Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy (15 days) 

Essential Questions 

    • How did the founders of the U.S. Constitution attempt to protect individual liberty while also promoting public order and safety? 

    • How have theory, debate, and compromise influenced the U.S. constitutional system? 

    • How does development and interpretation of the Constitution influence policies that impact U.S. citizens? 

• Readings

  • The Declaration of Independence

  • Federalist No. 10

  • Brutus No. 1

  • Federalist No. 51

  • The Articles of Confederation

  • The Constitution of the United States (Articles I-VII, 10th and 14th Amendments)

  • McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

  • Lopez v. United States (1995)

  • Rauch, Jonathan. “How American Politics Went Insane.” The Atlantic, July/August 2016.

  • Toobin, Jeffrey. "Our Broken Constitution." The New Yorker, December 9, 2013. 

Khan Academy Articles of Confederation 5 minutes