The full notes for Judicial Activism vs. Restraint are attached. Happy studying!

See you TUESDAY, MAY 24, 9-11:30 a.m. in the theatre.

Bring: #2 pencils, a good eraser, class notes, and something to write on

Leave behind: Food, drinks other than water, distraction :)

Attached are the last two sets of (fully-filled-in) Presidency notes. Good luck preparing for the FRA! :)

Please print and review the attached (fully-filled-in) notes and let me know if you have any questions!

Please find attached the fully-filled-in version of A6 (Congressional Committee System).

Gerrymandering Puzzle attached - take a look at the diagram and decide how you (IF YOU WERE A REPUBLICAN) would divide this 'county' up into FOUR districts OF ROUGLY EQUAL SIZE (almost exactly the same number of "D"s and "R"s in each)

More Unit Six notes! Have a great long weekend!!! :)

Here are the first few note sets for Unit Six (THE LAST ONE!!! :) ). I'll have the rest up tomorrow!

The last set of notes is attached! Good luck and happy studying prepping for tomorrow's exam! :)

More notes! :)

I understand there's been some difficulty accessing some of the notes since they were entered last semester. Hopefully you can find what you need here, and please let me know if you can't!

One extra set of notes for our current unit, plus a fully-filled-in version of note sets 7 & 8! :)

Attached please find the assignment sheet, lecture notes, case index, and handout reading for Unit Five. (you may need to click 'Show All' - it's a lot!)

NOTES FOR CHAIRS
Thanks to Tim Smith for letting me know that you guys didn't finish the Structure of the Bureaucracy notes with Mr. Smith (no relation to either Tim or the guy who went to Washington :) ). They are attached - come by and see me before the exam Friday if you have questions! Happy New Year!

PUBLIC POLICY STUFF

I understand that there is some anxiety about the Unit Four exam. Please know that I have full confidence in you and your ability to perform well!

Overview:
The exam will consist of:
* 20 MC questions about the bureaucracy and taxing and spending
* 15 Public Policy Matching questions, wherein you will be tasked with matching public policy (i.e. "Clean Air Act") with the type of policy it is (i.e. "Environmental").
* 1 FRQ, which will be in some way about the bureaucracy

For your reference, all of the class notes from this unit are attached again (beware if you plan to print this out: for some inexplicable reason, there are also lots of blank pages in the document).

Feel free to email this evening (I'll check until about 10:30 p.m.) if any questions arise while you are studying!

WINTER BREAK HOMEWORK:
(this is a long note, so be sure and click 'Show All' :) )

* Read Chapters 17, 19, and 20 in GAPPP (or you may alternatively read the attached summaries - I also have copies in my room that you can Xerox in our school library if you'd rather do that than print them out, as they are not short :) ).

* Write a FRA in response to the attached FRQ, using the AP-format paper (also attached; print out multiple sheets as needed) IN 25 MINUTES OR LESS (please set a timer before you begin!). You MAY use notes and INFORMATION from the book (i.e. that you remember or have written down), but you SHOULD NOT be specifically looking up the answers in the book before you begin or while you are writing. You are on the honor system.

* Study for the Public Policy matching exam (matching examples of public policy that are indicated in the reading and notes packet with the type of policy they are, for example: Amercian Jobs Act=Economic Policy) that will be a component of your Unit Four exam (to help you prepare, you may wish to look at/complete some of the review questions that are attached, though completion of those is not a madatory exercise)

* I will be checking email periodically over the break, so please get in touch if any questions arise. I will NOT be checking email at 2 a.m. on Tuesday, January 3, so if you wait until the last minute to complete the aforementioned, you are on your own :).

* If you have a surplus of free time, consider undertaking the extra credit assignment (information attached in the 'holiday homework' handout- the only significant extra credit that will be available this semester!)

* Get some rest, have fun, spend time with your FAMILY and FRIENDS, and just all-around rejuvenate and recharge! :)

Happy holidays! Thanks for a great Fall 2011- looking forward to the rest of the school year! :)Mrs. Cav

CONGRATS to the below AP GAP superstars, who in addition to their accomplishments in the classroom are representing El Dorado with pride and distinction at the Nixon Library (an AP-GAP-ISH PLACE :) ) when they were honored as winners of the Richard Nixon Library Exposed Art Contest. (I tried to paste copies of their pictures here, but it didn't work, so download the attachment to see their work). Congrats, ladies! :)

In the Photography Category:

Amber Guttilla 1st Place and $35.00

Sarah Smith 3rd Place and $20.00

Audrey Nguyen Honorable Mention and $5.00 Starbucks card

Unit Five reading assignments and notes are attached.

Another post regarding Winter Break homework is forthcoming, so be sure and check back for that!

And, in this season of giving, please contribute first and foremost to people who are really, really struggling right now. After that, if you still have ability and inclination to give, please consider donating some colored paper to the AP GAP Effort to Pep Up Your JoeTroning and FRAbulousness Through the Use of Some Pops of Color. :) THANKS to those of you who of course already have donated. You make a difference! :)

Question 3 from the Free-Response portion of the 2010 exam was a GREAT Unit Three question - if you want to check it out to augment your exam review, it is attached.

(This isn't anything tricksy like 'This is really also the FRQ that's on your test and this is a test itself to see if you'll look at this.' This will NOT be the question on your exam I just thought it might be helpful, and it's a great question. :) ).

Good luck on the exam! :)

Attached please find the remainder of the Unit Three notes. Happy studying!

I'd suggest downloading and printing out the attached (fully filled-in!) notes in order to augment your notetaking the next few days (translation: we're going to go fast, so it'd be helpful to have the notes already done :) )

ALSO, AN ANNOUNCEMENT:

If you're free Friday at lunch, please consider coming to my classroom for an exercise in FRA production and interpretation that I believe will be helpful to all students in enhancing the quality of your future FRAs - if you've been struggling and/or displeased with your score on past FRAs, this is particularly recommended! Hope you can be there! :)

PLEASE CLICK "SHOW ALL" TO SEE THIS ENTIRE MESSAGE! :)

(the above due date is for Speakers&Chairs; Whips&Protems, yours is 11/21)

The questions to accompany the reading assignment ("The Misplaced Obsession with PACs," by Sabato, in Woll) are with the reading notes as a worksheet. If you'd prefer to simply copy the questions into a Word document and type your answers, here they are again! Happy reading! :)

The Misplaced Obsession with PACs -- Reading Analysis

1. What is the number one source of campaign funding for most candidates?

2. Do campaigns on average spend more or less money than the average advertising budget for a major commercial enterprise?

3. Sabato contends that “The problem in campaign finance is not PACs, it is _______.” Why?

4. What does Sabato believe are the two checks on abuses by factions such as PACs?

5. Where do ideological PACs receive most of their money? What is an inherent flaw of this system?

6. Do most PACs succeed in “buying” votes? Why not (indicate two competing loyalties that Sabato feels exert influence)?

7. Why does Sabato believe that campaign finance reform should bolster political parties?

Attached please find copies of the notes, reading assignments, and supplemental reading questions for Unit Three! (you may have to click "Show All' to see/download everything!)

Attached please find the (fully-filled-in) note sheet for the #8 notes on Campaign Finance. An OPTIONAL (but HIGHLY SUGGESTED :)!!), lunch session to go over these notes will be hosted on MONDAY, Oct. 24. BYOL! :)

Please find attached the skeleton notes and assignments for Unit Two! :) (you may need to click "Show All" to ensure that you get everything!!

The Federalist 51 Reading Guide questions can be printed out from the homework post with all of the lecture notes. Or you may transfer the below questions to your own Word document and type your responses!

1. According to Federalist 51, what is essential to the “preservation of liberty”? How should this “be so constituted”?

2. Explain the following: “A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.”

3. In a republican government, which branch is the strongest? Identify three ways of “remedying this inconveniency.”

4. List two ways in which the federalist system of the U.S. “places that system in a very interesting point of view” (i.e. protects against tyranny).

5. List one way in which each of the following protect against tyranny:
(a) separation of powers
(b) checks and balances

Attached please find some documents you may wish to print out - another copy of the reading assignments, skeleton notes for this unit's lectures, a brief synopsis of the United States Constitution, and the reading questions to accompany your perusal of Federalist 51.

Print out two copies of the attached document (AP Expectations Fall11), which will give you a general overview of the course structure and my classroom policies and expectations.

One copy for you to keep for your records. The other is for you and one of your parents/guardians to sign after you've read it! Your first (easy) assignment is to bring that signed copy back to class by Thursday, September 8 (if you're in group Speakers or Chairs) or Tuesday, September 13 (if you're in group Whips or ProTems).

You probably also want to take a moment to print out the skeleton notes for this unit to better enhance your note-taking experience!

Thank you, and welcome to a great semester! :)Cav