American Government I GOVT 2301 Collin College, Spring Creek Professor Zack Shipley Office: B222-A Email: zshipley@collin.edu Office Hours: Mon-Thr, 10:00-11:30; Tue 4-5 Phone: (972) 881-5784 Web: http://iws.collin.edu/zshipley When contacting Professor Shipley, please include your name and section number (if emailing, do so in the subject line). While I strive to provide quick replies to students, there are times when this is not possible; however, you should have a response within 48 hours or by the end of the next business day. Course Description: Introduction to politics and government in the United States. Includes the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States, emphasizing the constitutions of the State of Texas and the United States, federalism and intergovernmental relations, local government, and the political process. (Delivery method: lectures, group participation, simulations; 3 hours) Note: Students transferring a government course from out-of-state must enroll in this course to complete the Texas legislative requirement. Class Meeting Times: Section 11 MW 1 to 2:15 PM in room BB133 Section 12 MW 2:30 to 3:45 PM in room BB133 Section 15 MW 4 to 5:15 PM in room BB133 Section 24 TR 1 to 2:15 PM in room BB106 Section 26 TR 2:30 to 3:45 PM in room BB106 Prerequisites: Reading Assessment at College Level. Writing Assessment: ENGL-1301 Course Repeat Policy: A student may repeat this course only once after receiving a grade, including W. Please note that Texas law now restricts students from withdrawing from more than six classes during their college career from any Texas college or university. The final dates to drop and/or withdraw are noted on the course schedule. Note: Students are responsible for officially withdrawing themselves from the course; failure to do so will result in a performance grade of "F". The last day to withdraw is noted on the schedule. Textbook: Shea, et al. Living Democracy (Texas edition Volume 1 Package Collin College). Copyright Date: 2009. ISBN: 0-558-846130 Publisher: Pearson Longman. Student Learning Goals: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the following: 1. Describe and distinguish between theories of American Democracy including elitism and pluralism. 2. Describe a variety of views on classic democracy including the views of Aristotle, Hobbes, and Locke. 3. Describe the development of the American and Texas Constitutions 4. Define and distinguish between Federal, Confederal, and Unitary Systems 5. Outline the development of Federalism in the United States 6. Identify the agents and impact of political socialization 7. Describe the significance and controversies surrounding public opinion polling in American and Texas politics. 8. Describe the purpose, types, and tactics of interest groups in American and Texas politics. 9. Describe the purpose, development, characteristics, and organization of political parties in American and Texas politics. Professor: Zack Shipley Page 1 of 5
10. Identify patterns of voting behavior. 11. Describe the relationship between the media and politicians. Course Requirements: 1. Reading of assigned textbook materials. 2. Class participation. 3. Reading of assigned supplemental materials. 4. Completion of experiential learning assignments which comprise between twenty (20) and thirty (30) percent of the semester grade. 5. Completion of an assigned number of tests and a final examination. Grading and Evaluation: Response Papers (weekly) (Best 10) 3pts each 30% Group Participation (weekly) (Best 7) 2pts each 15% Constitutional Convention 10pts 10% Paper (5pts) Participation (5pts) Semester Paper 15pts 15% Midterm Exam 15pts 15% Final Exam 15pts 15% TOTAL 100pts 100% Final course grades will be assigned as follows (grades will NOT be curved): 90 pts and above = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C; 60-69 = D; 59 and below = F Attendance Policy: Your attendance in class is required and enforced via daily grades for response papers and group participation. In each case, you are permitted one or two excused absences because your lowest grades will be dropped. No makeups can (or will) be offered for group participation, but may be offered for response papers on a case by case basis, in accordance with Collin College policies regarding religious holy days, excused absences, and what the professor feels is a reasonable accommodation. If you do miss class, regardless the circumstances, it is your responsibility to get back up to speed obtaining notes from a classmate and coming by to see me with any questions or uncertainties. Exam dates are set below and will not change, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are available to attend class during all exams. Make-up exams will be given only in extreme circumstances, with documentation, and run the risk of being spitefully difficult. All make-ups must be completed within 1 business week of the original due date (within 3 class sessions, max). Assignment Guidelines: Please include your NAME and SECTION NUMBER on all work for this course! Response Papers are due on the first day of class each week. Ideas are provided with the schedule, but you may write on any topic relating to the readings of the week. These should be typed 12-point, conventional font with standard margins and approximately 2 pages double-spaced (1 page singlespaced is preferred for response papers). Any outside material used should be properly cited. Group Participation activities will happen during the latter class each week and may come in the form of class discussion, groupwork, simulations, etc. In some cases grades will simply be for participating in an activity, in others the quality of your participation may also be evaluated. The Constitutional Convention is an extended simulation project which will complete the first section of this course. Students will form groups representing the various citizens of the country Freedonia in developing a new government additional details will be forthcoming. Students will be responsible for producing, as a group, a 7-10 page Summary of Interests for their collective citizens and then representing those interests at the Freedonian constitutional convention, held in class. Professor: Zack Shipley Page 2 of 5
A Semester Paper must be completed and turned in on or before Thursday, April 21 st this is the final day before the Spring Holiday break, and applies to ALL SECTIONS. Papers must be submitted to TurnItIn.com. Do not email me papers, they will not be accepted without prior approval. Your papers should be approximately 8 pages of actual paper (works cited and title pages not counted), double-spaced using a reasonable, 12-point font and 1 inch margins. You have your choice of 3 topics: Media Study Develop a media study focused on a particular political issue (immigration, financial reform, healthcare, etc.) Drawing from news sources from the far left and right, as well as the political center, compare and contrast the messages, cultural foundations, and interest group(s) they represent. Based on your analysis, draw conclusions regarding the roles, values, contributions to cultural change, etc. of these media. Cultural Movement or Interest Group Select an ORGANIZED interest group to study (it can be political, professional, or social ex: NRA, MADD, home owners assn., sports leagues, political parties, fraternities/sororities). Attend a meeting of the group, interview members, and conduct your own independent research about the group. Develop a paper exploring the purpose and political activities of the group. Address why people join the group, what benefits they receive, how much influence individual members have on shaping group strategies, how effective the group is in politics, and how the group has changed its political activities over time. Note that this paper should be about the POLITICS of the group, not a historical description. Political Culture Critique Select an element of popular culture (movies, music, books, television, etc. - sometimes authors/writers/musicians are easier subjects than particular works) and critique its politics. Identify the political messages included in the work(s), how they are presented, and how they influence the progression of the work(s). To what extent are the political messages hidden or highlighted? How accurately does the work reflect reality as you see it? Reality at the time the work was created? What impact did your chosen cultural reference have on society at large? This course includes two Exams. Exams are cumulative in the sense that the material builds over the semester, but each exam will primarily focus on the readings and lectures of the respective half of the course. Exams will be written and consist of short answer, identification, and short essay questions. Classroom Conduct Please keep disruptions to a minimum be on time, switch your phones to silent, and turn off any other technological devices (computers, music players, etc.) Success in this course requires your attention, participation, and careful note taking. Multiple studies have shown that hand written notes improve your ability to retain information, and will keep your fingers in shape for your exams. If you absolutely must use a computer for note taking purposes, please arrange for permission in advance. Because this is a participation and discussion-oriented course, I expect and encourage all students to make their opinions and ideas known. It is likely that we will address some heated or controversial topics, and that you will find points of disagreement with your classmates. In these cases, please extend to all of us the courtesy of civil discussion. Personal attacks, threats, yelling, etc. will not be tolerated and may result in your losing participation credit, being asked to leave class, or referral to the dean of students depending of the severity of the offense. This is not high school, and Professor Shipley is not your parent. In this classroom and in your dealings with me you will be treated as an adult and expected to behave as such. All course requirements are YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. I will not take offense to numerous absences or missed assignments, but nor should you expect a passing grade if the course requirements are not met. ADA Statement: It is the policy of Collin College to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals who are students with disabilities. This College will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable Professor: Zack Shipley Page 3 of 5
accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to contact the ACCESS office, SCC-G-200 or 972-881-5898 (V/TTD: 972-881-5950) in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate accommodations. Academic Ethics and Integrity: Every member of the Collin College community is expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. Collin College may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts, or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one s own work material that is not one s own. Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not limited to, one or more of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, use of annotated texts or teacher s editions, use of information about exams posted on the Internet or electronic medium, and/or falsifying academic records. While specific examples are listed below, this is not an exhaustive list and scholastic dishonesty may encompass other conduct, including any conduct through electronic or computerized means: Plagiarism is the use of an author s words or ideas as if they were one s own without giving credit to the source, including, but not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct quotation. Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner during an examination; collaborating with another student during an examination without authority; using, buying, selling, soliciting, stealing, or otherwise obtaining course assignments and/or examination questions in advance; copying computer or Internet files; using someone else s work for assignments as if it were one s own; or any other dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course. Collusion is intentionally or unintentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to, failing to secure academic work; providing a paper or project to another student; providing an inappropriate level of assistance; communicating answers to a classmate about an examination or any other course assignment; removing tests or answer sheets from a test site; and allowing a classmate to copy answers. In cases where an incident report has been filed for alleged violation of scholastic dishonesty, faculty are requested to delay posting a grade, for the academic work in question, until the Dean of Student s Office renders an administrative decision of the case. Students found responsible for scholastic dishonesty offenses will receive an authorized disciplinary penalty from the Dean of Students Office. The student may also receive an academic penalty in the course where the scholastic dishonesty took place. The professor will determine the appropriate academic penalty. (Professor Shipley will give you a zero for the assignment on the first offense, failure in the course for a subsequent offense.) Professor: Zack Shipley Page 4 of 5
Course Schedule (Readings should be completed before the first class of the week. All readings are available in your text check the Appendix pages for items like the Federalist Papers and Constitution.) Dates Topic Reading Response Questions and Notes Wk 1 Jan 18-21 Wk 2 Jan 24-28 Wk 3 31 Feb 4 Wk 4 Feb 7-11 Wk 5 Feb 14-18 Wk 6 Feb 21-25 Wk 7 28 Mar 5 Wk 8 Mar 7-11 Wk 9 Mar 14-18 Wk 10 Mar 21-25 Wk 11 28 Apr 1 Wk 12 Apr 4-8 Wk 13 Apr 11-15 Wk 14 Apr 18-22 Wk 15 Apr 25-29 Wk 16 May 2-6 Wk 17 May 9-13 Syllabus Day Intro to Politics in America Theories of Democracy Aristotle, Locke, and Hobbes Elites and Pluralism Writing Workshop Interest Groups, Broader Conceptualizations The US Constitution History and Contents Federalism Constitution Texas Constitutional Convention Simulation Projects MIDTERM (Review on Mon/Tue, Exam Wed/Thr) SPRING BREAK Public Opinion and Socialization Syllabus Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 13 Feder. #10 Constitution Feder. #51 Ch. 3 Ch. 20 Ch. 10 What do you see as the proper role of government? (think in terms of grand theories) Adopt the perspective of a founding father what do you see as the best/worst features of US politics? What interest groups (political and non-political) are you a part of? How are those interests represented? Evaluate the strengths/weaknesses of the Constitution, defend your viewpoint. Consider a policy issue: how it is applied across levels of government? How else could it be divided? Convention occurs on Wed/Thr; Summary of Interests due on the Convention date. LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW MAR 11 This would be a good time to re-group from the midterm and get started on your papers! Consider yourself on the left-right ideology scale; what are your political influences? Civic Engagement Ch. 12 1) Evaluate your own political or civic engagement 2) How do you see engagement changing over time? Elections Ch. 14 1) What impact does the primary system have on US politics? 2) Voting: most important participation? Political Parties Ch. 15 1) How can a 3 rd party be consistently competitive? 2) Define yourself in the two-party system, justify. Media in Politics Ch. 11 PAPERS DUE THURSDAY! Critique your own media usage what sources do you rely on? Why? Texas Government Primer Ch. 19, 21 Compare and contrast the government and politics of Texas with that of the US as a whole Local Government of Texas Final Exam Review FINAL EXAM WEEK Ch. 25 Which level of government (national, state, county, local) most impacts you? Explain. MY EXAM TIME IS: Professor: Zack Shipley Page 5 of 5