Week 1

• Explain the Relationship between various State governments and the Federal government.
• Explain if the theories of the founding fathers behind the Constitution were to promote or protect states’ rights.    
• Identify the three levels of State and the Federal government and explain the primary purposes of each.        

Week 2

• Describe the main protections of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights and how these affect a democratic society.      
• Explain how federal, state and local governments are all separate and distinct work together for the common good.  
• Identify projects designed for the common good that need all levels of government working in conjunction with each other.      

Week 3

• Explain the relationship between politics, special interests, the citizens and governmental leaders and how their interaction creates policy formulation.       
• Describe the recent trends in federal and state governmental openness and transparency and the role of the press and media in this movement.          
• Explain the importance of public opinion polls, religious beliefs, societal norms and ethical standards to prioritize the services provided by governments.     

Week 4

• Examine the inner workings of multi-jurisdictional governmental agencies and the challenges of not duplicating citizen services.         
• Describe the recent trend in the concept of shared services and the pros and cons of these programs.        
• Identify ways to improve communication and cooperation between various governmental agencies.        

Week 5

• Describe the services provided by local governments and identify those services that are most important to everyday living.     
• Identify the specialized components of local government.
• Explain the functions of the key members of municipal government including the mayor, the council, the municipal clerk, the engineer and public safety officials.