American Government and Economics

Learn the origins, structure and inner workings of the United States government. Examine some of the foundational documents of American government, such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Explore basic economic concepts such as supply and demand, competition in the marketplace, labor and distribution. By the end of the course, you'll be ready to take an active role as a responsible citizen in our democratic society and in our economy.

This High School Course is also offered as part of the General Online Diploma program.

Credits: 1 Unit

Course ID: SSG03

Course Area: Social Studies

Course Type: General

Study Method: Online

Course Outline:

Unit 1:

Lesson 1: The foundation of American Government

Lesson 2: Limited governments

Lesson 3: The Declaration of Independence

Lesson 4: Congress and the Constitution

Lesson 5: Organization of Congress

Lesson 6: Making a law

Lesson 7: Checks and balances

Lesson 8: Nature of the presidency

Lesson 9: The executive branch

Lesson 10: Electing the president

Unit 2:

Lesson 11: Federal judiciary

Lesson 12: The Federal courts

Lesson 13: The Supreme Court

Lesson 14: Government interaction with public opinion

Lesson 15: Public opinion polls

Lesson 16: Interest groups, lobbying and government control

Lesson 17: Political parties in the United States

Lesson 18: Civic responsibilities and civic duties

Lesson 19: Routes to citizenship

Lesson 20: Government and economics

Unit 3:

Lesson 21: The fundamental problem of economics

Lesson 22: Trade-offs and opportunity costs

Lesson 23: Money

Lesson 24: Economic systems

Lesson 25: The American economy

Lesson 26: Consumerism

Lesson 27: Debt and credit

Lesson 28: Consumer needs

Lesson 29: Renting vs. buying

Lesson 30: Saving and investing

Unit 4:

Lesson 31: Demand

Lesson 32: Supply and interaction with demand

Lesson 33: The organization of business

Lesson 34: Competition and monopolies

Lesson 35: The role of government in competition

Lesson 36: Business investment

Lesson 37: Production and distribution

Lesson 38: Marketing and advertising

Lesson 39: The labor force

Lesson 40: Unemployment and inflation

Items Provided by Students: None