Syllabus+-+GOVT+2302-01+-+summer+1+-+5+week+-+2011

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

06/01/2011-07/06/2011 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 08:00AM - 10:15AM, Building D, Room D227
 * GOVT 2302-01**

//This is the official information about the class from the ACC catalogue://

Government 2302: American National and State Governments II (3 credits): The primary focus of this course is the federal system. Particular emphasis is placed on national issues and the executive, judicial and legislative branches of the federal government. The course also surveys the functions and services of the federal system and those of the various state governments, including the Texas state government. Prerequisites: READ 0310 and ENGL 0310.


 * 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 governmental 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 knowledgable participant in the American governing system. I might be predjudiced, 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 2302 takes explores the institutions of American government on the national, state, and local level. Broadly this means that we will look at the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and their relative components, powers and personnel. We will begin by exploring the organic evolution of these institutions over the course of British history, and how that history helped determine how each branch was designed in the United States and Texas Constitutions. We will devote a good amount of time to reading through the relevant articles in each constitution. We will then analyze how each branch has evolved since the Constitution was written and the state of their designs today, including an understanding of the people who occupy those positions currently. We will also use this information to help make sense of the current controversies that each institution is dealing with. We will conclude with a look at some of the current, topical public policy disputes: health care, financial regulations, and energy. Hopefully our discussion of the governing institutions will help us understand how policy is shaped.


 * 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 infomration 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.


 * 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: //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 make sense.

If you do not already have a blackboard account, get one. Click here to get started: []
 * BlackBoard:** Much of this class (both online and lecture) will be run in Blackboard. Obviously this is no big deal for online students, but lecture students will also take their quizes (Blackboard calls them "assessments" so that is the term I will use) and submit their written work through this site.

Please note that we will have weekly assessments beginning the first week of class, so it is your responsibility to do this promptly.


 * Readings:** Although all of the readings in this class are available online in the pages you are linked to below, you may wish to use a traditional textbook. If so, the following two are available in the bookstore:

//Lowi, Theodore, Benjamin Ginsberg and Kenneth Shepsle. American Government. 11th 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 -- [|http://theweakerparty.blogspot.com] -- where I post tems, 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.

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 controveries associated with how subjects are discussed.

Here are some links that touch on controversies associated with Wikipedia: - [|Dean's World]. - [|EDUCAUSE]. - [|Reliability of Wikipedia, from Wikipedia 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 how well you perform in the following:**

1 - Weekly Quizzes (25%): You will be expected to take assessments each week for each of the sections covered that week. This means you will take a total of 13 assessments. 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 each day. These assessments will be given through BlackBoard, 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. Check below for the days and times each assessment will be opened.

2 - Weekly Written Assignments (25%): Each week I will post a question designed to encourage you to think critically about that week's material. There will be a total of five questions. They 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) on the topic. I will accept late work, but all work is to be turned in by July 5th at midnight.

3 - A Report on the 82nd Session of the Texas Legislature (25%): As you may know, the Texas Legislature has been meeting this spring. If you have been following the news, this has been a contentious and consequential session. I want you to write a report on some aspect of it. I am open to any area of interest to you, but I suggest one of the following:

- The 2010 Campaign - Controversies Prior to the Election - The 2010 Election Results - The Comptroller's Report - The Legislative Budget Board Proposal - Consequences of Budget Cuts - The Republican Caucus - The Weakness of the Democrats - The Election of the Speaker - Power Struggles within the House - Power Struggles within the Senate - The Fight over Redistricting - Major Legislative Initiatives

Please email your finished work to me by noon July 5th through Blackboard.

4 - A Cumulative Final (25%): On July 6th I will give you a cumulative final. It will be composed of 100 multiple choice questions


 * 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.


 * //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.//**


 * 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.


 * 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 doem to be fair to the students who were able to complete the class on time, but coudl have performed better if they had also been given extra time.

Calendar and Readings: The links below will take you to the readings for each class. I also want you to regularly read the material on the blog. Please note that the quizzes (assessments) for each section will be opened on noon of each Thursday and will stay open until 8am the following Monday. Those scheduled on the weekends will be opened throughout the weekend. In some cases this means that the assessment will be longer.

June 1 - 2 - Introduction to GOVT 2302. - The Legislature: Definition and Historical Background. Assessments for each will be opened noon Thursday June 2nd and will close 8am June 6th. The written assignment will be opened June 1st at 8am and will be due 8am June 6th. It will be accepted with a late penalty until noon July 5th.

June 6 - 9 - The Legislature - Constitutional Design - The Legislature: Evolution and Current Organization. - The Legislature: Contemporary Issues Assessment for each will be opened noon Thursday June 9th and will close 8am June 13. The written assignment will be opened June 6th at 8am and will be due 8am June 13th. It will be accepted with a late penalty until noon July 5th.

June 13 - 16 - The Executive: Definition and Historical Background - The Executive: Constitutional Design Assessments for each will be opened noon Thursday June 16th and will close 8am June 20th. The written assignment will be opened June 13th at 8am and will be due 8am June 20th. It will be accepted with a late penalty until noon July 5th.

June 20 - 23 - The Executive: Evolution and Current Organization - The Executive: Contemporary Issues - The Judiciary: Definition and Historical Background Assessments for each will be opened Thursday June 23rd and will close 8am June 27th The written assignment will be opened June 20th at 8am and will be due 8am June 27th. It will be accepted with a late penalty until noon July 5th.

June 27 - 30 - The Judiciary: Constitutional Design. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">- The Judiciary - Judicial Review and the Current Court <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #810081; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: auto;">- The Judiciary: Contemporary Issues Assessments for each will be opened Thursday June 30th and will be closed 8am July 5th. The written assignment will be opened June 27th at 8am and will be due 8am July 5th. It will be accepted with a late penalty until noon July 5th.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">July 5 - 6 Written work due by noon July 5th and the cumulative final will be given in class on July 6th.