American Government — Principles of American Democracy is the Grade 12 civics semester, built on California’s History-Social Science standards 12.1-12.10 and the CCSS literacy standards for history/social studies.
Four units: Constitutional Foundations and Rights, The Branches and the Court, Federalism, California and Tribal Governments, and Elections, Media and Democracy in the World. Students read the founding documents, the Federalist Papers, Tocqueville and landmark Supreme Court opinions in the original, deliberate on contested questions in structured labs, argue a moot-court case, testify on a California policy, and close with a civic analysis of a tension within constitutional democracy.
Sources: public-domain founding documents, Federalist Papers, Supreme Court opinions and California constitutional and statutory text; Tocqueville’s Democracy in America (Henry Reeve translation, public domain); OpenStax American Government 3e (CC BY 4.0). The course takes no partisan position; students are assessed on the quality of their reasoning, not on their conclusions.
Curriculum
- 4 Sections
- 20 Lessons
- Lifetime
- Unit 1: Constitutional Foundations and Rights5
- 1.1Where the Constitution’s Ideas Came From50 mins
- 1.2The Machinery of Liberty — Separated Powers, Checks and Federalism50 mins
- 1.3Deliberation Lab — Rights, Obligations and Becoming a Citizen50 mins
- 1.4Workshop — Tocqueville, Civil Society and the Promise and Perils of Democracy50 mins
- 1.5Performance Task — Constitutional Principles Argument Essay and Address150 mins
- Unit 2: The Branches and the Court5
- 2.1Article I — How Congress Works, and Who Represents You50 mins
- 2.2Article II — The Presidency, Executive Orders and Presidential Power50 mins
- 2.3Deliberation Lab — Article III, Judicial Review and the Landmark Cases50 mins
- 2.4Workshop — Changing Interpretations of Civil Rights, from Plessy to Bakke50 mins
- 2.5Performance Task — Moot Court Brief and Oral Argument200 mins
- Unit 3: Federalism, California and Tribal Governments5
- 3.1Federalism in Practice — Reserved, Concurrent and Contested Powers50 mins
- 3.2California’s Government, Courts and Budget — and Tribal Sovereignty50 mins
- 3.3Deliberation Lab — Direct Democracy: Initiative, Referendum and Recall50 mins
- 3.4Workshop — How Public Policy Is Made: Agenda, Law, Regulation and Executive Action50 mins
- 3.5Performance Task — California Policy Testimony150 mins
- Unit 4: Elections, Media and Democracy in the World5
- 4.1Parties, Nominations, Polls and Money50 mins
- 4.2Turnout, Reapportionment and Redistricting50 mins
- 4.3Deliberation Lab — A Free and Responsible Press in a New Media Age50 mins
- 4.4Workshop — Comparing Political Systems: Democracy, Tyranny and Transition100 mins
- 4.5Performance Task — Civic Analysis Project and Defense200 mins
Instructor
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