Fall 2023 Course Syllabus
Course: GOVT-2305 (Section: 71, CRN: 90590)
Federal Government
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Instructor Information
Instructor Dr. Tina Capeles
Email capelestl@lamarpa.edu
Phone (409) 984-6378
Office Student Center - Room: 401
Office Hours MW 10:00-11:30
TR 11:00-1:00
Friday 10:00-1:00
By appointment
Additional Contact Information
Course Information
Description Origin and development of the U.S. Constitution, structure and powers of the national government including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, federalism, political participation, the national election process, public policy, civil liberties and civil rights.
Required Textbooks Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The class textbook for the semester is a free online e-text provided by OpenStax.
The textbook for the class is offered as an Open Education Resource and is free to students. Follow the information below. From the website listed. Choose "American Government" once you log into the website. openstax.org  
OpenStax Textbook information for Students
Good news: your textbook for this class is available for free online! If you prefer, you can also get a print version at a very low cost.
Your book is available in web view and PDF for free. You can also choose to purchase on iBooks or get a print version via the campus bookstore or from OpenStax on Amazon.com.
You can use whichever format you want. Web view is recommended -- the responsive design works seamlessly on any device. If you buy on Amazon, make sure you use the link on your book page on openstax.org so you get the official OpenStax print version. (Simple printouts sold by third parties on Amazon are not verifiable and not as high-quality.)
The online text offers many study materials for students that accompany the chapter readings. 
American Government from OpenStax:
Hardcover:
ISBN-13: 978-1-711493-96-1
Paperback:
ISBN-13: 978-1-711493-95-4
Digital:
ISBN-13: 978-1-951693-38-1
 
openstax.org 
The information is also provided on the course menu with instructions to access the e-text.

Additional Materials/Resources None.
Corequisites/Prerequisites

Basic Skills: competency in reading and writing

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

  • Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system.
  • Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.
  • Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system.
  • Analyze the election process.
  • Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
  • Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics.
  • Evaluate and respond to the political environment applying researched data.
Core Objectives
  • Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication.
  • Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions.
  • Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities. 
  • Personal Responsibility: Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.
Lecture Topics Outline

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the coursework or dates pertaining to the course if necessary. See coursework information in the course menu.

Lectures and topics covered in the course:

American Government and Civic Engagement
The Constitution and Its Origins
American Federalism
Politics and Public Opinion
Voting and Elections
The Media
Political Parties
Interest Groups
Congress
The Presidency
The Bureaucracy
The Judiciary

Major Assignments Schedule

The chapters are organized pertaining to the lectures and exams. Students are advised to pay attention to the chapter titles as applied with the readings for each exam period. Students are responsible for all material covered in the course.
Course content and readings


Week 1: American Government and Civic Engagement
Week 2: The Constitution and Its Origins- Declaration of Independence (Appendix A in Textbook) and the Constitution (Appendix B in the Textbook)
Week 3: American Federalism
Week 4: The Politics of Public Opinion- 
Week 5: Exam 1
Week 6: Constitution 
Week 7: Exam 2- Begin Voting and Elections
Week 8: The Media
Week 9: Political Parties
Week 10: Interest Groups and Lobbying
Week 11: Exam 3
Week 12: The Congress
Week 13: The Presidency
Week 14: The Courts
Week 15: The Bureaucracy
Week 16: Final Exam

Refer to the course menu for exams, assignments, and discussion assignments. I do not use the Blackboard calendar for the course.
Exam weeks above reflect the readings to be included for the course. Exams will be administered during class time or online. Make-up exams are at the discretion of the instructor. There are no make-up exams available for the final exam.
Written assignments are required to reflect, analyze, and understand the relevance of the Constitution, the economy, political theory, and freedoms in the social environment as the topics of concern during the course.
Discussion post assignments addressing the economy, energy industry, law and civil society, US border issues, and American culture and citizenry. The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the coursework and exams including dates if necessary. Students will be notified in advance.

Final Exam Date December 8, 2023 - 8:0 AM   Through  December 8, 2023 - 11:0 PM
Grading Scale

Total Points- 1000   900-1000- A    800-899- B   700-799- C   600-699- D   Below 600-F

Determination of
Final Grade

Exams (4)- 0-100 points each
Discussion Assignments (5) - 0-60 points each
Written Assignment - 0-300 points
Completion of grading will be posted for assignments, discussions, and exams between the due dates of each occurrence

Course Policies
Instructor Policies

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the coursework and exams including dates if necessary. Students will be notified in advance.
I do not accept late work. I do not reopen assignments or discussion posts. Students have ample time to complete.
Make-up exams are given at the discretion of the instructor. All make-up exams will be administered in my office by appointment within 5 days of the exam date.

Students are responsible for all material covered in the course, lectures, videos, any additional material, chapter readings, exams, discussion assignments, and written assignments. I do not use the Blackboard calendar for the course.

Exams: There will only be makeup exams in cases of emergencies and with proper approval by the instructor. In case of emergency, the instructor must be notified at least one day in advance by email as to the reason for missing the exam. Excused reasons are hospitalization,
sickness, or death. Students need proper documentation from a doctor or hospital for the sickness properly signed by the doctor. Proper documentation is required in the death of a family member. A grade of 0 will apply for an exam missed without proper documentation. All exams will be administered on campus or online. There will not be any make-up exams available for the final exam. The Exam information for dates and times are listed on the course menu. Work schedules and doctor appointments are not considered acceptable for missing class or exams.  After five unexcused absences for the semester, a student may be dropped from the course or penalties apply to the final grade. Exam dates are announced on the course menu.

Written Assignments: Late assignments will not be accepted. Do not email an assignment, it will not be accepted. Students have ample time to complete by the due dates. Students should take into consideration any problems that could arise with technology, and/or other issues that may arise, therefore, it is recommended that students submit assignments accordingly. See the Written Assignment dates in the course menu.

Discussion Post Assignments: Late assignments will not be accepted. Do not email a discussion post, it will not be accepted. Students have ample time to complete by the due date. Students should take into consideration any problems that could arise with technology, and/or other issues that may arise, therefore, it is recommended that students submit assignments accordingly. See the Discussion Assignment dates in the course menu.

Academic Ethics: Applicable to all coursework. It is expected that all students will engage in ethical conduct and will not engage in copying work or the production of other research papers, other written assignments, or any other assignments and discussion posts. This also includes students previous coursework or current assignments of other courses. Such violation of ethical standards will result in an automatic grade of "0" on the work in question with no opportunity to make up the work. This expectation also extends to proper citations and credit for works used in the assignments. Read all directives for the Assignments and Discussion Posts on the course menu. Only the material provided is to be used for the assignments, discussion posts, or any other coursework. Any violation will result in a 0 for the grade.

Academic integrity is essential, whether in class or online learning, and I take it very seriously. Academic dishonesty will not be accepted in this class. Students are to submit their work, not the work of others or any outside source, including as stated above, a students' work from past or present courses. If you submit other's work as your own or use resources not allowed, you will receive a 0 for the grade and possible F for the course based upon the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, all student submissions are checked for plagiarism, and the use of any materials not authorized for use is prohibited. It is also expected that students are not accessing other material questionable to the assignment. A grade of 0 will be issued. If plagiarism is found in any one assignment the instructor has the right to regrade any and all previous assignments.
 
Any suspicion of academic dishonesty will result in an additional review of the assignment or assignments in question as well as the discussion posts or any other course work. The instructor also retains the right to review any prior work during the course of the semester.

Students enrolled in both federal government 2305 and Texas 2306, or who have previously taken any government courses, it is required that you write separate assignment papers for each course. You may not use the same information. Students may not use assignments from other government courses or any other coursework. Different topics and sources are required. If you have any questions, contact me. Also, the same applies to Discussion Posts. Any duplicated work will result in a 0 for the grade. My class policy is that if any academic dishonesty is discovered, the student will receive a 0 for the assignment in question and a possible F for the class. You will not just receive a 0 on the individual assignment - whether it be the written assignment or other assignments - you risk receiving an F for the course. See the Lamar State College-Port Arthur guidelines for academic dishonesty below. Lamar State College-Port Arthur Academic Dishonesty Policy: Lamar State College-Port Arthur considers academic dishonesty, including collusion, cheating, and plagiarism as defined in the Student Handbook, to be a serious academic offense. Students guilty of such behavior will be subject to the following penalties: First offense: Students will receive a failing grade on the exam or assignment with no possibility for make-up. If the offense is flagrant, the student may receive an F in the course. The student's name and the documented offense will be forwarded to the proper college officials. Second offense: Students will receive an F in the course with no possibility for make-up. The student's name and the documented offense will be forwarded to the proper university officials. All accused students will be given written notice of the offense, the penalty assessed, and the right of appeal to the department chair/advisory committee.

Attendance Policy

Students enrolled in campus classes are required to attend the class. Consistency is important for success and students are required to maintain the coursework, readings, lectures, participation, and other material presented This is not a self-paced course whether on-campus or online. Keeping pace is important. Students must maintain the readings, lectures, and all other material presented in class during class periods. In case of emergency, the instructor must be notified at least one day in advance by email as to the reason for missing class. Excused reasons are hospitalization, sickness, or death. Students need proper documentation as to the absence from a doctor or hospital. Also, in the case of a family death documentation is required.
A grade of 0 will apply for an exam missed without proper documentation, and the absence will be counted. Make-up exams are given at the discretion of the instruction. All make-up exams will be administered in my office by appointment within 5 days of the exam date. There are no make-up exams for the final exam.

Assignments and discussion posts are required by the due dates. There is ample time to complete. It is the student's responsibility to take factors into consideration for the completion of assignments. Routine doctor appointments or work schedules are not considered acceptable for missing class, or exams. After (5) unexcused absences the instructor reserves the right to drop the student from the class or may apply a penalty for the final grade. This notice applies to on-campus and online classes.

Attendance is important. After 5 unexcused absences the student risks being dropped from the course or a letter grade deduction for the final grade will apply.

Student Conduct:

Student incivility will not be tolerated.
This notice applies to on-campus and online classes.
Student incivility includes behavior such as rudeness, whether verbal or physical attacks of a personal nature or inappropriate language displaying aggression or harassment.
Any student engaging in disruptive or disrespectful activities on campus and/or online classes will be required to cease such behavior or leave the classroom. 
If the behavior continues after the first warning, the instructor will notify the Department Chair.
Further behavior deemed as a violation will result in a review of disciplinary action (refer to the Student Handbook).

Additional Information

I will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email. If you want to discuss your grades, you must come to my office, in person.

Institutional Policies
MyLSCPA Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.
Academic Honesty Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
ADA Considerations The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the the Office for Disability Services Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
COVID 19 Information The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition directly to their local health department. Students should also contact their course faculty to report their quarantine status. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings when directly exposed to COVID 19 in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Facility Policies No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
HB 2504 This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.
Clery Act Crime Reporting For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.

Grievance / Complaint / Concern If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.
Department Information
General Education and Developmental Studies
Chair:Steven Zani
Email:zanisj@lamarpa.edu
Phone:(409) 984-6431