POLS 2306-Texas State Government: Spring 2017 Tues. and Thurs.: 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m. Rassman 239

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1 POLS 2306-Texas State Government: Spring 2017 Tues. and Thurs.: 12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m. Rassman 239 Instructor: Dr. Deanna J. Watts Office Hours: Mon. & Wed.: 10 a.m. - Noon; 3-5 p.m. Phone: Tues.: 2-4 p.m. Office: #223 Rassman All other meetings by appointment only. Course Description: This course is a study of the Texas government. Satisfactory completion of Political Science 2305 and 2306 is a prerequisite to graduation and advanced political science courses. Program for this class: This course is designed to introduce you to the fundamental concepts and institutions that constitute the State-level political system and provide you with the basic knowledge necessary to progress onto upper level courses in American politics. This course will then devote considerable time to the state s executive, legislative, and judicial branches, elections, and public policy. Objectives for the course: First, this class should promote your ability to think critically about politics. Thinking critically means more than the ability to memorize facts. Second, this course will help you gain an understanding of the contexts that shape and influence Texas politics. Third, this class should engage and encourage you to discuss the topics that are presented with your peers, in and out of the classroom. Required Text: Please note that I reserve the right to modify or change reading assignments. The textbook you are required to purchase is: Mora and Ruger. The State of Texas: Government, Politics, and Policy, 2nd Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. Blackboard: This course has a Blackboard (Bb) page and it will be your primary source for course announcements and copy of the syllabus. Please note, I will not respond to inquiries that could be answered simply by reading the syllabus or by checking Blackboard for course information, general announcements, or updates (schedule changes, due dates, my office hours, etc.). The syllabus is subject to change due to university cancellations, instructor illness, time limitations, etc. You should regularly check Blackboard and your ASU for any changes to our class schedule. POLS 2306 Attendance policy: You are required to attend all classes throughout the semester. Each day an attendance sheet will be passed around the class. It is your responsibility to sign this sheet. I will not entertain communications regarding attendance sheets not signed. If you were in class but failed to sign the attendance sheet, you will be counted as absent for that date. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to obtain lecture material from the class you missed because I no longer post my PowerPoint slides on Blackboard. I suggest that you make arrangements with a classmate to get their lecture notes if you miss class for any reason. No make-ups will be permitted for absences on days reserved for in-class assignments or movie; exceptions only for students committed to university-related activities whose involvement can be confirmed by a faculty advisor or coach. ASU Attendance Policy as outlined in the ASU Student Handbook: Responsibility for regular and punctual attendance at all scheduled classes is expected and the university reserves the right to deal with individual cases of non-attendance. You are responsible for coming to class prepared to discuss the material and for completing all assignments per the instructions provided in the syllabus. Also, do not wait until the end of the semester to address any concerns over your grade or the material.

2 Lecture Outline, Assignments, and Exams: You should note that not all readings will be incorporated into lecture and discussion due to time constraints. All readings are meant to serve as background to the lecture. I strongly advise you to bring all assigned readings to class. Sometimes just glancing at the material can help you remember a concept or term and help to increase your participation during class discussion. Exam dates will not change unless there is an unforeseen or unplanned event. It is important that you attend class in order to know the progression of the course in case class discussion causes us to go off schedule. Whether or not they are discussed in class, all assigned readings are fair game for exams. My policies for examinations: Once an exam begins, you must put everything away - this applies not just to notes and books, but also to any electronic device - cell phones, laptops, tablets, etc. If you are caught with any of these items in the open, you will forfeit your exam. Accommodations: Any student who feels that s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability or difficult life event should contact the Office of Student Affairs, Room 112 in the Houston Harte University Center to request accommodations. Please contact them early in the semester so that arrangements can be made. For more information please visit their Angelo State webpage. Please speak with me privately about any arrangements that have been made. Excuses: The professor is the sole judge of all excuses. No excuse will be accepted after the fact for something that you know about beforehand. No excuse will be accepted for matters of personal convenience. For emergencies, an authoritative written excuse (e.g., a doctor s excuse) may be required. An excuse must be presented soon after you return to class from a legitimate absence. The Office of Student Affairs, located in Room 112 in the Houston Harte University Center, can also assist you with notifying your professors and advisors of any illnesses or family matters. It is the prerogative of the individual faculty member to set attendance policy for each individual course, and it is the responsibility of the individual faculty member to inform students of that policy in the course syllabus or other written document within the first week of the semester. Incompletes: Decisions will be made after consulting with the Office of Student Affairs. Policy on Makeup Exams: With the exception of the final exam, no make-up exams will be offered in the class unless approved by the instructor at least one week before the exam date or proper documentation verifying illness or unforeseen event. You are expected to take the final exam on the day it is due. Angelo State University sets the final exam date and time, not the instructor. Per the university, if a student cannot take the final exam on the scheduled date an Incomplete will be their assigned grade and a make-up exam will be scheduled at the beginning of the next semester. Student Responsibilities First, read the assigned material before class and be ready to discuss the main points of the articles and relate the material to the broader political system or current issues. Second, you must attend class to do well. Third, it is also your responsibility to see me as soon as possible if you do not understand the assignments and/or are doing poorly in the class. Do not wait until the last few weeks or days of the class to discuss problems or issues. Fourth, stay current with political news events that relate to American and Texas politics because I typically begin class by discussing relevant issues or current events. If you have computer-related issues or problems contact the IT Department first, not your professors. This includes access-related issues involving Blackboard. In instances when your personal computer or internet service is down, remember, there are many computers available to students on campus in the library and computer labs.

3 Assignments and Exams Exams: All exams will consist of two parts; short answer and fill-in-the-blank. Exams 1 and 2 are worth 35 points each. The Final Exam is comprehensive and worth 60 points. Part I will be short answer and based on select terms from the assigned reading material. For each term, students must provide its definition and explain how it relates to the Texas political system. Your work must demonstrate an understanding of the material. Part II is fill-in-the-blank and will be based on the assigned reading material. The Final Exam will feature terms selected from the previous exams and the material covered in the Public Policy section. Cheating will not be tolerated and will result in an F for that exam. Texas State Legislature and Public Policy Research: 100 points Students will be assigned to groups based on policy issue. Each group will be required to research policy proposals made by Texas legislators respective of their assigned issue and complete a joint outline describing the various proposals that were introduced, a general summary of the policies pros and cons, and at least one original alternative proposal by their group. More in-depth printed and verbal directions will be provided later in class. Points will be awarded based on: - the quality of your group s critical analysis - peer reviews of your individual contributions and group participation - points will not be awarded if your group s policy evaluations are plagiarized from any source or are constructed an opinion essay. I cannot grade your opinion. Approach all writing assignments as a junior scholar; objective analysis and observations should be supported by information provided in the assigned readings and information from official Texas government websites. The worksheet will not be available on Blackboard so if you miss class or need an extra copy please pick it up during my office hours. Only printed copies of your assignments will be accepted. Do not assignments to me because I will not download or open any ed file. If you still have questions about the assignments after reviewing the syllabus, please contact me as soon as possible. If you wait until the due date or after your assignment is submitted, it will be too late to claim that you did not understand the assignment or the directions provided. Pop Quizzes: 25 points each Pop quizzes will be given throughout the semester and the questions will be based on the assigned reading. Quizzes can only be taken in/during class; no makeups. The lowest pop quiz grade will be dropped at the end of the course. However, all cores will remain visible on Blackboard. Supplemental Instruction: 50 points -Each student is required to attend at least one study session with the POLS 2306 Supplemental -Instructor or tutor for a minimum of 30 minutes. Schedule times can be found on ASU's website. -No credit will be awarded to students who do not sign-in or are not on record as having attended for the required 30 minutes. -For anyone unable to attend an SI or tutoring session, you may make an appointment to review the material with me. However, the same requirements apply.

4 Extra Credit Opportunities: Extra Credit: In-Class Movie and Discussion: worth 15 points. You MUST attend both class days in order to receive the 15 extra credit points; the day the movies are shown and the days reserved for class discussion. No partial credit will be given. Remember that the schedule is subject to change; this includes the dates the movies are scheduled to be shown in class. Do not ask for additional or makeup extra credit opportunities. You will be told No. Instructor Absences: There may be times when I will have to cancel the class. In some instances, I will know the day in advance and list it in the syllabus (conferences, etc.). However, there could be a time when I have to cancel class due to an unforeseen event so please check Blackboard and your every day before class. Technology: Computers will be permitted in the class but if it becomes apparent that they are being used for purposes other than taking notes I reserve the right to prohibit their use by anyone. Anyone using a laptop in class is required to take a seat in one of the first two rows at the front of the class. Texting in class is prohibited. Anyone caught texting will be asked to leave the classroom. Academic Integrity and Fairness in the Classroom: the Department of Political Science and Philosophy is committed to support the learning of all students, irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity, age, religion, handicap condition, or sexual preference. Students should be able to expect that their learning environments are free from any form of prejudice. If you have not done so, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the University s policies toward academic dishonesty, attendance, and student conduct. These rules will be strictly enforced. It is your responsibility to maintain the decorum of the classroom and to behave in a responsible manner. I will not tolerate ad hominem attacks when discussing the material in class. Thus, any student who is disruptive in the class will be removed. Likewise, responses and discussion should be thought out and not based on personal prejudice. Academic Honor Code: ASU s Student Handbook discusses the details and parameters of academic integrity and student responsibility. Plagiarism will not be tolerated: Plagiarism is taking credit for another person s work such as omitting proper citations or omitting the use of quotation marks. Anyone caught plagiarizing on an assignment will be penalized. First offense, the student will receive and F for that assignment. Revised work will not be accepted to make up for lost points. No exceptions. Second offense, the student will receive and F for that assignment and will be required to meet with the department chair and me about the violation. Third offense, the student will receive an F for the course. Student resources: The Writing and Tutoring Centers are located in Porter Henderson Library on the third floor in room C305. Supplemental Instruction information can be found on ASU s website.

5 Course Outline: It is your responsibility to regularly check the class site on Bb and your Angelo State University account for announcements or course updates. Some lectures may take longer so it is also important that you note where we are in the syllabus. Exam dates will not be moved unless deemed necessary by the professor. No exceptions will be made around planned activities or obligations unless approved by the university. It is your responsibility to contact me as soon as possible to schedule a make-up. Read the assigned material BEFORE class so you are prepared to discuss the material. Finally, as you read the textbook pay close attention to the bolded terms and their significance to Texas state government. Part I: Citizenship and the Texas Political System Tuesday, January 17th: First Day Review of the syllabus Thursday, January 19th-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 1, Introduction to Texas History and Politics Tuesday, January 24th-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 1, Introduction to Texas History and Politics-continued Thursday, January 26th-Before Class Read: U.S. Constitution, Articles I-VII and Amendments 1-10; available online. The State of Texas: Chapter 2, Texas State Constitution & the American Federal System Tuesday, January 31st-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 2, Texas State Constitution & the American Federal System-continued Thursday, February 2nd: Lecture wrap-up Review for Exam #1 Tuesday, February 7th: Exam #1 Part II: Texas Governing Institutions Thursday, February 9th-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 3, The Texas Legislature Tuesday, February 14th-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 3, The Texas Legislature-continued Thursday, February 16th-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 3, The Texas Legislature-continued Tuesday, February 21st-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 4, The Executive Department & the Office of the Governor of Texas Thursday, February 23rd-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 4, The Executive Department & the Office of the Governor of Texas-continued Tuesday, February 28th: The State of Texas: Chapter 5, The Court System in Texas Thursday, March 2nd: The State of Texas: Chapter 5, The Court System in Texas-continued

6 Tuesday, March 7th: Lecture wrap-up Review for Exam #2 Thursday, March 9th-Exam #2 No Class - Spring Break: March Part III: State Elections, Political Parties, and Interest Groups Tuesday, March 21st: Movie, TBA Thursday, March 23rd-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 7, Voting and Political Participation in Texas Tuesday, March 28th-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 8, Elections and Campaigns in Texas Thursday, March 30th-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 9, Political Parties in Texas Last day to drop classes-march 31st Tuesday, April 4th: No Class-Departmental trip to Austin for the state legislative session. Trip schedule is subject to change. Use this time to work on your group assignment. Thursday, April 6th: Policy Groups - work in-class. I will consult with each group on their progress and address any questions about the assignment. Part IV: Public Policy Tuesday, April 11th-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 10, Interest Groups and Lobbying in Texas Thursday, April 13th-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 11, Public Policy in Texas Tuesday, April 18th-Before Class Read: The State of Texas: Chapter 11, Public Policy in Texas-continued The State of Texas: Chapter 12, Financing State Government Thursday, April 20th: Texas Public Policy Group Research assignment is due-all groups. Research Groups-class discussion Tuesday, April 25th: Research Groups-class discussion continued Thursday, April 27th: Movie, TBA Tuesday, May 2nd: Finish the movie followed by discussion Thursday, May 4th: Last day of class Final Exam Review POLS 2306 Final Exam Schedule: POLS (MWF) - Wednesday, May 8-10 a.m. POLS (TR) - Thursday, May 8-10 a.m. POLS (TR) - Thursday, May 1-3 p.m. Final Grades will be assigned on the university s A thru F system: A: ; B: 89-80; C: 79-70; 69-60; F: 59 or lower. I DO NOT CURVE GRADES. All work must be completed accordingly.