Student of AP American Government & Politics:

Greetings and salutations! Here it is! The summer assignment! Now, I realize that it’s the summer and you probably don’t want to read anything, but this assignment will be both enjoyable and enlightening. This assignment will be due to me on the first day of class, September 9^th, 2009. This is a fairly comprehensive assignment, so don’t wait to do it the last week of summer…pace yourself and work on it over the summer. I look forward to meeting all of you and learning our governmental system in the fall. Until then, have a great summer and be safe!

Assignment:

As you have probably encountered with the packet that you picked up from the school (last I chcked it was in the Main Office), there are a series of essays that you are to read and critique.  The instructions for the assignment can be a bit confusing and the reason is that the instructions don't correspond with the actual readings.  So here are the new and improved instructions.  I am sorry for any inconvenience and confusion on my part. 

You are to read the following essays in the packet:

1. Alexis De Tocqueville: excerpt from "Democracy in America"

2. James Bryce: from "The American Commonwealth"

3.  Louis Hartz: from "The Liberal Tradition in America"

4. Robert Putnam: from "Bowling Alone"

5. Everett Carl Ladd: from "The Ladd Report"

6.  Cornel West: from "Race Matters"

7. Michael Kammen: from "People of Paradox"

8.  Robert Bellah and others: from "Habits of the Heart"

 

I. You are to read each selection.  Once you have done that, then you are to the following:

        A. Summarize, in 3-4 paragraphs, the main point of each article.

        B. In a 3-5 page essay, you are to expain:

              1. What relationship American citizens have had with their government and society in general. 

              2. A brief summary of how the relationship between citizen and government has changed over the past 230 years, with respect to the readings that you have done

              3. Your opinion on these changes, whether they be for the better or worse.

 

Aside from the reading and essay assignment, I also encourage you to become better informed on the state of affairs with our government and the political process.  The appointment of Sonyia Sotomayorto the Supreme Court or the current debate over Health Care Reform are just two events that are occuring this summer that will invariably come up in discussion and in the process of our class in the fall.  I strongly encourage you to stay informed as to what is going on the in the state of affairs and the world in general.

 

 

Again, I apologize for any inconveniences with the summer assignment.  If you still are unsure what to do, please e-mail me at either of my addresses.  I will try to answer your questions as quickly as possible.  Until we meet for the first time on September 9th, enjoy the remainder of your summer break!  Mr. Feicht