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Fall 2025 Course Syllabus
Course: GOVT-2305 (Section: 2D, CRN: 90589) Federal Government |
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| Instructor Information | |||||||||
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| Instructor | Damaso Sosa | ||||||||
| sosade@lamarpa.edu | |||||||||
| Phone | (409) 984-6229 | ||||||||
| Office | Madison Monroe Educational - Room: 228 | ||||||||
| Office Hours | Instructor available immediately before or after class and by appointment. Feel free to email me if you want to set up an appointment. sosade@lamarpa.edu | ||||||||
| Additional Contact Information | Student Center 410 | ||||||||
| 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.
For dual credit classes you will be provided a text book by your school that we will use. For off campus students you will also be provided a text book that we will use for this course. For all other students we will use an online textbook that is free to use. For Federal Government 2305 the link is https://openstax.org/details/books/american-government-3e |
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| Additional Materials/Resources | Articles and supplemental information in the form of handouts are provided by the instructor. | ||||||||
| Corequisites/Prerequisites | None | ||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | |||||||||
| Program Student Learning Outcomes | |||||||||
| Lecture Topics Outline |
American Government and Civic Engagement The constitution American Federalism Civil Liberties Civil Rights Politics of Public Opinion Voters and elections Media Political Parties Interest groups and Lobbying Congress Presidency Courts State and Local Government Bureaucracy Domestic policy Foreign Policy |
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| Major Assignments Schedule | All tests will be in essay form. Class participation, although not mandatory, will help your grade. For off campus classes, in the event of a lockdown, read the next chapter not covered in class period all essays will have equal weight unless they become a major project. In that case they will be counted as a heavier portion of your total grade calculations. | ||||||||
| Final Exam Date | December 4, 2025 - 8:0 AM Through December 11, 2025 - 8:0 PM | ||||||||
| Grading Scale | 90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B 70 - 79=C 60 - 69=D Below 59 = F | ||||||||
| Determination of Final Grade |
Addition of all essay grades divided by the number of essays done. | ||||||||
| Course Policies | |||||||||
| Instructor Policies | Makeup of missed essay assignments are the responsibility of the student. Most essay assignments will have several essay questions as options. If you miss the handout you can get it from another student or get it from me at the next class. | ||||||||
| Attendance Policy | Class attendance is important and there will be class days that I assign and give extra points to all students in attendance. I do not know what days those will be, but if you are absent on those days you will not receive any points toward your grade average. In addition I will assume that you will be in class unless you have a situation beyond your control. Assignments will still be done and due upon your return to class. | ||||||||
| Additional Information | You will receive a hand out that is the course policy on the use of artificial intelligence in my Government 2305 and 2306 classes. This policy outlines the acceptable and prohibited uses of AI in my Government 2305 and 2306 classes. | ||||||||
| 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 Disability Services Coordinator, Room 117, in the Student Sucess Center. 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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