American Government and Politics
MWF 11-11:50; DuSable 246
Professor Mikel Wyckoff
Office: Zulauf 403
Hours: M
753-7056 mwyckoff@niu.edu
Teaching Assistant: Mr. Paul Vasholz
Office: DuSable 476
753-1818 pvasholz@niu.edu
Note:
Review Questions for Exams 1-3 can be found at the end of this online
syllabus. Scroll down to find them.
I. INTRODUCTION
This course provides a college level introduction to the
American political system and serves as a prerequisite for many upper level
courses in American Government. Three
general topics will be covered during the semester: (1) politics and the
democratic process in the United States; (2) basic principles of the
Constitution and Bill of Rights; and (3) the national policy making
institutions of the United States. In
addition to the standard textbook topics, we will also try to keep an eye on
the 2008 presidential race.
II. REQUIRED READINGS
The following textbook is required and should be
available at either of the campus bookstores:
Also, please note that several additional required readings
must be located online at various Internet websites. Consult the outline below for specific
assignments. Occasionally this may
involve using a computer at an NIU computing lab to gain access to sites for
which NIU has paid subscription fees (e.g., www.jstor.org
). For an online version of this
syllabus with links to required readings go to www.polisci.niu.edu. Please look for the syllabus associated with
POLS 100, Section 7. (Note that I also teach Sections 1-6 in Cole
Auditorium).
Cell Phones & Class Decorum. Please silence
your cell phones prior to the start of class.
I ask also that you be
civil during class and respect the needs of your fellow students, most of whom
actually will be trying to do well in the course! If you don’t, the grouchy old professor may
ask you to leave.
General Advice. Your best strategy for success is to keep up
with the assigned readings, attend class regularly, take good notes, and then study (!) for the exams. Study guides
are provided (see the online syllabus) but a good set of notes and a
familiarity with key readings will be your best guide to the content of the
exams.
Exams. Three hourly exams will be given. All will be multiple choice in format and
each will contribute 22.5% to your final grade.
Written Assignments. About every other week you will
prepare a short essay (1-2 pages of text, typed and double-spaced) reacting to
one of the lecture topics for that week.
The course outline (below) will tell you exactly when papers are due. Papers not submitted by the due date will normally receive a grade reduction
of at least one letter. Exceptions will
be made for persons experiencing extraordinary circumstances as defined below
under “makeup exams.” My TA, Mr. Paul
Vasholz, and I regard these papers as a serious part of the course, so
spelling, grammar, and sentence structure will be taken into account when
assigning grades. Together, your short
essays will contribute an additional 22.5% to your final grade.
Attendance and Participation. 10% of your
final course grade will be based on attendance and participation in class
discussion. To get to know you better I
will set up a seating chart and take attendance on a daily basis.
Computing Grades. Your final
course grade will be a weighted average of your scores on the exams, the
papers, and attendance/participation in discussion section:
Final
Score = .675(Avg. Exam Score) + .225(Avg. Paper Score) +
.100(Attendance/Participation).
Makeup exams and grades of incomplete will be provided cheerfully
when needed, but only for reasons of significant illness, family tragedy, being
away on university business, or other extraordinary circumstances. Furthermore,
evidence of the extraordinary
circumstance normally must be documented
by the student. Should makeup exams be
necessary, I reserve the right to switch to an essay format if I deem it
necessary.
Extra credit. Sorry, none is available. No exceptions. If you find you’re having trouble, seek help early in the semester and devise strategies
for improving your performance on required exams and assignments.
Students with Disabilities. NIU abides by the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 which mandates reasonable accommodations for qualified students with
disabilities. If you have a disability
and require some type of instructional accommodation, please let me know. If
you have not already done so, you will need to register with the Center for
Access-Ability Resources, the office on campus that provides services for
students with disabilities. The CAAR
office is located in the University Health Services building (753-1303).
COURSE OUTLINE AND
READING ASSIGNMENTS
PART I: POLITICS AND THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN THE
A. Organizational
Issues and Basics of Government and Politics
(Week of January 14)
Read: JBGH, Ch. 1, pp. 1-12.
John
Locke, Chapter 9 from The Second Treatise
of Civil Government (1690);
locate at:
http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/l/locke/john/l81s/chapter9.html
W.
Saletan, "What Reagan Got Wrong," locate at www.slate.com/id/2101835
B. Special
Topic: Presidential Primary
Elections (January 23 and 25)
Read: JBGH,
David
Greenberg, “How Presidential Primaries Backfired,” locate at:
http://www.slate.com/id/2167725/pagenum/all/#page_start
C. Public Opinion
and Ideology in
Read: JBGH,
Ch. 1, pp. 12-17; Ch. 4, especially pp. 91-102 & 109-end.
Paul
Krugman, “A Socialist Plot” (
Locate at: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/
Steve Chapman, “Clinton’s
Learning Curve,” (10/11/07) and “Is Pornography a Catalyst of
Sexual Violence,” (
Write: First, run IDEALOG at www.uspolitics.org . Then write a 1-2 page essay briefly
discussing
the
value preferences and policy views of each ideological type
(liberal, conservative,
libertarian,
communitarian). Can you find examples of
all four types among the current
Republican
and Democratic candidates for president? (Due Friday, February 1)
D. Political
Parties (Week of February 4)
Read: JBGH, Ch. 6.
V.O.
Key, “A Theory of Critical Elections,” Journal
of Politics (1955), pp. 3-8 only.
(Find at
www.jstor.org
using an NIU Internet connection).
Note: There are many ways to locate articles on
jstor. One way is to “browse” the
political science
journals
and then click on the journal you need – in this case the Journal of Politics. Once
you’re
inside that journal, click on the dates associated with the volume you
need. Remember
that
you need to access jstor through NIU because it is a subscription web
site. The easiest
way
to do this is to use a computer on campus, but it is also possible to access
jstor while off
campus
via the NIU Library web site.
Write: In this article, Key proposes the concept of
a “critical election.” What are the
essential
characteristics
of a critical election? In his
examination of Massachusetts, why did Key
choose
the particular communities that appear in his analysis (Figure A)? What do the trends
for
those two communities reveal? Explain
in a 1-2 page paper due Friday,
February 8.
E. Interest Group
Politics (Week of February 11)
Read: JBGH, Ch. 7 and review Ch. 1, pp. 22-24
(pluralistic democracy).
EXAM I: Friday, February 29
A. Constitutional
Origins (Week of February 25)
Read: JBGH,
Ch. 2, pp. 31-42, 48-51.
Declaration of
Optional
American
Political Science Review (1961), Intro and Parts 2-4, pp. 799-800 and
803-811 (at www.jstor.org
)
B. Principles of
the Constitution (Week of March 3)
Read: JBGH,
Ch. 2, pp. 42-48, 51-end; Ch. 3, pp. 62-79, 81-end.
Federalist Paper #51; locate at : www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed.htm
Write: In an effort to prevent any single group from
having complete control of the national government,
a
system of checks and balances. How will his
scheme of checks and balances work? One
requirement
is that every branch have a “will of its own.”
How does the Constitution encourage that?
Also,
because certain branches are naturally stronger, and certain branches are naturally
weaker than
others,
steps had to be taken to promote a more equal competition among them. Discuss in a 1-2
page
paper (due Friday March 7).
SPRING BREAK: Week of March 10
C. Democracy and
the Constitution (Monday, March 17)
Read: JBGH,
Ch. 1, pp. 17-end and p. 163 (“The Model of Responsible Party Government”).
Federalist Paper #10; locate at : www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed.htm
In
Federalist 10, founding father James
Madison is worried about self-interested groups
(factions)
and how to design a democratic system to protect the nation from them. Where do
factions
come from? When trying to control factions does he favor: (1)
direct or indirect
democracy?
(2) majority rule or pluralistic democracy? (3) a large nation or a small
nation?
D. Civil
Liberties and the Bill of Rights (March
19, 21, 24, 26, 28)
Read: JBGH,
Engel v. Vitale (1962); locate at www.findlaw.com
Note: To find Supreme Court cases on findlaw first
toggle to “For Legal Professionals” at the
top
of the first page. Then click on the “
Finally,
scroll down to the “Party Name Search” block and insert one of the names
contained
in
your case title (for example, in this case type in “Engel”). Then click the Search button.
The
software will list several cases with “Engel” in the title. Select Engel
v. Vitale (1962).
Write: Read Justice Black’s opinion of the Court in Engel v. Vitale and Justice Stewart’s
dissenting
opinion. Compare and contrast these two conflicting
interpretations of the establishment
clause. Which is most convincing to you? Why?
(1-2 page paper due Friday, March 28)
E. Civil
Rights (Week of March 31)
Read: JBGH,
Loving v.
"The Heterosexual
Revolution," at: www.stephaniecoontz.com/articles/article21.htm
EXAM II: Friday, April 4
A. The Supreme
Court and Judicial Review (Week of April 7 )
Read: JBGH, Ch. 11 and Article III, pp. A9-A10.
C.
Krauthammer, "From Thomas, Original Views," locate at:
http://www.jollybengali.net/content/view/94/161/
Olmstead
v.
How would you describe Justice
Thomas’ general philosophy of Constitutional interpretation?
Which side do you think he would have
voted with in the Olmstead case? How
would you have
voted in that case? Why?
B. Presidential
and Congressional Elections (Week of
April 14)
Read: JBGH, Ch. 6, pp. 163-175 and Ch. 8, pp.
205-210.
Federalist Paper #68 ( locate at www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed.htm)
Jack Rakove, “The Accidental Electors,.” NY Times (
http://www.esd112.org/history/cc/documents/readings/Accidental_Electors.pdf
Write: Writing in Federalist
68, Alexander Hamilton argues that the Electoral College is a
sophisticated
institution carefully designed by the great thinkers at the Constitutional
Convention. Based on his reading of the debates that
actually occurred at the Convention,
scholar
Jack Rakove comes to different conclusions regarding the origins of this peculiar
institution. Which interpretation seems most convincing to
you? Why? Discuss in a 1-2
page
paper due Friday, April 18.
C. The
Read: JBGH, Ch. 8 and Article I of the
Constitution, pp. A3-A6, especially sections 8 & 9.
Write: Go to thomas.loc.gov . Click on “House of Representatives,”
then on “Committees” (see
left
column, both pages). Investigate several
of these standing committees. Then write
a
paper
explaining which committee you would like to work on if you were a new member
of
the
House. Among the questions you should
consider: (a) What kinds of bills would you be
dealing
with? (b) How would this committee help you represent the district from which
you
were
elected? (1-2 page paper due Friday, May 2)
D. The Presidency
& the Executive Branch (April 30,
May 2, May 5, May 7)
Read: JBGH, Ch. 9, pp. 235-238 and Ch. 10, pp.
254-263 (executive branch organization).
JBGH,
Ch. 9, pp. 229-234, 238-end and Article II, pp. A7‑A9 (pres. powers and
leadership).
EXAM III:
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR EXAM I
1. Define: government, politics, public policy. What functions do governments perform for society? What alternatives to government are available to us?
2. Be familiar with basic terms: (1) totalitarianism, libertarianism, anarchism; (2) socialism, capitalism, laissez-faire.
3. Be familiar with the values of freedom, order and equality as defined in the textbook and lecture.
4. In 20th Century
5. By cross-classifying economic liberalism-conservatism with order/morality liberalism-conservatism Janda generates four different ideological classifications. Be familiar with them (liberals, conservatives, libertarians, communitarians) and the value tradeoffs that underlie them.
6. Define "political party." What functions do political parties perform for democratic political systems, according to the lecture? Be familiar with "responsible party democracy" as one approach to majority rule democracy.
7. What is a "critical" or "realigning" election and how
did V.O. Key demonstrate that critical realignment occurred in the
8. How do interest groups differ from political parties? How do interest groups try to influence public policy? What type of democracy do interest groups tend to promote? What are the pitfalls of relying too much on interest groups to provide democracy?
9. Nominations: (1) what are primary elections and how did we come to use
primaries as the principal method of making nominations in the
10. Presidential nominations involve both primaries and conventions. Explain. What does it take to win a presidential nomination?
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR EXAM II
1. In the 1760s and 1770s, the British government adopted a variety of policies that greatly offended the colonists. Why, given their history, did the colonists react so negatively?
2. What body served as a national government for the colonists during the Revolutionary War? What two significant founding documents were adopted by this body (one with the help of Thomas Jefferson)?
3. What kind of national government operated in the
4. What kinds of people attended the Constitutional Convention of 1787? What major issues were debated and what major agreements were achieved there? According to Roche, what does all of this tell us about the founders of the Constitution?
5a. In Federalist 10, founding father James Madison is worried about self-interested groups (factions) and how to design a democratic system to protect the nation from them. Where do factions come from? Can they be gotten rid of? In dealing with factions does he prefer: (1) direct or indirect democracy? (2) majority rule or pluralistic democracy? (3) a large nation or a small nation? Explain.
5b. Still concerned about the dangers of factions, in Federalist 51
6. There are many ways to think about democracy and how democratic political
systems work. Discuss and evaluate democracy in
7. Why isn’t the Bill of Rights found in the main body of the Constitution? Identify: the federalists, the anti-federalists, the Federalist Papers.
8. Over the course of our history, the relative powers of the national and
state governments have varied with the outcomes of presidential elections,
wars, and Supreme Court decisions (e.g., McCulloch v.
9. Know the opinion of the Supreme Court in Barron v.
10. In Engle v. Vitale, the Court’s majority decision and Justice Stewart’s rebuttal display two different interpretations of the establishment clause. Compare and contrast these two conflicting interpretations. Which is most convincing to you? Why?
11. Know the key provisions of Amendment I (discussed in class) and how those provisions have been interpreted by the Supreme Court in Near v. Minnesota (1931), N.Y. Times v. U.S. (1971), Miller v. California (1973), Schenck v. U.S. (1919), Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971).
12. Know the key provisions of Amendments IV- VIII (discussed in class) and
how those provisions have been interpreted by the Court in Mapp v.
13. Know how a Constitutional "right to privacy" was defined by the
Supreme Court in Griswold v.
14. Be familiar with major events and turning points in the struggle for racial equality (e.g., Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1857; Civil Rights Cases, 1883; Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896; Brown v. Board of Education, 1954; the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Voting Rights Act of 1965) discussed in the lecture on civil rights in America.
15. Be familiar with major events and turning points in the struggle for women’s equality.
16. Be able to identify the basic contents (e.g., Article I defines the legislative branch of government) of Articles I - VI and Amendments 1 - 15.
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR EXAM III
1. The American court system: (1) in reality we have two different court
systems; why? (2) within each system there are courts with different functions;
what are those functions and what names do the courts go by? (3) how do judges
in
2. Judicial Interpretation: (1) what is the power of judicial review, and what is the source of that power? (2) There are two general schools of thought with regard to how judges should go about interpreting the Constitution: "judicial activism" and "judicial restraint." Be familiar with the basic tenets of each.
3. According to
4. Be familiar with legislative reapportionment redistricting. When do these processes occur and why? Who is responsible? What is gerrymandering?
5. What factors favor incumbents in House and Senate races?
6. Bicameralism: Know the basic differences between the House and Senate.
7. Be familiar with the various stages in the legislative process: (1) introduction and referral; (2) processing in committee; (3) scheduling (e.g., by the House Rules Committee); (4) floor debate (note House and Senate differences here); (4) conference committee adjustments; (5) presentment to the president.
8. Regarding party leadership and organization: (1) what is a party caucus? (2) who are the day-to-day party leaders in the House and Senate? (3) who are the Constitutional presiding officers in each house and why are two of them relatively unimportant most of the time? (4) why is it advantageous to be a member of the majority party in Congress?
11. Know the basic rules and procedures involved in the Electoral College. What potentially undesirable outcomes can occur with this method of presidential selection? Why did the Framers of the Constitution adopt the Electoral College?
12. What are the major elements of the White House Executive Office and why are these groups sometimes more important than the Cabinet?
13. Define the term "bureaucracy." Know the major kinds of bureaucratic organizations found in the federal government (departments, independent executive agencies, independent regulatory boards, and government corporations).
14. What major Constitutional roles or powers are granted to the President in Article I and II? What other kinds of informal powers and resources are required for effective presidential leadership? Why are some presidents more successful with their legislative proposals than others?