Spring 2021 Course Syllabus Course: GOVT-2306- Section: 74 Texas Government

Instructor Information
Instructor	Dr. Hafthor Erlingsson
E-mail	erlingssonhb@lamarpa.edu
Phone	(409) 984-6477
Office	Location: Education I - Room: 113 Hours: 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. 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: All students need to look at their tuition statement. The classes are set up as First Day access for the Pearson Revel Textbook. That means you have already been charged for the e-text at a discounted rate. A link is provided in the course menu to access the e-text. Otherwise, if a student opts out of the First Day, you are required to purchase the access code for the e-text at the publisher price. See below for ISBN#. All students purchasing the e-text rather than using the First Day Program will have 14 days of free access but will need to purchase before expiration. Students can go to Pearson Revel to purchase or the Bookstore on campus. Title: Government and Politics in the Lone Star State Publisher: Pearson Publishing: ISBN: 9780135176603- Revel E-Text Only Gibson-Robinson-Green OR students may find an older printed edition listed below: 9th Edition- L. Tucker Gibson, Jr. and Clay Robinson, Government and Politics in the Lone Star State: Pearson Publishing ISBN-13: 978-0133998283
Lecture Topics Outline	Week 1 (February 1 to February 7) Topics: -Introduction to GOVT 2306 -Overview of politics in Texas Reading: -Syllabus -Chapter 1 in Government and Politics in the Lone Star State -Exit Polls and Analysis from Texas Assignment: -Discussion post 1 Week 2 (February 8 to February 14) Topics: -Texas Constitution Reading: -Chapter 2 in Government and Politics in the Lone Star State -Boatright: No One Knows What the Texas Constitution Is Assignment: -Discussion post 2 -Quiz 1 Week 3 (February 15 to February 21) Topics: -Texas and Federalism Reading: - Chapter 3 in Government and Politics in the Lone Star State Assignment: -Discussion post 3 -Quiz 2 Week 4 (February 22 to February 28) Topics: -Local Government in Texas Reading: -Chapter 4 in Government and Politics in the Lone Star State Assignment: -First Exam. The first exam covers material from week 1 to week 4. Week 5 (March 1 to March 7) Topics: -The Texas Legislative Branch Reading: -Chapter 5 in Government and Politics in the Lone Star State Assignment: -Discussion post 4 -Quiz 3 Week 6 (March 8 to March 14) Topics: -The Texas Executive Branch -The Texas Bureaucracy and Policy Implementation Reading: -Chapters 6 and 7 in Government and Politics in the Lone Star State Assignment: -Discussion post 5 -Quiz 4 Week 7 (March 15 to March 21) -Spring Break (no class) Week 8 (March 22 to March 28) Topics: -The Judicial System in Texas Reading: -Chapter 8 in Government and Politics in the Lone Star State Assignment: -Second exam. The Second exam covers material from week 5 to week 8 Week 9 (March 29 to April 4) Topics: -Political Socialization, Political Behavior, and Public Opinion in Texas Reading: -Chapter 9 in Government and Politics in the Lone Star State Assignment: -Quiz 5 Week 10 (April 5 to April 11) Topics: -The Party System in Texas -Interest groups in Texas Reading: -Chapters 10 and 13 in Government and Politics in the Lone Star State Assignment: -Discussion post 6 Week 11 (April 12 to April 18) Topics: -Elections, Campaigns, and Voting in Texas -The mass media in Texas Reading: -Chapters 11 and 12 in Government and Politics in the Lone Star State Assignment: -Quiz 6 Week 12 (April 19 to April 25) Topics: -Contemporary issues in Texas Politics Reading: -Chapter 14 in Government and Politics in the Lone Star State Assignment: -Paper due on Blackboard before midnight on April 25 Week 13 (April 26 to April 30) Final Exam. The Final exam covers material from week 9 to week 12.
Major Assignments Schedule	First Exam: Week 4 Second Exam: Week 8 Final Exam: Week 13 Paper: April 25 Discussion Posts: Ongoing Quizzes: Ongoing
Final Exam Date	April 26, 2021 - 8:0 AM   Through  April 30, 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) -Six discussion posts worth 10 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: 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.
MyLSCPA	Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal (My.LamarPA.edu). When you've logged in, click the email icon in the upper right-hand corner to check email, or click on the "My Courses" tab to get to your Course Homepage. Click the link to your course and review the information presented. It is important that you check your email and Course Homepage regularly. You can also access your grades, transcripts, and determine who your academic advisor is by using MyLSCPA.
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.