POSC 111 American National Government
Columbia College Online Campus Page |1 POSC 111 American National Government August 2014 Session (14-51) Monday, August 18 – Saturday, October 11, 2014 Course Description Survey of the American political system, with emphasis on the Constitution, governmental structure, the political process and the economic system. Prerequisite: None Proctored Exams: -- Midterm and Final Instructor Information John C. Davis M.A., Political Science, University of Arkansas E-mail: jcdavis@cougars.ccis.edu Textbooks Sidlow, Edward and Beth Henschen. GOVT 6, 6th edition. Wadsworth, 2014. ISBN 13: 978-1-285-43742-2 Textbooks for the course may be ordered from MBS Direct. You can order online at http://direct.mbsbooks.com/columbia.htm (be sure to select Online Education rather than your home campus before selecting your class) by phone at 800-325-3252 For additional information about the bookstore, visit http://www.mbsbooks.com. Please note that the use of an eBook carries certain risks: information may be missing due to copyright restrictions, the book cannot be resold to MBS Direct, and an eBook purchase cannot be refunded. Course Overview By the end of this course you will not only understand the institutions and processes of politics in America, you will also have learned how to access political information and ways that you can participate in the political system. Technology Requirements Participation in this course will require the basic technology for all online classes at Columbia Columbia College Online Campus Page |2 College: A computer with reliable Internet access, a web browser, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office or another word processor such as Open Office. You can find more details about standard technical requirements for our courses on our site. Course Objectives To survey topics related to American government. To increase awareness of political issues. Measurable Learning Outcomes Explain Congress, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy, and the Courts. Explain the U.S. Constitution’s structure and its primary provisions. Identify significant Supreme Court decisions interpreting the Bill of Rights. Describe the development of American federalism and explain its current application. Explain the impact of interest groups on American political decision making. Explain American political parties, their development, and their significance. Grading Grading Scale Grade Weights GRADE POINTS PERCENT ASSIGNMENT POINTS PERCENT A 900-1,000 90-100 Discussions 235 23.5 B 800-899 80-89 Internet Activities (8) 200 20 C 700-799 70-79 Paper Projects (3) 150 15 190 19 D 600-699 60-69 Midterm F 000-599 0-59 Final 225 22.5 Total 1,000 100 Schedule of Due Dates WEEK 1 ASSIGNMENT POINTS DUE Introduction 5 Monday Discussion Question 1 10 Wednesday Current Events 1 10 Friday Discussion Question 2 10 Internet Activity 1 25 Sunday Columbia College Online Campus 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Page |3 Discussion Question 3 10 Wednesday Discussion Question 4 10 Friday Discussion Question 5 10 Internet Activity 2 25 Discussion Question 6 10 Wednesday Current Events 2 10 Friday Discussion Question 7 10 Internet Activity 3 25 Proctor Information -- Paper Project 1 50 Monday Discussion Question 8 10 Wednesday Current Events 3 10 Friday Midterm 190 Saturday Discussion Question 9 10 Internet Activity 4 25 Discussion Question 10 10 Wednesday Discussion Question 11 10 Friday Discussion Question 12 10 Internet Activity 5 25 Paper Project 2 50 Monday Discussion Question 13 10 Wednesday Discussion Question 14 10 Friday Discussion Question 15 10 Internet Activity 6 25 Discussion Question 16 10 Wednesday Current Events 4 10 Friday Discussion Question 17 10 Internet Activity 7 25 Paper Project 3 50 Monday Discussion Question 18 10 Wednesday Discussion Question 19 10 Friday Internet Activity 8 25 Final Exam 225 Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Saturday Columbia College Online Campus Page |4 Assignment Overview Readings: Completing weekly Reading assignments (the exams are designed in large part to test student knowledge of the required reading materials). Discussions: You should respond to the first discussion question each week by Wednesday at midnight and have posted to the Current Events/Discussion Question topic by Friday at midnight. By Sunday at midnight, you should have responded to all of the discussion questions, posted to the Current Events topic and also posted responses to at least two other classmates. While I read and evaluate each and every discussion posting, due to time constraints I will only respond to a selected few each week. You should respond to any comments or questions I post during the discussion. Discussions take the Discussions area and can therefore only be completed while the rest of the class is also focused on the same topic. Dropbox Assignments: All written assignments should be prepared in MS Word (or some equivalent) and placed in the corresponding course Dropbox folder. Written assignments should not be submitted as Email attachments! All assignments submitted must have your name, assignment number, and title. Internet Activity: Complete eight Internet Activity Assignments. Specific instructions are available in the Course Schedule section of this syllabus. Be sure to provide proper source information for the stories you decide to discuss. Paper Project: Completing three short paper projects, 2-4 pages in length. Specific instructions are available in the Content area of the course. Exams: Completing a Midterm and a Final. Both exams must be proctored. Course Schedule Week 1 – The Foundations of American Politics Readings Chapters 1-2 Lazare and Cutler articles Instructor notes on Politics and the Constitution Discussion Assignments Introduction: Please introduce yourself in the correct discussions topic on the first day of class (midnight Monday). Discussion Question 1: After reading the notes for Chapter 1: Politics: Which view of American political life best describes reality? The elitist theory of democracy or the pluralist theory? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Wednesday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Current Events 1: Politics are not found only in your textbook, the things that we will learn about are being acted out each day in the world around us. As we go through the course, I'd like you to be aware of current issues in contemporary American politics. The media section of our Resource List can give you some ideas of where to find news. In this thread, I would like us to discuss what's going on politically in the U.S. during selected weeks of the course. I want to see student analysis of political or constitutional issues. Always make sure to provide proper source information for the news item you decide to discuss! Please submit your initial answer by midnight Friday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Discussion Question 2: See the notes for Chapter 2: The Constitution, as well as the articles Columbia College Online Campus Page |5 labeled Lazare and Cutler found in the Content area. Then answer the following discussion question: Looking back 200 years, how do you view the work of the Founders? Is the Constitution still relevant today? What changes, if any, does it need to be brought up to the times? A number of efforts have been made in recent years to add new amendments to the Constitution. Some have made it further than others, but none has been successful. Proposed amendments include: the Equal Rights Amendment, an amendment allowing school prayer, a constitutional ban on flag burning, a balanced budget amendment, an amendment to enact term limits for members of Congress and measures to ban abortion. How do you feel about any of these or other efforts? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Sunday. Dropbox Assignments Internet Activity 1: Visit the Bill of Rights Institute webpage at http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/. Click on the link entitled "Resources” the go to the topic entitled “Teaching with Current Events." Then do the following: 1. Summarize a minimum of three articles. Explicitly state the way(s) in which they relate to the Bill of Rights. 2. In each of these stories, do you feel that the Bill of Rights have been violated or upheld? Explain your reasoning in some detail. Make sure to provide proper source information for the stories you decide to discuss! Complete your assignment using MS Word and submit to the Dropbox by midnight Sunday. Week 2 – Federalism and Civil Liberties Readings Chapters 3-4 CQ Researcher article on civil liberties in wartime Notes on Chapter 3: Federalism and Chapter 4: Civil Liberties Discussion Assignments Discussion Question 3: What level of government should decide? Consider at least 3 of the following issues: legalization of drugs, setting educational standards, welfare, environmental regulation and enforcement, and abortion. Are decisions on these issues better placed in the hands of the states or of the federal government? Why? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Wednesday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Discussion Question 4: Consider the Case of Lee v. Weisman (1992). Do you think the Court needs to find an alternative to the Lemon Test? Do any of the justice’s alternative tests sound appealing? What should the boundary be between church and state? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Friday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Discussion Question 5: What restrictions on civil liberties, if any, are appropriate in the war on terrorism? Does the USA-Patriot Act infringe too much on constitutionally protected civil liberties? Why or why not? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Sunday. Dropbox Assignments Internet Activity 2: An on-going and controversial debate in America today involves the issue of capital punishment. Proponents and opponents of capital punishment disagree about its effectiveness and morality. Even among people who favor capital punishment there are debates about how the death penalty should be applied and to whom. The goal of this assignment is to acquaint you with contending views about the death penalty, inform you about how the death penalty is carried out in your state, and allow you to form your own judgments about the death penalty. Detailed instructions are in the course Content area Columbia College Online Campus Page |6 under Week 2. Complete your assignment using MS Word and submit to the Dropbox by midnight Sunday. Week 3 – Civil Rights and Public Opinion, Voting Proctor Information: Please submit your proctor information to me by midnight Sunday. Readings Chapters 5 and 8 Chapter 5 notes on Civil Liberties and Chapter 8 notes on Public Opinion and Voting Discussion Assignments Discussion Question 6: Visit the website of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): http://www.eeoc.gov/. What are the goals of the Commission? Identify and discuss EEOC laws/regulations relating to at least two of the following issues: Discrimination, privacy, affirmative action, equal pay, disabilities, or civil rights. Is an organization like the EEOC necessary? Why or why not? Does it contribute to improving the civil liberties of average American citizens? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Wednesday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Current Events 2: Post this week’s current event. (We will follow the same pattern established during Week 1.) Please submit your initial answer by midnight Friday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Discussion Question 7: Why do so many Americans not vote? Is there anything that could be done to increase voter participation? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Sunday. Dropbox Assignments Internet Activity 3: Learn about the experience of Japanese Americans during World War II. Follow the instructions found in the course Content area under Week 3. Complete your assignment using MS Word and submit to the Dropbox by midnight Sunday. Paper Project 1"Political Socialization": Please submit your completed paper to the correct Dropbox folder by midnight Monday of Week 4. Week 4 – How Citizens Participate: Interest Groups and Political Parties Readings Chapters 6 and 7 Chapter 6 notes on Interest Groups and Chapter 7 notes on Political Parties Discussion Assignments Discussion Question 8: One type of interest groups are those associated with gun-control. This is an issue over which intense lobbying takes place by interest groups, most notably the NRA (National Rifle Association) and Handgun Control, Inc. Read about gun-control in your text and then check out their websites: NRA.org and Welcome to the Brady Campaign. Consider the arguments raised on both sides and respond to the question: Are tougher gun control laws necessary? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Wednesday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Current Events 3: Post this week’s current event. (We will follow the same pattern established during Week 1.) Please submit your initial answer by midnight Friday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Discussion Question 9: Read the notes on Political Parties and then answer this question: Will the Democrats and Republicans ever face a viable third party challenge? Please submit Columbia College Online Campus Page |7 your initial answer by midnight Sunday. Dropbox Assignments Internet Activity 4: Visit the websites of some small American political parties and answer some questions about them. Complete instructions can be found in the course Content area under Week 4. Complete your assignment using MS Word and submit to the Dropbox by midnight Sunday. Paper Project 1 "Political Socialization": Please submit your completed paper to the correct Dropbox folder by midnight Monday. Exams Complete the Midterm Exam by midnight Saturday. The exam will open in the Quizzes area of the course on Tuesday. The exam is proctored and close book. Week 5 – The Political Spectacle: Campaigns and the Media’s Impact on Politics Readings Chapters 9 and 10 CQ Researcher on campaign finance Read notes on the Media and notes on Campaign Finance Discussion Assignments Discussion Question 10: Read your book’s discussion of the Electoral College. Also read the frequently asked questions about the Electoral College found at the National Archives website. Then respond to the following question. Discussion Question: What do you think of the Electoral College? Does it need to be scrapped? Does it serve any useful function? If you think we need an alternative, what would you recommend? Check out some Electoral College websites (links to two Electoral College sites are located in the references section of this site) and see what supporters and detractors have to say. Please submit your initial answer by midnight Wednesday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Discussion Question 11: Read the article in the Content area on campaign finance reform from CQ Researcher and my lecture notes on campaign finance. Then, answer the following questions: Is campaign finance reform necessary? If yes, what kinds of reforms would you recommend? Do you think the new McCain-Feingold reforms will help? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Friday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Discussion Question 12: Visit the following website http://www.fair.org/index.php?=1406 and read an article entitled, “The Global Media Giants,” by Robert W. McChesney. Now answer these questions: What is the role of corporations as owners of the media? Who are the corporations, and what was their annual 1997 income? What media outlets do each of these corporations own? What other firms do these corporations own? Should you be concerned about these mega-monopolies? Why? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Sunday. Dropbox Assignments Internet Activity 5: Read an article by James Fallows entitled “Why Americans Hate the Media.” Then answer the following: Columbia College Online Campus Page |8 1. What was the main point Fallows made about the media? Include a description of the differing reactions to the President Clinton’s State of the Union address in your discussion. 2. Watch a news program on television and pay close attention to any news stories on politics or politicians. Did the reporter spend more time talking about the “game” of politics than in analyzing substantive issues? 3. Read a newspaper story about politics or a specific politician. You can use either print or online news resources. Do you feel the story contained enough information about the substance of the issues presented? Was more attention paid to the process than to the issues? 4. Summarize your own opinion on this topic. Do you feel that reporters are more “cynical” than the average American? Do you feel that their reporting is generally fair? Do you think they generally pay careful attention to possible conflicts of interest or ethical problems? Complete your assignment using MS Word and submit to the Dropbox by midnight Sunday. Paper Project 2 "Media": Please submit your completed paper to the correct Dropbox folder by midnight Monday of Week 6. Week 6 – Political Institutions I: Congress and the Presidency Readings Chapters 11 and 12 Read notes on Congress and notes on the Presidency Discussion Assignments Discussion Question 13: Read the chapter in your text on Congress and my notes on Congress. Then respond to this question: One important debate about the Congress concerns the idea of term limits. Critics of Congress think that term limits would go a long way towards making Congress a better, more responsive institution. Members of Congress are currently reelected at rates in the neighborhood of 80-90%. Do you think term limits are good idea? Why or Why not? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Wednesday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Discussion Question 14: Read the chapter in your text on Congress and the notes on Congress. How important is it for the makeup of Congress to "resemble" the electorate? Do you think to be representative, a legislature must be an accurate map of the whole nation? Does Congress have to look like Congress demographically to represent the American people? Can a man represent the interests of women as well as a woman? Can a rich person represent the needs of the poor? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Friday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Discussion Question 15: Read Chapter 12 and my notes on the Presidency and then respond to the following: The question for this week concerns presidential greatness. Who would you put on your top 5 list of great presidents? Who would you put at the bottom? What distinguishes a great President from the rest? Which President is the "greatest" we've had? How did you determine this? Will we ever have any more great presidents? Why or why not? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Sunday. Dropbox Assignments Internet Activity 6: Explore the White House website: http://www.Whitehouse.gov. Look for specific instructions in the Content area for Week 6. Complete your assignment using MS Word and submit to the Dropbox by midnight Sunday. Columbia College Online Campus Page |9 Paper Project 2 "Media": Please submit your completed paper to the correct Dropbox folder by midnight Monday. Week 7 – Political Institutions II: Bureaucracy and Judiciary Readings Chapters 13 and 14 CQ article on Homeland Security Read notes on the Bureaucracy and notes on the Judiciary Discussion Assignments Discussion Question 16: Before responding to this question, read the article in the Content area for Week 7 on the Homeland Security Department. It is a summary of the first hundred days of the new department from CQ Weekly. You should also visit the Department's official website at www.dhs.gov to find out some of the things being done by the Department. Will the Department of Homeland Security improve the nation's security? Why or why not? List at least two specific steps they are taking to improve the nation's security. Please submit your initial answer by midnight Wednesday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Current Events 4: Post this week’s current event. (We will follow the same pattern established during Week 1.)Please submit your initial answer by midnight Friday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Discussion Question 17: Visit the Hoover Institution's "uncommon knowledge" website (http://www.uncommonknowledge.org/800/822.html) and view the debate there entitled "The High (and Mighty) Court" – you may view the debate by downloading video of it if you wish or you may simply read the text of the debate which is provided on the webpage. After doing this, answer the following questions: Do the Courts have too much power to make policy from the bench? Consider issues such as abortion, equal access to education, the use of religious symbols in public schools, etc. Should decisions on controversial issues like these be made by Courts or by Legislators? Why? Make sure you provide examples from the debate to back up your answers. Please submit your initial answer by midnight Sunday. Dropbox Assignments Internet Activity 7: The Department of Homeland Security. Follow the instructions found in the Content area for Week 7. Complete your assignment using MS Word and submit to the Dropbox by midnight Sunday. Paper Project 3 "Researching Members of Congress": Please submit your completed paper to the correct Dropbox folder by midnight Monday of Week 8. Course Evaluations Course evaluations will open on Monday and remain open until 5 pm Wednesday of Week 8. You will be able to access the link from your CougarTrack page. Please note that these evaluations are provided so that I can improve the course, find out what students perceive to be its strengths and weaknesses, and in general assess the success of the course. Please do take the time to fill this out. Week 8 – Public Policy: Domestic and Foreign Readings Chapters 15 and 16 Read notes on Domestic Policy and notes on Foreign Policy Discussion Assignments Columbia College Online Campus P a g e | 10 Discussion Question 18: After reading Chapter 15 and the notes on Domestic Policy answer the following questions: What are three of the main causes of poverty in America? Why did you choose these as most important? What is the effect of government welfare programs on poverty? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Wednesday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Saturday. Discussion Question 19: After reading Chapter 16 and the notes on Foreign Policy answer the following questions: What should be the role of the United States in world affairs? In your opinion, what are the two most important foreign policy challenges facing the United States in the 21st Century? How are they critical to our relationships with other nations? Please submit your initial answer by midnight Friday and your responses to two other classmates by midnight Sunday. Dropbox Assignments Internet Activity 8: Privatization of Social Security. Follow the instructions in the Content area for Week 8. Complete your assignment using MS Word and submit to the Dropbox by midnight Saturday. Paper Project 3 "Researching Members of Congress": Please submit your completed paper to the correct Dropbox folder by midnight Monday. Exams Complete the Final Exam by midnight Saturday. The exam will open in the Quizzes area of the course on Tuesday. The exam is proctored and close book. Course Evaluations Course evaluations are available and will remain open until 5 pm Wednesday. You will be able to access the link from your CougarTrack page. Course Policies Student Conduct All Columbia College students, whether enrolled in a land-based or online course, are responsible for behaving in a manner consistent with Columbia College's Student Conduct Code and Acceptable Use Policy. Students violating these policies will be referred to the office of Student Affairs and/or the office of Academic Affairs for possible disciplinary action. The Student Code of Conduct and the Computer Use Policy for students can be found in the Columbia College Student Handbook. The Handbook is available online; you can also obtain a copy by calling the Student Affairs office (Campus Life) at 573-875-7400. The teacher maintains the right to manage a positive learning environment, and all students must adhere to the conventions of online etiquette. Plagiarism Your grade will be based in large part on the originality of your ideas and your written presentation of these ideas. Presenting the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form as your own is plagiarism. Students who fail to properly give credit for information contained in their written work (papers, journals, exams, etc.) are violating the intellectual property rights of the original author. For proper citation of the original authors, you should reference the appropriate publication manual for your degree program or course (APA, MLA, etc.). Violations are taken seriously in higher education and may result in a failing grade on the assignment, a grade of "F" for the course, or dismissal from the College. Collaboration conducted between students without prior permission from the instructor is Columbia College Online Campus P a g e | 11 considered plagiarism and will be treated as such. Spouses and roommates taking the same course should be particularly careful. All required papers may be submitted for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers may be included in the Turnitin.com reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. This service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site. Non-Discrimination There will be no discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, ideology, political affiliation, veteran status, age, physical handicap, or marital status. Disability Services Students with documented disabilities who may need academic services for this course are required to register with the Coordinator for Disability Services at (573) 875-7626. Until the student has been cleared through the disability services office, accommodations do not have to be granted. If you are a student who has a documented disability, it is important for you to read the entire syllabus before enrolling in the course. The structure or the content of the course may make an accommodation not feasible. Online Participation You are expected to read the assigned texts and participate in the discussions and other course activities each week. Assignments should be posted by the due dates stated on the grading schedule in your syllabus. If an emergency arises that prevents you from participating in class, please let your instructor know as soon as possible. Attendance Policy Attendance for a week will be counted as having submitted a course assignment during that week of the session. A class week is defined as the period of time between Monday and Sunday (except for Week 8, when the week and the course will end on Saturday at midnight). The course and system deadlines are all based on the Central Time Zone. Cougar E-mail All students are provided a CougarMail account when they enroll in classes at Columbia College. You are responsible for monitoring e-mail from that account for important messages from the College and from your instructor. You may forward your Cougar e-mail account to another account; however, the College cannot be held responsible for breaches in security or service interruptions with other e-mail providers. Students should use e-mail for private messages to the instructor and other students. The class discussions are for public messages so the class members can each see what others have to say about any given topic and respond. Late Assignment Policy An online class requires regular participation and a commitment to your instructor and your classmates to regularly engage in the reading, discussion and writing assignments. Although most of the online communication for this course is asynchronous, you must be able to commit to the schedule of work for the class for the next eight weeks. You must keep up with the schedule of reading and writing to successfully complete the class. Failure to turn in an assignment by the date due will result in a grade of zero for that assignment. Posts after the specified deadline will receive no credit. Additionally, late submissions of Paper Projects and Internet Activities will also receive no credit. Tests are to be taken on the date(s) and time(s) scheduled. No exams Columbia College Online Campus P a g e | 12 submitted late will be accepted. No make-up tests will be given unless the instructor gives prior permission. If the instructor authorizes an alternate exam period, the student and instructor will coordinate for a makeup examination to be taken as soon as possible. It is the student’s responsibility to make alternate arrangements with their approved proctor. Emergencies should be communicated and documented to the instructor as soon as possible. Note: All assignments must be submitted using the course tools, (i.e. the Dropbox). Using e-mail or other methods of delivery for your assignments is strongly discouraged. With these methods there is often no way to verify when an assignment was completed. It is the student’s responsibility to get their work in on time. Course Evaluation You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. Course evaluations will open on Monday of Week 7 and remain open until 5 pm Wednesday of Week 8. You will be able to access the link from your CougarTrack page. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted. Proctor Policy You must arrange an acceptable proctor. Columbia College campuses are the best option for proctoring and are automatically approved; if you are affiliated with a Columbia College campus, it is preferred you use that site. For information about proctoring and to schedule your exam with a Columbia College campus, visit the Proctor Information page. If you are unable to travel to a Columbia College campus, you must locate an acceptable private proctor. “Acceptable proctors include Columbia College campus staff, ministers, public librarians, high school or college instructor, high school or college counseling services, commanding officers, education service officers and corporate executive officers. Personal friends, family members or direct supervisors are not acceptable (AHE Undergraduate Catalog, page 56).” Approval of any private proctor is solely at the discretion of the instructor. You must submit the “Student Proctor Information Submission Form” to the Proctor Information Dropbox within your course by the end of Week 2. This form and additional information about Proctoring is located in the Content area of the course. Additional Resources Orientation for New Students This course is offered online, using course management software provided by Desire2Learn and Columbia College. The Student Manual provides details about taking an online course at Columbia College. You may also want to visit the course demonstration to view a sample course before this one opens. Technical Support If you have problems accessing the course or posting your assignments, contact your instructor, the Columbia College Helpdesk, or the D2L Helpdesk for assistance. Contact information is also available within the online course environment. CCHelpDesk@ccis.edu helpdesk@desire2learn.com 800-231-2391 ex. 4357 877-325-7778
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