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Fall 2023 Course Syllabus
Course: GOVT-2305 (Section: 73B, CRN: 92423) Federal Government |
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| Instructor Information | |||||||||
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| Instructor | Shannon Tanner | ||||||||
| tannerst@lamarpa.edu | |||||||||
| Phone | 4099846330 | ||||||||
| Office | |||||||||
| Office Hours | Office Hours: M&W-11:30am-12:30pm Tues&Thurs-9:30am-1:30pm Fri-virtual meetings by appointment |
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| 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.
American Government 3rd Edition Krutz, Waskiewicz; Free Web Version ISBN-13: 978-1-951693-38-1 https://openstax.org/details/books/american-government-3e |
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| Additional Materials/Resources | None. | ||||||||
| Corequisites/Prerequisites | None | ||||||||
| Learning Outcomes |
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States. 2. Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system. 3. Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice. 4. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government. 5. Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system. 6. Analyze the election process. 7. Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens. 8. Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics. |
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| Core Objectives |
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| Lecture Topics Outline |
Critical Thinking and American Political Culture Constitutional Democracy American Federalism civil Liberties Equal Rights Public Opinion Political Socialization The News Media and the Internet Political Participation Political Parties, Candidates and Campaigns Interest Groups Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests The Presidency The Federal Bureaucracy The Federal Judiciary and the Supreme Court Economic and Educational Policy Income and Welfare Policy Foreign Policy |
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| Major Assignments Schedule |
Instructor Reserves the Right to change course calendar WITH NOTICE. August 28-Sept 3 Course Introduction – Syllabus, instructor, etiquette, and course navigation Critical Thinking and Political Culture Discussion Board Chapter #1 Textbook; Fact V Opinion Sept 4-10 Constitutional Democracy Federalism Discussion Board Chapters #2&3 Textbook Sept 11- 17 Civil Liberties Equal Rights Unit Assignment #1 Chapters #4&5 in Textbook; Letter from Birmingham Jail Sept 18- 24 Review Exam #1 Sept 25- Oct 1 Public Opinion and Political Socialization Discussion Board Chapter #6 in Textbook Oct 2-8 Political Participation Discussion Board Chapter #7 in Textbook; The Right to Vote Oct 9-15 Political Parties, Candidates and Campaigns Unit Assignment #2 Chapter #9 in Textbook Oct 16-22 Interest Groups Review Exam #2 Chapter #10 in Textbook Oct 23-29 Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests The Presidency: Leading the Nation Discussion Board Chapters #11&12 in Textbook Oct 30- Nov 5 The Federal Bureaucracy The Federal Judiciary Chapters #13 & #15 in Textbook Nov 6-12 Unit Assignment #3 Review Exam #3 Marbury V Madison Reading Nov 13-19 The News Media and the Internet: Communicating Politics Unit Assignment #4 Chapter #8 in Textbook Nov 20-26 Economic and Environmental Policy Income, Welfare and Education Policy Discussion Board Chapter 16 in Textbook Nov 27- Dec 3 Foreign Policy Semester Paper Due Discussion Board Chapter 17 in textbook Semester Paper Due no later than 11:59pm on December 3rd Dec 4-10 Review Exam 4 All Assignments except Semester Paper due by 11:59pm on December 10th |
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| Final Exam Date | December 10, 2023 - 11:59 PM | ||||||||
| Grading Scale | 90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B 70 - 79=C 60 - 69=D Below 59 = F | ||||||||
| Determination of Final Grade |
Exams: 40% Unit Assignments: 30% Semester Research Paper: 20% Discussion Posts: 10% |
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| Course Policies | |||||||||
| Instructor Policies |
The best way to reach me is through my LSCPA email, tannerst@lamarpa.edu; I usually respond to emails within 48 hours. DIGITAL MEETINGS: I am available to meet digitally using Blackboard Collaborate; If you want to meet digitally, I will send you a link to our digital meeting that you can access on most devices. LSCPA EMAIL: Not communicating with me because your LSCPA email is not working is not a valid reason for not responding to my emails, or for not emailing me. BLACKBOARD MESSAGES: I check Blackboard Messages weekly; if you use Blackboard Messages to contact me, and I don’t respond within 48 hours, send the same message to my LSCPA email. BLACKBOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS: Announcements in Blackboard are posted to the Announcements webpage that you see when you log into class. Please read them as they are usually important course information and may contain changing, up to date information that you may need. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS: Use Chrome or Firefox as your browser. Edge and Safari do not work well with Blackboard; If you do this class’s assignments on a cell phone, a tablet, or a netbook, make sure you are seeing all assignments as they are presented on a desktop computer; Not having the correct technology or internet is not a valid excuse for not doing assignments or tests. You must download and use Respondus Lockdown Broswer to take your exams. STUDENT BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS: It is important in this course to keep in mind that each student comes from a different background and may bring with them a different set of beliefs and values. Students may disagree on various topics during class discussions. Disagreements lead to critical thinking, scholarly debates, and learning, only when each member of the class respects the different opinions of others. Disrespect for others will not be tolerated. GRADING POLICIES: I will grade assignments as they are submitted, usually within 48-72 hours of submission; Any assignments not turned in by the due date and time will automatically be given a 0. I will not accept any late work for this course; All grades are recorded in My Grades on Blackboard; All writing assignments must use correct academic style, grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, and formatting. It is the student’s responsibility to know, or learn what these requirements are. ACADEMIC HONESTY AND PLAGIARISM POLICIES: Academic honesty is expected on all assignments; Plagiarism is submitting someone else’s work, either published or not, as your own. Submitting papers written by someone else or by AI is not allowed. Any work turned in should be your own work in your own words; You also may not use your own work from a previous class, even if it was my class; All writing assignments are submitted to a plagiarism checker in Blackboard to be reviewed for plagiarism, but this is not the only method I use to check for plagiarism; students who plagiarize may receive a 0 on the entire unit and may receive an F for the entire course. |
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| Attendance Policy | As this is an online course, there is no attendance policy, but discussion posts will be counted as class participation. | ||||||||
| Additional Information | Students Must download and use Respondus Lockdown Browser to take their exams. | ||||||||
| 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. |
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| 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 |
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