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Class Information:
Political Science 1, Sections 2653, 2665, 2667
Section 2653 SOCS 212 MW 11:15-12:40
Section 2665 SOCS 212 MW 1:00-2:25
Section 2667 SOCS 212 TTH 2-3:25
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.
You will be expected to attend and participate in our class sessions. I will try to vary the format of our meetings with a combination of lecture, discussion, debate, etc. In order to make the most of our class sessions please come to class prepared, that is by doing the required readings. I also encourage you to keep up with current events, since we will start each class meeting discussing such. You can easily prepare for this by reading the major newspapers, i.e., Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, or by watching the major news channels, CNN, MSNBC, Fox Network, PBS, etc. This 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.
After completing this course you will be able to decribe the concepts, theories, and functions of the American political system, and have a deeper understanding of the political processes and instutions 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
I. Introduction
Harrison, Harris, Chapter 1: People, Politics, and Participation
(On reserve) Democracy: Overrated or Undervalued?
(On reserve) Civil Society: Does America Face a Crisis in Civic Engagement?
II. The Constitutional Framework
Harrison, Harris, Tolchin, Chapter 2: The Constitution
Appendix A (The Declaration of Independence)
Appendix C, (Federalist Paper #51)
Pages 61-79 (The Constitution)
III. Federalism
Harrison, Harris, Chapter 3: Federalism
IV. Civil Liberties
Harrison, Harris, Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
(On reserve) Civil Liberties and War: Debating the USA Patriot Act
V. Civil Rights Harrison, Tolchin, Chapter 5: Civil Rights
(On reserve) Civil Rights: How Far Have We Progressed?
VI. Political Socialization and Public Opinion
Harrison, Harris, Chapter 6: Political Socialization and Public Opinion
VII. Political Parties
Harrison, Harris, Chapter 8: Political Parties
VIII. Elections, Campaigns and Voting
Harrison, Harris, Chapter 9: Elections, Campaigns, and Voting
IX. The Media
Harrison, Harris, Chapter 10: The Media
X. Interest Groups
Harrison, Harris, Chapter 7: Interest Groups
Appendix B (Federalist #10)
XI. Congress
Harrison, Harris, Chapter 11: The Congress
XII. The Presidency and Executive Branch Bureaucracy
Harrison, Harris, Chapter 12: The Presidency and
Chapter 13: The Bureaucracy
XIII. The Judiciary
Harrison, Harris, Chapter 14: The Judiciary
Depending on how far we get on our weekly sessions, the above outline will be subject to modification at the instructor’s discretion. Students will be notified of such changes in advance during our class meetings.
Assignments:
GRADING POLICY
-Class participation and attendance (10%)
-Quizzes 2 of 3 (lowest score will be dropped) (10%)
-Midterm Examination (30%)
-Term Paper (20%)
-Final Examination (30%)
Quizzes
There will be 3 short quizzes given throughout the term. You will have advanced notification of at least 1 week prior to the quiz. Each quiz will consist of 25-30 questions which may include; multiple choice, definitions, true-false, etc., type of questions. Throughout the semester, I will try to give you hints and examples of possible questions. The quiz with the lowest score will be dropped. There will be NO MAKE-UP for the quizzes. If you happen to miss class on the day that a quiz is given, that quiz will be the one dropped from your grade. You will need a scantron for each of the quizzes.
Midterm Exam
The midterm will consist of two parts; a multiple choice, true-false, matchinng section which might comprise anywhere from 60-75 questions based on both the readings and lectures. And a second part which will be asking you to either write a couple of short essays, or one longer essay, here again, incorporating material from both the readings and lectures. You will need to bring both a scantron and a blue book for the midterm and the final. Note here that only under extreme circumstances and having them discussed with the instructor prior to the midterm will you be given the opportunity to have a make-up exam.
Term Paper
The term paper, more like a critical writing exercise will be on an assigned topic given in the first couple of weeks of the semester. It must be typed, double-spaced, spell-checked, typical font (Times or Times New Roman), size 12, and with all the normal headings, margins, etc. You are probably familiar with the style from your English writing courses. If you need help with this please don’t hesitate to let me know, I will be happy to help. Note that late papers will automatically be lowered by 1 letter grade.
Final Exam
The final is not cumulative, although on the multiple choice section, there might be some questions drawn from the first part of the course. It will have the same format as the midterm examination. For both, the midterm and the final, I will give you a study-guide to help you prepare. Here again, remember to bring a scantron and a blue book.
Extra Credit
YES! There will be opportunities, we will discuss them throughout the course.
NOTE- El Camino College is committed to providing educational accommodations for students with disabilities upon the timely request by the student to the instructor. 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 more than happy to help.
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 email you back.
NOTE- It is your responsibility to drop yourself from this course if you need to, you should become aware of the deadline to drop with a “W”. DO NOT assume the instructor will drop you if you stop attending class.
Course Material:
TEXTS
The following textbook is required for the course:
-Brigid Harrison, Jean Harris, “American Democracy Now” 2nd Edition, 2011. McGraw-Hill Publishers.
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-749799-6
NOTE: There will also be other readings made available to access by the instructor covering some themes throughout the course. They will be on 2-hour reserve at the library for you to check out and read when assigned by the instructor.
Assessment instruments / Quizzes and Exams
-5 scantrons (conveniently sold at the bookstore in a packet of 5 -FORM NO. 882-E)
-2 Blue Books (can be large or small- for the written portion of the Midterm and Final Exams)
Online Resources: (useful websites)
Senate
House of Representatives
Executive Branch
The Judiciary
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