Address: XXX. Semester/Year: xxx

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1 Course Information Course Title: Federal Government Semester/Year: xxx Course number: GOVT 2305 Section number: Credit Hours: 3 Course Prerequisites One of the following must be met: Developmental Reading 0093 English as a Second Language (ESOL) 0044 Have met Texas Success Initiative (TSI) standard in Reading. Instructor Information Instructor: Address: Telephone: Online Office Hours: Campus Office Hours: Required materials Title: American Government: Roots and Reform, 2012 Election Edition Edition: 12th Authors: Karen O'Connor, Larry J. Sabato, and Alixandra B Yanus Publisher: Pearson Education Copyright year: 2014 Digital ISBN: Print ISBN: See Getting Started section of class website for more details of how you can obtain these materials Course Description Origin and development of the U.S. Constitution, structure and powers of the national government including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, federalism, political participation, the national election process, public policy, civil liberties and civil rights. Participation Policy Since this is an online class, no on-campus attendance is required. However, students are expected to log in and participate actively via ecampus. Try to check s daily and access the class at least 3 times a week. You must show participation in this class prior to the certification date, INSERT DATE by posting to the Meet and Greet discussion board prior to the certification date. Core Competencies This class is designed to help you develop a selection of the following competencies (see items marked with ): Critical Thinking Skills: To include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information. Communication Skills: To include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication. Empirical and Quantitative Skills: To include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions. Teamwork: To include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal. Personal Responsibility: To include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.

2 Social Responsibility: To include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities. Student Learning Outcomes Course Outline Upon successful completion of this course, students will: 1. Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States. 2. Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system. 3. Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice. 4. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government. 5. Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system. 6. Analyze the election process. 7. Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens 8. Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics. This course is divided into four units. UNIT 1 Lesson 1: Roots of American Government Lesson 2: American Political Culture Lesson 3: The US Constitution Lesson 4: Federalism UNIT 2 Lesson 5: Congress Lesson 6: The Presidency Lesson 7: The Bureaucracy Lesson 8: The Judiciary UNIT 3 Lesson 9: Political Participation and Public Opinion Lesson 10: Campaigns and Elections Lesson 11: Political Parties Lesson 12: Interest Groups Lesson 13: The Media UNIT 4 Lesson 14: Civil Liberties Lesson 15: Civil Rights Lesson 16: Economic Policy Lesson 17: Social Policy Lesson 18: Foreign Policy GOVT 2305 Page 2 of 6

3 Evaluation Procedures Point Accumulation and Distribution Requirement Points Each Total Points Approx. % Orientation Quiz Meet and Greet Exams Quizzes Assignments Discussion Boards 2@ Total % Extra Credit At the instructor's discretion, students may earn up to 40 points of extra credit based on a book review (20 points) and a film review (20 points). Grading Scale Points Earned Grade A B C D F Exams Each unit is accompanied by an exam. Exams are not cumulative; they only cover the chapters assigned for that particular unit, not material from past chapters. Each exam consists of 80 multiplechoice questions and is worth 100 points. Exams are timed; you have two hours (120 minutes) to complete the exam. There are no make-up exams. If a technical issue occurs while you are taking an exam, contact your instructor immediately. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have a secure Internet connection before attempting any exam in the class. Quizzes Quizzes are designed to measure your comprehension of the online material. There is a quiz for each lesson. Each quiz is worth 20 points and has 20 multiple-choice questions. Quizzes are timed: you have 30 minutes to complete the quiz. You are allowed two attempts for each quiz, with your highest score being recorded for your grade. Assignments Assignments consist of two (2) short, critical thinking papers that require you to focus on and make a judgment about important debates in American government. Your paper should be evidence-based and reflect direct, well-organized answers to the question. Papers should be approximately two to three pages (minimum of 1000 words, excluding cited text). Follow assignment submission instructions provided by your instructor and review the Written Assignment Grading Rubric for additional details. Discussion Boards You will interact with your colleagues via the online discussion board. Discussion boards require you to make an initial post directly answering the question posed, as well as replying to one (1) classmate's post. Follow discussion board instructions provided by your instructor and review the Discussion Board Rubric for additional details. Note: While all discussion boards ask you to form, explain, and support a specific opinion, the instructor will not judge your opinion in and of itself but rather how well you support it in writing. GOVT 2305 Page 3 of 6

4 Late Work It is in each student's best interest to submit work in a timely fashion. Occasionally, however, life prevents one from keeping deadlines. While the preference is that you submit work on time, you will be expected to complete assignments for each unit no later than the given due date. If you are unable to complete and submit work by the deadline, you are responsible for communicating with the instructor in writing via . The instructor will determine if work will be accepted. In such cases, please note that points will be deducted for late work and your grade will be lowered at least 1 letter grade. This means that the highest grade received will be a B for assignments/exams submitted late. Incompletes An incomplete grade of "I" may be given when an unforeseen emergency prevents you from completing the work for this class. Make contact with the instructor immediately if there is a situation preventing you finishing the course. This must occur before the course officially ends. As a rule of thumb, a student must have already completed at least 70 percent of the work in a course in order to be eligible for an incomplete. Ultimately, the course instructor and the division dean determine every decision concerning whether or not to grant an incomplete jointly. NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to modify any class requirements and due dates as necessary to manage and conduct this class. The intent of the instructor is to promote the best education possible within prevailing conditions affecting this class. You are responsible for contacting the instructor and seeking clarification of any requirement that is not understood in the syllabus. GOVT 2305 Page 4 of 6

5 INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES Stop Before You For students who enrolled in college level courses for the first time in the fall of 2007, Drop Texas Education Code limits the number of courses a student may drop. You may drop no more than six courses during your entire undergraduate career unless the drop qualifies as an exception. Your campus counseling/advising center will give you more information on the allowable exceptions. Withdrawal Policy Financial Aid Financial Aid Certification of Attendance Academic Honesty Remember that once you have accumulated six non-exempt drops, you cannot drop any other courses with a W. Therefore, please exercise caution when dropping courses in any Texas public institution of higher learning, including all seven of the Dallas County Community Colleges. For more information, you may access: If you are unable to complete this course, it is your responsibility to withdraw formally. The withdrawal request must be received in the Registrar s Office by (insert semester s drop date). Failure to do so will result in your receiving a performance grade, usually an "F." If you drop a class or withdraw from the college before the official drop/withdrawal deadline, you will receive a "W" (Withdraw) in each class dropped. Students sometimes drop a course when help is available that would enable them to continue. Before you make the decision to drop this course, please contact the instructor by . Students who are receiving any form of financial aid should check with the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from classes. Withdrawals may affect your eligibility to receive further aid and could cause you to be in a position of repayment for the current semester. Students who fail to attend or participate after the drop date are also subject to this policy. To speak with someone, please contact the Financial Aid Call Center at or by at facc@dcccd.edu or at You must attend and participate in your on-campus or online course(s) in order to receive federal financial aid. Your instructor is required by law to validate your attendance in your on-campus or online course in order for you to receive financial aid. You must participate in an academic related activity pertaining to the course such as but not limited to the following examples: initiating contact with your instructor to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course; submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam; completing an interactive tutorial; participating in computer-assisted instruction; attending a study group that is assigned by the instructor; or participating in an online discussion about academic matters relating to the course. In an online class, simply logging in is not sufficient by itself to demonstrate academic attendance. You must demonstrate that you are participating in your online class and are engaged in an academically related activity such as in the examples described above. Academic honesty is expected, and integrity is valued in the Dallas County Community Colleges. Scholastic dishonesty is a violation of the Code of Student Conduct. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. As a college student, you are considered a responsible adult. Your enrollment indicates acceptance of the DCCCD Code of Student Conduct which is available from the Student Services website. GOVT 2305 Page 5 of 6

6 INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES Repeating this Effective Fall Semester 2005, the Dallas County Community Colleges will charge Course additional tuition to students registering the third or subsequent time for a course. This class may not be repeated for the third or subsequent time without paying the additional tuition. Third attempts include courses taken at any of the Dallas County Community Colleges since the Fall 2002 semester. More information is available at: Religious Holidays Final Course Grades ADA Statement Absences for observance of a religious holy day are excused. A student whose absence is excused to observe a religious holy day is allowed to take a make-up examination or complete an assignment within a reasonable time after the absence. Final Grade Reports are not mailed. Convenient access is available online at econnect. Use your identification number when you log onto econnect. If you are a student with a disability and/or special needs who requires accommodations, please contact the college Disability Services Office at (Voice/TTY). More information is available about Disability Services from the Student Services website: GOVT 2305 Page 6 of 6