American Government (saylor.org)

American Government belongs to the Saylor.org CLEP® PREP Program. In taking this version, you will master the subject of American Government and Politics. This course is also designed to prepare you to take the CLEP® exam in American Government. The CLEP® (College Level Examination Program) exams are designed by the College Board, the organization which administers the AP and SAT exam programs you may have encountered or taken in high school. CLEP® exams test for the mastery of college-level material that you may have acquired through any number of ways – college-level course instruction, independent study, work experience, or any other program of study you have pursued. In other words, CLEP® exams are freestanding exams that any individual can pay to take in order to prove that he or she has mastered a given subject area at the college level.

Over 2,900 US colleges and universities recognize and award college credit for a satisfactory score on a CLEP® exam. A student who earns a satisfactory score can be eligible for the same amount of college credit as a student who has successfully completed the same course at a traditional academic institution. Prospective students interested in accelerated degree programs are usually encouraged to take the CLEP® test. When you successfully pass each test, you will receive college credit that can:

• accelerate your degree;
• allow you to skip beginner courses and/or to take higher-level courses faster;
• help determine your readiness for classes;
• apply knowledge you already have; and
• save money on books and tuition.

All CLEP® exams are administered in multiple-choice format by computer. The American Government CLEP® exam contains 100 multiple choice questions to be answered in 90 minutes. The fee for each CLEP® exam is $80, plus any service fees payable to the testing center. However, eligible military service members and civilian employees can take CLEP® exams free of charge.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• differentiate between the various forms of government and democracy;
• analyze the various experiments with colonial government in the British colonies;
• discuss the issues, debates, and compromises that originated from the Constitutional Convention;
• describe the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism as manifested in the US Constitution;
• describe public opinion and how it is utilized as a barometer for measuring election results;
• define the major factors that influence an individual political socialization;
• describe the major ways in which Americans participate in the electoral process;
• analyze the role of the media in the American political system;
• explain the role and function of political parties;
• explain the process for electing congressional and presidential candidates to political office;
• explain how the Electoral College functions;
• assess the importance of incumbency in congressional elections;
• discuss the roles and functions of interest groups on the political process;
• explain the roles, duties, and functions of the US Congress;
• compare and contrast the inner workings of the Senate and the House of Representatives;
• Explain the various factors that determine how a bill becomes a law.
• assess the role of congressional committees in facilitating the legislative process;
• explain the role and constitutional powers of the presidency, vice presidency, and the cabinet;
• explain how the bureaucracy functions as the implementation arm of the Executive Branch;
• explain the constitutional origins and structure of the federal court system and the Supreme Court;
• analyze the difference between the legal philosophies of judicial restraint and judicial activism;
• discuss the importance of judicial review as a power-checking mechanism on the other branches of government;
• assess the ways in which the judicial nomination process has become politicized over time;
• distinguish between civil rights and civil liberties;
• explain the various constitutional protections afforded to individuals in the Bill of Rights;
• trace the history of the civil rights movement and the expansion of civil rights to other disenfranchised groups;
• define public policy and explain the major steps in the policy-making process;
• explain the federal appropriations and budgetary process;
• explain the various theories of tax and spending policies and their methods of implementation; and
• trace the history and goals of economic, social, and foreign policy in the United States.