PLS 101
American National Government
Roger C. Lowery, Ph.D.

Wilson Textbook
Chapter Outlines
and Handouts


1:  What Should We Know About Government?
     · Review Questions
     · Political Science Resources at Randall Library

2:  The Constitution
     · Review Questions
     · Interactive Constitution
     · Public Opinion & the Constitution
     · Proslavery Origins of Electoral College

 3 & 4:  Civil Liberties & Civil Rights
     · Abortion
     · Crime
     ·
Gay Rights
     · Illegal Drugs
     · Internet Speech/Privacy
     · Medical Research
     · Politics and the Pulpit
     · Race and the Law
     ·
Religious Expression in NC Public Schools
     ·
Religious Displays on Public Property
     · Right to Die
     · Supreme Court Decisions in Religion Cases

5:  Federalism
     · Review Questions
     · Instances of Use of US Armed Forces
     · Territorial expansion


6:  Public Opinion and the Media
     · Watching America
     · Review Questions
     ·
Idealog.org

  » 
Two Basic Summary Statistics

7 Political Parties and Interest Groups
     ·
Party Realignments

8:  Campaigns and Elections
     ·
UVA Center for Politics
     · Electoral-vote allocations by state
         · Presidential Election Maps, 1789-2000
         · Cross-national data on election turnout

         · News Coverage and Voter Involvement
         · Absentee-ballot request

     ◦  Guide to Mapping the Vote

     · Religion & the presidential election 2008
     ◦  2004 vs. pre-Civil War division

     ◦  Voter Turnout Study

9:  Congress
     · Tracking Legislation
     · Find Your Representative (by ZIP code)
     · State-Level Term Limits

 10:  The Presidency
     · War Powers Resolution of 1973
         · U.S. Military Casualties - Major Wars
         · U.S. Military Casualties - Other Recent Wars
     · Assassination Attempts
     · Presidential Approval in Historical Perspective
         · Job Approval for 2-Term Presidents
         · Job Approval for Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama
         · Presidential Ratings by historians

 

11:  The Bureaucracy

12:  The Judiciary

13: Making Domestic Policy
     · The Economy
     · State Budget Simulation
     · Education
     · The Environment
     · The Federal Budget
     · Higher Education
     · Health Care
     ·
Health Care Reform Information
     · State lotteries & education funding
     · Medicare
     · Poverty and Welfare
     · Social Security

14:  Making Foreign and Military Policy
     · American's Global Role
     · Immigration