United States Government and Politics Content Standards

Building on knowledge from previous years, students should be able to:

• describe and compare important facts, concepts, and theories pertaining to U.S. government, politics, and the role of the U.S. in world affairs

• explain typical patterns of political processes and principles that provide the foundation for various government structures and procedures

• interpret basic data relevant to U.S. government and politics (including data presented in charts, tables, and other formats)

• critically analyze relevant theories and concepts, apply them appropriately, and understand their connections to other aspects of social studies

Topic 1. The Structure of the American Government

Compelling Question: How does the structure of the branches of government lend itself to the balance of powers within the American government? 

1. Analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government as established by the U.S. Constitution. 

2. Analyze Article I of the Constitution as it relates to the legislative branch, including eligibility for office and lengths of terms of representatives and senators; election to office; the roles of the House and Senate in impeachment proceedings; the role of the vice president; the enumerated legislative powers; and the process by which a bill becomes a law. 

   1. Identify their current representatives in the legislative branch of the national government and local government. 

3. Analyze Article II of the Constitution as it relates to the executive branch, including eligibility for office and length of term, election to and removal from office, the oath of office, and the enumerated executive powers. 

4. Analyze Article III of the Constitution as it relates to judicial power, including the length of terms of judges and the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. 

   1. Explain the processes of selection and confirmation of Supreme Court justices

5. Analyze Articles IV and VI of the Constitution as it relates to the relationship between the states and the federal government.

6. Analyze Article V of the constitution as it refers to the amendment process.

Topic 2. Foundations of government in the United States 

Compelling Question: How has the nation acted to narrow discrepancies between the founding ideals and reality?

Clarification statement: This course makes use of historical events, concepts, and founding documents students have previously encountered in the grade 8 civics course and U.S .History I and II. The focus of the present course is on comparing multiple texts to deepen understanding and synthesizing perspectives on a given topic across texts.

1. Define the terms citizenship, politics, patriarchy, and government, and give examples of how political solutions to public policy problems are generated through interactions of citizens, civil associations, and government. 

2. Describe the purposes and functions of government. 

3. Discuss nuanced definitions and provide examples of different forms of government, including direct democracy, representative democracy, republic, monarchy, oligarchy, and autocracy. 

4. Analyze theoretical perspectives related to the Constitution such as theories on patriarchy, democratic government, republicanism, pluralism, and elitism. 

5. Analyze perspectives on the functions and values of voluntary participation by citizens in the civil associations that constitute civil society.  (e.g. Contemporary associations like Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, 4-H Clubs, League of Woman Voters OR historical associations like The Grange, Boy Scouts, YMCA, Hull House)

6. Using founding documents of the United States and New Hampshire, research, analyze and interpret central ideas on government, including popular sovereignty, constitutionalism, republicanism, federalism, individual rights, the social contract and natural rights.

7. Compare and contrast ideas on government of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists during their debates on ratification of the U.S. Constitution (e.g. Mercy Otis Warren).

8. Research, analyze, and present orally, in writing or through a multimedia presentation how the principles of U.S. democracy (e.g., liberty, the common good, justice, equality, tolerance, law and order, rights of individuals, diversity, civic unity, patriotism, constitutionalism, popular sovereignty, representative democracy) are embodied in founding-era documents and how the perspectives on these principles have evolved, as described in core documents of subsequent periods of United States history. Cite textual evidence to summarize key ideas, provide historical context for the particular documents cited. For example, students compare the ideas of Martin Luther King, Jr. or Susan B. Anthony to those in such founding-era documents as the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights, and the Federalist.

9. Identify and explain historical and contemporary efforts to narrow discrepancies between foundational ideas and values of American democracy and realities of American political and civic life. 

10. Argue and defend positions on issues in which foundational ideas or values are in tension or conflict (e.g., book bans, vaccine development and mandates, reproductive rights, government surveillance, minimum wage, fluoridation of water supply, free speech vs hate speech).

Key Primary Sources for Topic 1 in Appendix D 

The Declaration of Independence (1776)

The New Hampshire Constitution (1783)

The Constitution of the United States (1787) 

The Federalist, Number 10 (1787)

The United States Bill of Rights (1791)

George Washington, Farewell Address (1796)

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, primary author: The Declaration of Sentiments of the Seneca Falls Conference (1848); 

Abraham Lincoln: “Gettysburg Address” (1863) 

 Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address (1865)

Theodore Roosevelt, “The New Nationalism” (1910) 

Woodrow Wilson, “Fourteen Points” speech (1918)

Franklin Roosevelt, “Four Freedoms” speech (1941)

John F. Kennedy, “Inaugural Address” (1961)

Martin Luther King, Jr., “I Have a Dream” speech (1963)

Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” (1963) 

Suggested Primary Source in Appendix D 

Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776)

The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786)

The Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Selected Federalist Papers such as numbers 1, 9, 39, 51, and 78 (1787–1788) 

Selected responses by Anti-Federalists (1787-1789) The Federal Farmer (Richard Henry Lee) and Centinel

Thomas Jefferson,  First Inaugural Address (1801) 

Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Volumes I and II (1835, 1839)

Justice Robert M. Jackson: Opinion for the Supreme Court in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)

Margaret Chase Smith, “Declaration of Conscience” Speech (1950)

Topic 3. Purposes, principles, and institutions of government in the United States

Compelling Question: How are the founding principles reflected in contemporary debates over the role of government?  

Clarification statement: The study of the purposes, principles and institutions of government in the United States builds on material studied in the grade 8 civics course and U.S. History I, but with a focus on analysis of case studies and current examples that illustrate the content.

1. Compare and contrast governments that are unitary, confederate, and federal.

2. Identify and describe provisions of the United States Constitution and the New Hampshire Constitution that define and distribute powers and authority of the federal or state government.

3. Explain the difference between a town and a city form of government in New Hampshire, including the difference between a representative and an open-town meeting.

4. Explain the legal, fiscal, and operational relationships between state and local governments in New Hampshire. 

5. Distinguish among the enumerated and implied powers in the United States Constitution and the New Hampshire Constitution (e.g. the inclusion of women and children).

6. Explain the functions of the courts of law in the governments of the United States and the state of New Hampshire with emphasis on the principles of judicial review and an independent judiciary. 

7. Explain the role, checks on the other two branches, and the powers particular to the President, including the implications of the authority to issue executive orders and the authority to appoint Federal judges.  

8. Explain the functions of the executive branch, departments, or agencies in the United States or the state of New Hampshire; conduct research on one governmental agency to determine the reasons that it was established and give a contemporary example of the function it serves. Examples include: 

   1. United States Department of Defense

   2. United States Environmental Protection Agency

   3. United States Department of the Treasury

   4. New Hampshire Executive Council

   5. New Hampshire Department of Education

   6. New Hampshire Health and Human Services Department

   7. New Hampshire Justice Department

   8. New Hampshire Energy Department

9. Examine the constitutional principles of federalism, separation of powers among three branches of government, the system of checks and balances, republican government, representative democracy, and popular sovereignty. Analyze and evaluate one United States Supreme Court case that addresses these principles, and make an argument orally, in writing, or in a multimedia presentation, for either the majority or dissenting opinion in the case and explain what the case demonstrates about the relationship between the branches of government.

   1. Example 1: analyze and evaluate a decision by the United States Supreme Court about the constitutional principles of separation of powers and checks and balances, using such landmark cases as Marbury v. Madison (1803), Baker v. Carr (1962), United States v. Nixon (1974), City of Boerne, Texas v. Flores (1997), and Clinton v. City of New York (1998)

   2. Example 2: analyze and evaluate decisions by the United States Supreme Court about the constitutional principle of federalism, using cases such as McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819), Texas v. White (1869), Alden v. Maine (1999). 

10. Examine the relationships among the three main branches of the U.S. government in the current system of government, Congress, the Presidency, and the Federal Courts, as well as the Federal bureaucracy and the various balances of power between them. Evaluate historical challenges to the checks and balances among the branches of government and what they reveal about the relationship between the branches. Examples may include:

    1. the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill (1937), President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s attempt to alter the political balance of the Supreme Court

    2. the so called “Saturday Night Massacre” (1973), President Richard Nixon’s firing of independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox during the Watergate Scandal

    3. historical attempts to make use of the “reconciliation” process (a congressional legislative process that allows expedited passage of certain budgetary legislation on spending, revenues, and the federal debt limit with a simple majority vote) in order to pass legislation with larger policy implications

    4. the debate over the shared authority to declare and prosecute war 

11. Research the course of the movement to constrain and reduce the size of government since the 1980s and make an argument, supported by credible evidence and responses to possible counter-arguments, that makes the case for or against this movement. The argument may be presented in writing, orally, as in a debate, or in a multimedia presentation.

12. Research and examine the representative nature of the U.S. government and make an argument, supported by credible evidence and responses to possible counter-arguments, that makes the case for or against the fairness with which it represents various groups. The argument may be presented in writing, orally, as in a debate, or in a multimedia presentation.

13. Construct an argument about the effectiveness of the United States Constitution in the 21^st century, analyzing the application of its concepts of the separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and the rule of law; support the argument with examples from recent political history. 

Topic 4. Civil rights, human rights, and civil liberties

Compelling Question: How have court decisions defined the balance between broader national or community interests and the rights of the individual?

1. Compare core documents associated with the protection of individual rights (e.g., the U.S. Bill of Rights, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, New Hampshire Bill of Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination). 

2. Research, analyze, and present orally, in writing or through a multimedia presentation the historical context of two Supreme Court decisions on a topic related to individual rights and what the respective decisions demonstrate about how the protection of individual rights has evolved over time. Cite textual evidence to summarize key perspectives in the decisions and provide historical context for the particular decisions cited. Cases may include: Cox v. New Hampshire (1941), Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942), Roe v. Wade (1973), Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969), Texas v. Johnson (1989), and Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union (1997), Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022), 

Topic 5: Political parties, interest groups, media, and public policy

Compelling Question: What are the roles of political parties, interest groups, and media in influencing public policy?

1. Trace the evolution of political parties in the U.S. governmental system, analyze their organization, functions in elections and government at national and state levels, and evaluate examples of current methods used to promote candidates and issues (e.g. Federalist, Anti-Federalist, Whig, Democrat, Republican, Socialist, Communist, Green Party, National Women’s Party).

2. Research the platforms of political parties and candidates for state or national government and analyze data on campaign financing, advertising, and voter demographics, to draw conclusions about how citizens in the United States participate in public elections.

3. Trace the evolution of interest groups, including political action committees (PACs); analyze the range of interests represented, the strategies used, the unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the political process, and the effects of interest groups on the political process (e.g. Emily’s List, American Israel Public Affairs Committee). Evaluate perspectives on the role of interest groups since the founding of the U.S. (e.g. Federalist 10, current perspectives).

4. Evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of new technologies in politics, including how they broaden the influence of media and public interest groups. 

5. Analyze current research on the impact of media on civic discourse and the importance of an informed citizenry that determines the credibility of sources and claims and exercises other sound media literacy skills.

6. Compare the debate over a public policy issue from the past and a contemporary one and evaluate the role of political parties, interest groups and media in influencing public opinion. Historical and current examples may include:

7. Labor - reforms to improve workplace safety, workers’ hours, equal pay, and limit child labor 

8. Environment – the establishment of the National Parks System, legislation to promote clean air and water

9. Disability rights – independent living, deinstitutionalization, right to education

10. Voting - women’s suffrage, Civil Rights Act of 1964

11. Consumer protection -food and drug safety

12. Equality - Title IX, The Equal Rights Amendment

         7.   Use a variety of sources, including newspapers and digital sources, to identify a current local, state or national public policy issue and evaluate the influence on the legislative process of political parties, interest groups, grass roots organizations, lobbyists, public opinion, media, and individual voters. 

          8.   With other students, identify a significant public policy issue in the community, gather information about that issue, fairly evaluate the various points of view and competing interests, discuss policy options as a group and seek to arrive at a consensus or compromise agreement, examine ways of participating in the decision-making process about the issue, and draft one or more position papers, oral or multimedia presentations on how the issue may be resolved. 

Topic 6. The relationship of the United States to other nations in world affairs

Compelling Question: How does the U.S. exercise power in world affairs?

1. Give examples of the ways nation states interact, including trade, tourism, diplomacy, treaties and agreements, and military action. 

2. Analyze reasons for conflict among nation states, such as competition for resources and territory, differences in systems of government, and religious or ethnic conflicts. 

3. Identify and explain powers that the United States Constitution gives to the President and Congress in the area of foreign affairs. (e.g. treaties, funding for military or state department, War Powers Act, confirmation of diplomats)

4. Describe the tools used to carry out United States foreign policy (e.g. diplomacy, economic aid, military aid, humanitarian aid, treaties, sanctions, covert action, and military intervention).

5. Examine the different forces that influence U.S. foreign policy, including business and labor organizations, interest groups, public opinion, and ethnic and religious organizations.

6. Differentiate among various governmental and nongovernmental international organizations, and describe their purposes and functions. (e.g., major governmental international organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the World Court, and the Organization of American States (OAS); non-governmental entities such as the International Red Cross and the Catholic Relief Services).

7. Explain and evaluate participation by the United States government in international organizations such as the United Nations (e.g. Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). 

8. Use a variety of sources, including newspapers, magazines, and the Internet to identify a significant world political, demographic, or environmental issue. Analyze how this issue may affect United States foreign policy in specific regions of the world, and make an argument, orally, in writing, or in a multimedia presentation that addresses the issue and acknowledges and refutes competing perspectives.