prompt:

Students are expected to follow current events by regularly following news coverage of current events from quality sources. It is crucial in helping you to understand and make sense of the issues covered in this course. Some quality sources that I would suggest to consider are the Economist (www.economist.com),

the New York Times (www.nytimes.com), national public radio (89.3 FM), and KPFK (90.7 FM). As a portion of your grade, students will report on a current news item associated with the United States.

To receive full credit, students must:

[a] explain the item(5 points) and do it,

[b] in their own words (5 more points). Finally, they must,

[c] tell how it relates to a specific chapter in the text book (final 5 points). Items will come from the print or broadcast (electronic) media. 

chapters: 

ch1.  The Study of American Government and Politics 

ch2.  The United States Constitution
ch3.      American Federalism 

ch4, 5, 9:   The Courts, Democratic Struggle, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights 

ch6. :    The United States Congress 

ch7.  The United States Presidency
ch8.  The Political Economy of the United States and its Bureaucracy 

ch10  Political Ideology and Culture 

ch 11, 12, 13:    Politics, Parties and Elections