SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY

GOV 2213 National & State Government

Instructor: Dr. Mary Jackson Spring 2001

Course Syllabus

Course Description

This course is an analysis of national, state, and local government in the United States. Study is made of the Articles of Confederation, the Federal Constitution, the national party system, the departments of government, as well as other areas pertaining to national government. History of state governments and constitutions are examined, with special emphasis upon the Constitution of the State of Texas. The state legislature, the governor and state administration, the state court system, local government problems, as well as other state and local government issues are analyzed.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

A. Trace the historical roots of American democracy, the steps leading to the drafting and ratification of the United States Constitution, the growth of various political parties in the United States, the path of a typical federal law from introduction as a bill to final approval, and the steps in the legal process from arrest to conviction and appeal

B. Describe the major provisions of the United States Constitution, civil rights and civil liberties of American citizens, the political party structure, the election process, the nomination process, Congress and its functions, the presidency and its functions, the judiciary and its functions, and federalism as a system of government

C. Identify selected terms and concepts important to an understanding of American government.

Text

Lowi, Theodore J., and Ginsberg, Benjamin. American Government; Freedom andPower.

6^th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000.

Course Plan

The course can be divided into three sections: Foundation, Institutions, and Politics and Policy of American Government.

A variety of methods will be used in this course. Chief among these are lectures, class discussions, and textbook readings. In addition, simulations, videotapes, and student research will be used.

Course Requirements

A. Five tests. The fifth test, which is the final exam, is comprehensive.

B. One research paper on a topic or individual appropriate to this course. Instructions for the research paper are included in the syllabus. The research topic must be approved by the instructor.

C. Six reading quizzes covering textbook material will be given as the intsrtuctor judges necessary to ensure that students are keeping up withassigned reading. The lowest grade for the reading quizzes will be dropped as threr will be no make-up tests for reading quizzes.

Course Assignments (Textbook Readings)

Chapters 1-4---- February 2

Chapters 5-7---- February 28

Chapters 8-10--- March 28

Chapters 11-14--- April 23

Research paper due: March 21

Note: Assignments and dates are subject to change contingent upon the needs of the class.

Exam Dates

Test 1-----February 5

Test 2----- March 2

Test 3----- April 2

Test 4----- April 25

Final------Week of Finals

Exam dates may be revised if necessary.

Grading System

Letter grades will be used to indicated the following levels of achievement:

90-100= A (superior); 80-89= B (above average); 70-79=C (average); 60-69=D (inferior); 59 and below = F (failing); I (incomplete); and W (withdrawn)

Grading

Test 1----1/7 of final grade

Test 2----1/7

Test 3----1/7

Test 4----1/7

Test 5----1/7

Reading Quizzes----1/7

Research Paper-----1/7

Test will have both objective and essay questions. Objective questions will usually be fill-in-the blank, matching, or multiple choice.

Sample objective question: The best government, according to Thomas Jefferson, is one that governs the least.

Sample essay questions: Essay questions will g take from "Debating the Issues" section in your textbook.

Class Policies

A. Attendance

Southwestern's on-campus academic program is designed as an in-class learning experience. In this type of instructional setting, the ability to pass examinations and complete outside projects is only a partial measure of the student's knowledge, skills, understanding, and appreciate the subject matter. Therefore, students are required to maintain regular class attendance.

Absences which exceed twenty percent (20%) of the number of times that a class meets per semester, (9 absences for classes meeting 3 times per week; 6 absences for classes meeting 2 time a week; and 3 absences for classes meeting 1 time per week). Regardless of the nature or reason for the absences, will result in the student being administratively dropped automatically from the course, receiving a grade of "w". The student will be assessed the established course withdrawal fee.

A student who is absent from a class is totally responsible to make the appropriate advanced arrangements with the faculty member for possible make up work. The

Faculty member will have the prerogative to determine if the student may make up any examinations or outside assignments based upon the reason for a student's absence and when the make up work must be complete. However, no point reduction will be assessed to a student's final grade for absenteeism.

As a reminder, "School Assignment" is no longer given for any type of absence. Therefore, all absences will impact the number allowed by the attendance policy.

B. Tardy

Students missing fifteen minutes of class will be counted absent for that session. Every three tardies acquired in classes that meet three times a week and every two tardies acquired in classes that meet twice a week will be considered as an absence. The student is responsible, at the end of class, to identify his/her tardiness to the professor. No changes will be made after the date of the student's tardiness.

C. Late Work/Make-up Tests

Required work such as the research paper will be penalized one letter grade for each class day they are late up through the fourth day. No further penalty will be given after that, but the work may still be turned in up to the end of the semester.

All students in class on a test day will take the test. As students missing a major test will not be allowed to take a make-up test unless a valid excuse is presented. The test must be make up by the next class day, after the test.

Reading quizzes are not considered major test. There will be no make-up for reading quizzes. A missed reading quiz will be recorded as a zero. A student's lowest reading quiz grade will be dropped before averaging.

D. Final Examination

During the Final Exam Week, a final exam will be administered in class at the time that the university has established as printed in the class schedule. No final exam will be giver prior to Final Exam Week. Students with scheduling problem may arrange with the professor (subject to professor's approval) to take and exam at an alternate exam time. The arrangement must be done the week prior to exam week. The alternate exam time is scheduled on Monday and Tuesday nights from 6:00 - 7:20 p.m. of Final Exam Week.

Graduating seniors with a grade of B or higher within a course may be exempted from the last examination of the course if the professor designates it as a comprehensive final exam. However, a graduating senior with a grade of B or higher with a course, at the professors prerogative, may or may not be exempted for a unit exam given during the Final Exam Week.

E. Cheating

Students are expected to be honest in fulfilling al academic requirements and assignment. This pertains to examinations, themes, book critiques, reading reports, etc. A student will not be allowed to withdraw from a course if he/she is under investigation for academic dishonesty. In the event that the student is determined guilty of academic dishonesty, then the student will not be allowed to withdraw from the course and will receive the grade determined by the faculty member, either an "F" for the assignment and/or and "F" for the course. Dishonesty could possibly result in further disciplinary action. Refer to Major Infractions in the Student Handbook.

F. Miscellaneous

Students must wait 15 minutes for a faculty member before leaving class unless they have been notified otherwise.

The following policy regarding the posting of grades has been approved for 1999-2000. To eliminate any potential violation of the Privacy Act for Students, students' grades for examinations or any other academic assignments will no longer be posted.

Office Hours and E-mail Address

Feel free to see the instructor during the hours below or at any other time by appointment:

Office: A113-C Telephone: #3232

Office Hours: MWF - 8:55 - 9:55 a.m. & 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

TTH - 9:50 - 10:50 a.m.

E-mail----- mjackson@sagu.edu

Required Reading Material

Lowi, Theodore J., and Ginsberg, Benjamin. American Government; Freedom andPower.

6^th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000.

General Bibliography

Outside sources will vary according to the student's choice of a topic for the research topic.

Direction for Research Papers

A research paper is a report on a certain topic. The student gathers material from several different sources (books, magazine articles, newspaper articles, government documents, letters, etc.,) and integrates that material into a report. The student must give credit to the sources from which he or she obtains facts, direct quotations, and other material that is not considered "common knowledge." This credit is given by indicating the source in either an endnote (Turabian form) or a citation in the text (MLA form).

Students may use either A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Thesis, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Copies of both are usually available in libraries and bookstores. Either the Turabian or the MLA form must be used.

If the student decides to use the MLA form, the complete paper will consist of a title page, the text or main part of the paper, and a Bibliography or Works Cited page on which the student lists, in proper form, all the sources consulted in writing the paper.

The title page should be centered on a piece of paper and should contain the following information: Title of Paper, Student's Name, Course Name and Number, Instructor's Name, and Date.

The text, or main part of the paper, must be between 6 and 8 pages long. Shorter papers will not be accepted. The first paragraph of the text should be an introduction in which you acquaint your reader with the topic of the paper and state the thesis or main idea of the paper. Succeeding paragraphs will form the body of the paper, the part in which you will present the information you have gathered, in a clear and logical form to support your thesis. End the text with one or more concluding paragraphs in which you state your conclusions and summarize what you have written.

A minimum of 5 sources must be used for the paper and listed on the Bibliography or Works Cited page.

Margins should be 1 inch on all sides. Beginning with the second page, number each paper in the upper right hand corner.

All research papers must be typed, double-spaced. Handwritten papers will not be accepted. Use 10 or 12 pitch, if you use a computer to prepare you paper.

Avoid the use of contractions, slang, and personal pronouns in the first or second person (I, me, we, us, our, etc.,). Use the past tense.

The instructor's approval must be given for your topic before you write the paper. Papers will not be accepted from students who have not gotten such approval of their topics.

Research Paper Topics

Democracy Attorney General Supreme Court

Bill or Rights Censorship Church and State

American Civil Liberties Union Civil Rights United States Constitution

Declaration of independence Fifth Amendment Freedom

Freedom of Religion Freedom of Speech Freedom of the Press

Habeas Corpus Liberty Right of Privacy

Declaration of the Right of Man Political Parties President John Adams

Patrick Henry John Jay President Thomas Jefferson

John Marshall Albany Congress Annapolis Convention

Anti-Federalist Articles of Confederation Continental Congress

Federalist Papers Federalist Party Founding Fathers

Shay's Rebellion Bill of Rights Congress of the United States

The Court System House of Representatives Executive of the United States

Judiciary System Supreme Court Voting System

Vice-president President George Washington Abortion

President John Quincy Adams Affirmative Action The Welfare System

Lobbies Brown V. Board of Education President George Bush

Capitalism Capital Punishment Checks and Balances

Christian Coalition Fourteenth Amendment Line-Item Veto

Judicial Review Dr. Martin Luther King Liberalism in Politics

First Amendment The Great Compromise National Elections

Earned Income Tax Credit Inflation The Virginia Plan

The New Jersey Plan Health Insurance State Government

Local Government Prayer in School Medicare/Medicaid

Vouchers for Education Interest Groups Central Intelligence Agency

Federal Bureau of Investigation President John Kennedy Labor Unions

President Andrew Jackson Political Campaigns President Richard Nixon

President Franklin Roosevelt Al Gore President Gerald Ford

2000 Presidential Election Reform Party Watergate

President William Clinton Green-Back Party Primary Elections

Third Party System Republican Party Liberty Party

Know-Nothing Party "Separate but Equal" Doctrine Free Soil Party

Democratic Party President Theodore Roosevelt President James Madison

Initiative and Referendum Whig Party 1929 Stock Market Crash

The Great Depression White House Staff President Woodrow Wilson

Abraham Lincoln Gun Control Dred Scott Case

Barbara Jordan Voting Rights Advertising in Elections

Fund Raising in Politics Chief Justice William Renquist Capital Punishment

Brady Bill Surveys and Polls Motor-Voter Act (1993)

Sexual Harassment Internal Revenue Service Speaker of the House

Twentieth Amendment Special Prosecutors Taxes

Civil Service Chief Justice Burger The Secret Service

Governors of States Progressive Era Totalitarian Governments

Socialism Ralph Nadar Job Discrimination

Plessy V. Ferguson Roe v. Wade Populist Party

Ross Perot Conservatism in Politics President George W. Bush

North American Free Trade Electoral College

Agreement (NAFTA)