Spring 2021 Course Syllabus Course: GOVT-2306- Section: 73E Texas Government

Instructor Information
Instructor	Dr Hafthor Erlingsson
E-mail	erlingssonhb@lamarpa.edu
Phone	(409) 984-6477
Office	Location: Education I - Room: 113 Hours: Location: Education I - Room:113. Office hours: On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12.30-3.30PM. Wednesdays from 11AM-3.00PM and by appointment.
COVID 19 Information	The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been exposed to COVID 19 or diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition on the COVID 19 Notification Form (available via a link on the Student Code of Conduct COVID19 webpage). This information will be provided to the Dean of Student Services. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Course Information
Description	Origin and development of the Texas constitution, structure and powers of state and local government, federalism and inter-governmental relations, political participation, the election process, public policy, and the political culture of Texas.
Prerequisites	Competency in reading and writing skills required.
Learning Outcomes	Upon successful completion of this course, students will: Explain the origin and development of the Texas Constitution. Describe state and local political systems and their relationship with the federal government. Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice in Texas. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of Texas government. Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in Texas. Analyze the state and local election process. Identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Analyze issues, policies and political culture of Texas. 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.
Program Student Learning Outcomes	Reading skills - Demonstrates comprehension of content-area reading material. Identifies all main ideas, supporting details, and vocabulary in reading material; demonstrates a full understanding of the reading.
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. 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. 1) Rottinghaus, Brandon. Inside Texas Politics: Power, Policy, and Personality of the Lone Star State 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press. 2) The remainder of the readings are available electronically through Blackboard.
Lecture Topics Outline	Week 1 (January 19 to January 24) Topics: Introduction to GOVT 2306. Overview of politics in Texas. Readings: Syllabus. Exit Polls and Analysis from Texas. Assignment: Discussion post 1. Week 2 (January 25 to January 31) Topics: The Struggle for Texas: Demographics, Culture, and Political Power. Readings: Chapter 1 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignment: Discussion post 2. Week 3 (February 1 to February 7) Topics: The Texas Constitution. Readings: Chapter 2 in Inside Texas Politics. Boatright: No One Knows What the Texas Constitution Is. Assignments: Discussion post 3 and quiz 1. Week 4 (February 8 to February 14) Topics: Federalism. Readings: Chapter 3 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignments: Discussion post 4 and quiz 2. Week 5 (February 15 to February 21) Topics: Voting and Elections. Readings: Chapter 4 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignment: First exam. The first exam covers material from week 1 to week 5. Week 6 (February 22 to February 28) Topics: Political Parties in Texas. Readings: Chapter 5 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignment: Discussion post 5. Week 7 (March 1 to March 7) Topics: Interest groups in Texas. Readings: Chapter 6 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignments: Discussion post 6 and quiz 3. Week 8 (March 8 to March 14) Topics: The Legislature. Readings: Chapter 7 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignment: Discussion post 7. Week 9 (March 15 to March 21) Spring Break (no class) Week 10 (March 22 to March 28) Topics: Governors of Texas and the Executive Branch. Readings: Chapter 8 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignments: Discussion post 8 and quiz 4. Week 11 (March 29 to April 4) Topics: The Plural Executive and the Bureaucracy. Readings: Chapter 9 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignment: Second exam. The second exam covers material from week 6 to week 11. Week 12 (April 5 to April 11) Topics: The Texas Judiciary. Readings: Chapter 10 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignment: Discission post 9. Week 13 (April 12 to April 18) Topics: Criminal justice. Readings: Chapter 11 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignments: Discussion post 10 and quiz 5. Week 14 (April 19 to April 25) Topics: Local governments in Texas. Readings: Chapter 12 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignment: Quiz 6. Week 15 (April 26 to May 2) Readings: Chapter 13 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignment: Discussion post 11. Week 16 (May 3 to May 5) Topics: Public Policy in Texas Readings: Readings: Chapter 14 in Inside Texas Politics. Assignment: Paper due on Blackboard before midnight on May 5th. Final Exam (May 6 to May 11) The final exam covers the material from week 12 to week 16.
Major Assignments Schedule	First exam: Week 5 (February 15 to February 21). Second exam: Week 11 (March 29 to April 4) Final Exam: Final exam week (May 6 to May 11) Paper: Before midnight on May 5 Discussions posts: Ongoing Quizzes: Ongoing
Final Exam Date	May 6, 2021 - 8:00 AM   Through  May 11, 2021 - 11:59 PM
Grading Scale	A: 90-100% (450-500 points). B: 80-89% (400-449 points). C: 70-79% (350-399 points). D: 60-69% (300-349 points). F: <59% (0-299 points)
Determination of Final Grade	-Three exams worth 100 points each (60 percent of total grade) -Paper worth 100 points (20 percent of total grade) -11 discussion posts worth 5 points each (10 percent of total grade). The lowest discussion post grade will be dropped. -Six quizzes worth 10 points each (10 percent of total grade). The lowest quiz score will be dropped.
Course Policies
Instructor Policies	Students are responsible for all material covered in the course, lectures, chapter readings, exams, discussion assignments, and the research assignment. All assignments are to be typed as directed. 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. Students need proper documentation as to why the exam was missed. Excused reasons are hospitalization or legal matters. A grade of 0 will apply for an exam missed without proper documentation. Work schedules are not considered acceptable for missing exams. Exam dates are announced on the course menu. Research Assignments: Late assignments will be deducted 10 percent points per day they are late (10 points). All papers must be turned in on Blackboard following the guidelines provided on the course site. Discussion posts: Late assignments will not be accepted. All discussion posts must be turned in on Blackboard. Quizzes: The quizzes can only be made up due to extenuating circumstances. 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 or assignments. This also includes student's 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 research paper. All quotes, paraphrases, or facts taken from another source must be cited. Caution about Quotes and Paraphrases: There should be no more than two to three in the paper and short in length. 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, 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 apply. Students enrolled in both federal government 2305 and Texas 2306, or who have previously taken any government courses, it is required that you write a separate research paper 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 Board/Assignments. 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 an 0 for the assignment in question and a possible F in the class. You will not just receive a 0 on the individual assignment - whether it be the research 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: Student 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	This is not a self-paced course. Keeping pace is important. Students must maintain the readings and all other material on a weekly basis. In case of emergency, the instructor must be notified as soon as possible by email as to the reason why a student missed an assignment.
Academic Honesty	Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSC-PA policies (Section IX, subsection A, in the Faculty Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
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.
Important Information
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.
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Other
HB 2504	This syllabus is part of LSC-PA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Department	General Education and Developmental Studies Chair: Dr. Michelle Davis E-mail: davisml1@lamarpa.edu Phone: (409) 984-6341 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.