Required Texts and Readings:

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1 Shepherd University, Department of Political Science PSCI 101: American Federal Government, Spring 2011 T/R 1:50-3:05 in White Hall 113 OR T/R 3:15-4:30 in White Hall 209 Dr. Stephanie A. Slocum-Schaffer Office Hours: Mondays 1:00 3:00 PM, Wednesdays 1:00-4:30 PM, and Thursdays 1:15-1:45 PM White Hall 333B, Phone: X5347 (White Hall) or (Home) Course Description: This course is designed to introduce students to the foundations, institutions and processes of American government. The goal of this class is to provide students with the tools that they need to understand the complex nature of our political system. And understanding the complex nature of our political system is important. Whatever you do in your life - and whether you like it or not - the policies that our government makes will have an influence on practically every aspect of your life. Our government's decisions affect what you eat when you sit down to dinner at night, what you wear when you get dressed for the day, and even how clean the air is that you breathe each moment. Thus, taking this class will not only provide you with a deeper understanding of how the American political system actually works; it will also put you in a position to challenge and question the way in which that system operates. Perhaps more importantly, this class will enable you to participate effectively in our system now, as well as long after you have graduated from Shepherd University. We will begin to tackle these goals by exploring the ways in which the American political system was created, focusing on three broad questions. First, why did we choose the type of government that we have? Second, how does our government balance the desire to protect the freedom of its citizens with the need for authority and control? Third, what are the characteristics of our political system? Next we will examine the structures and processes of each branch of government, as well as the controversies that confront each branch. What formal powers have been given to each branch and what informal powers have they acquired? From what sources do they retain their power? How do the three branches interact with one another and with the public? Finally, if time permits, we will study non-institutional aspects of the American system such as elections, political participation, political parties, interest groups and the role of the media in U.S. politics. What individuals or groups are advantaged or disadvantaged in our political system? How do groups influence government? What is the interaction between these groups and each branch of government? Required Texts and Readings: - O Connor, Sabato & Yanus, Essentials of American Government, 2009 edition. - Sabato, A More Perfect Constitution. 1

2 - Daily reading of a major newspaper, such as the Washington Post or the New York Times. Requirements and Grades: Grades will be based on the assignments described below, as follows: Class Participation 20% Three Exams 50% In-Class Debate & Research Paper 20% Application Exercises 10% Class meetings will consist of lectures, discussions, and some group projects (such as debates, for example). In order to take part in and learn from these activities, it is absolutely necessary that students keep up with the course schedule. This means that all reading must be completed before each class. Similarly, all assignments are due in class on the day listed unless I indicate otherwise. Late assignments and papers generally will not be accepted! If you feel that you have an excellent reason for needing more time on any given assignment, I expect to have a discussion with you about it before the actual due date. Remember that computers go down, printers run out of toner, and dogs love paper - so prepare for these potential mishaps. Assignments: Class Participation - Class participation should be treated as an assignment, just like doing homework and taking tests. Although I understand that some students are not particularly comfortable offering their thoughts in front of others, being able to make an argument or present ideas orally is an extremely important skill. No matter what you choose to do in your life after you leave Shepherd University, you will need this skill! Additionally, I believe very strongly that politics can only be understood and realized in a community, and since we will be studying politics together this semester, we must create a community in the classroom. This means interacting, working, and questioning together. Therefore, you should make the decision now that you will be an active participant in this class! How can you be an active and successful participant in this class? There are three different elements to participation in this course, and to get a 100% for participation (which accounts for 20% of your overall grade, more than an exam!) you need to meet the requirements for each of these three elements. The first aspect of class participation is attendance. Quite simply, you cannot participate if you are not in class and prepared! Therefore, attendance at all classes is expected, and missing more than two classes will certainly be reflected in your final grade. These two excused absences allow for those times when you are feeling ill, have a Dr. s appointment, and so on. Use your two excused absences wisely as I will not accept any other absences as excused. Please do not come to me with Dr. s notes or other excuses when you miss a class. And when you do have to miss a class, please do not me to find out what you missed (I do not respond to these s)! If you miss class for any reason, you are responsible for any missed material, assignments, changes to due dates, and so on. Please contact another student in the class that you trust for this information. Second, daily reading of a major newspaper is also expected. We will be discussing current events as they relate to the topics on the syllabus, as well as any other issues in the news that are 2

3 important for American government. These discussions will provide regular opportunities for class participation, and there will also be questions on the exams that stem from major news developments. You should be prepared for each and every class with at least one current article from the newspaper that has relevance for our class. This means that you must bring the following items to each class meeting: your undivided attention, materials for note-taking, your texts, AND a current and relevant newspaper article. You may clip articles directly from the newspaper, photocopy them from the library s copy of the paper, or download and print them from the internet. On occasion (and without advance warning!), I will collect the articles that you have brought to class for discussion to make sure that you are indeed keeping up with current events. Your record on this assignment will be the second element of your participation grade. The third (and most important) aspect of class participation is your actual oral participation during class sessions. Our class meetings will NOT consist of me repeating or summarizing the readings. Rather, I will expect that each student has done the reading prior to class, and that you are ready to raise questions about what you have read and to discuss the material. I hope to have exciting and engaging class discussions about the problems and issues in American government, but we can only do that if each student actively contributes to our discussion sessions. Of course, if we are going to create a political community in the classroom, all discussion MUST BE thoughtful, relevant, and (most importantly) respectful. Some of the issues that will be raised this semester will be controversial, and you will find that there are those who do not agree with you on some of these issues. We must all respect those differences and try to be as open as possible to different views. Three Exams - There will be two in-class exams covering all of the reading, lectures, and class discussions up to and including the class period before the exam (see the course schedule below). The third examination for the course will be a final that will be cumulative (covering material from the entire semester) and comprehensive in ideas, although it will concentrate on the specific readings and notes from the last third of the course. This last exam will take place during the scheduled exam period for this class. In-Class Debate and Research Paper Teams of four to six students will be preparing in-class debates for some of the proposals to change the Constitution that are presented in A More Perfect Constitution. At the end of the first class, each student will select their top 3 choices among the debate topics (please see Course Outline below for topics), and I will assign teams based on those preferences. Each team will then choose how to split themselves up between the two opposing sides of the issue. Based upon the arguments presented by Sabato in A More Perfect Constitution, the readings in the text, newspaper articles, class lectures/discussions, and students own research and experiences, each group will prepare to argue their side of the issue during an in-class debate. The requirements for this debate are as follows: 1). The entire debate should last a minimum of 20 minutes (in other words, each side must prepare for at least 10 minutes worth of argumentation on the issue) and a maximum of 75 minutes; 2). Each member of the team must participate in the in-class debate; 3). All debating must be relevant to the issue at hand. All debating must be respectful. No personal attacks are permitted. 4). Teams are encouraged to think of creative ways to elicit the participation of the whole class in the debate. 3

4 5). Each team must prepare written argument points that will be given to the whole class before the debate so that the class can follow along. These argument points must be typewritten and all references, quotations, and statistics from an outside source must be properly cited (see Academic Integrity, below)! At the conclusion of the debate, each student will turn-in a short research paper on their debate topic. This paper should range from 3 to 5 pages, and it should take the format of a well-documented persuasive essay. That means that you should take a clear position on the debate topic in the first paragraph of your paper and then provide supporting arguments for your position. As well, for each of those supporting arguments, you should provide examples or evidence to back it up. All references, quotations, and statistics from an outside source must be properly cited (see Academic Integrity, below), and your paper must include a works-cited page. This assignment is valuable in many ways. First, it provides an opportunity for students to hone their public speaking and presentation skills, as well as their ability to build a persuasive argument. Second, this assignment requires students to apply what they are learning in class to a specific issue. Third, it informs students about several of the most controversial issues facing us in American politics today. Lastly (and most importantly), it should be fun! The oral, in-class debate will be graded based upon the team s ability to fully explore the different aspects of the issue, the strength of the arguments presented, and the overall quality of the oral presentation (yes, that means good eye contact, prepared delivery, and sufficient volume). The research paper will be graded based upon each student s research effort, the coherence of their argument, their command of the pertinent readings, and the quality of presentation (yes, that means spelling, grammar, and mechanics). No first drafts please!!! And please do not forget to cite!!! Application Exercises Throughout the course of the semester, I will be handing-out application exercises. These exercises are like hands-on homework, with the goal of helping you to learn how to participate in our political system and why one should participate in our system. These assignments will be handed-out about a week before they are due. Academic Integrity: According to the Shepherd University Student Handbook, academic dishonesty will not be tolerated at Shepherd University, and all instances of academic dishonesty will require an appropriate academic action by the individual faculty member and the administration of the college. Students guilty of academic dishonesty in any course shall receive, as a minimum penalty, a grade of F in that course. Such action shall be taken by the instructor, with written notification to the vice president for academic affairs. Repeated offenses shall subject the student to suspension or dismissal from the College. Furthermore, students involved in facilitating academic dishonesty among others, such as by the unauthorized dissemination of examination materials, will be subject to disciplinary action beyond that required for their own cheating in a course. The Handbook states that academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on examinations, falsifying records, submitting plagiarized work of any kind, or providing or receiving assistance in course work in a manner not authorized by the instructor. Cheating in any form, according to the Catalog, is considered an academic matter to be controlled and acted upon by the individual faculty member. Appropriate instructor-imposed sanctions for academic dishonesty include the following: lowering a grade; reducing the grade on the assignment, even to zero; advising the withdrawal of a student from a class; and assigning a student a failing grade for the 4

5 course. Any evidence of academic dishonesty will be taken very seriously in this course, including plagiarism. Plagiarism is the act of stealing and using, as one s own, the ideas or the expression of the ideas of another. Whether that other is another student or a published author, plagiarism is cheating! Do not risk plagiarism and an F in this course: cite your sources properly and fully!!!! Please refer to your Handbook, as well as to the Shepherd University Catalog, for a fuller description of academic dishonesty, the consequences for acts of academic dishonesty, and the process to be followed by students, faculty, and administration in the case of such an act. Course Outline: January 11 - Introduction and Discussion of Syllabus; Assignment of Debate Teams. I. Foundations of the American System January 13 & 18 Foundational Ideas - Read: O&S, Ch. 1 Declaration of Independence (Appendix in O&S book) January 20 & 25 The Founding Period and the Constitution - Read: O&S, Ch. 2 Constitution (Appendix in O&S book) Sabato, Preamble Federalist #10, #51 (Appendix in O&S book) January 27 & February 1 Federalism - Read: O&S, Ch. 3 February 3 & 8 Civil Liberties - Read: O&S, Ch. 4 February 10 & 15 Civil Rights - Read: O&S, Ch. 5 February 17 Exam #1 5

6 II. Institutions: The Three Branches of Government February 22 thru March 3 -- The Legislative Branch - Read: O&S, Ch. 6 Federalist #57 (Handout) Sabato, Ch. 1 - Debate: Term Limits Balanced Budget Amendment Expand the Size of the House and Senate March 8, 10, 22 & 24 The Executive Branch: The Presidency - Read: O&S, Ch. 7 Federalist #70 (Handout) Sabato, Ch. 2 - Debate: Abolish or Change the Electoral College (page 134) Six-Year Term with Presidential Confirmation Election Line-Item Veto Remove Prohibition against Naturalized Citizens War Powers Act March 29 Exam #2 March 31 & April 5 The Executive Branch: The Bureaucracy - Read: O&S, Ch. 8 Sabato, Ch. 5 - Debate: Universal National Service Requirement April 7 thru The Judicial Branch - Read: O&S, Ch. 9 Federalist #78 (Handout) Sabato, Ch. 3 - Debate: Eliminate Life-Tenure Mandatory Retirement Age Expand Number of Supreme Court Justices 6

7 III. Non-Institutional Structures and Processes April 26 & If time allows, we will select one of the following topics to cover: Campaigns, Elections and Voting (Reading Assignment: O&S, Ch. 12) Media and Public Opinion (Reading Assignment: O&S, Ch. 10) Political Parties and Interest Groups (Reading Assignment: O&S, Ch. 11) Final Exam: T/R 1:50 Class May 3:00 pm T/R 3:15 Class May 3:00 pm 7