POLITICAL SCIENCE 1: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.
FALL 2009, SECTION 10035
Professor: Dr. Marc D. Turetzky Office Phone: 848-4704
Meeting Days: TTH, 810-930 E-Mail: mturetzky@gavilan.edu
Classroom: SS210 Office Hours: M-TH, 930-1030; or by appointment
Office: SS107
“When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I'm beginning to believe it”
“Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule - and both commonly succeed, and are right”
“Mankind will never see an end of trouble until... lovers of wisdom come to hold political power, or the holders of power... become lovers of wisdom”
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is an introduction to American politics at the national level. As such, background in the subject is not necessary. The primary goal of this class is to enable you to evaluate the U.S. political system by examining its evolution, the participants, the major institutions, and some important outcomes. You will learn to carefully define political terms, think clearly about what you are saying, set out your thinking in building blocks and argue with data. As a result, you will expand your understanding of the world of American national politics as well as learn to/sharpen your ability to argue with empirical evidence and facts and NOT just with your emotions and/or opinions. This is obviously a class about American politics but, more than that, it is class that centers on learning to use facts, reason, and logic to analyze American national politics.
Primary Course Learning Objectives:
· Students will recognize political science as a "science" that systematically studies observable behavior and actions within the political arena
· Students will define basic political science terms, concepts and theories
· Students will describe, evaluate and assess what politics is and how “the game” of politics is played at the national level
· Students will describe, evaluate and assess how the US government “really” functions
· Students will describe, evaluate and assess how well/effectively the US government manages conflict
· Students will describe, evaluate and assess the challenges (domestic and international) currently facing the American political system
· Students will demonstrate academic integrity, appropriateness and discipline in class conduct and assignments
Major Content Topics
1) What is politics? 11) Courts
2) What is democracy? 12) Public Policy
3) Ideology 13) Foreign Policy
4) The Constitution
5) Federalism
6) Civil Liberties & Rights
7) Campaigns & Elections
8) The Mass Media
9) Congress
10) Presidency
Course Bottom Line: Politics isn't rocket science, nor will everyone find the subject interesting. However, even if you don’t like my teaching style or the subject, expect to learn a lot about politics in America (from the readings, from your peers, and perhaps from me), and expect to come out of the class ready to take any upper division course in the field or another class with me if you are so compelled.
To get the absolute MOST out of this class, make sure to:
· Not miss class · Read ALL the online lectures
· Read ALL the assigned chapters in the course texts · Complete ALL assigned course work
REQUIRED READINGS
We will be using the following textbooks available for purchase at the Gavilan College Bookstore:
· Dye and Sparrow, 2009. Politics in America 8th edition. New York: Longman.
· Brudney, Culver, and Weber, 2006. Critical Thinking & Am. Government 3rd edition. USA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
· Sabato (ed), 2009. The Year of Obama: How Barack Obama Won the White House. New York: Longman
Note1: All of these books can be purchased online; Note2: Copies of all these books have been placed on reserve at the Gavilan College Library circulation desk
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Your overall course grade will be based on the following factors: (1) five The Year of Obama quizzes worth 5%; (2) several chapter quizzes worth 20%; (3) one debate worth 10%; (4) nine debate peer reviews worth 5%; (5) two papers worth 30% total; (6) twenty short internet assignments worth 20% total; and (7) Class Participation/In Class Work worth 10% total.
**YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL OF THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE** These requirements are spelled out in more detail below:
“The Year of Obama” Quizzes (5%)
You will take five in-class, multiple-choice/short answer quizzes worth 5% of your total grade. Each quiz is therefore worth 1% each. Each quiz tests your competency over the material covered in The Year of Obama readings.
“Politics in America” Exams (30%)
You will take three chapter exams worth 10% each, or 30% of your aggregate course grade. All exam questions are taken directly from the Politics in America text. It is therefore imperative that you read this book, whether at home or in the Gavilan College library where several copies have been placed on reserve. Questions will be multiple-choice, short answer, and T-F. All you need to bring is a scantron and a #2 pencil. I provide the exam. Expect to see about 50 questions per exam.
Beginning on TH, 11-12 we will start our formal debates. You will be organized into teams representing opposing sides for ten debates. I will make available the debate sign up sheet and syllabus for this assignment AFTER you choose the debate topics—which we start discussing next T.
To ensure that you are engaged and involved in the last portion of the class—debates—you are required to submit a relatively short critique of nine of the ten debates (excluding your own debate). I will provide a set of guidelines and a Peer Review Form in the second week of the class.
Papers (20%)
There are TWO relatively short assignments worth 20% of your total grade. Assignment 1 is an objective, fair-minded analysis of the Bush presidency. It is your job to write the first basic critical assessment of George W Bush, post-presidency. Paper guidelines are provided on a separate syllabus. This paper is worth 10% of your grade. Paper 1 is due, in class, on T, 11-24. Assignment 2 requires you to read and analyze a chapter in The Year of Obama. Additionally, you are required to lead a brief class discussion of the chapter you have selected in The Year of Obama. Signups for YOUR chapter as well as paper and discussion guidelines are provided on separate syllabi. Paper 2 is due in class on the same day that you are a discussant. This paper is also worth 10% of your total course grade.
Another 20% of your grade consists of the completion of 20 homework assignments designed to promote critical thinking. Assignments are found in the Critical Thinking and Am. Govt text. Each is worth 1%, hence they are worth 20% of your total grade. Homework assignments may NOT be made up, regardless of the excuse. **Note1: all homework assignments will be completed ONLINE…go to the course website, create a username and password and go the “assignments” area of the classroom to see the assignments and schedule**
Class Participation and In-Class Work (10%)
The final portion of your course grade consists of class participation (which centers on several video and speaker observations, class discussions, as well as regular attendance) and pop quizzes. In total, class participation and in-class work is worth 10% of your course grade. Starting in the second week, I will begin to take attendance. If you miss too much class, you miss in-class work, lectures, discussions, AND class debates. NONE of these things can be made up. For every class after your 2nd absence, I start docking 2 points from your participation grade (so you get TWO “free absences”). By your fifth absence, therefore, your participation grade will be a ZERO (out of 10%) and I will more than likely ask you to leave the class. If you miss a lot of class, you will also miss the lectures, discussions, debates, and in-class work and will therefore have a problem passing the course.
COURSE RULES: I will attempt to create and facilitate a learning environment conducive to student learning. In order to do this, I need your cooperation and willingness to take this learning environment seriously. Below, I lay out the basic rules of conduct I will enforce this semester:
COURSE SCHEDULE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
The schedule, policies, objectives, topics, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. Any scheduling adjustments will be announced in class. PIA refers to Politics in America; Obama refers to The Year of Obama: How Barack Obama Won the White House
T, 9-1: Introduction/Roll
Reading Assignments: None
TH, 9-3: More Introduction-Syllabi etc
Reading Assignments: None
T, 9-8: What is Politics?/What is Democracy?/Political Culture Lec.-Video-Discussion
Reading Assignments: PIA, Ch 1 and Ch 2 (pp24-42)
TH, 9-10: Ideology-What is a Liberal, Conservative, Libertarian, or Socialist? Lec.-Video-Discussion
Reading Assignments: PIA, Ch 2 (pp43-54)
Week 3: Ideology; The Constitution-Federalism
T, 9-15: The Constitution I/The Constitution II/Federalism
Reading Assignments: PIA, Ch 3 and Ch 4 (skim)
TH, 9-17: Civil Liberties/Civil Rights--Video-“You can’t say that--Politically correct free speech”
Reading Assignments: PIA, Chs 14
T, 9-22: Civil Rights Discussion
Reading Assignments: PIA, Chs 14
TH, 9-24: Campaigns & Elections--Lec.-Video-Discussion
**The Year of Obama Discussion 1—Chs 1-2; Quiz 1**
Reading Assignments: PIA, Ch 8; Obama, Chs 1-2
T, 9-29: The Mass Media--Lec.-Video-Discussion
**The Year of Obama Discussion 2—Chs 3-4; Quiz 2**
Reading Assignments: PIA, Ch 6; Obama, Chs 3-4
**TH, 10-1: Exam I (What is Politics through Mass Media)**
Reading Assignments: Exam Prep
T, 10-6: Congress I--Lec-Video-Discussion
**The Year of Obama Discussion 3—Chs 5 & 7; Quiz 3**
Reading Assignments: PIA, Ch 10; Obama, Chs 5 & 7
TH, 10-8: Congress II—Lec-Video-Discussion
**The Year of Obama Discussion 4—Chs 8-9; Quiz 4**
Reading Assignments: PIA, Ch 10; Obama, Chs 8-9
T, 10-13: Presidency I—Lec-Video (“So You Want to be President?”)
**The Year of Obama Discussion 5—Chs 10-Conclusion; Quiz 5**
Reading Assignments: PIA, Ch 11; Obama, Chs 10 & Conclusion
TH, 10-15: Presidency II—Lec-Video (“Inside the Obama White House”)
Reading Assignments: PIA, Ch 11
T, 10-20: The Courts/Superior Court Judge, the Honorable Tom Breen
Reading Assignments: PIA, Ch 13
TH, 10-22: Exam II (Congress through Courts)
Week 9: Public Policy
T, 10-27: Public Policy and Deficits, Taxes, and the Federal Budget/Public Policy and the Welfare State/The Big Picture overview
Reading Assignments: PIA, Chs 16-17
TH, 10-29: Public Policy—John Stossel critique of Public Policy/Class Discussion/Debate
Reading Assignments: PIA, Chs 16-17
Week 10: Foreign Policy
T, 11-3: Foreign Policy--American Foreign Policy in the post-9-11 Era. Discussion and video (“The Road to 9/11”)
Reading Assignments: PIA, Ch 18
TH, 11-5: Foreign Policy—Assessing the War on Terrorism. Discussion and video (“The Long War” with host Tom Brokaw)
Week 11: The Great Debates Commence!!
TH, 11-19: Debate 3
TH, 11-26: No Class-Thanksgiving Holiday!
Reading Assignments: None
T, 12-1: Debate 5
TH, 12-3: Debate 6
T, 12-8: Debate 7
TH, 12-10: Debate 8
T, 12-15, 8-10am: Debates 9-10; submit Debate Peer Reviews and any extra credit