Marymount
University
2807 North Glebe Road Arlington, Virginia 22207-4299 (703) 284-1560 FAX (703) 284-3859
School of Arts and Sciences
COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Number POL 104 Reston |
Course
Title Introduction to American
Government |
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Fall Semester X |
Spring
Semester |
Summer Semester |
Year 2015 |
Name
of Instructor William
Miller |
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Meeting
Day, Time, and Room Number Thursday,
3:30-6:15pm, Reston Room 7 |
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Final
Exam Day, Time, and Room Number ONLY:
Thursday December 17, 3:30pm, Reston Room 7 |
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Office
Hours, Location, Phone One half hour before and after
each class in classroom, 284-1687 |
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E-mail & Webpage (email is a better way to reach me
than by telephone!) E-mail:
wmiller@marymount.edu;
Website: millerpolitics.com I do not use Blackboard! |
UNIVERSITY
STATEMENTS
Academic
Integrity
By accepting this syllabus, you pledge to uphold the
principles of Academic Integrity expressed by the Marymount University
Community. You agree to observe these principles yourself and to defend them
against abuse by others.
Special
Needs and Accommodations
Please address any special challenges or needs with
the instructor at the beginning of the semester. Those seeking accommodations
based on disabilities should obtain a Faculty Contact Sheet (FCS) from Student
Access Services. Student Access Services is located in Rowley Hall, Suite G105.
Please email access@marymount.edu or call 703-526-6925 to schedule an
appointment or speak with the director.
Access to
Student Work
Copies of your work in this course including copies of
any submitted papers and your portfolios may be kept on file for institutional
research, assessment and accreditation purposes. All work used for these
purposes will be submitted anonymously.
Student
Copyright Authorization
For the benefit of current and future students, work
in this course may be used for educational critique, demonstrations, samples,
presentations, and verification. Outside
of these uses, work shall not be sold, copied, broadcast, or distributed for
profit without student consent. Items submitted for this course also may be
submitted to TurnItIn.com for analysis.
University
Policy on Weather and Emergency Closings
Weather and Emergency closings are announced on
Marymount’s web site, through MUAlerts, area radio
stations, and TV stations. You may also call the Weather and Emergency Hotline
at (703) 526-6888 for current status. Unless otherwise advised by local media
or by official bulletins listed above, students are expected to report for
class as near normal time as possible on days when weather conditions are
adverse. Decisions as to inclement closing or delayed opening are not generally
made before 6:00 AM and by 3:00 PM for evening classes of the working day.
Emergency closing could occur at any time making MUAlerts
the most timely announcement mechanism. Students are expected to attend class
if the University is not officially closed. If the University is closed, course
content and assignments will still be covered as directed by the course
instructor. Please look for communication from course instructor (e.g.,
Blackboard) for information on course work during periods in which the
University is closed.
Emergency
Notification Policy
When students are absent due to a crisis situation or
unexpected, serious illness and unable to contact their individual instructors
directly, the Office of Student Development can send out an Emergency
Notification. To initiate an Emergency Notification, students should contact
the Office of Student Development at 703-284-1615 or studentdevelopment@marymount.edu.
Emergency Notifications are NOT appropriate for
non-emergency situations (e.g. car problems, planned absences, minor illnesses,
or a past absence); are NOT a request or mandate to excuse an absence, which is
at the sole discretion of the instructor; and are NOT a requirement for student
absences. If a student contacts instructors about an emergency situation
directly, it is not necessary to involve the Office of Student Development as
arrangements are made to resolve the absence.
For non-emergency absences, students should inform
their instructors directly.
1. BROAD PURPOSE OF COURSE
An introductory survey and analysis of the political processes that describe the operations of the federal, state, and local branches of government. Intergovernmental relations are examined.
The general purposes of the course are: (1) to introduce
the students to the structures and functions of the major institutions of the
American scheme of government--Congress, the Presidency, the federal courts,
the bureaucracy, interest groups, and political parties and campaigns--and (2)
to inquire into the origins, purposes, and historical development of these
institutions. We will also discuss current political events: read a newspaper
daily.
2. COURSE OBJECTIVES/Learning Outcomes
·
University Requirements:
·
Ethics Across
the Curriculum
1. Students will read and understand texts about applied problems of justice as they pertain to government.
2. Students will demonstrate an increased understanding of foundational questions about justice rooted in the principles of American government.
(Outcomes
will be measured by essay and/or short answer exam questions on the Declaration
of Independence, the Constitution and/or the Federalist Papers)
· General Learning Outcomes:
· Skills - Critical Reason and Problem Solving
1. Students will practice critical reasoning and problem solving through study of the structure and principles of American Government.
2. Students will apply knowledge of political analysis of the American system of government.
(Outcome will be measured by performance on short essay exam questions on topics such as presidential-congressional relations, the role of public opinion in governance, and/or the budget process.)
· Attitudes – Civic Responsibility
1. Students will understand that a system of self-government requires the exercise of civic responsibility to survive and succeed.
2. 2. Students will learn that civic responsibility is exercised by acting according to informed and principled choices.
(Outcome will be measured by demonstrating an understanding of these principles through in-class discussions)
·
Discipline-Specific Outcomes:
1. Students will have
an understanding of principles of American government; i.e. natural rights
theory, guarantee of civil rights as contained in founding documents; i.e.
Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
2. .Students will know
the structure and functions of American institutions of government.
3. Students will
understand citizen responsibility as it exists and is exercised in a system of self government.
(Outcome will be measured by identification,
short answer, and objective questions on exams.)
·
Course Specific Outcomes: The
design of this class is based on four parts: foundations, institutions,
politics, and governance. The course
will begin by examining the rules, values, and principles behind our system of
government. The “politics” component of
the course encompasses the entities outside of the formal government, including
media, political parties, and interest groups. We will then turn our focus to
government institutions: the Presidency, Congress, the Courts, and the
bureaucracy. We also examine the
structure and function of state and local governments. We will conclude the course by concentrating
on public policy as a vehicle for governance.
3. TEACHING
METHOD (lecture, laboratory,
audio-visual, clinical experience, discussion, seminar, tutorial)
Class lectures and extensive discussion.
4. GRADING POLICY
The final grade will consist of three components—your two best exam grades and the quiz-paper grade.
There will be two seventy-five minute mid-term examinations and one similar final examination. Each exam will be given only on the scheduled day during the semester. If you cannot take the mid-term at the scheduled time for reasons of sickness, legal, or job responsibilities, and if you provide me with satisfactory written documentation, you may take the exam immediately after the final exam on December 17th. Note: December 17th is not merely an alternate day for a mid-term. You must present me with documentation of a legitimate excuse—an official note from a medical professional, from a court or government officer, from a job supervisor. Otherwise, missing the mid-term results in a zero for the exam. If you cannot take the final on December 17th, talk to me now, on the first day of class!
There will also be a quiz at the beginning of each class. The quizzes will only be offered at the beginning of class; there will be no make-ups, so if your schedule does not permit you to get to class right at 6:30pm on Wednesday, we must talk now. If you take the quiz and then leave class early without permission, or if you did not bring your textbook or other assigned reading to class with you, I will not grade the quiz or consider that you took it. The quizzes will focus on the assigned readings and are aimed primarily at determining whether you have read the material. You must keep up with the weekly reading assignments if you want to pass the course!! Your total quiz grade, consisting of the top nine quiz grades, will equal one exam grade in determining your final grade. If you do not understand something in the readings or lectures, ask questions.
Each of the exam grades and the quiz grade amount to a possible 100 points. Your final grade is based on the percentage of total points that you earn out of a total of 300 possible points: 90 to 100% = A-/A, 80 to 89%=B-/B/B+, 70 to 79%=C-/C/C+, 60 to 69%=D-/D/D+, below 60%=F.
Attendance: Beginning with the second week of classes, students are
allowed a total of five absences, excused and/or unexcused. Students who miss
six or more classes for any reason whatever will receive an “F” in the course.
5. CLASS SCHEDULE (This
schedule is approximate and may be adjusted throughout the session. The dates
for the mid-terms and the final will not be changed, however, unless absolutely
necessary.)
CLASS ONE (September 3) Introduction to the course; basic political concepts, the United States Constitution, Federalism. (Turner text, Intro and ch. 1)
CLASS TWO (September 10) United States Constitution, cont., and introduction to Congress (Turner text, Intro, ch. 1, pp. 13-35, and ch. 2, pp. 43-57)
CLASS THREE (September 17) Congress (ch. 9 and Federalist #39)
CLASS FOUR (September 24) Presidency (ch. 10 and readings)
CLASS FIVE (October 1) Bureaucracy, Policy, and Separation of Powers (ch. 11; ch. 2, pp. 58-67;
and Federalist #51)
Friday,
October 2, 2015, is the last
day to withdraw from a class without academic record.
CLASS SIX (October 8) MID-TERM
CLASS SEVEN (October 15) Supreme Court and the
Federal Judiciary (ch. 12; ch. 1, pp. 35-38; and readings)
CLASS EIGHT (October 22) Supreme Court and Civil Rights and Liberties (ch. 3 and readings)
CLASS NINE (October 29) Supreme Court Opinion (reading)
CLASS TEN (November 5) MID-TERM EXAM
Friday,
November 6, 2015, is the last
day to withdraw from a class with a grade of W.
CLASS ELEVEN (November 12) Public opinion and Political Participation (ch. 4, 5 and readings)
CLASS TWELVE (November 19) Politics and the Media (ch. 6 and readings)
CLASS
THIRTEEN (December 3) Political
Parties and Interest Groups (ch. 7 and Federalist
#10)
CLASS
FOURTEEN (December 10) Campaigns
and Elections (ch. 8 and readings)
FINAL
EXAM The final will be given only on Wednesday, December 17th at
3:30 in Room 7 of Reston. Make your travel plans accordingly!
6. REQUIRED
TEXTS
Charles Turner, D. Grier
Stephenson, et al. Introduction to
American Government. 8th ed. Redding, CA: BVT Publishing, 2013.
ISBN 978-1-62751-627-3
Daily Newspaper: online or paper
version. I will also assign handouts and online articles for most classes.
Suggested Websites: (More
will be given during the semester but this will get you started. Please let me
know about additional sites that you find or know.)
"Thomas"—The
Library of Congress Legislative Research Service
Official
Documents of the Executive Branch via GPO
United States Supreme Court Website
Congressional Elections, 1900-2012.
Presidential Primary Candidates, 1952-2004.
See also the subject “United States presidential election 1964” (and so on) on Wikipedia for more information. The Wikipedia site looks pretty good for the 1952 to 1976 elections. The Theodore White series, "Making of the President," with bestsellers covering the 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972 presidential campaigns, are excellent books for these four elections; they are well-known classics. I am not familiar with comparable books on the recent elections.
Presidential Elections, 1892-2012.
Presidential Succession, 1900-2008.
For material on the congressional
incumbency advantage, see Incumbency Re-election
Rates (Thirty-Thousand Org.), Incumbency Re-election
Rates (Center for Responsive Politics)
Also Recommended:
James Madison, Notes of
Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, Reported by James Madison. New
York: Norton, 1987. This is also on the “Thomas” website.
Michael Kammen, ed. The Origins of the American Constitution: A
Documentary History. New York: Viking Penguin, 1986.
Stanley, Harold W., and Niemi,
Richard G. Vital Statistics on American Politics. Latest
edition. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, ----.
A few additional rules for the class:
For the benefit of the class and your classmates, the following rules regarding electronic devices also apply to this course:
1. At the beginning of class, turn your cell phones off and put them away. If you are expecting an important call, inform me about it, put your phone on “Vibrate,” sit near the door, and, when the call comes, answer it outside the classroom.
2. It follows from the foregoing rule, but it must be separately stated: no talking and no texting on cell phones during class. If you do not follow this rule, I will publicly ask you to leave the room for the remainder of the class and will do my best to have you removed from the course for the rest of the semester.
3. No lap tops will be permitted in class without
my prior permission. There have simply been too many problems
associated with allowing access to the Internet during class time. You may use
iPads, Nooks, Kindles, or other e-readers—any device on which the screen lies
flat on the desktop—if you use the electronic version of the textbook.
4. Be
sure to check your Marymount email address regularly! This is
Marymount’s and my principal way of contacting you with important information.
Perhaps you rely mostly on Yahoo, gmail, or some other provider, but check your
@marymount.edu mail daily to make sure you do not miss school information.
These rules are necessary to foster a suitable
learning environment in the classroom during class. There are enough
distractions with lawnmowers, air conditioners, and other outside forces to
combat during lectures and discussions without these controllable distractions
within the room.