syllabus+-+GOVT+2302+-+Spring+2009

Government 2302 Kevin Jefferies Office: D-225 Office Phone: 281-756-3736 email: kjefferies@alvincollege.edu class blog: http://theweakerparty.blogspot.com/

This syllabus works for the following classes:

GOVT 2302-01 GOVT 2302-03 GOVT 2302-IN2

Course Description: This is the second of the two required classes designed to familiarize you with the nature of national state and local government. This section focuses primarily on the institutions established in the U.S. and Texas Constitutions, as well as local city charters. We will look indepth at the nature of legislative, executive and judicial power as well as the relationships that exist between them. We will look at all aspects of these institutions, including the history behind each, their constitutional design, the internal organization and current issues associated with them. We will attempt to spend equal amouns of time looking at the national, state, and local institutions.

//This course is designed to be used by both lecture students and internet students. All assignments--weekly--are listed below and contain some for my lecture students and some for my internet students.//

Readings: All of the readings in this class are available online. If you wish to use a traditional textbook, the following two are available in the bookstore:

//Lowi, Theodore, Benjamin Ginsberg and Kenneth Shepsle. American Government. 10th Edition. New York: W.W. Norton. Brown, Lyle et al. Practicing Texas Politics. 13th Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.//

You will notice that I also maintain a blog where I post, more or less, daily items pertaining to the subject matter of the class. I want you to go to the page and subscribe to it. That way you will be able to recive information regarding not only what we will cover in the class, but also notices about the class itself.

Grading: A = 89.5 - 100; B = 79.5 - 89.5; C = 69.5 - 79.5; D = 59.5 - 69.5; F 59.5 - 0

Your grade will be based on the following:

60% - Weekly quiz averages. 10% - What's on the agenda for 2009? 10% - Tracking a Bill through the Texas Legislature 20% - Final

1 - What's on the agenda for 2009?: The spring semester provides us a great opportunity to determine what items are topical for each level of government. The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with what the dominant issues are at the national, state and local levels. So use your web searching skills to find out. We will discuss how best to do this in class, but there is no reason you cannot proceed on your own. For the local level, I'd like you to look at the issues most important in the city you live in. For some of you that will be Alvin, but for others it will be Manvel, Angleton, Santa Fe etc... Write at least 1000 words. Due by Friday February 6th. Email this to me (either using microsoft word, or pasted into an email) at the address above.

2 - Tracking a Bill through the Texas Legislature: The biennial general session of the Texas Legislature will be occuring as we meet, so we would be remiss to not cover it. A great way to do so is to track a specific piece of legislation as it winds its way through the process. This also allows us to come to grips with the bill making process in the Texas Legislature. Here is the link to the [|Texas Legislature Online]. You will notice in the middle of the page information regarding how to do this. On [|this page you will find links to the the bills filed in the House and Senate]. Thats a good place to start. We will discuss this project in class as the semester proceeds. Write at least 1000 words. Due by Friday May 1st. Email this to me (either using microsoft word, or pasted into an email) at the address above.

Regarding Student Behavior: You are adults and will be expected to act accordingly. Do not sleep or engage in idle chatter in the classroom. Unruly students will be asked to leave. I encourage active discussion, so be prepared to state your opinions and justify them. I also expect you to come to class prepared to discuss the material at hand. Be ready to be called on at any moment to answer questiosn about the suibject matter.

Among the Founders, proper behavior around others was considered to be a necessary mark of a civilized person and a requirement for political participation. Read through Washington's [|Rules for Civility and Decent Behavior] are a great example. Consider adopting a few.

//If you have any disabilities or other special needs that will affect your ability to learn in this class, please inform me of them. Appropriate steps will be taken to make reasonable accomodations and assiist you with your needs.//

Scholastic Dishonesty: If you cheat in any way in this class and are caught, you will fail the course. Do not download items from the internet and pass them off as your own.

The links below will take you to the readings and assignments for each week.

Week 1 (January 14 - 16) Introduction and Pre Test (Lecture Classes Only) Week 2 (January 19 - 23) Overview of the U.S. and Texas Constitutions Week 3 (January 26 - 30) The Legislature: Historical Background. Week 4 (February 2 - 6) The Legislature: Constitutional Design. Week 5 (February 9 - 13) The Legislature: Current Organization. Week 6 (February 16 - 20) The Legislature: Contemporary Issues. Week 7 (February 23 - 27) The Executive: Historical Background. Week 8 (March 2 - 6) The Executive: Constitutional Design. Week 9 (March 9 - 13) The Executive: Current Organization. Spring Break: March 16 - 20 Week 10 (March 23 - 27) The Executive: Contemporary Issues. Week 11 (March 30 - April 3) The Judiciary: Historical Background. Week 12 (April 6 - 10) The Judiciary: Constitutional Design. Week 13 (April 13 - 17) The Judiciary: Current Organization and Personel. Week 14 (April 20 - 24) The Judiciary: Contemporary Issues. Week 15 (April 27 - May 1) Tying it all together, review, discussion of papers.

Now that we are getting towards the end of the semester I can give you a bit more lcarity regarding the final exam.

Lecture Students: please refer to the ACC online schedule for the final exam schedule and be prepared to take two separate tests that day. One will be the post test, which is the same test you took at the beginning of the semester as a pre test. The other will be a cummulative exam which will be composed of (roughly) 50 questions drawn from those answered over the semester. The point of the final is to help you retain the information already presented, not present new infomration.

Internet Students: I want you to answer the questions below fully. I expect you will have to answer in at least 200 words to do a good job. The point of these questions is to see if you can use the information given to you over the semester to address current topics. If you need clarification let me know.

You can find links to helpful sites on my blog.

1. Critically evaluate recent legislative activity on the part of the United States Congress. Is it fulfilling its constitutional role? Why or why not?

2. Answer question above, but direct it at the actions of the Texas Legislature.

3. In what manner has the U.S. Congress attempted to check the power of the executive? In what manner has the U.S. executive attempted to check the power of the Congress?

4. Now that we are at the 100 day mark of the Obama Administration, detail what it has done over the past few months and evaluate how Obama's is using the power of the presidency.

5. In what ways has the U.S. Supreme Court affected the powers of the Congress and the Presidency? In recent decisions has the court restricted or enhanced legislative and executive powers?

These are due by midnight Friday May 8th.