|
Return to Main
Page
Scroll down to view the entire syllabus,
or use links to jump to a specific section.
Course Description
Required Texts
Course Assignments And
Grading
Internet Links For Political
Science
East Georgia College
A unit of the University System of Georgia
131 College Circle
Swainsboro, Georgia 30401-2699
912-486-7072
Spring 2011
POLS 1101- American National Government
Sections:
20004 American
Government 1220 - 1310
MWF, GSU-INFO TECH BLDG, 3206
20005
American Government 1115 - 1205
MWF, GSU-INFO TECH BLDG., 3202
20006 American
Government 1100 - 1215
TR, GSU-COBA BUILDING, 3338
20007 American Government 1230 - 1345
TR, GSU-COLL OF EDUCATION, 1130
I. Instructor: Dr. Tom Caiazzo
II. Office Information: East Georgia College - Statesboro
Center
Office Hours: Monday &
Wednesday, 8:00am - 10:00am; and; 10:45am - 11:15am @GSU
Tuesday & Thursday, 8:00am - 10:00am: and; 10:30am - 11:00am @GSU;
online via e-mail;
and, any other time by appointment
Office Phone: 912-486-7072
E-mail: tcaiazzo@ega.edu
III.
Course Description: In this course, we will examine the history,
institutions, processes, documents, and players in the American political
system. The course will be taught via many different class formats
including but not limited to: the Socratic method of instruction; textbook
and reserved readings; group activities; cyberspace and the virtual
classroom; and, service learning.
IV. Prerequisite: English 0097, 0098; Reading 0099. It is not
recommended that you take this course until you have exited these learning
support classes.
V.
Textbook:
Required: Understanding
American Government 4th Edition,
BVT Publishing, 2010, ISBN:
978-I-60229-689-3
Suggested: I also suggest
you attain a Pocket Sized Constitution.
You can go here to get a *FREE* one:
http://www.askheritage.org/free-pocket-constitution
VI.
Course Learning Outcomes with linkages to General Education Student
Learning Outcomes:
You should exit this
course with a basic familiarity and understanding of the processes and
institutions associated with the American political system. The course is taught from a theoretical
and policy oriented perspective, meaning that you should be able to grasp
and understand the underpinnings of the
American political process. Particular emphasis is placed on the role
of government as both an arena and arbiter among various groups vying for
power in an environment of scarce resources. In this environment, government assumes
the role of decision-maker. In a
more practical sense, you should come away with a basic understanding of
how government impacts your daily life, through the formulation and
implementation of public policy, and the study of how government decides
who gets what. The course poses
several philosophical questions:
1) Do we really need government?
2) If we do need
government, how much power should it exercise over the lives of
individuals?
3) How should power be
allocated among the various branches (executive, legislative and judicial)
and levels (federal, state and local) of government?
4) Whose interests
should be served first? Those of the
one, or the few and the many?
5) How does the
development of technology affect the answers to the first four questions?
You are expected to
integrate the required readings with class lectures. East Georgia College
assesses student learning based upon the achievement of eleven general
education outcome electives. A list of these outcomes is available on the
East Georgia College web page. Outcomes 1, 3, 6, and 9 are incorporated
into the objectives of this course. The appropriate learning outcome is
indicated at
the end of each objective.
A) Describe the historical background,
process and results of the U.S. Constitutional convention and compare and
contrast it with the Georgia state constitution (1, 9).
B) Identify the structure
and processes of the three branches of the U.S. government and compare the
U.S. system to other forms of government (1, 3, 4).
C) Describe the
non-institutional aspects of the U.S. system of government: public opinion,
media, voting and elections, political parties and interest groups (1,6,9).
D) Identify and
describe major issues concerning civil liberties, civil rights and other
public policy decisions on a local, national and global scale (1,3,6,9).
E) Identify and
describe the major institutions of local government as well as the Georgia
State government (1,9).
VII. Evaluation: In most semesters,
you will formally evaluate the course and the instructor (me) near the end
of the semester (not applicable for summer classes).
VIII.
Grading:
1. EXAMS: You will have two
exams this semester, a Mid-term and Final. Exam material will
come from class notes, readings, the U.S. Constitution, and the names of
your elected officials
(see below). Exams may be subjective and/or objective. Each exam is
worth one hundred (100) points, or
two-hundred (200) in total. There are no make-ups.
Now, 25 points of Exam #1 will be a: POWER POINT- WHO ARE MY ELECTED
OFFICIALS?
In an effort to increase your political efficacy and awareness of our
representative democracy, I am
asking you to create a Power Point or any vehicle that you desire that
incorporates technology (web page, FACEBOOK, etc) of your various Elected
Officials. This will be due BEFORE you take Exam #1 see course calendar
below and you must e-mail it to me. You will also need a copy so you can
study for the exams.
2. GROUP DEBATE: In small groups, you will be asked to debate a
current public policy issue and design a no more than three-panel Power Point
(or another vehicle of technology - web page, music video, slide show, etc)
and write a persuasive short essay about your specific position on the
topic. It will involve writing, speaking, critical thinking, research, and
technology. I will thoroughly discuss this in class. Daily attendance also
plays a role. Please bring this handout to class and place in your Journal;
Debate Handout - Spring
2011
This debate is worth
one-hundred (100) points.
3. GOVERNMENT SYMPOSIUM: To view our government in action, you are
asked to attend any local government meeting such as the: Statesboro (or
another city) City Council, Bulloch County
(or another county) Commissioner's
meeting, or Bulloch County School Board (or another
school board) Meeting,
etc. You must physically attend the meeting. I suggest you start this
assignment as soon as possible, but some meetings only occur twice a month.
It is also your responsibility to find out the times, dates, and locations
of these meetings.
|
Once you arrive at the meeting, secure an agenda sheet that shows the date
of the meeting and items
that will be discussed
you must attain this sheet. You must then STAY for the ENTIRE
meeting. Take notes, and even contribute
if you desire. Once the meeting is over, you MUST
have one of the
ELECTED officials sign the agenda sheet verifying attendance. Be cordial
and nice and even introduce yourself; they
will be glad you attended.
I then want you to WRITE A LETTER
to either the editor of your local newspaper or to one of the elected
officials at the meeting you attended. The Letter should be properly
written and the scope of it is up to you (compliment, suggestion, the
experience, etc). You should then e-mail
the letter to them and also please bc
(not cc) me at: tcaiazzo@ega.edu
Here are two links to help you with writing letters: a) to an elected
official:
http://usgovinfo.about.com/c/ht/00/07/How_Write_Letters_Elected0962932964.htm
and, b) Newspaper Editors:
http://homeworktips.about.com/od/politicalscience/ht/lettertoeditor.htm
I then want you to print the e-mail
letter out and staple it to your
signed agenda sheet. Turn it all into me by the last week of class. This
assignment is worth one-hundred (100) points and graded on a rubric format
that I will discuss in class.
4. WEEKLY CURRENT EVENTS
JOURNAL:
To help you get a better understanding of current events, you will be
required to keep a
hand-written journal of local, state, and federal political current events.
Everything must be dated
and numbered accordingly, and you must print off the current event and bind
it in your notebook
with a two paragraph synopsis. Please click here for your handout that
outlines the requirements for this Journal: Journal
handout - Spring 2011
I will discuss ALL of this is class, and you MUST follow the
exact format in the handout to receive credit. There will be four journal
checks this semester, and there are
no makeups; thus, regular class attendance is paramount.
Each check is worth (25 points) each, or 100 in total.
COMPUTATION OF COURSE GRADE: Your grades will be computed in
the following manner:
Exams: (2 @ 100 points
each)
. = 200
points
Group Debate/Paper:
.
........................ = 100 points
Weekly Current Events Journal (4 checks @ 25points
each).............................................= 100 points
Government Symposium....................................................................................................=
100 points
Total Points:
500 points
GRADING SCALE: The grading scale for all assignments in the course
and for computing the final grade is based on the college's grading
schedule. With respect to the point system, the grading
scale is as follows:
500- 450 (90-100%) = A
449 - 400 (80-89%) = B
399 - 350 (70-79%) = C
349 - 300 (60-69%) = D
299 - 0
(0-59%) = F
GRADE POLICY: The grade you receive is based on your
performance without regard to
how others score in
the class. In other words, grades in this course are not based on a curve,
and whatever the total number of points
you earn, then this is the grade you will receive. You will
be treated equally and fairly and there
will be no capricious grading on my behalf. Under no
circumstances are
grades changed, except in cases of an error in computation.
Because VISTA is both
very SLOW and unreliable,
Please keep track of
your points below (be sure to drop the lowest score for Exam #2 and #3)
Exam #1:
_____/100 Exam #2:
_____/100 Journal:
_____/100
Debate: _____/100 Civic Engagement _____ /100
IX. Attendance Policy: Per college policy, I will take
attendance. As such:
1. You should make a conscious
effort to attend all scheduled class meetings. Class periods
will be devoted to lectures and
discussion. It is in your best interest to regularly attend class.
I will ask you to
withdraw for excessive absences.
a) I also understand that maybe
once or twice this semester you just "wont feel well." This has
a lot to do with the
climate as well as other private matters. Please be responsible enough, if
possible and let me
know via phone or e-mail that you wont be attending class that day.
b) I may also miss a few class
sessions for professional development this semester. I will advise
in class of any such changes. This is
another reason for regular classroom attendance.
c) You should check
your college e-mail account daily. The same for Georgia Vista View (Web
CT).
d) Likewise, there are absolutely no
make-ups allowed or partial credit points given.
X. Make-Up Policy: You are required to
be present and on time for all of the
mentioned above
assignments and Exams. If you fail to
be present you will receive zero (0) points.
Since you are allowed to drop one Exam score
there are no makeups
whatsoever. Likewise, there
are no early examinations given and please
do not try to haggle, or negotiate
with me regarding this academic policy.
Individual accountability, responsibility, decency,
and respect is implied. Only for an
Emergency reason (documentation must be provided to me and this
discussed during my office hours and NOT in class), if you miss an
Exam or the Debate, you must write a twenty-page paper on a topic of my
choice. No makeups for the Journal, Civic engagement projects,
or elected officials power-point.
XI. Plagiarism & Academic Dishonesty: please see EGC
Student Handbook
http://www.ega.edu/counseling-center/handbook2008.pdf
XII. ADA Statement: can be found at
http://www.ega.edu/counseling-center/disabilityaccomodations.htm
XIII. Course Withdrawal Policy Statement:
Students are
responsible for their own academic progress. Decisions regarding withdrawal
from courses should only be made after consultation with an academic
advisor. Before withdrawing from a course, students should meet with a
Financial Aid representative to discuss their personal financial aid
situation. More information regarding withdrawal from courses can be found in the EGC catalog at
http://www.ega.edu/registrar/catalog/Catalog0809.pdf
XIV. Campus Emergency Policy:
a. In the event the fire alarm is sounded,
everyone must evacuate the building at once and in a calm
and orderly fashion,
using the nearest exit. In the event of a severe
weather warning, which will be delivered
verbally, everyone must proceed immediately to
the nearest designated
shelter area which are marked by a small tornado symbol. All severe
weather shelter locations are posted on
the EGC website. Each student should, on the first
day of class, determine the location of
the nearest exit and the nearest designated
shelter area for each
of his or her classrooms.
If you have difficulty locating eitherask your instructor to assist you.
b. The Connect-ED
system is a communication service that enables East Georgia College
administrators and security personnel to quickly contact all East Georgia
College students, faculty and staff with personalized voice and text
messages that contain emergency-related campus information (e.g., campus
closing, campus threat, health scare, etc.). With Connect-ED, East Georgia
College students can be reached and provided with vital instructions
anywhere, anytime, through
their cell phones, home phones,
e-mail, TTY/TDD receiving devices, or other text-receiving devices
http://www.ega.educonnected.pdf
c. EGCS students should make themselves familiar with Georgia Southern
Universitys Emergency
Response Plan, http://services.georgiasouthern.edu/ess.Emergency%20Response%20Plan.pdf.
In the
event of an emergency,
EGCS students should follow the instructions of EGCS faculty
and staff members and
GSU campus officials.
XV. Additional Course Requirements:
For extra credit, you
will be allowed to complete the
civic engagement tasks
below. You may do one, both, or all
three of the tasks. Each Task has a
different set of rules
and procedures. All requirements will be discussed in class (see calendar
below), but it would behoove you to visit with me personally if interested.
All extra credit is due the last day of scheduled class not the final
exam day, and they are as follows:
a. Community Volunteerism: As part of
my commitment to service learning and civic engagement, I am asking you to
be an engaged scholar in your community. You will have to serve fifteen
(15) hours of civic engagement/volunteerism, at an organization
pre-approved by the both of us; such as a local
political campaign, social organization,
or other non-profit associations that offers a service and provides for the
community. You MUST visit with me to get approval PRIOR to doing this task,
and you may NOT use the same work for your Service Learning courses
(** I will be personally doing four events for the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation
this semester and need lots of help. Please visit with me ASAP if
interested**).
You must then keep a log sheet of
the days/hours worked. I then want you to type at least a two-three
paragraph descriptive essay about your experience and opinion. Turn your
paper
in, attached to your log sheet, with a
cover page stating your name and class section by the due
date we agree upon. This extra credit
assignment is worth fifteen (15) points.
b. Book Discussion: In an effort to better understand political
campaigns, I want you to purchase and read the following book: Politics
of Hope - A Failed Strategy. Once you complete the book, please visit
with me during my office hours and/or by appointment to discuss your
findings and orally answer some questions. It should take no more than
thirty minutes. This extra credit assignment is fifteen (15) points.
c. Civic Engagement Trip: Along with a
few colleagues, I will chaperone and guide a group of students
to Atlanta to tour the capitol and another educational activity. If you go
on this Trip, I will give you fifteen (15) extra-credit points. More
information is forthcoming.
XVI. Daily Course Schedule:
Here is your course
Calendar,
Spring 2011,
M,W,F Classes
Spring 2011,
Tues/Thurs classes
XVII. Optional Policies:
1. You must complete
all assigned reading material prior to class. You MUST purchase the current
edition
of the required
textbook lecture and test material will come from this specific book. If
you are
experiencing any difficulties,
please see me immediately. Do not wait until the day before or after an
exam, or at the end of the semester. I am here for you, but I can't do the
readings for you. If you happen to miss any class, it is your
responsibility to attain the missed material and any relevant handouts from
another member of the class. Also, for each class session you will need to
bring your textbook, notebook, paper, and pen.
2. You will need
access to a typewriter/computer/word-processor, because all out-of-class
assignments and
projects must be typed. The campus computer laboratory provides open lab
hours when you can use
the equipment. Please do not wait for the last minute to complete your
projects. Diskettes/CDs can have errors,
printers can break down, computers may malfunction,
BP oil executives may
eat your assignment, etc., so please plan ahead. I will not accept any late
papers,
so be smart and be academically
responsible.
3. Tardiness Policy:
a) If you happen to be tardy due
to an emergency, please enter the room quietly and do
not disrupt the class.
"Emergency" means a traffic accident or illness, not
over-sleeping or
over-socializing in
the student union. Continual tardiness will not be tolerated and it is
also very discourteous. You will be asked
to withdraw for being excessively tardy.
b) If you are late for an emergency reason
(see below), please don't cross in front of me or other
students. Take the nearest seat to the
door.
c) Never enter late on
any scheduled exam day. Rather, see me during my office hours
and/or e-mail me
immediately after the exam session is over for direction and options, if
any.
d) I also want you to be accountable and
responsible with your pursuit of a higher education.
Do not enroll for this or any course if
you have to be at work ten minutes after the class session
is over or if
"your ride can't get you to class" until one minute before class.
Too many things can
happen and I dont want you leaving early
or coming in late. Prepare your class schedule accordingly
and be proud and serious about your
decision to attend college.
e) You will never be
automatically dropped or withdrawn from this class for non-attendance.
It is your
responsibility, not my duty, to ensure that the proper forms are completed.
If you do
decide to withdraw or
I have asked you to withdraw for excessive absences, continual
tardiness, and/or
academic reasons, please complete all the paperwork and follow the proper
procedures to protect the integrity of your academic record.
f) This policy is not
designed to badger or offend you, but rather to advance individual
self-respect
and respect for the
discipline, procedures, institution, professor, and fellow students.
4. You are allowed to record the lectures
on audiotape as a study aid and they should be used for your
own personal use.
5. The posting of your
grades are prohibited by the:
a) Buckley Amendment
and the Families in Education Right to Privacy Act. FERPA (1974) is
a federal law that grants students the
right to inspect, to obtain copies, to challenge, and to
a degree control the
release of information contained in his or her education records.
In general, no
personally identifiable information from a students education record will
be disclosed to a
third party without consent from the student. Several exceptions may
be made; therefore
students are urged to acquaint themselves with the guidelines.
The act and
regulations are lengthy, and for that reason the college
has issued guidelines that are available
from the Registrars Office. Also, the
Privacy Act of 1974
states that agencies may not make their files on an individual
available to other agencies without that
individual's consent (exempted are
law enforcement agencies, the CIA, and
the secret service, and certain filed pertaining
to federal employment
you should also be familiar with the PATRIOT Act).
6. Since this course
encourages and is designed for your involvement, you should participate
without rancor, inappropriate behavior, or
harassment of any type. Rancor is defined as: deep
hatred, intense ill
will, antagonism, animosity, antipathy, enmity, and hostility. So please no
rancor. This expression will not be
permitted, and if violated, you will be asked to
leave the class/room.
I do support your freedom of speech and crave your opinions and
comments in class but
when it is rancorous, we must have respect for the law. However, and
I want you to be clear
about this fact, the discipline of political
science deals with
controversial and opposing viewpoints which are healthy to analytical
classroom discussions.
If you are easily offended by this constitutionally protected speech,
it is highly
recommended that you reconsider taking this course. Controversial ideas,
which are framed in an
academic and appropriate manner, are coveted and needed to
promote thought and
stimulate dialogue. It is imperative that you are both tolerant
and understanding of opposing viewpoints.
This policy is not intended to hinder academic
thought, but rather to
respect the civil liberties and rights of all students and the instructor.
7. If you need a
progress report or personal sheet signed by me regarding your progress (for
purposes such
as athletics,
employment, etc), please visit with me during my office hours.
Due to time restraints
and other academic matters before/after class, I will be glad to
accommodate you during my office hours.
8. Per policy, all
academic and professional e-mail correspondence must go to my college
e-mail address. The "yahoo" e-mail
address located on the main page of my website is
only for informal
inquiry. Likewise, per policy, as a
student I cant add you as a friend to my
FACEBOOK.
We can do this after the semester is over.
9. As a college student, you are expected
to behave in a courteous and mature manner.
Sleeping in class,
leaving class early, horseplay, eating, drinking, beepers, tobacco
products,
licensed/authorized
and/or unauthorized firearms/weapons, cellular phones (please put them on
low
vibrate if you are expecting
an infrequent phone call or you have a child at home and/or in school),
pagers/beepers,
I-Pods, Blackberry phones, Sidekicks, walk-mans, and other improper
classroom equipment is unacceptable. If you are waiting on an emergency
text please notify me before class and sit in the rear of the room so you
don't distract the learning environment.
Again, if you expect
an infrequent "emergency" phone call during class, again, please
put your
phone on low vibrate and sit near the
door in case you have to leave early. It would be best to leave your
electronic equipment "off" during class. If it disrupts my
lecture and/or the class, you will be asked to leave the room and not
allowed to return until this nuisance is rectified.
10) Please do not smart off to me or
another member of class, nor talk while I am talking or
while another student
is talking. Ever! If you cannot
agree to these fundamental rules and all
other course policies,
it would behoove you to immediately withdraw from the course.
11. This course is
also committed to civic engagement, and there will be some assignments and
lectures (or even
extra-credit) via the virtual classroom. The enriching experience will
focus
on various political
science field studies through service learning. You should always check
your e-mail and keep
up with any course updates via VISTA. When applicable, this meaningful
academic opportunity will be thoroughly
discussed in class. I will also be there to guide
you throughout the entire task.
12. Consultation: You
are encouraged to discuss with me any academic concerns you have regarding
the
course. Please visit with me during my office hours and/or make an
appointment to see me.
My phone number and college e-mail address
is located above. If you have an inquiry that
requires some time,
please do not approach me before and/or after class. I
don't want us to be rushed and I want to
make sure that I thoroughly answer all your
questions please see
above for my office location and hours. Once you arrive, I will log you
in for records and address all your
academic concerns. I am always here for you and want you
to visit with me so
never feel hesitant to ask me questions and/or make an appointment to
see me. Per my ethics and professionalism
policy, only academic (no personal)
inquires can be
addressed.
13. If you do not pick
up your corrected papers on the day I return them to the class, it is your
responsibility to come by my office to retrieve them in a timely manner.
****************************************************************************************
Appendix A
POWER POINTS
You need to have
the Microsoft-PowerPoint
software to view these power points.
*Updated,
SPRING 2011
Politics and Democracy
Constitutional
History
The
Preamble
The 7 Articles
The
Bill of Rights
Amendments
11-27
Georgia
Bill Becomes a Law-US
Voting
U.S.
Federalism
Public
Opinion
Electoral College
Civil
Liberties and Civil Rights
American
Foreign Policy
Mass Media
Political
Parties
U.S.
Legislature
U.S.
Executive
U.S. Supreme Court & Court System
U.S.
Bureaucracy
******************************************************************************
Appendix B
Political Science Links
*Updated SPRING 2011
**************************************************************
The
U.S. Constitution
Check out our most precious document at the national constitution center
The
U.S. Constitution - It is Worth Posting Twice
Here is another link from the American Bar Association
The
White House
Check out the executive branch
Individual Rights in Higher Education
Do you know your fundamental rights on campus?
Georgia's
13th U.S. Congressional Districts - Color Map
A Color PDF File of Georgia's 13 Districts
The U.S.House of Representatives
See what is going on in the House
Congressman John Barrow
Get to know who represents you in the 12th Congressional district
Who are my
Elected Officials?
Do you know your elected officials?
Georgia Legislature Online
See what is happening in the Assembly under the gold dome
The U.S. Senate
See what is going on in the Senate
Senator Johnny Isakson
See what Senator Isakson is up to
Senator
Saxby Chambliss
See what Senator Chambliss is up to
U.S. Supreme Court
Find out what is happening in the judicial branch
Central Intelligence Agency
Check out info on other nations
Inside Politics
Up to the minute news information
Project Vote Smart
Track the performance, campaign financing, issue positions et. all. of your
elected officials
A great site for becoming a "rational voter" (in my opinion, the
best political resource on the web).
USA Today
Keep up with the daily news
Statesboro Herald
Keep up with the local news in Statesboro (GA) and surrounding areas
Savannah Morning News
See what is going on in the scenic and historic city of Savannah and the
region
Political
Government - Ingram Library
Links to the political parties, Federal Election Commission,
Gallup polls, Congress, media sites, and PACs.
The Center for Democracy and Technology
This is a non-profit public interest organization providing information on
civil liberties
(free speech, privacy, etc.) and other democratic values in relation to new
communications
technologies.
Amnesty International
Protecting Human Rights Throughout the World
Democracy Project
This is a great site for dissecting the "media campaign." The PBS
homepage link to society
and politics has several excellent articles and links as well.
Open Secrets
Best on the web for information about money and politics.
Thomas
This is a great place for links as well as being the official homepage of
the U.S. Congress.
American Civil Liberties Union
Visit the website of America's guardian of our precious freedoms.
Citizens Against Government Waste
You will be embarrassed and this is why we MUST hold our elected officials
accountable!
U.S. News and World Report
Read the best weekly news magazine going today
U.S. Government's Office
Anything and everything you need to know about government
East Georgia College
Bar-none, the premier two-year institution in the USA!
Georgia Southern University
How 'bout those Eagles!
For
the Fun of It (Keeping it all in "proper perspective")
Play
a Fun Game
Play "Flag Tag" and test your knowledge of flags
Pure Politics
Have some fun!
Dumb Laws
All it takes is a simple majority to pass a law; you wont believe the
things here!
The
Daily Show
(Comedy Central) Great site for satire on all things political (articles,
multimedia, etc.).
Funny Political Ads
(All in humor and fun)
World Wrestling Federation
Sports entertainment at its finest
Disclaimer: Course syllabus is subject to change. Students will be
advised of any such changes in advance, when possible.
*************************************************************************************************
Please cut and return to me the information below. on the first day of
class.
I HAVE READ AND
UNDERSTOOD THE COURSE SYLLABUS AND AGREE
TO ABIDE BY ITS PROVISIONS.
_____________________________
_______________________________
____________________
Print
Name, Student #, and Signature
Go Back To Top Of Page
|
