Syllabus+-+GOVT+2306+-+Spring+M2+2013

**Government 2306** **Kevin Jefferies** **Office: D-225** **Office Phone: 281-756-3736** **email:** kjefferies@alvincollege.edu. This is the best way to communicate with me. **class blog:** [|http://theweakerparty.blogspot.com] _ **This is the official information about the class from the ACC catalog: ** GOVT 2306 Texas Government (Texas Constitution and Topics) (3-credits) Origin and development of the Texas Constitution, structure and powers of state and local government, federalism and inter-governmental relations, political participation, the election process, public policy, and the political culture of Texas. Prerequisites: READ 0310 and ENGL 0310.

Please note the prerequisites. By taking this class it is assumed that you have the basic ability to read and write at the college level. You will be expected to perform at that level in all written assignments and communications. _ **Introduction: Why is This Course Offered? ** We live in a democratic republic. In such a system the people are sovereign, meaning that ultimate political authority rests with the people. This isn't necessarily good news. Overall levels of knowledge about government are quite low. The founding generation recognized this and created a governing system that placed a significant number of barriers between the people and the law. This was to ensure that the "instability, injustice, and confusion" common in democracies would not lead the new country to an early demise. Nevertheless it was understood that participation would expand and an educated population would be required to ensure that the country would survive. Public education and democratic government therefore go hand in hand. This class is not only offered, but required, in order to ensure that you become a knowledgeable participant in the American governing system. I might be prejudiced, but I happen to think that this is the most important class you will take in college, and I treat it as such.

**Learning Objectives **: What Do I Plan to Accomplish? GOVT 2306 covers the governmental and political institutions in Texas. We look at how these are designed on the state and local level. We also look at the relationship that exists between the state and the national government.

**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Methods for Accomplishing Course Objectives: ** Below (under "Calendars") you will see a series of links which take you to pages I have put together on class subject matter You will be expected to read not only the material I have assembled for you, but additional material pulled from various sources online. You'll see a lot of links, but you aren't expected to know everything I link you to. The class is designed to introduce you to the large number of additional sources of information which exist online. Your understanding of the assigned material will be assessed in two ways. The first is based on your ability to answer short answer questions while the second will be based on answering multiple choice and other similar questions. The first is subjective and is meant to force you to think critically about the subject matter while the latter tests your factual understanding of the material.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">My Teaching Style **: Over the course of two decades of teaching government, I've come to the conclusion that the Constitution is simply a means of making decisions publicly, of non-violently reconciling the different points of view -- or interests -- that exist in society. James Madison says as much in Federalist #10: //<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">The regulation of these various and interfering interests forms the principal task of modern legislation, and involves the spirit of party and faction in the necessary and ordinary operations of the government. // Conflict is part of the process. I see my job as helping you understand how the constitutional system structures that conflict. While it is common for people to consider the political and governing process as hopelessly complex and confusing, it isn't. Once you properly understand the framework of the overall, while you still might get lost in the specifics, the general process makes sense. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">_ <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**Black Board** This class will be run in Blackboard, which means that you will also take your quizzes (Blackboard calls them "assessments" so that is the term I will use) and submit your written work through this site. If you do not already have a blackboard account, get one.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Click here to get started: [] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">_ <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**Readings:** There is so much information regarding government and politics online that there is little reason to use a printed textbook. As much as possible I try to take you websites where you can find information relevant to the class' subject matter. Hopefully you will find some of these site to be useful to you in the future. All of the readings in this class are available online in the pages you are linked to below under "calendars." When you click on these links you will be taken to separate pages with power points slides. Here you will notice the bulk of the material that you will be assessed over in the class. Some of this is written in the slides, some you will be linked to.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**My Blog:** I also maintain a blog -- http://theweakerparty.blogspot.com -- where I post items, usually on a daily basis, that pertain to the subject matter of the class. Everyday we will spend time discussing how current events illustrate the principles we cover in class. The blog features a large number of links to the various institutions we will come to understand in this class. In order to better communicate, I want you to go to the page and subscribe to it, you will notice a subscription widget on the right of the page. By subscribing, you will receive daily information regarding not only what we will cover in the class, but also various other notices such as whether class will be cancelled.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**About Those Wikipedia Pages**: You will also notice that I often link to Wikipedia pages, the open-sourced web based encyclopedia. Wikipedia is often criticized as being unreliable and subject to manipulation. In some cases entries are edited by people who wish to bias the information contained in the article for self interested reasons, but the site has become increasingly reliable, especially with relatively non-controversial or historical topics. I have found the range of articles available to be impressive. There is easily accessible information available there, that simply cannot be found elsewhere. I have found it to be very useful for my purposes. Perhaps its best feature is that it records all edits and allows for discussions of controversies associated with how subjects are discussed.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Here are some links that touch on controversies associated with Wikipedia: <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- [|Dean's World]. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- [|EDUCAUSE]. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- [|Reliability of Wikipedia, from Wikipedia itself] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">_ <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**Grading**: A = 89.5 - 100; B = 79.5 - 89.5; C = 69.5 - 79.5; D = 59.5 - 69.5; F 59.5 - 0

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Y//our grade will be based on how well you perform in the following://

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**1 - Assessments (25%)**: You will be expected to take an assessment for each section in class. I want you to take them all, but will drop the lowest two - again provided you took them. The purpose is to ensure that you have familiarity with the subject matter we cover in class. These assessments will be given through Black Board, so once again, please get an account immediately. The assessments are intended to reinforce the principle points made in each section and assess - objectively - your retention of those points. You can use the power points available on each wiki page while answering the questions, so yes they are open note. Check below for the days and times each assessment will be opened.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**2 - Weekly Written Assignments (25%**): Each week I will also post a question designed to get you to think critically about that week's material. They will generally ask you about a current event that illustrates some aspect of that week's readings. These will also be presented to you in Black Board - though the questions will be written out in the blog - and you are to send your responses through Black Board as well. I'd prefer you to use the submissions box, but note that you will be timed out if you take too long to compose it there. I'd recommend writing answers out in a word processor then pasting them into the box. The assignments will be posted at the beginning of each week and you will have a full week to write at least 150 words (you should consider this to be a bare minimum) and be analytical in nature, based on the specific facts related to the subject. If you plagiarize your answer you will receive a 0, and this grade will not be replaced. I will accept late work, but all work is to be turned in by noon January 12th. You are required to turn all of these in, and I will not drop any of these grades.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**3 - A Written Report (25%**): You will be required to turn in a 1000 word paper at the end of the semester on a topic you can find by clicking on this link. The paper will be evaluated base on a variety of criteria including, content, organization, grammar and spelling. The paper is to follow MLA guidelines. These can be found on the following website: []. The ACC writing center can also assist you with formatting issues. Send me your report by the date listed below. You must submit the paper in two separate places, both can be found on Black Board. One - the one I will be grading - can be found under "assignments" where you submit the weekly written assignments. The second is under the Writing Assessment link on Black Board - which you will see each time you get on Black Board. Here the assignment will be evaluated based on three criteria. First, did it meet the requirements of the assignment? Second, was it organized well? And third, are the mechanics of the paper (spelling, grammar, and whatever else applies) proper? Please follow the instructions provided to upload your paper.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**4 - A Cumulative Final (25%**): The Final will be opened January 11th at noon and will be due January 12th at noon. It will be composed of 100 multiple choice questions drawn from the the subject matter covered the entire term. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">_ <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**Regarding Student Behavior.** You are adults and will be expected to act accordingly. For online students this means that I expect you to do your own work. You will not ask anyone else to write papers for you, or you will not simply copy text from various sources and tell me you did it. Turnitin, and other techniques will be used to determine if you have plagiarized. Among the Founders, proper behavior 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. It is a great example. Consider adopting a few.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**//Please Note: If you have any disabilities or other special needs that will affect your ability to learn in this class, please inform me. Appropriate steps will be taken to make reasonable accommodations and assistance with your needs.//**

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**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. If you do so, you will receive a zero for that paper or assignment and that grade will be final. If you do it a second time, you risk failing the course, or receiving a sanction for your actions.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**Incompletes:** I do allow students to take incompletes provided unusual circumstances have arisen that prevent you from finishing the class in a timely manner. Unless there is an overwhelmingly good reason to take the incomplete -- such as a prolonged hospital stay -- the grading scale is will be adjusted as follows: B = 85.5 - 100; C = 69.5 - 85.5; D = 59.5 - 69.5; F 59.5 - 0. This is done to be fair to the students who were able to complete the class on time, but could have performed better if they had also been given extra time. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">_ <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**Calendar and Schedule**

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">These are links to the different sections in this class. On the final version of the syllabus you will see dates associated with each. The dates will let you know when the assessments associated with each section will be opened and closed.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Class Starts: March 7

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Week One <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Introduction: Why do you have to take this class? <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Introduction: Government, Politics, Sovereignty, Public Policy <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Texas and the States within the National Governing Landscape: Federalism <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: March 7 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment due: March 11 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">All open until May 3 - Late submissions permitted, but subject to penalty

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Week Two <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Texas within the National Political Landscape: Political Culture <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- The Texas Declaration of Independence <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- The Texas Constitution <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- The Texas Bill of Rights <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Local Governments in Texas <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: March 11 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: March 22 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">All open until May 3 - Late submissions permitted, but subject to penalty

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Week Three <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- The Separated Powers <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- State Legislatures <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- State Executives <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- State Judiciaries <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: March 18 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: March 29 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">All open until May 3 - Late submissions permitted, but subject to penalty

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Week Four <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- The Legislature - Texas Constitutional Design <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Texas Bill Making <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Local City Councils <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- The Executive: Texas Constitutional Design <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- The Texas Bureaucracy <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Local Executives (this section has been cancelled) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: March 25 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: April 5 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">All open until May 3 - Late submissions permitted, but subject to penalty

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Week Five <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">-The Judiciary: Texas Constitutional Design <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- The Texas Criminal Justice System <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Local Judiciary. (this section has been cancelled) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- State Elections. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Managing Elections in Texas <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Suffrage <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Municipal and County Elections. (this section has been cancelled)

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: April 1 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: April 12 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">All open until May 3 - Late submissions permitted, but subject to penalty

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Week Six <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Political Parties in Texas <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Parties in the Texas Legislature (cancelled) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Interest Groups in Texas. - Voting, Campaigns and Elections (this is a late edition, there are not power points. Click here for info: []) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: April 8 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: April 19 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">All open until May 3 - Late submissions permitted, but subject to penalty

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Week Seven <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- State Public Policy Making (cancelled) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Local Public Policy Making (cancelled) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Texas Budgeting <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Local Budgeting (cancelled) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Texas Economic Policy Making (cancelled) <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Education Policy <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: April 15 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: April 26 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">All open until May 3 - Late submissions permitted, but subject to penalty

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Week Eight <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Health and Human Services (cancelled)

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- Public Opinion in Texas (cancelled)

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">- The Media in Texas (cancelled)

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: April 22 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Written Assignment and Assessments Open: May 3rd <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">All open until May 3 - Late submissions permitted, but subject to penalty

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Final Exam: May 3 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">1000 word report due: May 3

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Class Ends: May 3