INTRODUCTION
TO POLITICAL SCIENCE
POLS
2100 FALL 2005
Dr.
Daugherty, 218 University Hall
Office
hours: M-W, 12:00-1:20; T-R, 1200-12:50, or by appointment.
Tel: 961-3078 (warning: voice mail infrequently checked)
E‑mail
(preferred; e-mail is checked several times daily): wijid@comcast.net or
ACCEPTANCE: Students are responsible for the contents of
this syllabus; continued enrollment in this course constitutes awareness and
acceptance of all requirements and policies discussed therein. Students are advised to review this syllabus
occasionally to remain aware of the contents.
TEXT: The Logic of American Politics, by Kernell
and Jacobson.
OVERVIEW: This course will examine United States
government foundations, institutions, and practices. .
HONOR CODE: All sections of the AASU Student Honor Code
and Code of Conduct will apply to this class. Under the Honor Code, plagiarism,
cheating, facilitating academic dishonesty, and fabrication in any form or
manner are forbidden. Additional restrictions or instructions given in class on
any individual assignment, whether verbal or written, will also fall under the
Honor Code. Absence from the class when any additional instructions are given
is not a valid excuse if a violation of the instructions result in an Honor or
Conduct Code violation. Continued
enrollment in the class after receiving this syllabus constitutes acceptance of
these provisions.
HONOR VIOLATION POLICY: I will accuse no student of violating the Honor Code unless I can
prove beyond a doubt that the student is guilty. At that time, the student will
be dropped from the course. His or her name will transmitted to the Dean of
Student Affairs along with the proof, for a formal hearing before the Honor
Court. Although the Honor Code permits a professor an option to handle the
transgression in an “informal” manner vice submitting the case to the Honor
Court, I will not do so. Before the Honor Court, I will urge that the student
receive the maximum penalty possible according to the circumstances, to include
an F for the course, suspension for at least one semester, and a record of the Honor Court to be me a
permanent part of the student’s record.
EXPECTATIONS: I
expect each student to be prepared, able, and willing to do college-level work. At a minimum, this means faithfully attending class, arriving at class on time, being
prepared for class by reading the assigned material, staying awake, taking
notes, exercising good study habits, and being interested. If you are unable or unwilling to meet these
expectations, then you should not take this class.
GRADING: I do
not give grades; I record the grade
that each student earns through their
performance on exams and in the classroom. There will be three closed book exams and one open book exam, with
an aggregate of 400 points possible. Your
grade will be calculated on the percentageof points you earn. A = 360-400 pts; B = 320-259; C = 280-319; D
= 240-279. Exams will contain material
from both the reading and lectures. Therefore,
you must read the book and take good notes if you expect to do well. Practice
exams on the text website will also help.
The last exam will be on the last day of class of the term; you will be given at least five day’s advance
notification for the other exams.
PARTICIPATION and GRADES: Students
who show an active interest in the class by asking questions and engaging in
debates and discussions may have their
grade elevated as much as one full letter, at my discretion, based on my
judgment of the value of that participation.
Likewise, actions that fall
short of the minimal expectations may result, at my discretion, in a lowering of your grade. It
will be a serious mistake to leave the impression that you don’t care about
this class, if for no other reason than that’s probably the same extent to
which I’ll care about your grade.
ABSENCE POLICY: You
are permitted four unexcused absences for the term, period. On the fifth unexcused
absence, you will be dropped from the course with an F. “Excused” absences are granted only in
advance for legitimate causes (e.g., school-sponsored athletic event or trip)
or for bona fide emergencies; the burden is on the student to request the
excused absence prior to the class that s/he wishes to miss. If the request is not granted, the student
is then expected to be in class. I will decide what constitutes an
excused absence or emergency.
EXAM MAKE-UP POLICY:
1. Students are expected
to be in class on the day exams are given. Students who fail to
show up on exam day
without being excused in advance (or in a case of bona fide emergency) will NOT be permitted
to make up the exam. The burden will be on the student
to justify why they should be given a make-up exam, and anything short of a genuine
emergency will result in a Zero for
that exam.
2. If an excusable emergency arises on the day
of the exam that absolutely prevents your presence, you (or a family member in case of your
illness) must notify me within 48 hours of the day and time of the
exam, either by e-mail or telephone. Failure
to do so will result in the denial of a
make-up exam.
3. Make-up
exams will be given only: (a) when
notification is provided to me three days in advance
with valid justification; or (b) in case of an EMERGENCY
without
prior notification (I will be the judge of what constitutes
“extreme emergency”).
4. Make-up
exams will be given only for the first three exams; there will be NO MAKE-UP FOR
THE LAST EXAM except in the most extreme circumstances.
5. Students granted a make-up exam will have
only three school days to take it; the burden is on the student to contact me to
establish a time and date for the make-up.
6. All students
receiving a make-up exam will have their grade reduced by 10 percent (usually
equal to one letter grade) except in cases of prior
notification AND for an acceptable
reason (e.g., school athletic trip).
7.
No student will be given more than one make-up exam during the course.
CLASS NOTES: If you miss a class, it is your
responsibility to obtain the class notes and any instructions for papers from
one of your classmates.
SYLLABUS: To aid in learning the material and to
assist in passing the exams, students
will find it helpful to use the text’s website, at www.logic.cqpress.com.
The site has a number of useful features, including chapter summaries,
learning objectives, review questions, and links to other informative sites. It
also has sample exams that students
may take to test their knowledge of the material.
I. Subject Introduction
and The Constitution (pp 2 to 67)
II. The Presidency (pp
238-277)
EXAM ONE
III. The Congress (pp
185-236)
IV. Federalism (pp 68-99)
EXAM TWO
V. Federal Judicial System & The Judicial Process (pp
318-352 + lectures)
EXAM THREE
VI. The Bureaucracy (pp
278-317)
VII. Voting and Elections (pp 388-425)
IX. Mass Media (pp
502-535)
EXAM FOUR (open book