A.P. U.S. Government and Politics

Assignment #1: September 10, 2007

"The Political Landscape"

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1. Read: Read chapter one in American Government: Continuity and Change. Annotate your book, marking central ideas in each section, circling key words and definitions, and signifying ideas that you find interesting or controversial. Make one or two pages of study notes in a form useful to you for review. You will find it helpful to refer to the summaries and vocabulary listed for you on pages 28 and 29. (Due September 17).

2. Vocabulary: Learn the definitions of the words listed on page 29 as they are defined and identified in the chapter. Be prepared for a test on these words: you will need to define and explain them, where possible giving examples and background. (Quiz: September 17)

3. Research: Go to the U.S. Census Bureau web site (www.census.gov). Find out the demographic composition of your hometown and your home state. Compare these to the makeup of the nation as a whole. Write about your findings and hypothesize about what the differences might indicate and what they might imply for American politics. (Due Monday, September 17).

4. Wait--One More Thing!!! Take a quiz to identify your current ideological stance. Try http://politicalcompass.org/index.