQ 10:39, 10 June 2010 (EDT) (Student)

(add more names above)

Special concepts

This course will include many concepts not included in most run-of-the-mill government courses, such as:

• the difference between politics and history, and the similarity between politics and team sports

• political cycles

• political factions, such as Big Labor, anti-war, pro-life, Second Amendment, etc.

• Tea Party: the decentralized political party

• the effect of low voter turnout

• free speech and campaign finance

• pending court cases concerning the structure of government

• media bullying (e.g., post-election interviews for Rand Paul)

• famous expressions and special vocabulary (as in sports): "all politics is local," "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!" "coattails", "political capital," "midterm elections," "filibuster", "voice vote," (add more)

• election process: various signature requirements to qualify for the ballot, use of convention rather than public elections in some areas, primary election, general election, concept of endorsements, term and qualifications for various offices

• correlations of voting patterns by "voting blocs"; "single issue" voters

• initiatives and referenda: how different states handle this differently, track record of various issues, effect on others on the ballot

• polling, pollsters, and their impact (e.g., Scott Brown upset)

• contrast the two-party system in America with multiple-party systems in other nations

• the role of the Courts: the "least dangerous branch," or now the most powerful branch of government?

• the U.S. Supreme Court, and how it accepts cases for review and its October through June annual Terms

• administrative law, federal and state agencies, and the most cited U.S. Supreme Court decision: Chevron

• "strict scrutiny," "intermediate scrutiny," and "rational basis" as three levels for judicial review in civil rights

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