Pols 001: American Government Office: BT 455
Ken Nuger Phone: 924-5346, email: kpnuger@email.sjsu.edu
Spring, 2004 Office Hours: 7:45-8:45, 10:30-11:45 T, TH, 5:15-5:45 TH, and by appointment
BBC 326
Course Introduction
Political Science 001, Introduction to American Government examines both the pursuit and exercise of political authority in the United States. The course examines several themes that affect how our democratic system works. First, we shall examine the philosophical foundations that frame American democracy. This unit includes an examination of the U.S. Constitution and the federal system in the United States. The course then examines how people politically organize and how they participate in American democracy. In so doing, we shall explore how people learn core American values, how they organize and use political parties and how the electoral process works. The course also examines how the three branches of government exercise their constitutional duties. Finally, the course examines selected public policies, with an emphasis on civil liberties and civil rights to see how government policy affects different groups of people in the United States.
Books
Please purchase the following: Sidlow, Edward, and Henschen, Beth, America at Odds, 4th Ed.
Grading
There are two exams; one midterm worth 100 points and one final worth 100 points. You must also write a research paper approximately 7-8 pages comparing one presidential candidate with our current president, George Bush. The research paper is worth 40 points and shall be due on Thursday, April 29th. If the paper is turned in late, it shall receive an eight point penalty. Please refer to the research paper guidelines for more detailed information and requirements. In addition, there may be a few surprise quizzes that will cover reading assignments. The quizzes are each worth 5 points. I will drop your lowest graded quiz. The value of each quiz will be added to the base of 240 points (midterm, final and paper). For example, if we have five quizzes each worth 5 points, after dropping one quiz, we have four quizzes worth a total of 20 points to add to the base of 240 points for a total of 260 points. There is not a set number of quizzes so the amount of points added to the base of 240 points depends on how many quizzes we have, less one quiz that is dropped.
Attendance, Tardiness and Make up policy
Attendance will be recorded each day but you get five class days of vacation. For each day of class you miss after five absences, you will lose two points. If you do not miss a class, you will earn 10 extra points. For each day of class you miss, you lose 2 points. At five missed classes you have used up your 10 free points. After that, you will lose 2 points per each day missed after 5 missed classes. This policy is not only a good way to encourage you to attend this class, as if you need any encouragement, but just being in class regularly will help you better learn the material more effectively. If you are going to be tardy, try to let me know before class starts. An occasional tardiness sometimes cannot be helped but it won't help your cause if you regularly come to class late. If you do come into class late, be sure to enter the class quietly and sit as close to the room door as possible. If you miss a regularly scheduled examination, you can arrange to take a makeup examination at a time suitable to both of us.
Readings
Unit One – Philosophical and Constitutional Dimensions of American Democracy
Chs. 1, 2, 3
Unit Two – Political Culture and Socialization Political Parties, Elections and the Political Process
Chs. 8, 9, 10
Unit Three – Powers and Functions of the National Government
Chs. 11, 12, 13 (to page 314) and 14
Unit Four – Introduction to Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Chs. 4 and 5