COURSE SYLLABUS
for
GOV 2301
American Government:
National, State and Local I
Kennedy - Fall '09 Semester
Section 41009 TTH 8:30-9:50am
Section 41011 TTH 10:00-11:20am

Catalogue Description

A survey of national, state, and local government including such topics as the US and Texas Constitutions; democratic theory; federalism; political culture, political socialization and public opinion; political participation and electoral behavior; political parties and interest groups; press; and local government. These phenomena are examined at the national, state and local levels with an emphasis placed on linkages with the formulation of public policy. THIS COURSE SATISFIES STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHER CERTIFICATION IN TEXAS.

Credit
3 Hours

Prerequisites
Must meet college level reading scores; ENGL 0305 or ENGL 0316 AND ENGL 0307 or 0326, OR higher level course (ENGL 1301), OR placement by testing.

ADA Statement
Lone Star College is dedicated to providing the least restrictive learning environment for all students. The college district promotes equity in academic access through the implementation of reasonable accommodations as required by the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title V, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) which will enable students with disabilities to participate in and benefit from all post-secondary educational programs and activities. Students with disabilities who believe that they need accommodations in this course are encouraged to contact the Disability Services Office at 936-273-7239; located in Building E, Office 103H as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Purpose
Upon leaving the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia after signing the Constitution, Benjamin Franklin was stopped by a woman who asked what it was they had just created. His response was, “A Republic, Madam, if you can keep it.” This course, one of two introductory courses in US, state, and local government, has two objectives. The first is to teach you the essential mechanics of our "Republic" at the federal, state & local level. Second, and equally important, during the semester you will develop analytical skills to help make sense of both how government works and the role of citizenship in the United States. We will look at key actors (parties, interest groups, the mass media...), processes (elections, campaigns, voting, political socialization...), and structural components (the constitutional framework, demographics, federalism) at the state and federal level. We will examine how these different components have evolved over time and how they interact in the constant struggle over politics - who gets what, when, and how. By the end of the semester you will have a better understanding of politics and citizenship, and be in a better position to tackle Ben Franklin's enduring challenge to keep the republic.

Learning Outcomes
In completing this course, you will

• Understand the meaning of power, politics, and political culture, and evaluate the role of government.
• Identify the elements of democratic theory.
• Identify the characteristics and development of the U.S. and Texas Constitutions.
• Analyze the concept of federalism and its operation in the U.S.
• Define public opinion, how it is measured, and its impact on public policy.
• Explain the role, activities, and major types of interest groups and describe various techniques used by groups to promote their interests.
• Assess the major functions of the media and its role in politics.
• Trace the evolution of political parties and evaluate their role in the American political system.
• Analyze the dynamics of the electoral process.

Topics

Required Materials

Understanding American Government & Politics, Texas Edition, 2009 , by John J. Coleman, Kenneth M. Goldstein, William G. Howell, L. Tucker Gibson, Jr., Clay Robison, and David A. Crockett. w/ free Study Guide andMyPoliscilab Web access. ISBN: 020575984X. Available through the Montgomery College bookstore.
Optional:
You can also purchase our class textbook by itself (i.e., without a study guide and MyPoliSciLab access key). None of the packaged supplements are mandatory/required for class, although some may find them useful). The ISBN for the stand alone text is:
Understanding American Government & Politics, Texas Edition, 2009, ISBN-10: 0205651860

Information on Textbook Purchase:
The class text can be purchased one of several ways: including through the Lone Star College-Montgomery Bookstore, online @ at http://www.efolet.com , or online through resources such as Amazon or the Pearson Publisher's website

Office Hours, Contact Information & Class Schedule

Office Hours Fall ’09
A200F
MWF 8am to 11am; TTH 1pm to 3:00pm; & by appt.**
**During the week, I will answer all class-related emails within 24 hours. Class related emails received over the weekend will be answered the following Monday.

Contact Information
Work Ph: 936.273.7035
eMail: david.kennedy@lonestar.edu
Fax: 936.273.7443
WWW address: http://faculty.lonestar.edu/ckennedy
Office: Lone Star College-Montgomery, Bldg. A, Suite 200F
Academic Division Info: Business & Social Sciences (BASS) Division
BASS Division Department Assistant (Bldg. A, Suite 220) - Maria Partida: Ph: 936.271.6121
Lone Star College eCollege Help Desk: Ph#832.813.6700
Lone Star College eCollege Help Desk WebLink: http://www.lonestar.edu/lsc-online-student-support.htm

Class (Teaching) Schedule Fall, 2009
GOVT 2301 - Section 41009; TTH 8:30 a.m to 9:50 a.m., Room A230
GOVT 2301 - Section 41011; TTH 10a.m. to 11:20 a.m., Room A231

GOVT 2302 LSC-Online - Section 4W001 (Internet Based)
GOVT 2302 LSC-Online - Section 4W002 (Internet Based)
GOVT 2302 LSC-Online - Section 4W003 (Internet Based)

Course Requirements

If you want to pass, come to class. I reserve the option to drop a student from any class after the student has been absent the equivalent of two weeks.Attendance is important for several reasons. First, students who miss several classes generally fall behind in their coursework and do poorly in the course. Second, 17% of your final grade will be based on in-class quizzes and assignments. If your not in class, you will not get the grade. Third, we’ll often be going beyond the material presented in your readings in class lecture and discussion, and you will be held accountable for this material on the exams. Fourth, 3% of your final grade will be based on class attendance & participation. Last but not least, class attendance and participation provides you with an opportunity to voice your opinion and engage others in the exchange of ideas. By sharing the diverse views and experiences of students, your active participation greatly enhances class understanding of government, our role as citizens, and the reality of politics in our daily lives.

The semester is divided into four units, each covering three to four chapters followed by a unit exam. For each assigned chapter in a given unit, you will be expected to complete 1. a chapter WDYK? (What Do You Know?) assessment; 2. the assigned text reading; 3. an class exercise/quiz; 4. a concluding WDYL? (What Did You Learn?) assessment. There are learning objectives posted for each chapter we cover this semester. Taking the time to write out and study the answers to these objectives will greatly improve your comprehension and test scores. In addition, you will find specific study resources for each chapter, including class notes and vocabulary flashcards. All assignments and resources will be located within our ANGEL course shell, which can be accessed through the link on my faculty homepage titled "ANGEL Classroom Login." For instructions on how to Login to your ANGEL classroom for the first time, click HERE.

I will expect all students to keep up with current events dealing with national, state & local politics through daily reading a local paper (Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News...) or national paper (Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor...) supplemented with news on state politics. Many of these papers are available online and through our Library. Given current events, there should be plenty of interesting topics to keep up with.

WDYK?/WDYL? Assessments

We will be using an online course management tool called ANGEL this semester to administer a series of brief What Do You Know? (WDYK?) pre-tests and What Did You Learn? (WDYL?) post-tests. These pre-test/post-tests are intended to help you (and me) identify weak areas as you tackle each chapter. The WDYK? Assessment should be taken prior to reading the assigned chapter, and will close after the first day the chapter is assigned. The WDYL? Assessment should be taken after reading the assigned chapter and studying the corresponding chapter support material, and will be closed the day following the end date for the assigned chapter. Scores on these assessments will NOT count toward your semester grade. However, completion of ALL the WDYK? and WDYL? assessments BY THE ASSIGNED DUE DATES will result in 2pts points added to your final grade!

Class Exercises

During the semester there will be eight internet-based exercises with corresponding quizzes. These will be accessed from within the Lessons tab under the corresponding Unit & Chapter. Just click on the exercise link to begin each exercise/quiz. You must complete the corresponding quiz in order to receive credit for the exercise. Assigned dates for the exercises and corresponding quizzes are posted in the syllabus and within the your ANGEL course calendar. Exercise/Quizzes will be be available ONLY during these assigned times, and are worth a total of 8% of your semester grade.

Class Exams

During the semester there will be four scheduled unit exams, each worth 15% of your semester grade, and an in-class comprehensive final exam worth 20% of your semester grade. Each of the four unit exams will be administered online outside of class through the "Assessments" tool within our ANGEL course environment, and can be taken from any computer with internet access. The exams will run from 12:30am through midnight during the assigned exam dates listed in the syllabus. Each unit exam will be 50 minutes long, and will consist of 50 multiple choice questions. Students must take each exam on the assigned exam dates or receive a zero exam grade. Any student unable to take a scheduled exam due to extraordinary circumstances must contact me with a valid excuse within 24 hours (or as soon as physically able) following the scheduled exam time. Those with valid excuses and instructor approval will be allowed to take a one-time, makeup exam administered the week of Nov. 30. The makeup exam will consist of the same material and format as the missed exam. The grade assigned to the makeup exam will be weighted the same amount as the exam missed in computing your semester grade. Students who fail to follow these procedures will receive an F for the exam missed. The final exam, worth 20% of your semester grade, will cover the semester's material and will administered in class on the scheduled class final exam date. There is no makeup for the final exam.

Semester Grade Formula

Makeup Exams
If a student is aware of schedule conflicts in advance of any of the exam dates, please notify me beforehand and I will try to work with you. Students who miss a scheduled exam without proper notification and approval prior to the exam date must present a valid excuse within 2 class periods (or as soon as you are able) following the scheduled exam. Students with valid absences will be allowed to take a one-time makeup exam, administered the week of Nov. 30th through the Lone Star College-Montgomery Testing Center. The makeup exam will consist of three essay questions chosen from a list of possible essay questions distributed in advance. The grade assigned to the makeup exam will be weighted the same amount as the exam missed in computing your semester grade. Students who fail to follow these procedures will receive an F for the exam missed. There is no makeup for the final exam.

Optional Extra Credit
You may write a seven-page (typed, double spaced) book review OR do seven hours of community service along with a three-page service report on your experience. You will need to contact me to discuss your project prior to being approved, and the deadline for project approval is Thursday, September 10th. Book reviews may be chosen from a broad range of subjects as long as the topic relates in some significant way to politics. You may use the sections marked "Suggested Resources" at the end of each chapter in the text in choosing a book, or select your own book subject to my written approval. Details on the community service and book review options can be found in our ANGEL classroom under the "Course Resources" window, or my clicking HERE.

This extra credit option is worth up to 4 points added to your final grade. For those concerned with their progress in class, doing the extra credit can have a considerable impact on your final grade! If you think you may do either the book review or volunteer work, then contact me in order to get approval early. Approval does not mean you have to complete the extra credit. However, only those who have been approved by Thursday, September 10th will be allowed to complete the extra credit. I will be happy to discuss the structure of the final paper, go over preliminary outlines/drafts, etc. The book reviews and volunteer reports are due Tuesday, November 24th. No late papers will be accepted.

 PLAGIARISM: I have ZERO tolerance for academic dishonesty. According to New Heritage Dictionary plagiarizing is “to use and pass off as one's own the ideas or writings of another.” A simple rule of thumb is, when in doubt, cite. Any student found engaging in plagiarism in any assignment WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE GIVEN A SEMESTER GRADE OF “F”. THIS APPLIES TO THE INTERNET AS WELL AS TRADITIONAL TEXTS. Internet assignments will require full citations of all addresses used (failure to provide full internet citations will result in an automatic 40pts deducted from the assignment grade). Incorrect/false cites will result in an automatic F for that particular assignment. Please ask if there are any questions on this important topic

Topics & Course Readings
It is important that you complete your assigned readings in accordance with the class schedule as we progress during the semester. Keeping on track with the readings will allow you to meaningfully participate in class discussion, and will be essential for understanding of the course material and successfully completing each exam.

CLASS CALENDAR