High School Government Level 5 Year 2 Course

Course Description

This course invites students to deepen their understanding of citizenship, justice, and economic principles through sustained engagement with foundational texts and ideas. Students wrestle with questions about human nature and governance through Plutarch’s Lives and explore personal character development with Charlotte Mason’s Ourselves. The course centers on the American founding experience, guiding students through primary sources including the Federalist Papers and the Constitution. Economic understanding grows through practical exploration of supply, demand, and prosperity using Kirk’s Work and Prosperity, while students consider how these principles affect real communities and their own daily lives. Through regular narration of their readings, students develop their own voice and perspective on the great questions of human society.

Books and Resources

Mater Amabilis participates in affiliate programs with Amazon and Living Book Press.

Civics:

• Plutarch’s Lives, Plutarch – translation of your choice, but we recommend one by Bernadotte Perrin [online version]
  • OR The Plutarch Project Volume One, White [Amaz]
• Ourselves, Charlotte Mason [Amaz][LVP][online at Ambleside Online]
  • Ourselves is made up of two books published in a single volume. Be aware that the page numbering begins again at 1 for the second book.
  • Ourselves pp. 1-135 are assigned within the Health plans. A student would not need to read these pages twice.
• The Art of Conflict Management: Achieving Solutions for Life, Work, and Beyond, Dues (Great Courses audio lecture series) [Amaz]

Economics:

• Economics: Work and Prosperity, Kirk [Amaz]
• Honors selection: Economics in One Lesson, Hazlitt [Amaz][online PDF] – This book is not more difficult to read, but could earn an Honors designation because of the additional reading time.

Government:

• The American Cause, Kirk (with introduction by Whitney) [Amaz]
• Government Primary Source Readings – selections of essays by American Founders and others; these are linked in the lesson plans and you can find all of them on the lesson plans by resource page.
• Honors selections – Adding these selections could make a course Honors level.
  • Brave New World, Huxley [Amaz][online version]
  • Reflections on the Revolution in France, Burke [Amaz][Project Gutenberg][PDF] – If you choose to purchase this book, look through the reviews carefully to find one that is a readable edition. This selection is one of the more challenging honors options. The page numbers below are from the Project Gutenberg edition (The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. III.). Some text is included to assist the student in finding the end of each reading in any edition.
    • OR The Grand Inquisitor, Dostoevsky (from The Brothers Karamazov) [Amaz][Project Gutenberg]

Lesson plans

All readings are narrated, orally or in writing.

TERM 1

Week 1
Day 1: Work and Prosperity, Ch 1 Why Bother About Economics? & Building an Economy: the Pilgrims at Plymouth
Day 2: Primary Sources, Magna Carta and Principles of Liberty: A Study of the Magna Carta (ICC lecture)
Day 3: Plutarch, Marcus Cato the Censor, 1-2
Day 4: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XII Justice, Universal pp. 136-139
Day 5: Honors (Optional), Economics in One Lesson, Introduction pp. vii-x & Ch. 1 The Lesson pp. 3-7

Week 2
Day 6: Work and Prosperity, Ch 1 Everything Has to Be Worked For & Economists and the Language of Economics
Day 7: Primary Sources, “Reading the American Founding” by Bradley J. Birzer
Day 8: Plutarch, Marcus Cato the Censor, 3-4
Day 9: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XIII Justice to the Persons of Others pp. 140-144
Day 10: Honors (Optional), Brave New World, Ch. 1-2

Week 3
Day 11: Work and Prosperity, Ch 1 Goods, Wants, and Needs & Goods for Production, Goods to Use Up
Day 12: Primary Sources, Dissertation on Feudal and Canon Law by John Adams
Day 13: Plutarch, Marcus Cato the Censor, 5-7
Day 14: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XIII Justice to the Persons of Others pp. 144-149
Day 15: Honors (Optional), Economics in One Lesson, Ch. 2-3 The Broken Window, The Blessings of Destruction pp. 11-16

Week 4
Day 16: Work and Prosperity, Ch 1 What Makes Goods Valuable?
Day 17: Primary Sources, “A Discourse of Standing Armies” by Thomas Gordon
Day 18: Plutarch, Marcus Cato the Censor, 8-9
Day 19: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XIV Truth: Justice in Word pp. 150-153
Day 20: Honors (Optional), Brave New World, Ch. 3-4

Week 5
Day 21: Work and Prosperity, Ch 2 First Principles of Economics & The Mercantilists
Day 22: Primary Sources, “The Genuine Principles of the Ancient Saxon, or English Constitution” by Demophilus
Day 23: Plutarch, Marcus Cato the Censor, 10-12
Day 24: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XIV Truth: Justice in Word pp. 153-155
Day 25: Honors (Optional), Economics in One Lesson, Ch. 4-5 Public Works Mean Taxes, Taxes Discourage Production pp. 17-24

Week 6
Day 26: Work and Prosperity, Ch 2 The Physiocrats & The Wealth of Nations
Day 27: Primary Sources, Cato: A Tragedy by Addison
Day 28: Plutarch, Marcus Cato the Censor, 13-15
Day 29: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XV Spoken Truth pp. 156-159
Day 30: Honors (Optional), Brave New World, Ch. 5-6

Week 7
Day 31: Work and Prosperity, Ch 2 Ways to Prosperity & The Limits of Economics
Day 32: Primary Sources, “Remarks on the Quebec Bill” by Hamilton
Day 33: Plutarch, Marcus Cato the Censor, 16-17
Day 34: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XVI Some Causes of Lying pp. 159-162
Day 35: Honors (Optional), Economics in One Lesson, Ch 6 Credit Diverts Production pp. 25-32

Week 8
Day 36: The American Cause, Editor’s Introduction ix-xiv (stop at “and the United States above all.”)
Day 37: Primary Sources, Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer: 1 by Dickinson
Day 38: Plutarch, Marcus Cato the Censor, 18-19
Day 39: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XVI Some Causes of Lying pp. 163-165
Day 40: Honors (Optional), Brave New World, Ch. 7-8

Week 9
Day 41: The American Cause, Editor’s Introduction Intro. xiv-xvii (stop at “which have made the American nation great”)
Day 42: Primary Sources, Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer: 3 by Dickinson
Day 43: Plutarch, Marcus Cato the Censor, 20-21
Day 44: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XVII Integrity: Justice in Action pp. 165-166
Day 45: Honors (Optional), Economics in One Lesson, Ch 7 The Curse of Machinery pp. 33-44

Week 10
Day 46: The American Cause, Introduction Intro. xvii-xxi
Day 47: Primary Sources, Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer: 8 by Dickinson
Day 48: Plutarch, Marcus Cato the Censor, 22-24
Day 49: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XVII Integrity: Justice in Action pp. 167-172
Day 50: Honors (Optional), Brave New World, Ch. 9-10

Week 11
Day 51: Make-up
Day 52: Primary Sources, Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer: 9 by Dickinson
Day 53: Plutarch, Marcus Cato the Censor, 25-27
Day 54: Make-up
Day 55: Honors (Optional), Economics in One Lesson, Ch 8 Spread-the-Work Schemes pp. 45-50

WEEK 12: DAYS 56-60 MAKEUP/EXAM WEEK

Examination questions for exam week
To be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.
The student will choose four of the questions to answer.

1. Tell about what you have learned about economics in the readings you have done this year.
2. Describe Cato the Censor and his life.
3. How might Cato’s arguments about the relationship between private virtue and public good remain relevant to modern democratic societies?
4. Describe one or two of the main concerns America’s founders had during the Colonial period.
5. What does Charlotte Mason say about justice in the reading you have done so far in Ourselves?
6. Tell how the readings so far of either of the honors selections (Economics in One Lesson or Brave New World) have impacted your thinking about any of the other readings this term.

TERM 2

Week 13
Day 61: The American Cause, Ch 1 Ignorance – A Dangerous Luxury pp. 1-4
Day 62: Work and Prosperity, Ch 3 Prosperity Does Not Grow on Trees & The Factor of Natural Resources
Day 63: Primary Sources, Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer: 10 by Dickinson
Day 64: Plutarch, Philopoemen, 1-2
Day 65: Honors (Optional), Brave New World, Ch. 11-12

Week 14
Day 66: The American Cause, Ch 2 The Need for Principles pp. 5-8
Day 67: Work and Prosperity, Ch 3 The Factor of Labor
Day 68: Primary Sources, Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer: 12 by Dickinson
Day 69: Plutarch, Philopoemen, 3-5
Day 70: Honors (Optional), Economics in One Lesson, Ch. 9 Disbanding Troops and Bureaucrats pp. 51-54

Week 15
Day 71: The American Cause, Ch 2 The Need for Principles pp. 9-11
Day 72: Work and Prosperity, Ch 3 The Factor of Capital
Day 73: Primary Sources, “Speech on American Taxation” by Edmund Burke & “Edmund Burke and the Dignity of the Human Person” by Bradley J. Birzer
Day 74: Plutarch, Philopoemen, 6-7
Day 75: Honors (Optional), Brave New World, Ch. 13-14

Week 16
Day 76: Make-up
Day 77: Work and Prosperity, Ch 3 Robinson Crusoe, Capitalist
Day 78: Primary Sources, “The Church’s Flight into the Wilderness” by Samuel Sherwood
Day 79: Plutarch, Philopoemen, 8-9
Day 80: Honors (Optional), Economics in One Lesson, Ch. 10 The Fetish of Full Employment pp. 55-58

Week 17
Day 81: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XVIII Opinions: Justice in Thought pp. 173-178
Day 82: Work and Prosperity, Ch 3 The Factor of Management
Day 83: Primary Sources, Federalist #1, “Introduction” by Alexander Hamilton
Day 84: Plutarch, Philopoemen, 10-12
Day 85: Honors (Optional), Brave New World, Ch. 15-16

Week 18
Day 86: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XVIII Opinions: Justice in Thought pp. 179-182
Day 87: Work and Prosperity, Ch 3 The Gentleman Who Made Gunpowder for President Jefferson
Day 88: Primary Sources, Federalist #47 “The meaning of the maxim, which requires a separation of the departments of power, examined and ascertained” by James Madison
Day 89: Plutarch, Philopoemen, 13-14
Day 90: Honors (Optional), Economics in One Lesson, Ch. 11 Who’s “Protected” by Tariffs? pp. 59-68

Week 19
Day 91: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XIX Principles: Justice in Motive pp. 187-190
Day 92: Make-up
Day 93: Primary Sources, “How Conservatives and Liberals View The Federalist” by George Carey
Day 94: Plutarch, Philopoemen, 15
Day 95: Honors (Optional), Brave New World, Ch. 17-18 (end)

Week 20
Day 96: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XX Justice to Ourselves: Self-Ordering pp. 191-195
Day 97: Make-up
Day 98: Primary Sources, Declaration of Independence & “How to Read the Declaration of Independence” by M. E. Bradford
Day 99: Plutarch, Philopoemen, 16-17
Day 100: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 233-253, stop at “…and bound indissolubly together.”

Week 21
Day 101: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice ` Chapter XXI Justice to Ourselves: Self-Ordering pp. 195-198
Day 102: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XX Justice to Ourselves: Self-Ordering pp. 198-201
Day 103: Primary Sources, Articles of Confederation and Federalist #2 “Concerning Dangers from Foreign Force & Influence” by John Jay
Day 104: Plutarch, Philopoemen, 18
Day 105: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 253-271, start at “A few years after this period…”, stop at “…last resource of the thinking and the good.”

Week 22
Day 106: Ourselves, Part III The House of the Heart. Lords of the Heart: II. Justice Chapter XX Justice to Ourselves: Self-Ordering pp. 201-203
Day 107: Ourselves, Part IV Vocation pp. 204-207
Day 108: Primary Sources, Federalist #9 “The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard against Domestic Faction and Insurrection” by Alexander Hamilton
Day 109: Plutarch, Philopoemen, 19-20
Day 110: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 271-291, start at “The third head of right asserted by the pulpit…”, stop at “…in the management of human affairs.”

Week 23
Day 111: Ourselves, Part IV Vocation pp. 207-210
Day 112: The American Cause, Ch 2 The Need for Principles pp. 12-14
Day 113: Primary Sources, Federalist #10 “The Same Subject Continued” by James Madison
Day 114: Plutarch, Philopoemen, 21
Day 115: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 291-310, start at “Having considered the composition of the third estate…”, stop at “…he makes a surrender in trust of the whole of it.”

WEEK 24: MAKEUP/EXAM WEEK

Examination questions for exam week
To be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.
The student will choose four of the questions to answer.

1. Describe Philopoemen and his life.
2. What lessons might Philopoemen’s successes and failures offer for understanding the challenges facing modern federal systems or international alliances?
3. Describe some of the ideas you read in the primary sources about balancing authority and liberty, about the tensions between local and national interests, or a different theme you noticed.
4. Tell about some of the most interesting ideas you have read in Work and Prosperity, The American Cause, or one of your other books for this course this term.
5. What did Charlotte Mason say about Justice and Vocation in Ourselves?

TERM 3

Week 25
Day 121: Work and Prosperity, Ch 4 The Laws of Supply and Demand & Supply, Demand, and Value-in-Use & The Dedham Farmer and the Boston Merchant Bargain
Day 122: The American Cause, Ch. 3 Moral Principle: Nature of Man pp. 15-17
Day 123: Primary Sources, Federalist #37 “Concerning the difficulties which the convention must have experienced in the formation of a proper plan” by James Madison
Day 124: Plutarch, Titus Flamininus, 1-2
Day 125: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 310-333, start at “Government is not made in virtue of natural rights…”, stop at “…as a ridiculous, absurd, and antiquated fashion.”

Week 26
Day 126: Work and Prosperity, Ch 4 Diminishing Marginal Valuation & Value-in-Exchange
Day 127: The American Cause, Ch. 3 Moral Principle: Nature of Man pp. 17-20
Day 128: Primary Sources, U.S. Constitution Article I & Federalist #51 “The same subject continued, with the same view, and concluded” by James Madison
Day 129: Plutarch, Titus Flamininus, 3
Day 130: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 333-352, start at “On this scheme of things, a king is but a man…”, stop at “…the best-constituted republics within their reach.”

Week 27
Day 131: Work and Prosperity, Ch 4 Price, Cost of Production, and Scarcity
Day 132: The American Cause, Ch. 3 Moral Principle: Nature of Man pp. 20-23
Day 133: Primary Sources, Federalist #57 “The same subject continued, in relation to the supposed tendency of the plan of the convention to elevate the few above the many” by James Madison
Day 134: Plutarch, Titus Flamininus, 4-5
Day 135: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 352-370 (end of page), start at “First I beg leave to speak of our Church Establishment…”, stop at “…against similar conclusions.”

Week 28
Day 136: Work and Prosperity, Ch 4 The Basic Laws of Demand and Supply
Day 137: The American Cause, Ch 3 Moral Principle: Nature of Man pp. 23-26
Day 138: Primary Sources, Federalist #62 “Concerning the constitution of the senate, with regard to the qualifications of the members; the manner of appointing them; the equality of representation; the number of the senators, and the duration of their appointments” by James Madison
Day 139: Plutarch, Titus Flamininus, 6-8
Day 140: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 371-393, start at “I hope we shall never be so totally lost…”, stop at “…part of the proceedings of the National Assembly.”

Week 29
Day 141: Work and Prosperity, Ch 4 Demand and Substitution & Statutory Laws Cannot Repeal Economic Laws
Day 142: Plutarch, Titus Flamininus, 9
Day 143: Primary Sources, Federalist #63 “A further view of the constitution of the senate, in regard to the duration of the appointment of its members” by James Madison & “Federalists and Anti-Federalists” by Bradley J. Birzer
Day 144: The American Cause, Ch 3 Moral Principle: Nature of Man pp. 26-30
Day 145: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 393-412, start at “To cut off all appearance of connection between…”, stop at “…and loyalty were his constant theme.”

Week 30
Day 146: Work and Prosperity, Ch 4 The High Lord of the Marketplace
Day 147: The Art of Conflict Management, Lecture 1: Why Conflict Management Matters
Day 148: Primary Sources, U.S. Constitution, Article II & Federalist #68 “The view of the constitution of the president continued, in relation to the mode of appointment” by Alexander Hamilton
Day 149: Plutarch, Titus Flamininus, 10-11
Day 150: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 412-432, start at “But the nobility of France are degenerated since…”, stop at “…they are none of ours.”

Week 31
Day 151: Work and Prosperity, Ch 4 Supply, Demand, and Rent Controls
Day 152: The Art of Conflict Management, Lecture 2: The Adversary System
Day 153: Primary Sources, Federalist #70 “The same view continued, in relation to the unity of the executive, and with an examination of the project of an executive council” by Alexander Hamilton
Day 154: Plutarch, Titus Flamininus, 12
Day 155: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 432-452, start at “You may suppose that we do not approve your…”, stop at “…to prove their tendency beneficial.”

Week 32
Day 156: The Art of Conflict Management, Lecture 3: Morton Deutsch and the Concept of Win-Win
Day 157: Primary Sources, Federalist #72 “The same view continued, in regard to the re-eligibility of the president” by Alexander Hamilton
Day 158: The Art of Conflict Management, Lecture 4: Perception, Perspective, and Punctuation
Day 159: Plutarch, Titus Flamininus, 13-15
Day 160: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp, 452-473, start at “We must always see with a pity not unmixed with respect…”, stop at “…bite each other to their mutual destruction.”

Week 33
Day 161: The Art of Conflict Management, Lecture 5: Managing Multiple and Conflicting Emotions
Day 162: Primary Sources, U.S. Constitution, Article III & Federalist #78 “A view of the constitution of the judicial department in relation to the tenure of good behaviour” by Alexander Hamilton
Day 163: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 473-492, start at “I am afraid I have gone too far into their way of considering…”, stop at “…to the first cementing principle.”
Day 164: Plutarch, Titus Flamininus, 16-18
Day 165: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 492-514 (end of page), start at “The second material of cement for their new republic…”, stop at “…absence of mutiny than the existence of discipline.”

Week 34
Day 166: The Art of Conflict Management, Lecture 6: Multiple, Complex, and Changing Goals
Day 167: Primary Sources, U.S. Constitution, Articles IV-VII & (Your State Constitution)
Day 168: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 515-534, start at “I cannot help pausing here for a moment…”, stop at “…produced by an ill-constructed system of government.”
Day 169: Plutarch, Titus Flamininus, 19-20
Day 170: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 534-554, start at “Having concluded my few remarks on the constitution…”, stop at “…certainly not Judæus Apella.”

Week 35
Day 171: The Art of Conflict Management, Lecture 7: Power–How Much We Need and How to Use It
Day 172: Primary Sources, Bill of Rights & Federalist #84 “Concerning several miscellaneous objections” by Alexander Hamilton 
Day 173: The Art of Conflict Management, Lecture 8: Conflict Styles
Day 174: Plutarch, Titus Flamininus, 21
Day 175: Honors (Optional), Reflections on the Revolution in France, pp. 554-563 (end), start at “A noble indignation rises in the minds…”, stop at “…which may preserve its equipoise.” (the end)

WEEK 36: MAKEUP/EXAM WEEK

Examination questions for exam week
To be answered as short in-class essays, taking roughly 30-45 minutes each.
The student will choose four of the questions to answer.

1. Tell about the life and career of Titus Flamininus.
2. What have you learned about conflict management so far?
3. Tell what you know about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
4. Describe your state constitution.
5. If you read Reflections on the Revolution in France, how would you compare the French Revolution to the American Revolution?
6. Tell what you know about the American form of government or the dominant American economic system.