U.S. GOVERNMENT           
ROY EDWARD CASAGRANDA
James Madison by Gilbert Stuart
James Madison (1751-1836)

Section:         Govt 2305-49921  Lec 111
Time:             MW   2:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Location:       Bastrop Campus
Room:           TBA
Session:         Spring, 2007 (January 16 - May 13)
Office Hours: MW 1:35 to 2:00, 3:15 to 3:50
Email:            rcasagra@austincc.edu
Office: TBA      
Website:        http://gov.casagranda.com
Textbook:     The Struggle for Democracy, Pearson Longman, Seventh Edition, 2005
                     ISBN 0-321-21738-1

 The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.
Winston Churchill

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION

This course is an introduction to United States government.  The course 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. The basic objectives of the course are for the student to:

1. Gain an awareness of the principles that guided the founders of the U.S. and the manner in which our definition of these principles have changed over the years.

2. Understand the basic structure of the U.S. government.

3. Develop an awareness of the political process and its impact on government.

4. Become aware of the ways in which government affects/is affected by its citizens.

5. Think in political terms as part of the process of becoming a more effective citizen.

6. Develop independent critical thinking skills.

7. Understand the theoretical nature of what government is.

8. Critically explore such concepts as republic, democratic theory, and liberalism.

The course will begin with a theoretical overview of politics.  This beginning will include a discussion about what the very nature, role, and functions of government are.  We will explore the difference between the political, economic, and normative realms of action and how they interact to create politics.

In the second part of the course we will look at the evolution of the U.S. political system through the lens of political history.  The objective here will be to discover what we have and how we got it.

Then we will look at the institutions of the U.S. government, namely the Congress, the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and the bureaucracy.

Next we will focus on the political process by looking at public opinion, interest groups, political parties, elections, voting, and the media.  In the process we will explore such concepts as single member district representation, republic, proportional representation, and campaign financing.

We will conclude the semester by examining domestic and foreign policy.

While this is primarily a lecture course, the class may also include videos, transparencies, role-playing simulations, internet activities, writing assignments, and classroom discussions.  Students must attend and participate regularly.

It is perfectly true that the government is best which governs least.
It is equally true that the government is best which provides most.
Walter Lippmann

CLASS POLICIES
OFFICE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical 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.  Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.
 
POLICY ON ATTENDANCE AND WITHDRAWAL

Each student is expected to attend and participate in each class meeting and to complete the assigned reading PRIOR to each class.  Although class attendance is not a direct component of the final grade, absences do limit the student’s opportunity to participate fully in class activities and will almost certainly impact the student’s final grade.  Should it be necessary to miss a class a student should contact other class members for copies of the notes amd materials covered in that class.  Attendance is required on test days and on oral presentation days.  Should you miss a test day there will be no make up exams, instead your final grade will be based on the tests taken.  Should you miss two or more exams you should consider dropping the course rather than suffering the failing grade.

Cell phones and text-messaging devices must be turned off and should not be in evidence in the classroom unless you have prior approval from the instructor.  Late arrivals and early departures are disruptive so please be on time and plan to stay the entire period unless you have previously spoken to the instructor. Excessive tardiness or failure to follow class policies on cell phones may result in the student being dropped from the course.

The professor reserves the right to withdraw (drop) anyone from the class for any reason.  This does not mean that you will automatically be withdrawn if you are failing or if you are not attending class.  If you wish to drop the course please make sure to do so yourself.  The instructor will not do it for you.  

If, for any reason, you decide to withdraw from the course you must complete the required forms in the Admissions and Records office.  The last day to withdraw from the Spring session (initiated by instructor or student) is Monday, April 23, 2007.  This may not be the same date for Bastrop High School, so be sure to be in compliance with Bastrop High School.  Incompletes will not be given to any student.  If it becomes clear that you will not be able to complete the course please consider dropping the course by the April 23, 2007 deadline.  Failure to complete the required coursework will likely result in an F grade.  
We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. I hope to bring some of that discomfort of thought to the American people.                                                                                                                                                John Anderson

SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY

Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work.  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, and homework.

If a student commits any of these actions, I will seek disciplinary action in the form of an academic penalty, which will likely include a course grade of  ‘F’.

Look I take this very seriously and it has a real simple solution.  If you want to include text from someone else feel free to cite the original author.  It will strengthen your argument and suggest that you have done research on the subject.  Otherwise, I am ruthless and will show no mercy when it comes to plagiarism.  Failure to comply with this rule is almost certain to cause you to fail the course.  

I'll be the one to protect you from
A will to survive and a voice of reason

I'll be the one to protect you from
Your enemies and your choices son
They're one in the same
I must isolate you
Isolate and save you from yourself

Swayin to the rhythm of the new world order and
Count the bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums

The boogeymen are coming
A Perfect Circle
 
CLASS PARTICIPATION AND ACADEMIC FREEDOM

Just as each student is expected to attend class, each student is also expected to participate in the class discussion.  This not only includes preparing for class and listening in class, but also includes asking questions, answering questions, providing examples, and expressing opinions.  This class can be much more educational (as well as interesting) in an atmosphere of active participation and lively exchange of ideas.  There will be numerous opportunities throughout the semester to use current events to explore and expand on our understanding of the concepts we are studying.  As a result I also expect students to keep up with current events.  If you are not normally in the habit of doing so you should begin looking at a reliable news source.  The BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/ and Reuters http://today.reuters.com/news/home.aspx are two examples of the sort.  

In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints.  These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be encouraged to think and learn.  On sensitive and volatile topics, students may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the instructor.  It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views of others when expressed in classroom situations.

Each person has the right to express his or her opinion.  Our Bill of Rights not only guarantees us the right to express our opinions but also provides us the opportunity to learn from our fellow citizens as they express their opinions.
 
All our beliefs are being challenged now, and rightfully so – they're stupid.
Bill Hicks

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND SCHEDULE
EVALUATION

Three exams will be given during this semester as noted on the Course Schedule.  The exams will include both objective and essay questions.  Essays may be conducted as take-home exams due by the following class period or as in-class exams according to the professor's whim.  It may be tempting to miss the first exam since it only counts for 100 points.  This is a mistaken attitude.  The first exam serves two purposes.  First, should you miss an exam I will calculate your grade based as if you took the 2nd and Final Exams, regardless of which exam that you missed (this is important since there are no make up exams).  In other words if you miss an exam the highest grade that you can receive for the class will be a 90%.  If you miss two exams the highest grade that you can receive for the class will be a 60%.  Sometimes things come up in life that we cannot control.  The first exam can serve as a sort of insurance policy to cover for such events, so don't throw it away.  

Second, there seems to be a high learning curve on my exams.  It has been my experience that people tend to do poorly on the first exam even if they ultimately earn an ‘A’ in the class.  The first exam should also be regarded as a sort of practice exam.  

Classroom participation is important.  It is worth 100 points or an entire letter grade.  There is no formal attendance grade; however, it will be difficult to participate in classroom discussions if you are not in attendance.  The best way to earn a high Participation grade is to ask questions, answer questions, and state observations when appropriate.

                                     POINTS TOWARDS
REQUIREMENT              FINAL GRADE
EXAM 1 100
EXAM 2
300
FINAL EXAM
 500
PARTICIPATION                  _ _100
TOTAL
 1000

LETTER GRADE ASSIGNMENT

Final letter grades will be assigned after determining total points earned, as follows:

    Final  Grade Scale              Letter Grade    
          900 – 1000                         A    
           800 – 899                          B    
           700 – 799                          C    
           600 – 699                          D    
               0 – 599                          F    

HOW TO BEST COMPLETE THIS COURSE

1. Attend all class sessions; if you miss a class get copies of the handouts/notes from a classmate.
2. Do not miss tests.  It may be tempting to miss the first exam, but don’t.
3. Read the assigned material prior to each class session.
4. Study the materials; prepare for and take each exam as scheduled.
5. Complete and turn in all assignments as assigned and on time.  NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR ANY REASON AFTER CLASS BEGINS ON THE DUE DATE.
6. Contact the instructor if, at any time, you feel your performance is not up to your standards.

FUNDAMENTAL ACADEMIC FORCES (STRONGEST TO WEAKEST)
1. Writing Ability
2. Reading Ability
3. Critical Thinking and Analytical Sills
4. Memorization

If you can master these four forces you can succeed in academia.  To the extent possible this class will attempt to assist in developing all four skills further.  However, it should be obvious that English classes are generally where the above skills are formally taught.  It will be assumed that have had English classes and that you apply such lessons to all writing assignements in this class (and probably all of your future academic classes as well).  

EXAMS
The text may be conducted as an in class test or with an in class multiple-choice test with a take-home essay.  If an essay is assigned as take-home, that portion of the exam must be turned into http://www.turnitin.com.  All turned in material must be double spaced and in a traditional font and size (e.g. Times New Roman, 11).


COURSE SCHEDULE
DATE TOPIC EXAM TEXT
In the Beginning
1-17 Introduction

1-22, 1-24, 1-29 The Origin, Nature, and a Theory of Government
Chapter 1

Who controls the past controls the future;
who controls the present controls the past.
George Orwell, 1984 (1949)
The Birth of a Republic
1-31, 9-18
The Evolution of the British Government
Chapter 2
2-5, 2-7
 Origins of the Revolution
The Declaration of Independence
2-12 The Articles of Confederation & Shays' Rebellion
Federalist Paper #10
2-14, 2-19
 The Convention, the Constitution, and the Civil War
The Constitution
2-21
FIRST EXAM

If these observations be just, our government ought to secure the permanent interests of the country against innovation. Landholders ought to have a share in the government, to support these invaluable interests, and to balance and check the other. They ought to be so constituted as to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority.
James Madison
The Machine
2-23, 2-28
 Congress v Parliament
Chapter 11
3-5, 3-7
 A Brief History of the Presidency
Chapter 12
3-12, 3-14
 SPRING BREAK (both ACC and BHS)
NO CLASS
3-19, 3-21 The Presidency and Power
Chapter 12
3-26
 The Federal Bureaucracy

Chapter 13
3-28 The Supreme Court and the Federal Courts
Chapter 14
4-2
SECOND EXAM

Successful politicians are insecure and intimidated men. They advance politically only as they placate, appease, bribe, seduce, bamboozle or otherwise manage to manipulate the demanding and threatening elements in their constituencies.
Walter Lippmann
The Façade
4-4 Elbridge Gerry and the Salamander
Chapter 10
4-9 Voting and PR
Chapter 10
4-11 The Role of the Media in Elections Since 1968
Chapter 6
4-16, 4-18 Ideology, Parties, and Public Opinion
Chapters 9 and 5

What the mass media offers is not popular art, but entertainment which is intended to be consumed like food, forgotten, and replaced by a new dish.
W. H. Auden
Policy
4-23, 4-25 Policy Analysis & Domestic Policy
Chapter 17
4-30, 5-2, 5-7 Foreign Policy
Chapter 18
5-9
FINAL EXAM

There is nothing so good for the human soul as the discovery that there are ancient and flourishing civilized societies which have somehow managed to exist for many centuries and are still in being though they have had no help from the traveler in solving their problems.
Walter Lippmann

Elbridge Gerry
Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814)

The instructor reserves the right to modify any portion of the syllabus at any time.  The course schedule is meant as a guide; treat the rest as law.