In "Reinventing the High School Government Course," the authors presented the latest iteration of an ambitious AP government course developed over a seven-year design-based implementation research project. Chiefly addressed to curriculum developers and civics teachers, the article elaborates key design principles, provides a description…

This study of 12 introductory American government and politics textbooks shows that their main narratives still focus largely on men's experiences as political actors and pay little attention to women's experiences. While on average just 9% of pages included in-text references to women, 28% of images and 17% of sidebars, tables, figures, and…

This article presents the author's critique on a new report titled "A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy's Future", and focuses on civic education and civic engagement. The Obama administration's new report confronts a genuine problem in American education. The decline of civic education and knowledge in America is one of the few…

In this year-long qualitative study we explore the case of two eighth grade U.S. History teachers who use simulations on a regular basis to teach heterogeneously-grouped students in a high-stakes testing environment. We describe the purposes the teachers espoused for implementing simulations and provide detailed portraits of three types of…

On the first day of the author's American-government course he often plays a little trick on the students. He throws one of them out of class. The plan is to stop the student at the door, ask what is politics, ask why he (or she) is obeying, and encourage a more energetic discussion of authority and politics at a university. Two years ago, in the…

We argue that power roles can make a significant difference in how students experience in-class simulations. To test this, students who participated in Congressional simulations in one of the author's introduction to American politics classes were surveyed concerning their views of Congress, the legislative process, and the simulation experience.…

Outlines the complicated constitutional system on which our country is based. Reviews the system of checks and balances, the judiciary system, and the political system and how they have worked to ensure that the government represents the will of the people. (MD)

The many ways in which religion and politics relate is discussed. If political science is not interested in religion, religion seems definitely interested in politics. The reasons for and the dangers of this sudden recent interest in politics by religion are pointed out. (RM)

Designed to help prepare the nation for a thoughtful observance of the Constitutional bicentennial, this publication contains seven essays on the topic of democracy and the Constitution. "Democracy and the Constitution" (Gordon S. Wood) looks at the popular and democratic rhetoric used to justify the federalist system in the late 1700's.…

Second in a three-part series designed to help prepare the nation for a thoughtful observance of the Constitutional bicentennial, this publication contains seven essays on the topic of capitalism and the Constitution. "American Democracy and the Acquisitive Spirit" (Marc F. Plattner) supports the argument that the framers of the…

In May 2005, university administrators were rudely awakened from their civic slumbers by a "notice of implementation" from the U.S. Department of Education. With little advance comment from the academy, Congress had passed and the President had signed into law a requirement that "each educational institution that receives Federal…

Tips for making civics courses interesting include: (1) communicate course goals to students; (2) ensure that what you are teaching is worthwhile; (3) assess what students already know; (4) organize facts around a few big ideas; (5) vary learning activities; and (6) present a balanced view of government's activities. (RM)

Third in a series designed to help prepare the nation for a thoughtful observance of the Constitutional bicentennial, this publication presents six essays addressing the issue of human rights and the Constitution. "How the Constitution Protects Our Rights: A Look at the Seminal Years" (Robert A. Rutland) focuses on James Madison's role…

The basis of Christian political thought is discussed, why Christian Democratic parties exist in other democratic countries is explained, and how the American political and moral climate may have changed enough to make the formation of such a party feasible in this country is examined. (RM)

The ideas of Luther and Calvin challenged Catholicism and laid the foundation for the conventional American views on church-state relationships. Knowledge of the Protestant tradition in politics is a necessary requirement to an understanding of public life and of Western political culture since the Reformation. (RM)