This college-level course provides students with an introductory overview of the government and politics of the United States.  The first part of the course surveys the constitutional origins, institutional structures, and basic polices of the United States Government.  Then the course surveys United States politics by focusing on political culture, political ideology, and both individual and institutional political participation.  Finally, the course exposes students to the topics of civil liberties and civil rights.  Students will also gain an exposure to the basic reasoning processes and disciplinary practices that are used by political scientists.  This course is designed to imitate a 200-level introductory political science course offered at the undergraduate level (3 credit hours).  Students should expect to devote frequent time outside of class on reading, writing, and research assignments. Students will have the opportunity to attempt to earn college credit for this class through the College Board AP Exam administered at the end of the year.