Online Orientation: Kennedy - GOVT 2302 Mini-Semester Dec. '09

COURSE SYLLABUS
for
eClass GOV 2302 - Kennedy
American Government: 
National, State and Local II
Mini-December, 2009

Catalog Description of GOVT 2302

An examination of the institutional elements of the American political system: Legislature, Executive, Judiciary, and Bureaucracy. These elements are examined at the national, state and local levels with a special emphasis on their roles in the development of public policy.

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 (the President, Speaker of the House, Governor...), institutions (Congress, the presidency, the Supreme Court...), and policy areas (civil rights, civil liberties, domestic and foreign policy) 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 of keeping the republic.

Learning Outcomes 

In completing this course, you will
-Explore the institutional role of the legislative branch at both state and federal levels.
-Explain the instrumental role of the executive branch, including the bureaucracy, at both the state and federal levels.
-Discuss the institutional role of the judicial branch at both the state and federal levels.
-Analyze the development of civil rights and civil liberties.
-Acquire a basic understanding of domestic and foreign policy.

Required Materials

Given the extremely short length of the min-semester, students should have received their textbooks PRIOR to the first class day, Monday, Dec. 14.

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 LSC-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

Topics

Congress
The Texas Legislature	The Texas Judiciary
The Presidency	Civil Liberties
The Bureaucracy	Civil Rights
The Texas Executive & Bureaucracy	Economic & Social Policy
The Federal Court System	Foreign & Military Policy

Office Hours, Contact Information & Class Schedule

Course Requirements

As part of LSC-Online, this course is designed to maximize flexibility while providing interaction between students and the instructor. This course IS NOT an independent studies course! We will have a new topic/chapter roughly every day with accompanying online group discussions & exercise assignments. In addition to their instructional value, these course components set a pace for the course and allow interaction and discussion with your fellow classmates.

Class Discussions

While you won’t be physcially attending class, you ARE required to keep up with assigned readings and participate in regular class discussions via the class discussion postings through ANGEL (16% of final grade). New discussion questions will correspond with chapter assignments, and all discussion posting due dates are listed in the syllabus and within your ANGEL unit folder under the correspondin chapter. After reading the posted discussion topic for the assigned chapter, you will need to post at least two responses to each topic by the assigned deadlines in order to recieve credit. No late postings will be accepted! Your first posting should directly address the discussion question, while your second posting can be a followup to your original comments, or a response to other student postings. Each posting should be approximately one to two paragraphs in length. I think you will enjoy (as well as learn from) these class discussions!

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 class exams, each worth 19% of your semester grade. All exams will be administered online within our ANGEL course environment and will run from 12:05am through 10:55pm during the assigned exam dates listed in the syllabus. Each exam will be 50 minutes long, and will consist of 50 multiple choice questions. Students must take each exam on the assigned exam dates. 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 Wednesday, Dec. 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. There is no makeup for the final exam.

**The last day to drop this class and receive a “W” is Monday, Dec. 28. It will be the student’s responsibility to drop the course if you so choose. Having said this, I would encourage you to consult with me in advance if you are considering dropping the course. If a student stops attending the course and does not officially withdraw, she/he will receive a course grade of “F.”

Academic Dishonesty & Plagiarism: I have ZERO tolerance for academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism. 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.

Semester Grade Formula

Exam 1	19%	Grading Scale:
Exam 2	19%	A = 90-100
Exam 3	19%	B = 80-89
Exam 4	19%	C = 70-79
Online Discussions	16%	D = 60-69
Internet Exercise Quizzes	8%	F = Below 60
Final Grade:	100%

Course Schedule & Exam Dates

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.

Unit I
Dec. 14	Congress	Coleman, Chapter 13 Discussion #1: Postings Due Dec. 14 by 10:55pm Exercise/Quiz 1: Due Dec. 14 by 10:55pm
Dec. 15	Civil Liberties	Coleman, Chapter 6 Discussion #2: Postings Due Dec. 15 by 10:55pm Exercise/Quiz 2:Due Dec. 15 by 10:55pm
Dec. 16	The Texas Legislature	Coleman, Chapter 23 (No Discussion or Exercise Quiz in Prep for Exam 1)
Dec. 17 (12:05am to 10:55pm)	Exam 1	Accessed through ANGEL Classroom "Lessons" tab in the Unit I folder Exams must completed by 10:55pm to receive credit!
Unit II
Dec. 17-18	The Presidency	Coleman, Chapter 14 Discussion #3: Postings Due Dec. 18 by 10:55pm Exercise/Quiz 3: Due Dec. 18 by 10:55pm
Dec. 19-21	The Bureaucracy	Coleman, Chapter 16 Discussion #4: Postings Due Dec. 21 by 10:55pm Exercise/Quiz 4: Due Dec. 21 by 10:55pm
Dec. 22	The Texas Executive & Bureaucracy	Coleman, Chapter 24 (No Discussion or Exercise Quiz in Prep for Exam 2)
Dec. 23 (12:05am to 10:55pm)	Exam 2	Accessed through ANGEL Classroom "Lessons" tab in the Unit II folder Exams must completed by 10:55pm to receive credit!
Unit III
Dec. 23-24	The Federal Court System	Coleman, Chapter 15 Discussion #5: Postings Due Dec. 24 by 10:55pm Exercise/Quiz 5: Due Dec. 24 by 10:55pm
Dec. 25-26	Civil Liberties	Coleman, Chapter 5 Discussion #6: Postings Due Dec. 26 by 10:55pm Exercise/Quiz 6: Due Dec. 26 by 10:55pm
Dec. 27	The Texas Judiciary	Coleman, Chapter 25 (No Discussion or Exercise Quiz in Prep for Exam 3)
Dec. 28 (12:05am to 10:55pm)	Exam 3	Accessed through ANGEL Classroom "Lessons" tab in the Unit III folder Exams must completed by 10:55pm to receive credit!
Unit IV
Dec. 29	Economic & Social Policy	Coleman, Chapter 17 Discussion #7: Postings Due Dec. 29 by 10:55pm Exercise/Quiz 7: Due Dec. 29 by 10:55pm
Dec. 30	Foreign Policy	Coleman, Chapter 18 Discussion #8: Postings Due Dec. 30 by 10:55pm Exercise/Quiz 8: Due Dec. 30 by 10:55pm Semester Makeup Exam Due Dec. 30 by 10:55pm
Dec. 31 (12:05am to 5pm)	Exam 4 (Final Exam)	Accessed through ANGEL Classroom "Assessments" Tool NO EXAMS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER 5PM!