Borough of Manhattan Community College Department of Social Science. POL American Government Spring 2014

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1 Borough of Manhattan Community College Department of Social Science POL American Government Spring 2014 Online 3 credits Prof. Melissa T. Brown mbrown@bmcc.cuny.edu Office: N-669 Office Phone: Office Hours: Mondays, 2:00-3:30pm Thursdays, 2:00-3:30pm And by appointment Faculty Mailbox: Social Science Dept. N-651 Course Description The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the American political system and help them understand how American Government works by examining the institutions, the key players, the major issues, and the political processes that make up American political life. The course will cover: the foundations of the American political system, including the Constitution, federalism, and civil rights and liberties; the links between the people and the government, including elections, political parties, and interest groups; and the branches of government (Congress, the President and the federal bureaucracy, and the courts). By the end of the semester, students should be able to make more informed judgments about the political process and be able to observe and participate in the political process more intelligently and effectively. Course Objectives: Student Learning Outcomes, General Education Goals, and Assessment Students who successfully complete this course should This Learning Outcome will be measured by: be able to: Understand institutions and practices of Quizzes and assignments government and politics in the United States Interact with course material and think critically about political issues and concepts Recognize the ways that government impacts their lives and how they can influence political processes This course will cover the following General The General Education Goal will be assessed by: Education Goals: Social and Behavioral Sciences- Students will be able to apply the concepts and methods of the social sciences. Values- Students will make informed choices based on an understanding of personal values, human diversity, multicultural awareness and social responsibility. Quizzes, discussion board posts, assignments, and Course Requirements and Grade Distribution Multiple-choice reading quizzes: 20% Every week (except for Week 9), you will take a five-question multiple choice quiz on the week s reading. The quizzes are not timed, so you can review the reading during the quiz if you need to. You can make a second attempt at each quiz if you want to. Quizzes must be completed by midnight on Wednesday.

2 Discussion Board posts: 20% Most weeks, you will be required to post a comment on the discussion board, answering a question based on the readings or on other course materials and activities. You will also need to post responses to at least two of your classmates posts. Initial posts are usually due on Thursday, and responses by Sunday. There will be no discussion board questions during the weeks that an assignment is due (Week 4: the federalism assignment, Week 9: the voting assignment, and Week 16, the final assignment). For more information on what is expected in discussion board posts, see the Guide to Posting on the Discussion Board on the Course Information page of the course Blackboard site. Assignments: 10% each, 30% total The three assignments (Week 4: the federalism assignment, Week 9: the voting assignment, and Week 16, the final assignment) will each require some online research and discussion of your findings. To do well on the assignments, you will need to find accurate information, citing your sources if they weren t provided by the assignment; you will need to write a thoughtful discussion that answers the questions posed by the assignment; you will use material from the course, such as readings and videos, to inform your thinking about the issues, and you will discuss how the course materials relate to the assignment; and you will write clear, grammatical sentences and proofread them. Assignments are due by 5:00pm on Sunday of the week they are assigned. You will receive feedback on each assignment approximately one week after it is due. Late assignments will only be accepted in cases of legitimate, documented personal emergency or serious illness, and the student must contact the instructor about the situation as soon as possible. Simulations and responses to material: 30% You will complete five, which guide you through a scenario and ask you to make decisions based on what you ve learned about the topic through the reading and other course material. After completing each simulation, you will answer one or two questions which will demonstrate that you completed the simulation and allow you to reflect on the experience. Occasionally, you will also be asked to submit a brief response to a question based on a podcast or video, to demonstrate that you have listened to or watched the material. Simulation reports are due by 5:00pm on Sunday of the week they are assigned. You will receive feedback on each simulation report approximately one week after it is due. Attendance College Attendance Policy: the maximum number of absence hours is limited to one more class hour than the contact hours as indicated in the BMCC college catalog. For example, you may be enrolled in a four hour class that meets four times a week. You are allowed five hours of absence, not five days. In the case of excessive absence, the instructor has the option to lower the grade or assign an F or WU grade. How is the college attendance policy relevant to an online course? In an online course, you are not required to physically attend class. However, you are required to complete a variety of tasks each week to ensure that you are progressing through the course material. Blackboard allows me to check whether you have logged into the course website, looked at the various pages, watched videos, etc. If you don t log into the site in a given week or look at the necessary pages, you are absent that week (the equivalent of two face-to-face class meetings). 2

3 3 Required Text Benjamin Ginsberg, et al., We the People: An Introduction to American Politics, 9th Essentials ed., Norton, ISBN: The text is available at the BMCC bookstore and through online booksellers. It can also be purchased as an ebook in both downloadable and online editions. The ebook ISBN is for the downloadable version and for the online version. The ebook can be purchased from the Norton website < Scroll down to where it says "other formats." You will get more out of the course if, in addition to completing the textbook reading assignments, you stay informed about current events. You ll be able to see how the concepts we read about work in practice, and you can bring them into our discussions on the discussion board. Other Course Policies and Some Advice If you want to do well in this course: Keep in mind that for an online course, you are expected to spend the time you would spend in a face-toface class working on course material PLUS the time you would spend preparing for a face-to-face class (doing the reading, homework, assignments, and studying). Don t expect to spend less time than you would on a traditional course. If you are having technical problems, you need to work on getting them resolved immediately. Putting it off will make you fall behind in the class. Contact the E-Learning Center by visiting room S-510a (inside the Learning Resource Center, above the library), calling , or ing esupport@bmcc.cuny.edu. If you are having any difficulties with the assignments or you have concerns about the class, contact me. Send me an , call my office, or stop by my office during office hours. I m here to help. Academic Adjustments for Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must contact the Office of Accessibility. BMCC is committed to providing equal access to all programs and curricula for all students. BMCC Policy on Plagiarism Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else s ideas, words, or artistic, scientific, or technical work as one s own creation. Using the idea or work of another is permissible only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations, require citations to the original source. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism. Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their instructors. The library has guides designed to help students to appropriately identify a cited work. The full policy can be found on BMCC s web site, The following course schedule is the fall 2013 draft and subject to change

4 4 Week # and Dates Week 1 1/27-2/2 Week 2 2/3-2/9 Topic Introduction to the Course US Identity and Citizenship Readings and Lectures Read Ch. 1 Online Activities and Assignments Review the course guide, syllabus, and guide to posting on the discussion board Buy textbook The Founding and the Constitution Week 3 2/10-2/16 Read Ch. 2 and the Annotated Constitution Optional: visit website on the Constitutional Convention Week 4 2/17-2/23 Federalism Read Ch. 3 Watch the federalism video Complete the federalism assignment Week 5 2/24-3/2 Civil Liberties Civil Rights Read Ch. 4, part 1 and New York Times articles on the 1 st and 4 th amendments Complete the civil liberties simulation Week 6 3/3-3/9 Read Ch. 4, part 2 Watch the civil rights videos Week 7 3/10-3/16 Week 8 3/17-3/23 Public Opinion Political Parties and Elections Read Ch. 5 Read Ch. 7 Complete an online ideology survey Complete the public opinion simulation Complete the political parties Internet

5 5 Week # and Dates Week 9 3/24-3/30 Topic Parties and Elections, continued Readings and Lectures Read New Yorker article on the history of voting Online Activities and Assignments podcast Watch the social networking video and the electoral college video Complete the voting assignment Week 10 3/31-4/6 Interest Groups Congress Read Ch. 8 Complete the interest group Internet Complete the interest group simulation Week 11 4/7-4/13 Read Ch. 9 Complete the House of Representatives Internet Complete the Congress simulation Week /14-4/22 Spring Break! The Presidency Week 13 (short week) 4/23-4/27 Read Ch. 10 Complete the presidency simulation Week 14 4/28-5/4 Week 15 5/5-5/11 Week 16 5/12-5/18 The Presidency, the Executive Branch, and the Bureaucracy The Judicial Branch Wrap-up Read Ch. 11 Read Ch. 12 and New York Times article on Supreme Court cases Watch the bureaucracy video Complete the executive orders Internet Complete the Supreme Court Internet Final assignment