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Syllabi

SYLLABUS
Summer 1 2014 - GOVT-2305-1000 - Federal Government
Phone:
409Office:
9441753
Office Hours:
FA-210 08:00-10:20 Monday Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday

Instructor: Anne Egelston
Email: aegelsto@gc.edu
Location and Meeting Times:

Catalog Description: Study of the government of the United States, its theory, principles and institutions.
Political institutions and ideas, origins and development of the Constitution, principles, political parties, legislative, executive and judicial branches, administration, financing, foreign relations and national defense.
Required Books, Materials and Supplies
Title
Introduction to
American
Government

Author
Turner, Stephenson,
Bresker Freidrich
Karlesky

ISBN
9781618826077

Publisher Copyright Price Required
BVT
7th
Publishing

Required

Supplies
Learning Outcomes
1] Students will be able to effectively analyze the institutions and processes of policy-making in US government. 2] Students will demonstrate knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, including the federal system, checks and balances, separation of powers and civil rights.
3] Students will demonstrate knowledge of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of U.S. government. 4] Students will be able to effectively evaluate the roles of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in US politics and elections.
Course Requirements
Students will be expected to attend classes, take notes, participate in class discussions, and complete all weekly assignments and exams.
Evaluation Criteria https://www.gc.edu/syllabi/secure/syllabi.asp?term=2014SU1&subject=GOVT&course=2305§ion=1000&review=Yes 1/6

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Grades represent a standard of achievement and understanding, not just a memorization and regurgitation of undigested information. While it is necessary to have a basic knowledge of the information or facts associated with the subject, the purpose of an education is to be able to apply the information you have acquired in the course. To this end, the assignments and exams seek to balance basic factual knowledge with analysis of current and historical situations.

Your final grade for this course will be determined according to the following criteria:

1. Weekly Discussion Questions (worth 100 points)

2. Two in-class exams (each worth 100 points)

3. Weekly homework (100 points)

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 400
The point total you earn on the exams, paper, and weekly homework, divided by 4, will determine your final grade for the course. For example, if you have a point total of 400, divided by 4 = 100. This would be your final average for the course. Your final grade for the course will be based on your final average. Final grades are determined as follows:

A final grade of A equals a final average of between 90 and 100 or more than 360 points
A final grade of B equals a final average of between 80 and 89 or more than 320 points
A final grade of C equals a final average of between 70 and 79 or more than 280 points
A final grade of D equals a final average of between 60 and 69 or more than 240 points
A final grade of F equals a final average of less than 60 or less than 240 points

https://www.gc.edu/syllabi/secure/syllabi.asp?term=2014SU1&subject=GOVT&course=2305§ion=1000&review=Yes

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Discussion question:
A discussion question will be given to you on Monday. The question will be due at the beginning of the class on
Thursday. The discussion question is an open ended question that will require you to apply the key points you have learned from the week. My expectation is each discussion question will be 2 - 3 pages in length.
I reserve the right to give a zero grade if I cannot read your handwriting. If you choose to type your assignments please use a 12 point Times New Roman font, with double spacing and left justification.
I DO NOT ACCEPT PAPERS AFTER THE FIRST 10 MINUTES OF CLASS UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING ILLNESS, FAMILY EMERGENCIES, OR CAR TROUBLES!
YOU MUST TURN IN YOUR PAPER USING ANGEL.
Examinations:
There will be two in-class examinations during the semester. Material for the exams will be drawn from the textbook, class notes, and current events i.e. current office holders. There will be no re-tests given if you do poorly on a test, so make sure that you are fully prepared for each exam. Do not hesitate to contact me if you need assistance getting ready for an exam.
Homework:
There will be a minimum of 10 homework assignments for this class. I typically give 11 – 12 homework assignments per semester. The top 10 grades will be included in your homework grade. "Homework" includes pop attendance quizes (2), and a minimum of four in class quizes. Given that I will be dropping your lowest grades, I WILL NOT accept late homework under ANY circumstances, including illness.
YOU MUST TURN IN WRITTEN HOMEWORK USING ANGEL.
I DO NOT ACCEPT PAPERS AFTER THE FIRST 10 MINUTES OF CLASS UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING ILLNESS, FAMILY EMERGENCIES, OR CAR TROUBLES.
Special Services
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute which provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with documented disabilities be guaranteed reasonable accommodation for those disabilities. If you believe that you have a disability requiring such accommodation, please contact the Galveston College Counseling Center or call (409) 944-1223.
Course Outline

An outline of the class is presented below. I reserve the right to alter the class pace based upon the difficulty of the material. https://www.gc.edu/syllabi/secure/syllabi.asp?term=2014SU1&subject=GOVT&course=2305§ion=1000&review=Yes 3/6

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Lecture 1 & 2 – Introduction/Development and Roots of Democracy
Lecture 3 & 4 – From Monarchy to The U.S. Constitution
Lecture 5 - 7- The Congress
Lecture 6 - 9 The Presidency and The Bureaucracy
Lecture 10 - The Courts
Lecture 11 - 12 – Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Lecture 13 - MIDTERM JUNE 30
Lecture 14 - Interest Groups
Lecture 15 – Public Opinion and Political Socialization
Lecture 16 - Political Parties & Voting and Elections
Lecture 17 - Economic Policy
Lecture 18 - Social Policy
Lecture 19 - American Foreign Policy
Lecture 20 - FINAL JULY 10

Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend all lectures and laboratory periods, and an accurate record of each student's class attendance is kept by each instructor for the duration of the course. Any student, who misses 10% of the total clock hours of instruction not excused by the instructor may be withdrawn from class by the instructor with a grade of "AWN." Students are expected to report to class on time. At the discretion of the instructor, tardiness may be treated the same as an absence and the AWN policy may be applied. If an AWN is processed before a student completes the drop procedures, the "AWN" will become the grade of record. The student, instructor, and financial aid office will receive copies of the AWN form. Programs with special attendance requirements mandated by local, state, or national accrediting or professional agencies will observe the agency attendance requirements which affect student certification, registry, or licensure, as well as those of the College. All special attendance requirements must be approved in writing by the Vice President of
Instruction.
Academic Integrity
Each student is charged with the responsibility of maintaining scholastic integrity. When written assignments require excerpts from material published by others, the student must give full credit to the author to avoid the possibility of plagiarism. For more information refer to "Students Rights and Responsibilities section (F) Student https://www.gc.edu/syllabi/secure/syllabi.asp?term=2014SU1&subject=GOVT&course=2305§ion=1000&review=Yes 4/6

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Code of Conduct." Any student violation of scholastic integrity for plagiarism or cheating falls properly within the realm of student/faculty relations and is subject to a faculty recommendation to the college administration for loss of credit for a particular assignment, examination, or unit of work; failure in a course; or, dismissal from the college. Cell Phone / SmartPhone Use
Electronic devices must be preapproved before use in class. I do not, under any circumstances, allow classes to be videotaped or recorded.
Computer Usage
Galveston College provides computer resources for the purpose of accomplishing tasks related to the mission of the college. Authorized users are allowed to use the college's computer resources for school related and incidental purposes, subject to the College’s Computer Use policy and other applicable college policies, and state and federal law.
For additional information concerning the College’s computer usage policy and/or procedures, please consult the
Galveston College Catalog and/or Student Handbook.

Disclaimers
An outline of the class is presented above. I reserve the right to alter the class pace based upon the difficulty of the material.
I reserve the right to alter the number of homework assignments based upon class participation. Under no circumstances will the number of homework assignments be less than 10.
Late Work
I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. ANY ASSIGNMENT TURNED
IN MORE THAN 10 MINUTES AFTER THE BEGINNING OF CLASS IS LATE. AS I DROP AT
LEAST ONE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS I WILL NOT ISSUE A MAKEUP FOR HOMEWORK
OR DEFINTIONS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
Special Instructions

You are here to learn just as I am. While I am the teacher, I will not be lecturing non-stop (unless you do not participate in classroom discussion). There will be plenty of time during each class session when I will turn the floor over to you to discuss and debate the issues at hand. Thus, I expect you to be prepared for class by having done the assigned readings before you come to each class. Not only will this help you better understand the material, but it will also keep you from falling behind in the readings.
When you are in class I expect you to be attentive and courteous to your fellow students as well as myself. I will not tolerate rudeness in my classroom. Rude behavior includes excessively talking to friends, playing games on your cell phone/computer, sleeping, snoring, getting up and walking out in the middle of class, reading newspapers and magazines, finishing homework, etc. If you are engaging in rude conduct during the class I will ask you to leave. Make sure you SHUT OFF your cell phone before coming to class.
If I see you texting, watching movies, or playing audio recordings during class you will be asked to leave. While https://www.gc.edu/syllabi/secure/syllabi.asp?term=2014SU1&subject=GOVT&course=2305§ion=1000&review=Yes 5/6

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I realize that many people type faster than they write, I will be giving you access to the slide deck for your use via Angel. Many of my successful students bind the slide deck and bring it to class to take their notes directly onto a print out of the slides.
Visitors
Please seek permission for visitors in advance.
Accessing and Using ANGEL
Students will be required to use the Galveston College online Angel Learning Management System. There are three types of courses which may be accessed through the Internet at http://www.gc.edu. The first is a fully online course, indicated in the schedule as ARR (arranged). The second is a hybrid or blended course, in which some of the instructional coursework is done face-to-face while a substantial portion is done through Angel. The third is a web-enhanced course which meets face-to-face in a traditional classroom format.
Academic Dishonesty:

I have ZERO TOLERANCE on cheating! This includes plagiarism. I will automatically discipline any students caught cheating up to removal from class for academic dishonesty and/or automatic failure of the class. I will also report cheating to the department for further disciplinary actions. Copying from Wikipedia or other websites constitutes cheating in my class.
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