Course Description: This year-long American government class is for advanced high school students who have already studied U.S. history. Students who complete the class will be prepared to take CLEP exam in American Government.

Course Structure: The first trimester of this course, which will coincide with the 2024 presidential election, will focus on the executive branch, elections, voting patterns, political parties, political socialization, polling, public opinion, and the Electoral College. Weeks 9 and 10 (the weeks before and after the election) will emphasize the role of the media. We will also zero in on five recent presidential elections (Clinton v. Bush in 1992, Bush v. Gore in 2000, Obama v. McCain in 2008, Trump v. Clinton in 2016, and Biden v. Trump in 2020) to help students understand how we have arrived at this particular moment in American political life.

ln the second trimester we will study the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, federalism, the judicial and legislative branches, state and local governments, civil rights, and civil liberties.

In the third trimester we will use concepts we have covered in the first two trimesters to study cases in which fundamental rights have been in tension. We will also leave ample time to review for the CLEP exam, including taking several practice tests.

There is no graded/ungraded distinction in this course; successful scores on the exam serve as credit. All students are expected to contribute to the class wiki we’ll be building in preparation for the exam.

What are CLEP exams? The College-Level Education Program (CLEP) allows students to earn college credit through the successful completion of multiple-choice exams in a number of common freshman- and sophomore-level courses. The American Government exam is 90 minutes long and contains about 100-120 questions. Students who pass a CLEP exam receive college credit for that course at most community colleges and at many four-year colleges. Colleges that do not award CLEP credit will still look favorably on passing scores in these subjects, as they indicate that a student has successfully studied American government at the college level.

Although this class will be tailored to the content tested by CLEP, there is no requirement that students actually take the exam; it’s fine to enroll simply to learn more about American government!

Prerequisites: Previous high school study of American history, especially the American Revolution period (1776-1789).

Instructor: Laura Fokkena

DETAILS:

Suggested age range: High school juniors and seniors

Outside work: On average, students will watch 60-90 minutes of short videos each week, taken from Crash Course’s U.S. Government and Policy series and Khan Academy’s AP/College US Government and Politics course. Our main textbook is available for free (with login) from the Modern States web site. Students should also purchase Research & Education Association’s guide to CLEP American Government. There will be 25-40 pages of reading each week. Using these sources, we will create a class wiki of key terms and important concepts, which students can use to study for the exam. There may also be short, ungraded quizzes and discussion questions highlighting important themes. There are no essays or projects in this class.

When & where: Fridays on Zoom from 1:30-2:30 Eastern Time. 1st trimester: Sept. 6 - Nov. 22, 2024. 2nd trimester: Jan. 10 - Mar. 28, 2025. 3rd trimester: Apr. 11 - June 27, 2025.

Fee: $600 for the full year; this includes a non-refundable registration fee of $10. Payments due in three installments ($200 per term). The main textbook is provided for free online, but students should also purchase Research & Education Association’s guide to CLEP American Government. Please note the fees for the CLEP exam itself ($93 per test) are not included, although we may be able to provide some financial aid for students on a full waiver.

We offer discounts for groups, siblings, and students who enroll in multiple classes. (Discount information.) Payment plans available. Fees waived for families with financial need. (Waivers and payment plan information.) Questions about how classes work? Read our course FAQ.