SYLLABUS

GOVT 2305 – United States Government

AustinCommunity College

Summer 2012 Semester, Lecture 069, Section 03013

Instructor:       Michael A. Kelley, Associate Professor of Government (Adjunct)

Location:        Room N150, Georgetown High School Annex

Days:               Monday-Friday, 4 June 29-June 2012

Time:              10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Office:            Room N150, Georgetown High School Annex

Office Hours:  30 minutes after class and by appointment

E-Mail:           mkelley@austincc.edu

This course is an introduction to United States national government.  It includes an introduction to a framework for understanding United States government and politics, the constitutional basis for United States government and politics, the processes of United States government and politics, the institutions of United States government and politics, and the policies of United States government and politics.

Course Competencies

Students will need good reading, writing, critical thinking, and study skills to succeed in this course. Students will be expected to read and learn from a textbook, complete out-of-class assignments, navigate the Web in a search for information, write essays on exams, and, depending on the instructor, submit research papers, book reviews, policy analyses, or other such work.  Students will be expected to follow grammar and spelling rules in all elements of the course, as well as observe MLA or Turabian or some other accepted citation style in completing research-based course work.  Although students will be provided with test dates and general learning outcomes, they will be expected to attend class, learn from lectures, and study information in detail to prepare for the tests.

Course Rationale

The Texas Education Code (§51.301) mandates that "every college and university receiving state support or state aid from public funds shall give a course of instruction in government or political science that includes consideration of the Constitution of the United States and the constitutions of the states, with special emphasis on that of Texas. This course shall have a credit value of not less than six semester hours or its equivalent." 

The Austin Community College Government Department has established these two goals to accomplish this mandate:

1. Provide six semester hours of instruction in politics and government that acquaint students with the basic concepts used in studying politics and government and that meet the requirements of the Texas Education Code for every student receiving a degree from a state-supported college or university in Texas.
2. Offer an Associate of Arts degree in Government and provide all Government majors with an educational foundation that will allow them to successfully pursue a baccalaureate degree in government or political science at a four-year college or university.

Common Course Objectives

This course will emphasize teaching students the following six general learning outcomes and objectives that the Austin Community College Government Department has adopted for all of its GOVT 2305 courses: 

1. Constitutional Foundations- the foundations, development, and features of the U.S. Constitution
2. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights- how civil liberties and civil rights protect both individuals and categories of people
3. Linkage Institutions- how political parties, elections, media, and interest groups serve to connect people to government
4. Political Learning- how political values, attitudes, and behaviors are learned, organized, and expressed
5. Institutions of Government- the structure, functions, and operations of U.S. government institutions
6. Public Policy- the development and implementation of both domestic policy and foreign policy

Required Course Textbook

The required textbook for this course is Government in America:  People, Politics, and Policy:  Brief Eleventh (Study) Edition by George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry, published in 2011 by Pearson Education, and ISBN 9780205826087.  Class discussions, presentations, assignments, and examinations will be based upon the content of this textbook.  The textbook can be purchased from the Austin Community College bookstore (see http://austincc.bkstore.com) or from many other book sellers.

Course Policies

Attendance and Class Behavior

Students are expected to attend every scheduled class and to be seated and ready to participate in the class proceedings on time.  During class students will not use cell phones or other electronic devices; eat food; talk to other students unless participating in class-related discussion; use a computer other than to take class notes; nor read or work on material not related to the class instruction.  The instructor may drop any student who misses three or more class meetings.  The instructor may also dismiss from any class meeting, with a 25-point course grade point deduction, any student not exhibiting proper class behavior. 

Withdrawals

Any student who wants to withdraw from the course must do so themselves.  Any student who fails to withdraw from the course while also failing to complete the course requirements will be assigned a final grade of “F.”  The deadline for officially withdrawing from this class is 22 June 2012.

Make-Up Examinations

Make-up examinations will only be authorized under extraordinary circumstances, including family emergency and illness severe enough to require a visit to a health professional.  The instructor will determine whether or not a student who misses an examination will be authorized to complete a make-up examination.  Students disallowed from taking a make-up examination will be awarded a zero grade for that examination.

Scholastic Dishonesty

Scholastic dishonesty is an act prohibited by Austin Community College for which discipline may be administered.  It includes but is not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarism (using another author's words or arguments without attribution), and collusion (the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of any course requirement).  Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to, tests, quizzes (whether taken electronically or on paper), projects (either individual or group), classroom presentations, papers, and homework.  If a student commits scholastic dishonesty, the instructor will seek disciplinary action in the form of an academic penalty (which will include a zero on the academic work in question and may include a course grade of “F”).  Such disciplinary action will be at the discretion of the instructor following Austin Community College procedures outlined in the Student Handbook.

Academic Freedom

Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class discussions.  In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, particularly about political ideas, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints.  Students may not only disagree with each other at times, but the students and instructor may also find that they have disparate views on sensitive and volatile topics.  These differences will enhance class discussion and create an atmosphere where students and instructor alike will be encouraged to think and learn from each other.  Therefore, students' grades will not be affected by any beliefs or ideas expressed in class or in assignments. All course participants, including the instructor and students, should respect the views of others when expressed in classroom discussions.

Office for Students with Disabilities

Each Austin Community College campus offers support services for students with documented physical, cognitive, or psychological disabilities.  Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes, preferably three weeks before the semester begins.

Changes to the Syllabus

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the course syllabus at any time.  Students will receive proper and timely notice from the instructor regarding any syllabus changes.

Instructional Methodology

The instructor will utilize class lectures and discussions, textbook reading assignments, writing journal assignments, and examinations to teach students the common course objectives.

Grades

Examinations 

Five examinations will be issued during the course that will each be worth 100 points.  Each examination is closed-book and is comprised of 50 multiple choice questions that are worth one point each and five essays that are worth 10 points each.  Altogether, the five examinations are worth up to 500 points of each student’s final course grade.

Critical Analysis Exercises

Two opinion/editorial articles will be assigned for written analysis throughout the semester.  Each analysis will be approximately 2-3 typewritten pages in length using 12-point Times New Roman font; double-spaced lines; one-inch page margins; and proper grammar, spelling, and word choice.  Failure to follow these instructions will result in a grade deduction.  Each critical analysis is worth up to 50 points for a potential total of 100 points towards each student’s final grade and requires the following information:

** Editorial Information (5 Points)

               -Editorial’s title (in quotation marks)

               - Publication in which the editorial was published (in italics or underlined)

               - Date the editorial was published

               - Author of the editorial (full name with any titles)

**Editorial’s Targeted Audience (10 points)

               -Name the editorial’s targeted audience (linkage institutions and policymaking institutions being targeted)

               -Explain for each targeted individual or group why the author is targeting them

**Editorial Argument (15 Points)

               -Identify each point being made by the author

               -Explain the facts and evidence provided by the author to support each point being made

**Your Opinion (15 Points)

               -Explain whether or not you agree or disagree with each of the author’s points

               -Explain why you agree or disagree with each of the author’s points using the author’s facts and evidence

**Grammar and Spelling (5 Points)

               -Use proper sentence and paragraph organization, spelling, and grammar

               -Use 12-point, Times New Roman font

               -Double-space using one-inch margins

Class Attendance and Participation

Class attendance and participation is mandatory.  The instructor will take roll at the beginning of each class meeting to determine who is present and on time.  Any student who arrives after the start of class may lose five course grade points for being tardy and any student who is absent may lose 25 course grade points for their absence.  The instructor may remove from class any student who is not behaving properly and assess a loss of 25 course grade points for such behavior.  The instructor may drop from the course any student who misses three or more class meetings.

Final Grade Calculation

Each student’s final grade will be based upon the following possible 600 points:

               100 Points – 2 Critical Analysis Writing Assignments @ 50 points each        

               500 Points -- 5 Examinations @ 100 points/each

               600 Points -- TOTAL       

Each student’s final grade will be calculated using following 600-point scale:

Course Outline

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