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Class Information: Pol Sci 1, Section # 4186
This course will be taught completely online. There will only be one orientation class meeting scheduled for Wednesday, August 31 from 4-6pm in SOCS 212. The course is administered through MyPolSciLab CourseCompass, using the Blackboard Management System.
Before you begin, you will need to register with MyPolSci CourseCompass. For that you will need the following:
1. A "Course ID" provided by your instructor:
"munoz30026"
2. Your school's zip code: 90506
3. A MyPolSciLab CourseCompass student access code (packaged with your new textbook or available for purchase at www.coursecompass.com
4. A valid email address.
How to register
1. Enter www.coursecompass.com in your Web Browser.
2. Click "students" under "first-time users."
3. Select MyPoliSciLab CourseCompass
4. Click "I already have an access code." *If you need to buy access online, click that link and follow the prompts to register*
5. Enter your Course ID and click Next.
6. Confirm that this is your course and clik "Register."
7. Read the License Agreement and Privacy Policy and click "I accept."
8. Select "No, I am a New User" and type in your Access Code in the fields provided.
9. Enter your school's zipcode, select your Country and click Next.
10. Enter your Name and Email and select Your School.
11. Create your Login Name and Password, answer the Security Question and click Next. (Suggestion--you can use your email address as your log-in name). If successful, you will receive a Confirmation Screen with your information (they will also email you this information).
Logging In
1. Enter http://www.coursecompass.com in your Web Browser.
2. Under "Returning Users" click MyPoliSciLab CourseCompass.
3. Enter the Login Name and Password you created and click "Log In"
4. You will see the name of your Course listed under the heading "Courses You are Taking."'
5. Click on this link and you are ready to access your resources.
Note: A strong word of advice, prior to deciding to take an online course access the Fall 2011 Online Student Handbook from the Distance Education Webpage, found at http://www.elcamino.edu/library/distance-ed The handbook will provide you with among other things; answers to frequently asked questions, a discussion of the skills you will need, and offer you tips for success as an online student.
Course Policies:
COURSE OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES
One of the greatest attributes of our democracy is our ability to hold different views and opinions about our political system, in particular our government. In many ways we can see conflicts (conflict being a symbol of freedom) in our political system stemming from our different visions of important societal values, such as equality, freedom, liberty, and societal order. As students of politics, we must make an effort to understand and analyze the conflict about such values that continually test American Democracy. How we use our political system to define and apply these values will be part of our focus for this course. Helping us enhance our level of citizenship and gaining a more thorough understanding of our nation’s political process will be a goal as well. While this is an introductory survey course, nonetheless we will cover a large amount of information including; the development of American political institutions, the constitutional foundations and bedrock principles that continue to govern us today, American political traditions, and the functioning of contemporary political processes. Be ready to discuss, think, critically analyze, and write on these topics.
I encourage you to keep up with current events, since one of the required assignments for this course will be for you to turn in a political journal towards the end of the semester. Being aware of political current events is of utmost importance since we are in the third year of President Obama’s tenure in the White House and we have seen his administration try to manage among other things a major financial crisis not only at home but also abroad, a budgetary crisis, a challenging global economy, high unemployment rates, and the implementation of the new healthcare law, some of which is being challenged in court. You will also be able to see how this year the administration begins to get ready to campaign for the 2012 elections (a little over a year from now). Just as well the new Congress this past January reflected the changes in the voters’ choices by voting Democrats out of being the majority in the House and putting Republicans back in control of that chamber, the effects of which have been seen in highly politicized debates in American Politics. So as you can see, these are exciting times to be learning about politics. You can easily prepare for this by reading the major newspapers, i.e., New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, by watching the major news channels, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, Fox Network, etc., or by going to different news information websites, i.e., www.cnn.com, www.msnbc.com, etc
After completing this course you will be able to describe the concepts, theories and functions of the American political system and have a deeper understanding of the political processes and institutions within our government. You will have gained knowledge about our constitution, our three branches of government and how they interact with one another, operating under a system of checks and balances. You will also have gained knowledge about political campaigns and elections, especially those in the last few decades of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. Finally, you will have hopefully become more aware of one’s civic duties and rights as citizens living in this society. More specifically students should meet the following objectives:
1. Analyze both the theoretical and practical workings of the American political system.
2. Examine and analyze the major American political institutions including: the Presidency, Congress, The Bureaucracy, Judiciary, Political Parties and Interest Groups.
3. Distinguish between Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the role government plays protecting and implementing them within our political system.
4. Examine and assess the concepts of political culture and socialization.
5. Compare and contrast the various normative and empirical alternatives as to the distribution of political power: Democracy, power elite and pluralism.
6. Examine the shared power relationship among national, state and local governments (federalism), and how it has changed over the years.
7. Analyze the organization and functions of local and state government in California.
8. Evaluate political participation as a channel of communication, with an emphasis on elections, the factors influencing voting behavior, and the consequences for political power and policy making.
9. Examine the nature of public opinion, how it is measured, and its impact on policy makers and policy making (“agenda setting”).
10. Assess the roles and functions of the media as sources of information and persuasion.
11. Compare and contrast the two major political parties, as well as the historic roles played by minor parties.
12. Analyze the various strategies and techniques used by interest groups to gain access and influence policy makers.
13. Examine the role of the courts as political institutions, and the environmental pressures that impact their decisions as policy makers.
14. Analyze the role of citizenship in our society.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s)
-After completing this course the student should be able to describe the concepts, theories, and functions of the American Political System. The student should be able to identify and describe at least four of the basic principles of the U.S. Constitution and the government of California.
-In a multiple choice exam, students will demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of the United States Constitution including it Articles and Amendments, as well as those for the government of California.
Syllabus:
OUTLINE
Week 1- August 31 – September 10
Chapter 1, Discussion Board I, Video “The Bailout Hearings” Chapter 1 Exam
Week 2- September 12 – September 17
Chapter 2, The Constitution (Appendix pp. 595-605) The Declaration of Independence (Appendix pp. 588-590), Federalist Paper No. 51, (Appendix pp. 593-595), Timeline “The History of Constitutional Amendments”, Comparative “Comparing Constitutions” Chapter 2 Exam
Week 3- September 19 – September 24
Chapter 3, Discussion Board II, Comparative ”Comparing Federal and Unitary Systems”, “Comparing State and Local Governments”, Timeline “Federalism and the Supreme Court” Chapter 3 Exam
Week 4- September 26 - October 1
Chapter 4, Video “D.C.’s Right to Bear Arms”, Simulation “Balancing Liberty and Security in a Time of War” Timeline “Civil Liberties and National Security”, Chapter 4 Exam
Week 5- October 3 - October 8
Chapter 5, Video “Supreme Court: No Race-based Admissions” Timelines “The Civil Rights Movement”, “The Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement”, Women’s struggle for Equality”, “The Struggle for Equal Protection” Chapter 5 Exam
Week 6 – October 10 – October 15
Chapter 6, Video “L.A. Riots: 15 Years Later”, “Who is the Middle Class”, Visual Literacy “Using the Census to Understand Who Americans Are”, “Who are Liberals and Conservatives: What’s the Difference”, Timeline “War, Peace, and Public Opinion”
Week 7 – October 17 – October 22
MIDTERM EXAM
Chapters 1-6 / 4 Day Window for the test Monday, October 17–Thursday, October 20
Week 8 – October 24 - October 29
Chapter 7, Video “YouTube Politics” Timeline “Three Hundred Years of American Mass Media”, Comparative “Comparing News Media”, Chapter 7 Exam, Discussion Board III
Week 9 – October 31 – November 5
Chapter 8, Videos “Senator Specter Switches Parties”, “Green Party Candidates Stay on the Ballot”, “Tea Party Victories Concern for the GOP”, Timelines “The Evolution of Political Parties in the United States”, “Third Parties in American History”, Comparative “Comparing Political Parties” Chapter 8 Exam
Week 10 – November 7 - November 12
Chapter 9, Videos “Dissecting Party Primaries”, “Money in the 2008 Presidential Race”, “Oprah Fires up Obama Campaign”, “State Primary Race”, Timelines “Television and Presidential Campaigns”, “Nominating Process”, Visual Literacy “Voting Turnout: Who Votes in the United States?”, “The Electoral College: Campaign Consequences and Mapping the Results” Chapter 9 Exam, Discussion Board IV
Week 11 – November 14 – November 19
Chapter 10, Federalist Paper No. 10 (Appendix pp. 590-593) Videos “California Teachers stage sit-ins”, “American Cancer Society Recommendations”, Timeline “Interest Groups and Campaign Finance”, Visual Literacy “Federal Election Rules, PAC’s and the Money Trail”, Chapter 10 Exam
Week 12 - November 21 – November 26
Chapter 11, Videos “The Kagan Hearing”, “Unknown Wins South Carolina Senate Primary”, Visual Literacy “Why is it So Hard to Defeat an Incumbent?”, “Congressional Redistricting”, Simulation “How a Bill becomes a Law” Chapter 11 Exam,
Week 13 – November 28 – December 3
Chapter 12, Presidents of the United States (Appendix pp. 606-610) Videos “Bush and Congress”, “The Government Bails Out Automakers”, Timeline “The Executive Order Over Time”, Visual Literacy “Presidential Success in Polls and Congress”, Comparative “Comparing Chief Executives”, Chapter 12 Exam (Paper Due, Sunday, December 4)
Week 14 – December 5– December 10
Chapter 14, Supreme Court Justices Serving in the 20th and 21st Centuries Appendix pp. 613-614) Video “Most Significant Abortion Ruling in 30 Years”, Simulation “You are the President and Need to Appoint a Supreme Court Justice”, Timeline “Chief Justices of the Supreme Court”, Comparative “Comparing Justices” (Journal Due, Sunday, December 11)
Week 15 – December 12 – December 17
FINAL EXAM Chapters 7-12, 14 4 Day window for the test , Monday, December 11-Thursday, December 14
*Note that there won't be quizzes for chapters 6 and 14, rather, questions from those chapters will be added to the midterm and the final exam respectively*
Assignments:
Discussion Board (4 X 10 = 40 points) Weeks 1,3,8,10
As part of this course’s requirements, you will have to participate in a series of discussion boards throughout the semester. There will be 4 entries (each worth 10 points) that you will have to contribute to. In addition to your own contribution to the discussion you will also have to respond to one of your classmate’s contributions. The specific due dates are noted above in the outline for the syllabus. You will have a week to respond to the topic. Each of the topics will be posted on a Monday morning and will close by the following Saturday at midnight (there will be an exception for the first topic since our first week is an expanded one, it will be posted on Wednesday, August 31, the day of our orientation meeting, and will close on Saturday, September 10.
Term Paper (50 points) Week 13
Please write a paper of approximately 4-5 pages in length on the following topic. This assignment’s due date will be on Sunday, December 4, and you will submit it to me via email at emunoz@elcamino.edu The paper should be sent as an attachment in a word document, and you should title the subject of your email with your last name and section number, i.e., “Jones Political Socialization Paper 4186” I will reply to your email once I have received it and made sure that I have opened the attachment. It is your responsibility to make sure that I have received your assignment, if I haven’t replied to you within 48 hours email me again.
Write a paper in which you recount your first political impression, that is the first political event or issue that you can remember. Speculate about how that event or issue may have shaped your views towards government and politics. Did it leave you cynical? Idealistic? Apathetic? Include a discussion of which political socialization agents have shaped the formulation of your political opinions while growing up. (Political Socialization agents are those that influence us throughout our lifetime, they can include: the family, school, the media, peer groups, religious organizations, etc) NOTE: Since this is an American Politics course, the assignment has to cover a political event that you have experienced within the American Political system.
[Note: Late Papers will be accepted but they will be lowered by one letter grade]
Political Journal (50 points) Week 14
This assignment consists of making 5 journal entries about political events that will transpire during the semester. They can cover the politics at any level of government, whether federal, state, or local. The journal will be due on Sunday, December 11, and you will submit it to me the same way as the paper, via email at emunoz@elcamino.edu
You will need to title the subject of your email with your last name and section number, i.e., “Jones Political Journal 4186” and send it in a word document as an attachment. I will reply to your email once I have received it and made sure that I have opened the attachment. Just as the paper assignment, it is your responsibility to make sure that I have received your journal. If I haven’t replied to you within 48 hours email me again. Each journal entry should be structured the following way:
1. Journal Entry #1 , Journal Entry #2, Journal Entry #3, etc.
2. Electronic source: i.e., www.cnn.com, www.msnbc.com, www.news.yahoo.com, etc.
3. Specific Webpage: i.e., http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/Americas/7238214.stm
4. Title and date of the article: “Obama Touts Big Bold Action”, February 9, 2009
5. Summary of the article: here you should give the article’s title and provide a well rounded summary, at least a three to four paragraphs. Then, in a couple of paragraphs you should discuss how it relates to the course, and the specific topic covered during the semester. NOTE: Your five journal entries should be drawn from five different electronic sources, meaning five different websites. And they should all be submitted in one document, meaning send 1 attachment not 5 different attachments.
[Note: Later Journals will be accepted but they will be lowered by one letter grade]
Chapter Exams
There will be 11 chapter exams throughout the semester (each worth 20 points). They will include questions from the chapter and, when noted, also questions from either the videos and multimedia section that are part of each chapter. Just like the discussion boards, the exams will be available for your to take starting on a Monday morning and will close by the following Saturday at midnight. There will be an exception to the first exam since it will be posted on Wednesday, August 31, the day of our orientation meeting, and will close on Saturday, September 10 by midnight (giving you a few more days than usual to complete the quiz). You will have 1 hour to complete each exam. All the chapter exams will have 20 questions except the first one which will have 25 questions, but only 20 points will be counted towards the total points against the grade, meaning that you can earn five extra points towards your grade early on in the first exam.
Midterm Exam (Monday, October 17 – Thursday, October 20)
There will be a Midterm Examination the week of October 17 - October 23. The exam will be divided into 2 sections (each section will have 50 questions) and it will cover the material from chapters 1-6. It will have a 4 day window opening for you take the test (it will be posted in the early morning of Monday, October 17 and will close by Thursday, October 20 at midnight).
Final Exam (Monday, December 12 – Thursday, December 15)
The final exam will take place the week of December 12 – December 15. The exam will be divided into 2 sections (each section will have 50 questions) and will cover the material from chapters 7-12 and 14. It will have a 4 day window opening for you to take the test (it will be posted in the early morning of Monday, December 12, and will close by Thursday, December 15 at midnight).
Extra Credit
You will have an opportunity to earn some extra points by completing an assignment that will be worth 10 points. The specifics specific instructions are going to be posted within the course management system, in the opening announcements’ page upper left hand corner, it will be due on the last day Thursday, December 15th, NO EXCEPTIONS
Grading Scale Total ( 560 points )
Discussion Boards 40 points A 502-560
Term Paper 50 points B 447-501
Political Journal 50 points C 390-446
Midterm Exam 100 points D 334-389
Final Exam 100 points F 333 and below
Quizzes (11 X 20) 220 points
NOTE- If for some reason your computer malfunctions, freezes, loses power, loses the internet connection, any of these, while you are taking a quiz or a test, and doesn’t allow you to continue, you must email me immediately and tell me what happened, that way I can work with you in resetting the assessment so you can take it again. Also keep in mind that technology is great J but there are times where things happen that are beyond our immediate control, and it might take some time to fix them L
NOTE- Whenever emailing me, write down your name within the body of your email as well as the section number in which you are enrolled. That will speed up the process of replying to you. Give me at least 24 hours to respond to your questions.
NOTE- Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Special Resource Center on campus as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Please contact me privately as well to discuss your specific needs and I will be happy to help.
NOTE- It is the students’ responsibility to drop themselves from this course. I will not drop students. Be aware of the deadlines as per the schedule of classes.
Course Material:
TEXTBOOK:
- "Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy" by George Edwards, Martin Wattenberg, and Robert Lineberry. 11th Edition, 2011. Pearson Longman Publishers, ISBN # 1256124036 (This is a package that includes both the textbook and the access code you will need for the class).
Online Resources:
The White House
Senate
House of Representatives
Supreme Court
Library of Congress
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