Standardized Test Preparation
New York Regents
Social Studies - Grade 12
Assessment Exam - NY Regents United States History| Colonial Foundations | eTAP Lesson |
|---|---|
| United States History and Government | |
| Trace European contact with Native Americans, including the Dutch, the English, the French and the Spanish.
NY.USH.11.1a.i |
Exploring North America The First Settlements Spanish Missions Declaration of Independence |
| Examine the impacts of European colonization on Native Americans, who eventually lost much of their land and experienced a drastic decline in population through diseases and armed conflict.
NY.USH.11.1a.ii |
Exploring North America The First Settlements Spanish Missions |
| Examine the impacts of geographic factors on patterns of settlement and the development of colonial economic systems.
NY.USH.11.1b.i |
The First Settlements New England Colonies Middle Colonies Southern Colonies |
| Examine the factors influencing variations in colonial social structures and labor systems.
NY.USH.11.1b.ii |
The First Settlements New England Colonies Middle Colonies Southern Colonies |
| Analyze slavery as a deeply established component of the colonial economic system and social structure, indentured servitude vs. slavery, the increased concentration of slaves in the South, and the development of slavery as a racial institution.
NY.USH.11.1b.iii |
New England Colonies Southern Colonies |
| Examine colonial political institutions to determine how they were influenced by Enlightenment ideas, British traditions such as the Magna Carta, and the colonial experience.
NY.USH.11.1c.i |
Historical Documents A More Perfect Union Declaration of Independence |
| Examine colonial democratic principles by studying documents such as the Mayflower Compact and the Maryland Toleration Act of 1649, colonial governmental structures such as New England town meetings and the Virginia House of Burgesses, and the practice of the right of petition in New Netherland.
NY.USH.11.1c.ii |
Historical Documents Government, Religion, and Culture |
| Constitutional Foundations | eTAP Lesson |
| Examine British efforts to gain greater political and economic control, such as the Proclamation of 1763, the Stamp Act, the Townsend Acts, the Tea Act, the Boston Massacre, and the Coercive Acts, and colonial reactions to these efforts.
NY.USH.11.2a |
American Revolution |
| Examine the purpose of and the ideas contained in the Declaration of Independence and consider its long term impacts.
NY.USH.11.2b.i |
A More Perfect Union Declaration of Independence |
| Examine the impacts of the Revolutionary War on workers, African Americans, women, and Native Americans.
NY.USH.11.2b.ii |
|
| Examine the weaknesses and successes of government under the Articles of Confederation.
NY.USH.11.2c.i |
Early American Law |
| Explore the development of the Constitution, including the major debates and their resolutions, which included compromises over representation, taxation, and slavery.
NY.USH.11.2c.ii |
Early American Law The Constitution of the United States |
| Examine the structure, power, and function of the federal government as created by the Constitution, including key constitutional principles such as the division of power between federal and state government, the separation of powers at the federal level, the creation of checks and balances, the sovereignty of the people, and judicial independence.
NY.USH.11.2c.iii |
Early American Law The Constitution of the United States The Balance of Power The Three Branches of Government |
| Examine the key points of debate expressed in the Federalist Papers and the Antifederalist Papers, focusing on the protection of individual rights and the proper size for a republic.
NY.USH.11.2c.iv |
Early American Law The Constitution of the United States |
| Examine the rights and protections provided by the Bill of Rights and to whom they initially applied.
NY.USH.11.2c.v |
The Bill of Rights |
| Identify presidential actions and precedents established by George Washington, including those articulated in his Farewell Address.
NY.USH.11.2d.i |
Early Politics Mexican-American War |
| Examine Hamilton’s economic plan, the debate surrounding the plan, and its impacts on the development of political parties.
NY.USH.11.2d.ii |
Political Parties Early Politics |
| Examine the tradition of a peaceful transfer of power established in the presidential election of 1800 and compare it to the presidential election of 2000, focusing on the roles of the Electoral College and Congress in 1800 and the Electoral College and the Supreme Court in 2000.
NY.USH.11.2d.iii |
The Political Process Modern Domestic Policy |
| Examine Supreme Court cases, including Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, and Gibbons v. Ogden, and analyze how these decisions strengthened the powers of the federal government.
NY.USH.11.2d.iv |
Interpreting the Law |
| Expansion, Nationalism, and Sectionalism | eTAP Lesson |
| Examine how the Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812, and the Monroe Doctrine strengthened nationalism.
NY.USH.11.3a.i |
War of 1812 Monroe Doctrine Manifest Destiny |
| Examine the market revolution, including technological developments, the development of transportation networks, the growth of domestic industries, the increased demands for free and enslaved labor, the changing role of women, and the rise of political democracy.
NY.USH.11.3a.ii |
Industrialization Role of Women Slavery |
| Examine Jackson’s presidency, noting the ways it strengthened presidential power yet challenged constitutional principles in the case of Worcester v. Georgia (1832), including the controversy concerning the Indian Removal Act and its implementation.
NY.USH.11.3a.iii |
Treaties with American Indian Nations |
| Compare different perspectives on States rights by examining the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions and the nullification crisis.
NY.USH.11.3b.i |
States’ Rights Doctrine |
| Investigate the development of the abolitionist movement, focusing on Nat Turner’s Rebellion, Sojourner Truth, William Lloyd Garrison (The Liberator), Frederick Douglass (The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass and The North Star), and Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom’s Cabin).
NY.USH.11.3b.ii |
Leaders of the Movement |
| Examine the emergence of the women’s rights movement out of the abolitionist movement, including the role of the Grimké sisters, Lucretia Mott, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and evaluate the demands made at the Seneca Falls Convention (1848).
NY.USH.11.3b.iii |
The Continuing Struggle Role of Women |
| Examine the issues surrounding the expansion of slavery into new territories, by exploring the Missouri Compromise, Manifest Destiny, Texas and the Mexican-American war, the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott decision, and John Brown’s raid.
NY.USH.11.3b.iv |
States’ Rights Doctrine |
| Compare the relative strengths of the Union and the Confederacy in terms of industrial capacity, transportation facilities, and military leadership, and evaluate the reasons why the North prevailed over the South and the impacts of the war.
NY.USH.11.3c.i |
Soldiers (North and South) Effects of War |
| Examine the expansion of executive and federal power as they relate to the suspension of habeas corpus within the Union and the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.
NY.USH.11.3c.ii |
Abraham Lincoln |
| Analyze the ideas expressed in the Gettysburg Address, considering its long-term effects.
NY.USH.11.3c.iii |
Abraham Lincoln Analyze Historically Significant Speeches |
| Post-Civil War Era (1865 – 1900) | eTAP Lesson |
| Examine the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments and consider the role of Radical Republicans in Reconstruction.
NY.USH.11.4a.i |
Amendments (13th, 14th, and 15th) |
| Investigate the ways individuals, groups, and government institutions limited the rights of African Americans, including the use of Black Codes, the passage of Jim Crow laws, the Ku Klux Klan, restrictions on voting rights, and Supreme Court cases including the Civil Rights Cases (1883) and Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).
NY.USH.11.4a.ii |
Ku Klux Klan Civil War and Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th, and 15th) |
| Examine the ways in which freedmen attempted to build independent lives, including the activities of the Freedmen’s Bureau, the creation of educational institutions, and political participation.
NY.USH.11.4a.iii |
Freedmen's Bureau |
| Examine the impacts of the election of 1876 and the compromise of 1877on African Americans.
NY.USH.11.4a.iv |
Goals of Reconstruction |
| Examine the exclusion of women from the 14th and 15th amendments and the subsequent struggle for voting and increased property rights in the late 19th century. The students will examine the work of Susan B. Anthony.
NY.USH.11.4b |
Amendments (13th, 14th, and 15th) Progressive Reform |
| Examine the economic effects of the Homestead Act (1862) and the Pacific Railway Act (1862) on westward expansion.
NY.USH.11.4c.i |
Immigration |
| Examine the effect of federal policies on Native Americans on the Great Plains, including reservation policies, the Dawes Act (1887), and forced acculturation efforts (Carlisle Indian School).
NY.USH.11.4c.ii |
Immigration |
| Analyze relevant provisions of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo as compared with the actual treatment of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the Southwest, including California, from 1848 to 1900.
NY.USH.11.4d.i |
Mexican-American War |
| Examine the contributions of Chinese to the national economy and reasons for nativist opposition to their continued immigration (Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882).
NY.USH.11.4d.ii |
Immigration |
| Industrialization And Urbanization (1870 – 1920) | eTAP Lesson |
| Examine the technological innovations that facilitated industrialization, considering energy sources, natural resources, transportation, and communication.
NY.USH.11.5a.i |
A Different Kind of Revolution Inventions |
| Examine the growth of industries under the leadership of businessmen such as John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and Henry Ford and analyze their business practices and organizational structures.
NY.USH.11.5a.ii |
Big Business |
| Evaluate the effectiveness of state and federal attempts to regulate business by examining the Supreme Court decision in Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific R.R. v. Illinois (1886), the Interstate Commerce Act (1887), the Sherman Antitrust Act (1890), and President Theodore Roosevelt’s trust-busting role as evidenced in Northern Securities Co. v. United States (1904).
NY.USH.11.5a.iii |
Big Business Grangerism and Populism |
| Examine demographic trends associated with urbanization and immigration between 1840 and 1920, including push-pull factors regarding Irish immigration and immigration from southern and eastern Europe.
NY.USH.11.5b.i |
Social Reform Grangerism and Populism Working Conditions and Laissez-Faire Policies |
| Examine problems faced by farmers between 1870 and 1900 and examine the goals and achievements of the Grange Movement and the Populist Party.
NY.USH.11.5b.ii |
Grangerism and Populism |
| Examine the attempts of workers to unionize from 1870 to 1920 in response to industrial working conditions, including the Knights of Labor, the American Federation of Labor, the American Railway Union, the International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union, and the Industrial Workers of the World, considering actions taken by the unions and the responses to these actions.
NY.USH.11.5b.iii |
Social Reform |
| Examine Progressive Era reforms, such as the 16th and 17th amendments (1913) and the establishment of the Federal Reserve System (1913).
NY.USH.11.5b.iv |
Managing the Nation’s Economy Amending the Constitution |
| Examine the efforts of the woman’s suffrage movement after 1900, leading to ratification of the 19th amendment (1920).
NY.USH.11.5b.v |
Progressive Reform |
| Trace the temperance and prohibition movements leading to the ratification of the 18th amendment (1919).
NY.USH.11.5b.vi |
A Time of Unrest |
Trace reform efforts by individuals and the consequences of those efforts, including:
NY.USH.11.5b.vii |
Social Reform Progressive Reform Working Conditions and Laissez-Faire Policies Freedmen's Bureau A Different Kind of Revolution |
| The Rise of American Power (1890 – 1920) | eTAP Lesson |
| Examine factors such as the economic and strategic interests that led the United States to seek foreign markets, resources, and coaling stations, including interest in Hawaii.
NY.USH.11.6a.i |
Expanding Horizons |
| Investigate the causes and effects of the Spanish-American War, evaluating Spanish, Cuban, and United States interests and actions.
NY.USH.11.6a.ii |
Expanding Horizons |
| Examine debates between anti-imperialists and imperialists surrounding ratification of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and annexation of the Philippines.
NY.USH.11.6a.iii |
Expanding Horizons |
| Investigate expanding American influence in the Caribbean and Latin America through the creation of the Panama Canal and the Roosevelt Corollary.
NY.USH.11.6a.iv |
Expanding Horizons |
| Investigate the reasons for President Wilson’s shift from neutrality to involvement in World War I.
NY.USH.11.6b.i |
World War I: The Home Front |
| Examine Wilson’s goals as expressed in the Fourteen Points, his role at the Versailles Peace Conference, and the compromises he was forced to make to gain approval for the League of Nations.
NY.USH.11.6b.ii |
World War I: The Home Front |
| Examine the reasons why President Wilson was unsuccessful in gaining support for Senate ratification of the Treaty of Versailles.
NY.USH.11.6b.iii |
World War I: The Home Front Clear and Present Danger |
| Investigate the effects of mobilization on the United States economy, including the role and contributions of women and African Americans in the war effort.
NY.USH.11.6c.i |
World War I: The Home Front |
| Investigate the causes and effects of the Great Migration on American society.
NY.USH.11.6c.ii |
|
| Examine the Supreme Court decision concerning civil liberties in Schenck v. United States (1919).
NY.USH.11.6c.iii |
Clear and Present Danger World War I: The Home Front |
| Examine the relationship between postwar recession, fear of radicals, xenophobia, and the Red Scare (1919–1921).
NY.USH.11.6c.iv |
Clear and Present Danger |
| Prosperity and Depression (1920 – 1939) | eTAP Lesson |
| Examine the cultural trends associated with the Roaring Twenties, including women’s efforts at self-expression and their changing roles.
NY.USH.11.7a.i |
A Time of Unrest |
| Examine the impact of Prohibition on American society.
NY.USH.11.7a.ii |
A Time of Unrest |
| Examine change in immigration policy as reflected by the passage of the Quota Acts of the 1920s.
NY.USH.11.7a.iii |
A Time of Unrest |
| Examine the reasons for the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan.
NY.USH.11.7a.iv |
A Time of Unrest |
| Examine the key issues related to the Scopes trial.
NY.USH.11.7a.v |
A Time of Unrest |
| Examine literary and artistic contributions associated with the Harlem Renaissance and its impact on national culture.
NY.USH.11.7b.i |
The Jazz Age |
| Examine the rise of African American racial pride and Black Nationalism, including the role of Marcus Garvey.
NY.USH.11.7b.ii |
The Jazz Age |
| Examine the reasons for economic prosperity during the 1920s.
NY.USH.11.7c.i |
A Time of Unrest |
| Examine the underlying weaknesses of the economy that led to the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression.
NY.USH.11.7c.ii |
The Great Depression |
| Compare and contrast the responses of Presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Great Depression.
NY.USH.11.7c.iii |
The Great Depression |
| Examine the human and environmental causes of the Dust Bowl and its effects.
NY.USH.11.7c.iv |
The Great Depression |
| Evaluate President Roosevelt’s leadership during the Depression, including key legislative initiatives of the New Deal, expansion of federal government power, and the constitutional challenge represented by his court-packing effort.
NY.USH.11.7c.v |
The New Deal Changing Levels of Power |
| World War II (1935 – 1945) | eTAP Lesson |
| Examine reasons for the passage of the Neutrality Acts (1935–1937) and consider the national debate as a shift to pro-Allied policies, including “cash and carry” and Lend-Lease.
NY.USH.11.8a.i |
Drawn Into War |
| Trace ongoing negotiations with Japan and United States efforts to stop Japanese aggression without resorting to war and without appeasing Japanese demands.
NY.USH.11.8a.ii |
Drawn Into War |
| Examine the impact of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
NY.USH.11.8a.iii |
Wartime America |
| Examine President Roosevelt’s leadership during World War II, including his role as commander in chi ef and his diplomatic efforts to maintain the Grand Allianc
NY.USH.11.8a.iv |
Drawn Into War |
| Examine how technological advancements altered the nature of war and the extent of its devastation, including the use of air power over civilian targets and President Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
NY.USH.11.8a.v |
Wartime America Picking up the Pieces |
| Examine United States mobilization efforts and wartime production and their effects on unemployment rates.
NY.USH.11.8b.i |
Wartime America |
| Examine the reasons for President Roosevelt’s executive order for Japanese removal, the impact of removal on Japanese people living in the United States, and the Supreme Court’s decision in Korematsu v. United States (1944).
NY.USH.11.8b.ii |
Wartime America |
| Examine the contributions of women, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Mexican workers, and Mexican Americans to the war effort, as well as the discrimination that they experienced in the military and workforce.
NY.USH.11.8b.iii |
Wartime America Treaties with American Indian Nations |
| Investigate American officials' knowledge of the Holocaust, evaluating the degree to which intervention may have been possible.
NY.USH.11.8c.i |
Allied Victories |
| Examine the contributions of Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson and his arguments made as Chief Prosecutor for the United States at the Nuremberg War Crimes trials.
NY.USH.11.8c.ii |
Allied Victories Picking up the Pieces |
| Investigate the role of Eleanor Roosevelt in creating the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
NY.USH.11.8c.iii |
Postwar Politics |
| Cold War (1945 – 1990) | eTAP Lesson |
| Trace key decisions made at wartime conferences as they applied to Poland, Eastern Europe, and postwar Germany, and note how continuing disagreements over these decisions helped bring about the start of the Cold War.
NY.USH.11.9a.i |
Postwar Politics |
| Trace United States containment policies, including the Truman Doctrine (1947), the Marshall Plan (1948), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949), and actions taken during the Berlin blockade, and consider how they represent a shift in American foreign policy.
NY.USH.11.9a.ii |
Postwar Politics The Cold War Begins |
| Examine domestic concerns about the spread of communism and the rise of McCarthyism.
NY.USH.11.9a.iii |
The Red Scare |
| Examine the consequences of Truman’s decision to fight a limited war in defense of South Korea.
NY.USH.11.9a.iv |
The Cold War Begins |
| Trace the United States involvement in Vietnam, including President Johnson’s decision to escalate the fighting in Vietnam.
NY.USH.11.9a.v |
Modern Foreign Policy The Vietnam Era |
| Examine reasons for declining public confidence in government, including America’s involvement in Vietnam, student protests, the growing antiwar movement, and the Watergate affair.
NY.USH.11.9a.vi |
Modern Foreign Policy The Vietnam Era |
| Examine the congressional effort to limit presidential power through the War Powers Act.
NY.USH.11.9a.vii |
The Vietnam Era |
| Trace the acceleration of the nuclear arms race, beginning with from the detonation of an atomic bomb by the Soviet Union in 1949, through 1969, including the effects of Sputnik and the Space Race.
NY.USH.11.9b.i |
The Red Scare Modern Foreign Policy Politics of the 1950s and 1960s |
| Examine Soviet motives for placing missiles in Cuba and the impact of the Cuban missile crisis on Soviet-American relations, leading to the adoption of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
NY.USH.11.9b.ii |
The Red Scare Changing Levels of Power Politics of the 1950s and 1960s |
| Examine the policy of détente and its effect on the nuclear arms race.
NY.USH.11.9b.iii |
Modern Foreign Policy |
| Examine United States foreign policy toward the Middle East, including the recognition of and support for the State of Israel, the Camp David Accords, and the interaction with radical groups in the region.
NY.USH.11.9c |
Modern Foreign Policy |
| Trace factors that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, including American policies, Soviet economic problems, Soviet efforts at reform, and the loss of Soviet control over Eastern Europe.
NY.USH.11.9d |
Modern Foreign Policy |
| Social and Economic Change/Domestic Issues (1945 – present) | eTAP Lesson |
| Examine the roles and impact of individuals such as Rev. Martin LutherKing Jr., Stokely Carmichael, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Malcolm X on the movement and their perspectives on change.
NY.USH.11.10a.i |
Quest for Civil Rights The Continuing Struggle |
| Examine the role of groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the movement, their goals and strategies, and major contributions.
NY.USH.11.10a.ii |
Freedmen's Bureau Quest for Civil Rights |
| Examine judicial actions and legislative achievements during the movement, such as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States (1964) and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
NY.USH.11.10a.iii |
Quest for Civil Rights A Case for Civil Rights |
| Analyze the significance of key events in the movement, including the Montgomery bus boycott, federal intervention at Little Rock, Arkansas; the Birmingham protest; and the March on Washington.
NY.USH.11.10a.iv |
Quest for Civil Rights |
Trace the following efforts in terms of issues/goals, key individuals and groups, and successes/limitations:
NY.USH.11.10b |
The Continuing Struggle Contemporary American Issues Modern Domestic Policy A Case for Civil Rights |
Trace the following efforts in terms of issues/goals, key individuals and groups, and successes/limitations:
NY.USH.11.10b(cont) |
Modern Domestic Policy Contemporary American Issues |
| Compare and contrast the economic policies of President Johnson (Great Society) and President Reagan (Reaganomics) regarding the size and role of the federal government.
NY.USH.11.10c.i |
Politics of the 1950s and 1960s Modern Domestic Policy |
| Examine the causes of the financial panic of 2008 and the federal government‘s response to the Great Recession.
NY.USH.11.10c.ii |
|
| Examine the debates over the role of the government in providing a social safety net, including the stability of the Social Security Trust Fund and Medicare Trust Fund, as well as changes under the Affordable Care Act.
NY.USH.11.10c.iii |
Politics of the 1950s and 1960s Contemporary American Issues |
| The United States in a Globalizing World (1990 – present) | eTAP Lesson |
| Examine the decision of President George H. W. Bush to oppose Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Students will evaluate the positive and negative consequences of the Persian Gulf War.
NY.USH.11.11a.i |
Modern Foreign Policy |
| Trace United States foreign policy regarding Bosnia, Rwanda, and Kosovo, exploring the tension between defending human rights and the reluctance to intervene stemming from the Vietnam syndrome.
NY.USH.11.11a.ii |
Modern Foreign Policy |
| Trace the reactions to the September 11, 2001, attacks, including responses of the American public, the authorization of the War on Terror, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act.
NY.USH.11.11b.i |
Modern Foreign Policy |
| Examine the decision to invade Iraq, which was based on allegations concerning weapons of mass destruction, and trace the course of the war.
NY.USH.11.11b.ii |
Modern Foreign Policy |
| Evaluate the USA PATRIOT Act, including constitutional issues raised about the violation of civil liberties by the federal government’s electronic surveillance programs.
NY.USH.11.11b.iii |
Modern Foreign Policy |
| Examine the positive and negative consequences of globalization in relation to the United States economy.
NY.USH.11.11c.i |
Issues in Today’s Global Market The Evolution of U.S. Trade Policy |
| Investigate the role of multinational corporations and their influence on both the United States economy and on other countries around the world.
NY.USH.11.11c.ii |
The Evolution of U.S. Trade Policy |
| Examine the economic relationship and the strategic rivalry between the United States and China.
NY.USH.11.11c.iii |
The Cold War Begins Modern Foreign Policy Drawn Into War |
| Foundations of American Democracy | eTAP Lesson |
| Participation in Government and Civics | |
| Enlightenment ideas such as natural rights, the social contract, popular sovereignty, and representative government greatly influenced the framers of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
NY.USH.12.G1a |
A New Kind of Government |
| The Constitution created a unique political system that distributes powers and responsibilities among three different branches of government at the federal level and between state and federal governments. State constitutions address similar structures and responsibilities for their localities.
NY.USH.12.G1b |
A New Kind of Government The Three Branches of Government Balance of Power The Federal System States’ Rights |
| Limited government is achieved through the separation of powers between three different branches. The system of checks and balances is part of this limited government structure at all levels of government.
NY.USH.12.G1c |
The Balance of Power The Three Branches of Government Balance of Power |
| The rule of law is a system in which no one, including government, is above the law. The United States legal system has evolved over time as the result of implementation and interpretation of common law, constitutional law, statutory law, and administrative regulations.
NY.USH.12.G1d |
The Balance of Power Interpreting the Law |
| The powers not delegated specifically in the Constitution are reserved to the states. Though the powers and responsibilities of the federal government have expanded over time, there is an ongoing debate over this shift in power and responsibility.
NY.USH.12.G1e |
The Bill of Rights Interpreting the Law The Federal System States’ Rights |
| The Constitution includes a clearly defined and intentionally rigorous process for amendment. This process requires state and federal participation, and allows the Constitution to evolve and change.
NY.USH.12.G1f |
The Bill of Rights Amending the Constitution Interpreting the Law |
| Civil Rights and Civil Liberties | eTAP Lesson |
| Equality before the law and due process are two fundamental values that apply to all under the jurisdiction of the United States. While the United States legal system aims to uphold the values of equality before the law, due process, human dignity, freedom of conscience, inalienable rights, and civility, the extent to which the legal system upholds these values in practice is an issue of ongoing civic debate.
NY.USH.12.G2a |
A Case for Civil Rights States’ Rights |
| The Constitution aims to protect, among other freedoms, individual and group rights to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of petition, and freedom of religion. The extent to which these ideals exist in practice and how these protections should be applied in a changing world continues to be an issue of ongoing civic debate.
NY.USH.12.G2b |
The Bill of Rights Politics and the Media |
| An independent judicial system is an integral part of the process that interprets and defends citizens’ freedoms and rights. Issues pertaining to the flexibility of judicial interpretation and the impartiality of justices in practice are continued sources of public debate.
NY.USH.12.G2c |
Interpreting the Law |
| The definition of civil rights has broadened over the course of United States history, and the number of people and groups legally ensured of these rights has also expanded. However, the degree to which rights extend equally and fairly to all (e.g., race, class, gender, sexual orientation) is a continued source of civic contention.
NY.USH.12.G2d |
A Case for Civil Rights States’ Rights |
| Rights are not absolute; they vary with legal status, with location (as in schools and workplaces), and with circumstance. The different statuses of United States residency bring with them specific protections, rights, and responsibilities. Minors have specific rights in school, in the workplace, in the community, and in the family. The extension of rights across location, circumstance, age, and legal status is a subject of civic discourse.
NY.USH.12.G2e |
Being an American |
| Freedom of the press is an essential element of a democratic system, and allows for a citizen to receive and interpret information representing different points of view. Freedom of the press has limits, which are intended to protect the rights of individuals and other entities. The degree to which the press is free and impartial in practice is a source of ongoing debate.
NY.USH.12.G2f |
The Bill of Rights Politics and the Media Free Press |
| Rights, Responsibilities, and Duties of Citizenship | eTAP Lesson |
| Citizens should be informed about rights and freedoms, and committed to balancing personal liberties with a social responsibility to others.
NY.USH.12.G3a |
Being an American |
| The right to vote, a cornerstone of democracy, is the most direct way for citizens to participate in the government. A citizen must register to vote, and may register as a party member or select the status of independent.
NY.USH.12.G3b |
Being an American |
| Citizens have opportunities to both participate in and influence their communities and country. Citizens contribute to government processes through legal obligations such as obeying laws, paying taxes, serving on juries, and registering for selective service.
NY.USH.12G3c |
Being an American |
| Citizens have the right to represent their locality, state, or country as elected officials. Candidates develop a campaign, when they decide to seek public office.
NY.USH.12.G3d |
Being an American |
| Political and Civil Participation | eTAP Lesson |
| Depending on the level of government and type of election, there are different processes and mechanisms within the United States electoral and representational systems, including the electoral college and winner-take all systems. Advantages and drawbacks of election processes and mechanisms continue to be an issue of ongoing debate in the United States.
NY.USH.12.G4a |
The Political Process |
| Allowing citizens to vote does not ensure that a system is a democracy. Open, safe, and honest elections are essential to a democratic system. Engaged and informed citizens should know the mechanics associated with voting, including when major local, state, and national elections are held, how to register to vote, who currently holds each office, who is running for office, and what the central issues are pertaining to that election.
NY.USH.12.G4b |
Being an American |
| In addition to voting, there are many ways in which citizens can participate in the electoral process. These include joining a political organization, donating money, and doing volunteer work on a political campaign.
NY.USH.12.G4c |
Being an American |
| The United States and New York have political party systems, and the political parties represent specific political, economic, and social philosophies. Debate over the role and influence of political parties continues, although they play a significant role in United States elections and politics. The role of political parties and the platforms they represent varies between states in the United States.
NY.USH.12.G4d |
The Political Process |
| Citizens participate in civic life through volunteerism and advocacy, including efforts such as contacting elected officials, signing/organizing petitions, protesting, canvassing, and participating in/organizing boycotts.
NY.USH.12.G4e |
Being an American |
| Public Policy | eTAP Lesson |
| Each level of government has its own process of shaping, implementing, amending, and enforcing public policy. Customarily the executive branch will outline its plan and agenda in an executive address to the legislative body.
NY.USH.12.G5a |
The Federal System States’ Rights |
| On various issues, certain governmental branches and agencies are responsible for determining policy. Those who create public policies attempt to balance regional and national needs, existing political positions and loyalties, and sources of political power.
NY.USH.12.G5b |
The Federal System States’ Rights |
| Successful implementation of government policy often requires cooperation between many levels of government, as well as the cooperation of other public and private institutions. Conflicts between different levels of government sometimes emerge due to different goals, ideas, and resources regarding the creation and implementation of policy.
NY.USH.12.G5c |
The Federal System States’ Rights Changing Levels of Power |
| Active and engaged citizens must be effective media consumers in order to be able to find, monitor, and evaluate information on political issues. The media have different venues, which have particular strengths and serve distinct and shared purposes. Knowing how to critically evaluate a media source is fundamental to being an informed citizen.
NY.USH.12.G5d |
The Impact of the Media on the Democratic Process Free Press |
| Individual Responsibility and the Economy | eTAP Lesson |
| Economics, the Enterprise System, and Finance | |
| In making economic decisions in any role, individuals should consider the set of opportunities that they have, their resources (e.g., income and wealth), their preferences, and their ethics.
NY.USH.12.E1a |
Scarcity and Choice |
| Sound personal financial (money management) practices take into account wealth and income, the present and the future, and risk factors when setting goals and budgeting for anticipated saving and spending. Cost-benefit analysis is an important tool for sound decision making. All financial investments carry with them varying risks and rewards that must be fully understood in order to make informed decisions. Greater rewards generally come with higher risks.
NY.USH.12.E1b |
Scarcity and Choice |
| Managing personal finance effectively requires an understanding of the forms and purposes of financial credit, the effects of personal debt, the role and impact of interest, and the distinction between nominal and real returns. Predatory lending practices target and affect those who are least informed and can least afford such practices. Interest rates reflect perceived risk, so maintaining a healthy credit rating lowers the cost of borrowing.
NY.USH.12.E1c |
Business Finance Interest Rates |
| To be an informed participant in the global economy, one must be aware of inflation and have an understanding of how international currencies fluctuate in value relative to the United States dollar.
NY.USH.12.E1d |
Business Finance |
| Individuals and Businesses in the Product and Factor Markets | eTAP Lesson |
| Given that the resources of individuals (and societies) are limited, decisions as to what goods and services will be produced and to whom to sell one’s resources are driven by numerous factors, including adesire to derive the maximum benefit from and thus the most efficient allocation of those resources.
NY.USH.12.E2a |
Looking at the Resources The Law of Supply and Demand |
| The choices of buyers and sellers in the marketplace determine supply and demand, market prices, allocation of scarce resources, and the goods and services that are produced. In a perfect world, consumers influence product availability and price through their purchasing power in the product market. Product market supply and demand determine product availability and pricing.
NY.USH.12.E2b |
Looking at the Resources The Law of Supply and Demand |
| Businesses choose what to supply in the product market, based on product market prices, available technology, and prices of factors of production. The prices of those factors are determined based on supply and demand in the factor market. The supply and demand of each factor market is directly related to employment. Debates surround various ways to minimize unemployment (frictional, structural, cyclical).
NY.USH.12.E2c |
The Law of Supply and Demand The Factors of Production and Distribution |
| The Impact of American Capitalism in a Global Economy | eTAP Lesson |
| As the United States has evolved from an agrarian to an industrial to an information economy, the workplace requires a more highly skilled and educated workforce.
NY.USH.12.E3a |
Economic Systems Trends in Labor Economic Specialization |
| The government’s evolving role in protecting property rights, regulating working conditions, protecting the right to bargain collectively, and reducing discrimination in the workplace has attempted to balance the power between workers and employers. This role shifts in response to government’s need to stimulate the economy balanced against the need to curb abusive business practices.
NY.USH.12.E3b |
The Role of Government |
| The freedom of the United States economy encourages entrepreneurialism. This is an important factor behind economic growth that can lead to intended consequences (e .g., growth, competition, innovation, improved standard of living, productivity, specialization, trade, outsourcing, class mobility, positive externalities) and unintended consequences (e.g.,recession, depression, trade, unemployment, outsourcing, generational poverty, income inequality, the challenges of class mobility, negative externalities.).
NY.USH.12.E3c |
The Basics of Capitalism The Role of Government Managing the Nation’s Economy |
| A degree of regulation, oversight, or government control is necessary in some markets to ensure free and fair competition and to limit unintended consequences of American capitalism. Government attempts to protect the worker, ensure property rights, and to regulate the marketplace, as well as to promote income equality and social mobility, have had varied results.
NY.USH.12.E3d |
The Basics of Capitalism The Role of Government Taxation |
| The degree to which economic inequality reflects social, political, or economic injustices versus individual choices is hotly debated. The role that the government should play in decreasing this gap, including the variety of government programs designed to combat poverty, is debated as well.
NY.USH.12.E3e |
The Role of Government Taxation |
| The Tools of Economic Policy in a Global Economy | eTAP Lesson |
| Policy makers establish economic goals related to economic indicators, including the Gross National Product (GNP), Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Consumer Price Index (CPI), employment and interest rates, and aggregate supply and demand.
NY.USH.12.E4a |
Business Finance Interest Rates Managing the Nation’s Economy |
| The president and Congress determine fiscal policy by establishing the level of spending and taxing in the annual budget. Some tax programs are designed to provide incentives to individuals and businesses that influence private sector spending, saving, and investment.
NY.USH.12.E4b |
Managing the Nation’s Economy Taxation |
| The Federal Reserve is the government institution responsible for managing the nation’s monetary policy, including regulating the amount of money in circulation and interest rates.
NY.USH.12.E4c |
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| Trade policies and agreements (tariffs, quotas, embargoes) set the rules for trade between the United States and other nations. Agreeing on such rules is very difficult because each nation has different interests, and each nation has special interest groups trying to influence the negotiations.
NY.USH.12.E4d |
The Evolution of U.S. Trade Policy |
