POLS 497 Issues and the Presidential Election
The Christian Science Monitor: Fall 2004
Instructor: Daniel R. Kempton
Time:
Monday,
Place:
Phone: 753-7040
Email: dkempton@niu.edu
Apathetic
voters often complain that who is elected doesn’t really matter. However, empirical research suggests that
this isn’t true. Not only do candidates
frequently hold markedly different views on major issues, but recent presidents
have taken action on a large percentage of their campaign promises. Thus who is elected does matter.
In
this course students will follow the key issues in the presidential election as
they develop during Fall 2004. During the semester students will be required
to subscribe to and read the Christian
Science Monitor (CSM), or to
regularly read the Monitor’s on line version at http://www.csmonitor.com/. In preparation for each class session,
students are required to read at least four stories in the CSM relating to the
presidential election. Students should
differentiate between news stories, Monitor editorial and Opinion-Editorial
stories.
During
the semester students will keep a journal which summarizes the news stories
that they have read. Each article entry
should include the title of the article, the date and a brief summary of the thesis of the article. The remainder of the entry should consist of
the student’s reaction to and assessment of the main argument or thesis of each
article. Each entry should be
approximately one-half page typed and double spaced, with standard
margins. Students will also be required
to keep a folder in which they maintain a copy of each article that is
summarized in their journals.
Two
typed journal entries will be submitted at the beginning of each class. (Journal entries will be returned with
comments and suggestions, as well as a basic grade of √, √-, or
√+.) Students will also be asked
to summarize their journal articles during each class session and to present
their critique of the author’s argument.
Late entries will be accepted, but will receive no better than a
√-.
Attendance
at, and participation, in class discussions is the main basis for the
participation grade. Thus, please come
to class ready to summarize and comment on your journal entries. To receive a “B” or better for you
participation grade, you may not miss more than one class and must contribute
regularly to class discussions and at least three entries to the blackboard
discussion group. You can log into the
course pages and post to the course discussion group at https://webcourses.niu.edu/.
Each
student will write a critical essay of approximately 5 pages and submit it no
later than November 22. The essay will
discuss two issues on which the presidential candidates differ. There are three necessary components of a
good critical essay. First, briefly
detail how the candidates differ on the issue.
Second, critique the candidates’ stands.
This may entail exposing inconsistencies, ambiguity, and disagreement with
goals, as well as praise. Finally,
explain which candidate’s views you find better and why. You need not select the same candidate’s
views on both issues, nor need you select the views of the candidate you favor. Essays will be graded on the accuracy of your
description of the candidates’ views, the quality of your critique and the presentation
of the arguments.
Critical
essays are due in the Political Science Office (Zulauf
315) before
Grading:
Class
Participation = 20%
Combined
Journal = 40%
Essay = 40%
Tentative Class Schedule:
First
Meeting
Second
Meeting
Third
Meeting
Fourth
Meeting
Fifth
Meeting
Election
Night
Sixth
Meeting
Paper
is Due