Directions
We will not do "summer reading" in the traditional sense. Instead, you will read newspapers (or follow some other medium) to track two issues. You will make a weekly journal entry and write a final reflection.

Issues
You will pick one domestic issue and one international issue. Below is a suggested list of issues, but feel free to follow issues that I left off this list. Please email me or see me before the summer begins to get my approval if you choose other issues.

Domestic Issues
* confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court
* the recession
* Obama's stimulus bill (American Reinvestment and Recovery Act)
* Troubled Asset Relief Program
* the "Big Three" US automakers
* gun control
* health care reform
* immigration
* abortion
* same-sex marriage
* food & drug safety
* transportation issues (highways, rails, air travel)
* energy issues
* "green" initiaves
* interrogation of terror suspects & related national security issues
* the First Amendment

International Issues
* Afghanistan-Pakistan
* Iran
* North Korea
* Iraq
* Israel-Palestinian peace (the "Road Map")
* US-China relations
* US-European relations
* US-Latin American relations
* US and the UN
* US and Africa

Journal
Each week, you will make at least one entry in your AP Gov journal about your two issues. I will give you two weeks' vacation, so that means you should have at least eight entries. Each entry should be about one page (2 paragraphs) in length. If you can write legibly you need not type the journal entries. Each entry will be worth five points, for a total of 40 points possible.

Besides addressing what happened that week regarding both issues, I will not dictate about what, exactly, you should write. But here are some suggestions:

* How did our national government get involved?
* Did the different branches (Exectutive-Legislative-Judicial) interact? If so, were leaders in the different branches cooperating with or opposing one another?
* How did leaders from different political parties interact with one another about this issue?
* Was there any interaction between state and national government leaders (federalism)?
* How do you feel about what happened this week?

I strongly suggest that you record information in your journal that you can later use in your reflection. You might quote from an article or at least make a notation to go back (e.g./ good point in "Huge Debt Threatens US Security," 7-3-09, NY Times, paragraph 3)

Reflection
On Tuesday, September 8th, you must submit a 3-4 page (typed, double-spaced) reflection about the two issues you tracked all summer. Please follow MLA format with regard to margins, font, and any citations.

In the reflection, you will:
* summarize the issues (assume the reader knows very little about these issues -- you need to explain) (25 points)
* Explain to the reader what your government leaders have been doing to deal with this issue (25 points)
* Predict what you think will happen over the next 10 months -- be specific (Prize will be awarded at the end of the school year for the person who makes the best prediction)(10 points)

Communicating with your teacher
If you have questions as you are following these issues, write them down. Feel free to email me at

mwalsh@franklin.k12.ma.us

Selecting a Political Party

Republican Party

Democratic Party

Libertarian Party

Green Party

Communist Party