POLS 100: American Government and Politics
Spring 2004
Instructor: Jennifer S. Guon
Section
8 Office:
DuSable 476
Course
Meeting Time: TTh 12:30-1:45 Office
Hours: T/TH 3:30-4:45 &
by appt.
Course
Meeting Place:
DuSable 461 Phone:753-1818
E-mail: jguon@niu.edu
Did
you, too, 0 friend, suppose democracy was only for
elections, for politics, and for a party name? I
say democracy is only of use there that it may pass on
and come to its flower and fruit in manners, in the highest forms of
interaction between [people], and their beliefs — in religion, literature,
colleges and schools — democracy in all public and private life....
-Walt
Whitman
INTRODUCTION
As
Whitman suggests above, the American political system cannot be thought of as
an isolated entity from ones
private life.
In a democracy, actions of society affect each individual in both public and
private life. The
American
political system demands that its citizens be informed and knowledgeable on
issues concerning
government,
since the people are the government in the United
States. With this in mind, the main
objectives of
this
course are to gain knowledge of: Constitutional fruition and principles,
policy-making institutions, the
political
process, rights and liberties, and various national policies of the American
government. We will also
have the
opportunity this semester to become particularly involved in the political
process, as this is a Presidential
election year.
By the end of the semester, students should also have acquired critical
thinking and analytical skills
important to
becoming part of the political process.
REQUIRED TEXT AND READINGS
All
students are expected to have full access to a copy of the following text. It
is available in both bookstores on
campus.
1.)
Bruce Miroff, Raymond Seidelman and Todd Swanstrom, The
Democratic Debate: An Introduction to
American
Politics, 3rd Edition, Houghton Mifflin Co., 2002.
2.)
The New York Times. Washington Post. or Chicago Tribune are available for free online and
are
necessary for
Thursday current events participation.
3.)
Supplemental online readings and handouts given in class.
GRADING
Final
grades will be based on a student's performance in the following areas:
1.) Midterm Exam 25%
2.) Final Exam 25%
Specifics
of the exam will be covered in class closer to the time of the exam. Note that
the exam will cover
both the
lecture and the textbook. The final exam will not be cumulative.
3.) Essay First Draft 10% (40% if student chooses this option)
4.) Final
Essay 30% (0% if draft grade
option is chosen)
Detailed
requirements for the essay and grading options will be handed out the second
week of class.
5.) Participation 10%
Participation
will be determined by two key components: Regular participation throughout the
lectures and
presentation of at
least 2 current events articles at the beginning of class Thursday. For
approximately 20-25
minutes every Thursday, students will have the
opportunity to present and advocate an
opinion on an American political event or current policy of their choice.
Note that the article must be from New York Times, Washington Post or Chicago
Tribune to receive participation credit for that article.
Grading
Scale
100 -
90 A
89-80 B
79-70 C
69 -
60 D
59 and
Below F
IMPORTANT DATES
September
2- Class cancelled
October
14- Midterm exam
October
26- Draft of final paper due
November
23- Final paper due
Week
of December 7 - Final exam specifics TBA
COURSE OUTLINE and ASSIGNMENTS
Week of 24 August: Introduction and Groundwork
for the Democratic Debate
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 1.
-The
Constitution (MSS A-3) in preparation for next week.
Week of 31 August: The Founding and the
Constitution
Class cancelled September 2
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 2.
-James
Madison's Federalist 51 (MSS, A-16
through A-18) and Federalist 10 (MSS,
A-12 through A-16).
Week of 7 September: Public Opinion and Political
Culture
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 4.
In
addition: Go to www.uspolitics.org and run the IDEALOG
test. Come prepared to discuss the four different
ideological
categories.
Week of 14 September: Political Participation
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 5.
-Stephen
E. Bennett, "Why Young Americans Hate Politics, and What We Should Do
about It," Political Science
and Politics (1997). This article can be found at www.jstor.org.
(If off-campus, you must sign into the NIU
library to
access JSTOR.)
Week of 21 September: The Media and Democracy
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 6.
Week of 28 September: Political Parties
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 7.
Week of 5 October: Interest Groups
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 9.
Week of 12 October: MIDTERM EXAM.
-Midterm
review October 12.
-Midterm
exam October 14.
Week of 19 October: Mass-Movement Politics
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 10.
Week of 26 October: Congress
DRAFT OF PAPER DUE OCTOBER 26.
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 11.
-Article
I of the Constitution.
Week of 2 November: The Executive Branch
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 12.
-Article
II of the Constitution.
Week of 9 November: The Judiciary
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 14.
-Article
III of the Constitution.
Week of 16 November: Federalism
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 15.
Week of 23
November: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
FINAL PAPER DUE NOVEMBER 23
No class Thursday November 25-Thanksgiving Break
Readings: MSS,
Chapter 16.
-Additional
readings regarding civil rights and liberties will be assigned in class.
Week of 30 November: Civil Rights and Civil
Liberties (cont.) and Final Exam review
-Final exam review December 2.
Week of 7 December: FINAL EXAM
COURSE POLICIES
1. Attendance:
Attendance at each class meeting is both expected and required. Attendance is
defined as "being present when attendance is taken at the beginning of
each class and remaining until class is dismissed." Please do not come
late to class, as this is both discourteous and disruptive. Students who come to class after attendance
has been taken will be considered absent. If there are special
circumstances regarding this matter, please discuss them with the instructor as
soon as possible. Students with extended absences due to illness should notify
the instructor as promptly as possible during the absence and produce
appropriate documentation indicating the nature and duration of the illness.
This note should be provided to the instructor at the first class upon
returning. The student's final grade
will be reduced half a letter grade for each absence over 5.
2. Makeup
Exams: Makeup exams will only be given in extraordinary circumstances. If
such circumstances arise, please contact the instructor as soon as possible
and. before the scheduled exam. To keep the process fair for everyone in the
course, students will be asked to support requests for makeup exams with
documentation. A missed examination without prior notification and a documented
excuse will result in a zero and a course grade of "F" as opposed to
an incomplete.
3. Students
with Disabilities: Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, NIU
is committed to making reasonable accommodations for persons with documented
disabilities. Those students with disabilities that may have some impact on
then- coursework for which they may require accommodations should notify the
Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR) on the fourth floor of the Health Services Building. CAAR
will assist students making appropriate
accommodations with course instructors. It is important that CAAR and
instructors be informed of any disability-related needs during the first two
weeks of the semester.
4. Late
Assignments: An assignment submitted after the due date will be penalized
by a deduction of ten points or one letter grade per day (including weekends.)
Since students will have had several weeks to complete then-
work, this standard will be waived only in extraordinary circumstances.
5. Submitting
Written Work: Assignments should be handed in to me personally or given to
a department
secretary to be time-stamped. Assignments placed in my
mailbox or sent with a friend tend to disappear at times.
If a
student selects one of these modes of delivery, he or she does so at their own
risk.
6. Extra
Credit: Without exception, extra credit is not available in this course.
There are enough opportunities to
do well without the need for extra work.
7.
Handouts: Handouts are a privilege for those students who attend class on a
regular basis. No student is
entitled to supplemental materials simply because they
are registered for the course.
8. Classroom
Etiquette: Students are to arrive at
class on time (see attendance policy above.) Cell phones,
pagers, or any electronic devices that make noise must
be turned off during class unless the
instructor has been
notified beforehand of a special circumstance (e.g., sick
family member, pregnant wife, special childcare
situation, etc.). No one should talk while someone else is
talking; this includes comments meant for a classmate
rather than the entire group. What may seem like a
whisper or a harmless remark to one person can be a
distraction to someone else, particularly in a small room.
Overall, classroom dialogue and behavior should
always be courteous, respectful of others, and
consistent with the expectations set forth by the university.
9. Incomplete
Requests: Such petitions will be granted only in extraordinary
circumstances. The instructor reserves the right to ask for documentation to
verify the problem preventing completion of the course by the normal deadlines.
If the student does not present documentation from a university office or
official, the matter will be left to the instructor's discretion.
10. Academic
Dishonesty: Regarding plagiarism, the NIU Undergraduate Catalog states:
"students are guilty of plagiarism, intentional or not, if they copy
material from books, magazines, or other sources without identifying and
acknowledging them. Students guilty of, or assisting
others in, either cheating or plagiarism on an assignment, quiz, or examination
may receive a grade of F for the course involved and may be suspended or
dismissed from the university." The above statement encompasses the
purchase or use of papers that were written by others. In short, students are
advised to do their own work and learn
the rules for proper quoting, paraphrasing, and footnoting.
11. Class
Participation: I recognize class discussion comes more easily for some
people than for others. By temperament or habit, some individuals are
"talkers" while others are "listeners." Learning to be both
is an important subsidiary goal of this course. Comments that are not relevant
to the ongoing discussion and off the point will not be rewarded. Remarks that
are disruptive to the discussion, insensitive to others, or attempt to dominate
the discussion will not be tolerated. I strongly prefer students to participate
on a voluntary basis. If you are particularly apprehensive about talking in
class, or feel closed out of the discussion for another reason, please speak
with me. There are some things I can suggest that may be helpful. Remember:
communication skills and self-confidence are extremely important assets in the
professional world. Thus, it is better to develop these things in the collegial
environment of this class rather than under more difficult circumstances later
in life.
12. Unannounced Quizzes: The instructor reserves the right to
conduct pop quizzes if it becomes grossly apparent through class discussions
that students are not completing the assigned readings on a regular basis. If
such quizzes are administered, they will be averaged and used to raise or lower
a student's final course grade by a half