American
Government
”If men were
angels, government would not be necessary.”
-James Madison
Fall 2012
American National Government/Marquette
Tentative Course Syllabus
Professor: Amanda Cook Fesperman
Office: D307
Phone: 224-0203
Email: amanda_cookfesperman@ivcc.edu
Web Page: http://www.ivcc.edu/cookfesperman
Office Hours: M 1:15-2:15, T: 9:00-12:30, Th: 1:45-2:15
or by appointment.
ReaCH FaR:
The bold letters in this statement represent the Core Values of IVCC. They stand for – Responsibility, Caring,
Honesty, Fairness and Respect. It is
expected that the students and the professor will know and carry out these
values in all aspects of this course. Caring-- one of IVCC's core values - has been chosen
as this year's campus-wide theme. Caring influences each of us daily -- at
school, in our homes, at work, and in our fields of study. Keep the theme in
mind as you complete course activities and interact with others on campus and
in the community this semester.
Syllabus Changes:
I reserve the right to change the syllabus at any time during the
semester. Students will be notified through blackboard/email of any changes.
Required Texts and Materials:
Geer, Schiller, and Segal, Gateways to Democracy, Cengage
Publishing, ISBN 978-0-9189-0695-6, can be purchased in the IVCC bookstore in person
or online at http://www.ivccbookstore.com (Note:
This book is available for rental through the IVCC Bookstore for a significant
discounted price. Contact the IVCC
bookstore for further inquiries.)
Information on the textbook rental program can be found at http://www.ivccbookstore.com/site_rental.asp?mscssid=124FC272454240A0A567CFE005F2DE5B
Blackboard
Access
I will be using Blackboard for the purposes of group email and for
grading. You will be enrolled as a Blackboard user by me. Blackboard, can be linked to at https://ivcc.blackboard.com/webapps/login/. You can find information
about logging into and using blackboard by visiting the following link: http://www.ivcc.edu/studenthelpdesk.aspx?id=16943
Supplementary Reading Materials:
Newsweek, Newsmax, Time,
and/or U.S. News and World Report and Chicago Tribune, New York Times, the Wall
Street Journal and USA Today (latest copies are available in the library's
periodical section and on-line). Online Newspapers – www.cnn.com, www.nytimes.com, www.chicagotribune.com, http://www.washintonpost.com/, http://online.wsj.com/home-page
Course Objectives:
To prepare the student to become a functioning citizen by becoming more aware
of the United States system of government, its strengths and its limitations.
To illustrate the inequalities that exist in society, analyze how the United
States system of government may perpetuate these inequalities, and look for
solutions to the problems of inequalities in society.
To give the student an understanding of the nature and scope
of political science both theoretically and historically.
To make the student aware of her/his social and cultural
biases in order to learn critical analysis skills.
To assist students in demonstrating a competent understanding of United States
government in the following ways:
*Ability to describe the philosophies underlying United States governmental
systems.
*Ability to explain factors associated with political socialization and
contemporary political activities.
*Ability to describe and analyze the social and political issues besetting United
States’ democracy in the 20th Century.
*Ability to describe and analyze contemporary United States governmental
institutions at Federal, State, and local levels.
Grading:
Class Participation – 20%
Class
attendance is required and students should come to class prepared to discuss
the materials assigned for that week and to discuss any news items on the
United States government they come across that should be raised for
discussion. I hope that students will come to class with insightful
questions and/or comments about the assigned readings and news stories, and I
will also be calling on students at random to answer some questions of my
own. Answers to my questions should show that the student has read and
understands the class materials and that she/he has the ability to apply
critical thinking skills to those materials. The quality of your
contributions is more important than the quantity, but both are expected.
Below are some guidelines that may help you to understand my expectations and how you will be graded on this portion of your grade.
Excellent contributor (A): The student attends class on a regular basis and comes prepared with insightful comments and questions about the course materials. The student also shows a high level of critical thinking in evaluating course materials. The class as a whole benefits highly from this student’s contributions.
Good contributor (B): The student attends class on a regular basis and often comes prepared with insightful comments and questions about the course material. The student also shows some critical thinking in evaluating course materials. The class as a whole generally benefits from this student’s contributions.
Fair contributor (C): The student attends class more often than not and sometimes comes to class with questions or comments that reflect some insight into the course materials. The student shows some critical thinking in evaluating course materials but often struggles to see beyond personal biases. The class sometimes benefits from this student’s contributions.
Unsatisfactory contributor (D): The student comes to class but is unprepared. Comments are not insightful, are extremely bias or do not benefit the class.
Non-contributor (F): The student either does not maintain regular attendance or attends but does not contribute to class discussions.
Study Terms – 15%
On my webpage are study questions
for each chapter.
Doing the study questions is very important as they serve as a partial
study guide for exam preparation. You
should look to the text for the answers. If you are unable to find the
answer to a question, ask me in class or email me. All homework must be typewritten
and numbered. These questions, along with
class notes, discussions and reading assignments, will be the basis for
exams.
Research
Paper - 25%
Students will be assigned to write a 4-5 page research paper on one of the
following questions:
1) Do states still have enough power? (Sept.
26th);
2) Are Americans losing their Civil Liberties ? (Oct. 8th);
3) Is marriage a fundamental right that should be
afforded to every American citizen? (Oct. 17th);
4) Will term limits fix what’s wrong with Congress? (Oct. 24th);
5) Does the Office of the President have too much power? (Oct. 31st);
6) Should Federal justices be elected? (Nov. 14th);
7) Are Americans ready for a third party? (Nov. 26th);
8) Should elections laws be changed to make voting easier?
(Dec. 5th); or
9) How has the Citizens United case affected elections (Dec.
10th)?
Only 2-3 people may write a paper for each question and I will take volunteers the first day of class. The paper should look at both sides of the debate surrounding the given question and present each side thoroughly and without bias. This is not an opinion paper, so you should not write in the first person, nor should your personal opinion be present in the paper. The goal is not to convince me that one side is right or wrong, rather it is to thoroughly investigate and report both or all sides of the debate.
All of the following steps must be met in
order for the paper to be accepted and graded:
1)
It must be double-spaced typed in 12 pt font, Times New Roman, with 1 inch
margins and numbered.
2) It must be turned at the beginning of class on the date is due. Late
papers will be accepted, but for a 10 point deduction EACH DAY they are late
starting with the beginning of class for which they are due and including
holidays and weekends.
3) It must be AT LEAST 4 pages long and no longer than 5. At least 4
pages means that you start at the top of the page and
go all the way to the bottom of each page.
4) It must have a cover page that has your name on it.
5) You must use AT LEAST 4 credible sources that are approved by me in advance
during my office hours and they must be listed at the end in a bibliography.
6) You must properly cite the paper using APA format.
7) The paper should be written formally and be grammatically correct.
Please feel free to stop by my office for
help. Don’t wait to start the
research. This is only a 4-5 page paper,
but it must be packed with good information from start to finish.
Exams - 40%
There will be four exams throughout the
semester. The dates and topic materials are listed in the syllabus.
I will provide blue books for the exams. Exams will consist of
short answer questions. Students will be given a note card 1 week
prior to the exam that they may use to write down any material they want to use
on the exam. Only that note card may be used, the note card must be
prepared by you, in your handwriting, cannot be copied from someone else's note
card/notes and must be turned in with your exam. Please come
prepared on exam day, meaning that you have a thorough understanding of the
materials presented in the notes, readings, class discussions and study
questions. Make-up exams will only be granted to students who
have a valid excuse that can be documented in writing and when I have approved
the absence ahead of time.
Academic dishonesty:
Plagiarism or cheating in any form will not be
tolerated. All words or ideas that are not your own must be cited in
all of the work that is submitted for this course. Anyone caught
cheating or plagiarizing may receive a failing grade for the entire course.
Additionally, a report of the transgression will be filed with the Vice
President of Academic Affairs. Academic dishonesty includes, but is
not limited to the following examples: 1) Answering questions in your
homework based on materials you obtained from another source without giving
credit to that source. Even if you paraphrase from another source, you
must give credit. When using the exact words of someone else, you must
use quotations and cite. However, you should very rarely do this since
you will not learn as well if you don't put things in your own words. 2)
Putting any material on an exam that is not in your own words. Even if
you put something in your homework that is not in your own words, on an exam it
MUST BE IN YOUR OWN WORDS. 3) Using websites or other sources other than
your notes or the text to take your exam. 4) Turning in any work that is
not your own or having someone else do the work for you. 5) Using someone
else's note card (a copy, a handwritten replica, or material not from your
own notes), etc. 6) Having someone else take an exam
for you. 7) Cheating off of someone else's test to obtain the answers. 8)
Asking another student for an answer to a test. 9) Obtaining the exam ahead of
time to know what will be on the exam. 10) Using other materials
other than the one note card given to you to take the exam.
Final grades:
The grading
scale for this course will be as follows:
90-100%=4.0
80-89%=3.0
70-79%=2.0
60-69%=1.0
I round grades up at .5 and down at .4 so every point counts in this class. Also, please be aware that the final grade is not based on total points, rather on weighted grades. The weighting is as follows: 20% for Class Attendance, 40% for exams, 15% for study questions, and 25% for research papers. The final weighted grade in Blackboard is the correct grade. Please note: I do not use total points. The grades are weighted so you cannot calculate your grade by adding up the points you have a dividing by the total points. The weighted grade in blackboard is your current semester grade.
Extra
Credit:
There may be extra credit opportunities throughout the semester that I will
announce in class and/or through blackboard. Extra credit
usually involves attending events on-campus or in the community that I think
are relevant to the course or will enhance your overall experiences as a
student. Extra credit is added to the exam portion of your grade.
The first extra credit assignment is as follows:
Extra Credit Assignment 1. Point Value - 10.
Submit an entry to me for the 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Writing
Contest. The entry can be about any aspect of the civil rights, historic
or modern, and does not have to be about Dr. King himself. The entry can
be in any writing style (essay, poem, short story, etc.), but must be a serious
attempt (no Haikus) and must be your own original work. Entries must be
typed, include your name and phone number, and must be submitted no later than Monday,
December 10th.
Special Needs:
If you are a student with a documented cognitive
(learning disabilities), physical, or psychiatric disability (anxiety,
depression, bipolar disorder, AD/HD, post-traumatic stress, and others) you may be eligible for
academic support services such as extended test time, texts on disc, note
taking services, etc... If you are interested in learning if you can
receive these academic support services, please contact either Tina Hardy (tina_hardy@ivcc.edu, or 224-0284) or Judy Mika Judy_Mika@ivcc.edu or 224-0350), or stop by the Disability Services Office in
B-204.
My hope is to create an equitable learning environment for all students. If you want to discuss your learning experience, please talk to me as early in the term as possible. If you know you have, or suspect you have a disability (learning disability, physical disability, or psychiatric disability such as anxiety, depression, AD/HD, post-traumatic stress, or others) for which you may need accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office in B-204. Tina Hardy tina_hardy@ivcc.edu, 224-0284) or Judy Mika Judy_Mika@ivcc.edu or 224-0350) work in that office and can help determine if you are eligible for support.
Course Withdrawal:
The final date to withdraw from this course
is Thursday, Nov. 8th. Effective Summer 2011,
students are now able to withdraw themselves through WebAdvisor.
They can access it through "My Class Schedule" and through the
"Register and Drop" page on the Student Menu. Students
can also come to the Admissions & Records Office to request a withdrawal.
He/she will need to show a photo id and complete the withdrawal form. The
faculty member will receive the yellow copy of the withdrawal form.
Please Note: Before withdrawing yourself from a course it is HIGHLY recommended
that you speak to your instructor and the financial aid office (if you are
receiving financial aid) first. Students often believe they are doing worse in
a course than they are, or, if special circumstances exist, a faculty member
may be able to work out an alternative to a withdrawal like an incomplete.
Faculty members still reserve the right to withdraw students for violations of
class polices, or to issue them a failing grade. Students cannot withdraw from
a class in order to avoid receiving a punitive grade. Those who do will be
reinstated.
A Note About Respect:
IVCC is an academic
institution where all sincere viewpoints are welcomed, however, this does not
give you license to verbally attack or intentionally offend your fellow
classmates or professor. If you disagree with a person’s point of view, please do
so respectfully and by using critical thinking, not by issuing personal
attacks, sarcasm, or insults. Any
student who violates these class policies will be removed from class at
the discretion of the instructor and will receive a failing grade for the
semester. Egregious violations of this policy will be referred to the
college for disciplinary action.
Mandatory Attendance Policy:
This is college and some instructors may not care if you attend class or
not. However, it is my policy that students need to attend class, turn in
assignments and take exams on a regular basis. A student may be automatically withdrawn by me
for any of the following reasons: 1) Failure to attend classes for two weeks in
a row; 2) Missing class more than 5 times during the semester; or 4) Missing
more than one exam. If the failure to comply is beyond the withdrawal
deadline, a failing grade may be
issued instead.
A Few Rules:
1. Please turn off all cell phones/tablets
before coming to class.
2.
Do not text in class.
3. Please leave all electronic devices at
home or turned off in your backpacks.
4. Do not sleep in the classroom.
5. Do not talk while I am or others in the
class are talking.
6. Do not pack up your things or rustle
papers until I have dismissed you from class.
7.
If you have an electronic device that you will using for taking notes, you
may only use
it for
that purpose and not to surf the internet, chat, check email, etc.
8. Do not come to class late. If you
are late on occasion, please come into class
quietly and do not disrupt the
classroom.
9. Chewing Tobacco is not permitted in the
classroom.
Failure to obey these rules may result in a student being
asked to leave the class.
Habitual offenders may be asked to leave the class for the entire semester and
will receive a failing grade at the discretion of the professor.
Class Assignment Schedule
August 20th
Welcome! Class procedures and
policies.
Reading Assignment – Critical
Thinking and Cognitive
Dissonance
and Jared Diamond’s Soft Sciences are Often Harder than Hard Sciences
August 22nd
Discussion: Critical Thinking, Cognitive Dissonance, and
Diamond's article
Reading
Assignment: Geer, et al, Chapter 1
Assignment 1: Study Questions (Due in Class Sept. 5th)
August
27th
Discussion: Democracy
August 29th
Discussion: Democracy continued
Reading Assignment: Geer, et al, Chapter 2 and
The United States Constitution and Amendments (Geer pg. 608).
Assignment 2: Study Questions (Due in Class Sept. 17th)
Sept. 3rd
No Class – Labor Day
Sept. 5th
Discussion: The Constitution
Sept. 10th
Discussion: The Constitution continued
Reading
Assignment: Geer, et al, Chapter 3 and lecture notes and Federalist Papers
10 and 51 (Geer pg. 624)
Assignment 3: Study Questions (Due in Class Sept. 24th)
Sept. 12th
Discussion: Federalist Papers
Reading Assignment:
Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States,
Katzenbach v. McClung and
Wickard v. Filburn.
Sept. 17th
Discussion: Federalism
Sept. 19th
Exam I –
All
Materials to Date (Remember your blue book, note card and blue or black pen)
Reading
Assignment: Geer, et al, Chapter 4 and lecture notes.
Assignment 4: Study Questions (Due in Class Oct. 8th)
Discussion Civil Liberties
Sept. 26th
Discussion: Civil Liberties
continued
Paper #1 Due in Class
Oct. 1st
Discussion: Civil Liberties Continued
Oct.
3rd
Discussion: Civil Liberties Continued
Reading Assignment: Ginsberg, Chapter 5 and Civil Rights
lecture notes online.
Also read “I Have A Dream”
online.
Assignment 5: Study Questions (Due in
class Oct. 15th).
Oct. 8th
Discussion: Civil
Rights
Paper #2 Due in Class
Oct. 10th
Discussion:
Civil Rights cont
Oct. 29th
Exam II - All materials post Exam I
(Remember your note card, and blue or black pen)
Reading
Assignment: Geer, et al, Chapter 12 and lecture notes.
Assignment 6: Study Questions
Nov.
5th
Discussion:
Congress
Paper #5 Due in Class
Reading
Assignment: Geer, et al, Chapter 13 and lecture notes.
Assignment 7: Study Questions
Nov. 7th
Discussion:
The Presidency
Reading Assignment:
Geer, et al, Chapter 15 and lecture notes.
Assignment
8: Study Questions
Nov. 12th
No Class – Veterans Day
Nov. 14th
Discussion: The Federal Courts
Paper #6 Due in Class
Discussion: The Federal Courts
Thanksgiving - No Class
Nov. 26th
Exam III – All materials post-Exam II (Remember your note card, and blue or black pen)
(Study questions
for Chapters 12, 13, and 15 must be turned in during class no later than
today)
Paper #7 Due in Class
Reading Assignment: Geer, et al, Chapter 9 and
lecture notes.
Assignment 9: Study Questions
Nov. 28th
Discussion: Political Parties
Reading Assignment: Geer, et al, Chapter 10 and lecture notes.
Assignment 10: Study Questions
Dec. 3rd
Elections and Campaigns
Reading
Assignment: Geer, et al, Chapter 11 and lecture notes.
Assignment 11: Study Questions
Dec.
5th
Discussion:
Voting
Reading Assignment:
Geer, et al, Chapter 6 and lecture notes.
Assignment 12: Study Questions
Paper #8 Due in Class
Dec. 10th
Discussion: Public Opinion
December
12th
Discussion: Public Opinion Continued
Dec. 17th
Exam IV - All
Materials Post Exam III (Remember your note card, and blue or black pen)
Study Questions for Chapters 10, 11
and 6 must be turned in during class no later than today.