Final Syllabus
Introduction to American Government:
POLS 2200
Fall 2007 Tues-Thurs 1:00-2:15
Dr. Paul Fabian Mullen phone: 912 921-5678
Office Hours: M5-6, Tues
11-12, Th 4-5 Paul.Mullen@armstrong.edu
OBJECTIVES:
This course is primarily about learning how the
COURSE OUTLINE:
There will be four areas in this course: 1) An overview of the Constitution and
constitutional history of the
REQUIREMENTS and GRADING: You must complete all assignments to pass the
course. There will be 2 in class tests
(30% each), and a project which will be comprised of an individual writing
project and class presentation (40% of final grade). Project details will be on a separate
handout. If you attend all classes you
will receive five extra points added to your final grade. If you miss more than two and less than four
classes, you will have five points deducted from your final grade. If you miss more than four classes, you will
not receive a passing grade. Obviously
serious illnesses and other non-volitional emergencies will not count against
this total. Emergencies due to poor
planning are never excuses.
GRADING SCALE:
A=90+, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, F=59 or lower.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Cheating will not be tolerated. If I
catch you (and I will catch you), you flunk the course, period! Also, I will
pursue charges against you for academic dishonesty that may result in
suspension or expulsion. You will
familiarize yourself with university policies on academic integrity and be
responsible for breaches of these policies.
Any assignment or test not meeting the standards for academic integrity
will not be accepted or given a grade and you will receive an “F” the course,
in addition to any other University-imposed sanctions. Also, lying about an
assignment or an excuse for a late assignment will result in a failing grade
for that assignment, making it virtually impossible for you to pass the
course. I used to cross-examine people
for a living, and I’m relatively hard to fool.
MISSED EXAMS and LATE ASSIGNMENTS:
As a general rule, no makeup tests will be given except in extreme, unavoidable
and documented instances. Please note,
returning late from a vacation or break is NEVER a valid excuse, regardless of
whether it was your fault or the airline’s fault. I will make reasonable
accommodations for religious holidays and university related events, provided
these are cleared ahead of time. If you
know you are going to miss an exam or turn something in late, its best to
contact me ahead of time.
CELL PHONES, BEEPERS and OTHER ANNOYANCES
: Turn off all beepers,
cell phones and alarms. If your device goes off during class YOU WILL LOOSE ALL
ATTENDANCE POINTS! The same occurs if I catch you text messaging in class. It
is extremely rude for both me and the class. Likewise you should not talk
amongst yourselves. YOU MAY NOT TEXT MESSAGE, WEAR EARPEICES OR ACCESS
MATERIALS OTHER OF CLASS MATERIALS ON LAPTOPS.
IF I CATCH YOU DOING ANY OF THE ABOVE, YOU LOOSE ALL ATTENDANCE POINTS.
CIVILITY AND TOLERANCE:
Everyone has a right to their opinions. I expect as a part of class
discussions, we will challenge each others opinions and have a frank exchange
of ideas. That said, no one should be subject to personal attacks and the tone
of the lecture should remain courteous at all times. Violations of the civility
rule may result in the loss of participation points. Also, the topics we cover may be
controversial. If any of the classroom discussions unduly disturb you, come and
discuss the problem with me.
PROPER USE OF E-MAIL AND TECHNOLOGY: I will answer substantive questions
about the class and the materials or excuses for absences. I will not answer
questions related to materials already covered in the syllabus. When you e-mail
me, be sure to include your LEGAL name and the course # in the subject
line. I don’t know you by your screen
name. If there are assignments that
require technology or other resources, it is your responsibility to consult
with the proper support personnel. For example, do not write me the night
before the test to say you can’t access the online materials. YOU are responsible for accessing the
material.
TEXTS: O’Connor and Sabato, American
Government: Continuity and Change, 9th Edition
READING SCHEDULE (Subject to the needs of the class)
August 16: Political History of the
August 21: Chapter 1: Political Landscape
August 23: cont
August 28: Chapter 2: The
Constitution
August 30: cont
September 4: off
September 6: Chapter 2 cont
September 11: Chapter 11: Political Socialization and Public
Opinion
September 13: Chapter 11: cont. Chapter 12 Political Parties
September 18: Chapter 12: cont.
September 20: Chapter 13: Voting and Elections
September 25: Chapter 13: Cont.
September 27: Chapter 14: The Campaign Process
October 2: Chapter 15: The Media Amusing
Ourselves to Death Start Reading
October 4: Chapter 16:
Interest Groups (Materials for Midterm Ends)
October 9: Catch-up or Added
October 11: Break
October 16: Review
October 18: Midterm
October 23: Chapter 7: Congress
October 25: Chapter 7: cont.
October 30: Chapter 8: The Presidency
November 1: Chapter 8: Cont.
November 8: Chapter 9: The Judiciary
November 13: Chapter 9: cont.
November 15: Chapter 3: Federalism
November 20: Chapter 17: pp 615-627 only Chapter 19:
Foreign policy
November 22: Thanksgiving
November 27: Chapter 19: Foreign Policy
November 29: Group Presentations
December 4: Group Presentations
December 6: Review
Final:
December 12 @ 2:00pm