House Bill 2504 Spring 2022 GOVT-2305-2E - Federal Government Syllabus


Spring 2022 Course Syllabus Course: GOVT-2305- Section: 2E Federal Government

Instructor Information

Instructor

Nathaniel Crosby

E-mail

crosbyna@lamarpa.edu

Phone

4099846330

Office

Location:	Educational I - Room: 133
Hours:	MW 9:30-11:30am MW 3-5pm T 3:30-5pm

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 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.

Prerequisites

None

Learning Outcomes

Successful students:
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.

Core Objectives

1. Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication.
2. 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.
3. Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge
by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities.
4. Personal Responsibility: Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions
and consequences to ethical decision-making

Program Student Learning Outcomes

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.

Kurtz, Glen. 2021. American Government 3e. Houston: OpenStax

Lecture Topics
Outline

Course Policies
During Class
Activities that are disruptive to class will not be tolerated. Arriving late for class, reading newspapers,
speaking while others are speaking, packing prior to the end of class, and cell phones are
all highly disruptive. Cell phones, ipods, and other similar devices must be turned off during
class, unless previously approved by the instructor.
Laptops may be used for note-taking only; use of laptops for purposes other than note-taking
will result in the banning of laptops from the classroom.
In addition, students are encouraged to discuss and express opinions on the many issues, some
controversial, that are covered in class. Although differing opinions are encouraged, I will not
tolerate any attacks of a personal nature or statements that single out students based on their
race, gender, religion, age, ethnicity, nationality, abilities, appearance, or sexual orientation. Any
student engaging in disruptive or disrespectful activities will be asked to leave the classroom, if
it continues after the first warning and removal, you will no longer be welcome in attending this
course.
Eating and smoking are not allowed in class. This includes the use of e-cigarettes or other forms
of vaping.
Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor
permission.
Outside of Class
Emailing the Instructor or Classmates
When emailing or contacting anyone involved with this course, especially the instructor, allow
for 48 hours before resubmitting an email or request. You should not expect an email over the
weekend, even if an assignment is due. The instructor or your classmate may check their email
over the weekend, but is not obliged to respond to your email at that time. If you have questions,
it is best to get those emails in prior to the weekend.
Online Decorum
All members of this class are expected to provide the same level of respect to their classmates in
person as well as online in the discussion forums. Failure to respect your classmates or instructor
can be treated with any penalty similar to those outlined for in class behavior.
Grading Timetable
The instructor will, to the best of their abilities, have all graded assignments back to students
within 2 weeks of the due date. If there are unforeseen circumstances, the instructor will inform
the class of the delay in receiving their work back prior to the two week deadline. Please refrain
from emailing the instructor about grades during that two week window. Once grades are posted,
the instructor will inform the class either by email or by an announcement in class.
Computer Requirement Policy:
Students are required to have a computer with Internet access for classes. The computer must
be an actual computer ? smart phones, iPads, Androids, Chromebooks, etc., are not acceptable
substitutes because they lack software compatibility necessary to complete all assignments and
tests. Financial costs for the necessary equipment and internet access are the responsibility of the
student.
Computer systems requirements:
? Webcam, microphone, and speakers or headphones
? Windows 10 or a recent version of Mac OS (minimum Sierra). Windows 10 S mode is not
supported (Contact professor to upgrade from S to regular Windows 10)
Hardware capable of running Microsoft Teams (free download) and supports multi-media
playback
? Support for Chrome or Microsoft Edge ? Note: Firefox, Safari, or other browsers may not
work on all LSCPA applications
? Able to run Microsoft Office which will be provided free to TC students
? Adobe Reader or another PDF viewer
? Antivirus software such as Windows Defender or another 3rd party anti-virus solution
Students should regularly backup content to prevent loss of coursework due to hardware failure.
Backup copies of documents and other coursework may be placed on OneDrive cloud storage.
OneDrive is included free of charge for all LSCPA students.
Alternative Operations during Campus Closure
In the event of an emergency or announced campus closure due to a natural disaster or pandemic,
Lamar State College - Port Arthur may need to move to altered operations and course delivery
methods. During this time, Lamar State College - Port Arthur may opt to continue delivery of
instruction through methods that include, but are not limited to: online learning management
system Blackboard, online conferencing through TEAMS, email messaging, and/or an alternate
schedule. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor Lamar State College - Port Arthur?s
website for instructions about continuing courses remotely, instructor email notifications on the
method of delivery and course-specific communication, and LSCPA email notifications for important
general information.
COVID-19 Online/Virtual Environment Instructional Commitment
The ongoing COVID-19 situation will require that some course materials and instruction are provided
through an online and/or virtual format. Even if all or a portion of a class was originally
scheduled to meet face to face, social distancing guidelines associated with COVID-19 will limit
the number of students who are able to attend face to face classes in person simultaneously.
Further, circumstances associated with COVID-19 could cause the college to be forced to shift
completely to an online and/or virtual delivery at any time during the semester. While LSCPA
faculty members are committed to providing students the option of face to face instruction
if possible, students should be prepared to continue their classes in an online and/or virtual
environment if necessary. Lamar State College - Port Arthur is committed to maintaining engaging,
high quality instruction regardless of the delivery format.
The Lamar State College - Port Arthur 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
COVID-19 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.
Make-up Exams and Missed Assignments
Missed exams will be excused and made-up after the fact in case of illness or personal emergency
only with proper documentation. Please contact the instructor as soon as possible if an emergency
arises that prevents you from taking the exam. If you can not take the exam at the time it?s
listed, contact the professor AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to reschedule when you can take it. You
must have an actual excuse not just a desire to take it at a different time. Exams missed due to
university sponsored events or religious holidays may also be excused, provided that the student
informs me of the absence at least two weeks in advance. Vacation (e.g. leaving early for fall, spring
or semester break) and social engagements will not be excused. Absolutely no excuse will be
accepted for late assignments or missed exams, unless they are formally approved by the university.
There will be no exceptions to this policy. Additionally, the documentation must explicitly
state that the student was unable to attend class on the date in question.
Students must provide proper documentation and make-up the missed assignment (or exam)
within two weeks of the originally scheduled date. Failure to do so will result in a zero. Makeup
exams may differ significantly in both structure and content from the original exam.
Missed Quizzes and Discussions will not be accepted a late unless there is severe illness or personal
emergency that takes the whole week that the assignment is open. The student?s two lowest
quiz grades will be drop at the end of the semester, therefore do not request for quizzes to be
reopened because of personal failures in submitting it on time.
Extra Credit Opportunity 1
By Thursday, February 3rd, submit to the professor in person a 250-350 word summary of the
missed assignments policy for this course.
Academic Integrity and Honesty
Scholastic dishonesty, involving but not limited to cheating on a test, plagiarism, collusion, or
falsification of records will make the student liable for disciplinary action after being investigated
by the Dean of Students. Proven violations of this nature will result in the student being dropped
from the class with an ?F?. This policy applies campus wide, including LSCPA Testing Center,
as well as off-campus classroom or lab sites, including dual credit campuses. This information
can be found in the Student Handbook at https://lscpa.edu. Don?t cheat. Don?t be that guy. Yes,
you. You know exactly what I?m talking about.
You will also be required to complete an Plagiarism Contract that was provided to you with
this syllabus. It must be signed and returned to the instructor if you wish to have ANY of your
assignments graded.
Religious Observances
Texas House Bill 256 regarding religious observances requires that faculty and the university
make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations,
have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. Students are advised to notify the course instructor well in advance of the conflict and must make-up the
missed assignment within two weeks of the original due date.
Disability Act Statement
Lamar State College - Port Arthur complies with all provisions of the Americans with Disabilities
Act and makes reasonable accommodations upon request. 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 Special Populations Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone
number is (409) 984-6241.
If you have an accommodation letter from their office indicating that you have a disability which
requires academic accommodations, please present it to me so we can discuss the accommodations
that you might need for this class. It is best to request these changes at the beginning if not before
the start of class so there is ample time to make the accommodations.

Major Assignments
Schedule

The schedule is tentative and subject to change.
Week 1, 01/17 - 01/21: Introduction and Political Culture
? Tuesday - Introduction
? Thursday - Chapter 1 Kurtz
? Quiz 1 and Introduction Paper are Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 2, 01/24 - 01/28: Constitutional Democracy and American Exceptionalism
? Tuesday - Chapter 2 Kurtz
? Thursday - American Exceptionalism Discussion Lecture & Research Paper Draft Day
? Faultlines Chapter 1 (American Exceptionalism) Discussion Forum Due Sunday at 11:59pm
? Quiz 2 Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 3, 01/31 - 02/04: Federalism and Immigration
? Tuesday - Chapter 3 Kurtz
? Thursday - Immigration Discussion Lecture
? Faultlines Chapter 3 (Immigration) Discussion Forum Due Sunday at 11:59pm
? Quiz 3 Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 4, 02/07 - 02/11: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
? Tuesday - Chapter 4 Kurtz
? Thursday - Chapter 5 Kurtz
? Quiz 4 Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 5, 02/14 - 02/18: Public Opinion, Voting, and Elections
? Tuesday - Chapter 6 Kurtz
? Thursday - Chapter 7 Kurtz
? Quiz 5 Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 6, 02/21 - 02/25: Race in America and MIDTERM
? Tuesday - Midterm Review and Race in America Discussion Lecture
? Thursday - MIDTERM MULTIPLE CHOICE IN CLASS
? ESSAYS DUE AT MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH AT MIDNIGHT
? Multiple Readings on Blackboard (Race in America) Discussion Forum Due Sunday at 11:59pm
? No Quiz Due This Week!
Week 7, 02/28 - 03/04: The Media and Political Parties
? Tuesday - Chapter 8 Kurtz
? Thursday - Chapter 9 Kurtz
? Quiz 6 Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 8, 03/07 - 03/11: Interest Groups, Lobbying, and Gender in America
? Tuesday - Chapter 10 Kurtz
? Thursday - Gender in America Discussion Lecture
? Multiple Readings on Blackboard (Gender in America) Discussion Due Sunday at 11:59pm
? Quiz 7 Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 9, 03/14 - 03/18: SPRING BREAK
Week 10, 03/21 - 03/25: Congress and Party Systems
? Tuesday - Chapter 11 Kurtz
? Thursday - Party Systems Discussion Lecture
? Chapter 11 Faultlines (Two- vs. Multi-party Systems) Discussion Due Sunday at 11:59pm
? Quiz 8 Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 11, 03/28 - 04/01: The Presidency and the Electoral College
? Tuesday - Chapter 12 Kurtz
? Thursday - Electoral College Discussion Lecture
? Faultlines Chapter 6 (Electoral College) Discussion Due Sunday at 11:59pm
? Quiz 9 Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 12, 04/04 - 04/08: The Courts
? Tuesday - Chapter 13 Kurtz
? Thursday - Class Picked Topic Discussion Lecture
? Quiz 10 Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 13, 04/11 - 04/15: State and Local Government & The Bureaucracy
? Tuesday - Chapter 14 Kurtz
? Thursday - Chapter 15 Kurtz
? Quiz 11 Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 14, 04/18 - 04/22: Domestic and Foreign Policy
? Tuesday - Chapter 16 Kurtz
? Thursday - Chapter 17 Kurtz
? Quiz 12 Due Sunday at 11:59pm
Week 15, 04/25 - 04/29: Foreign Policy
? Tuesday - Class Picked Topic Discussion Lecture
? Thursday - Research Paper Work Day
? RESEARCH PAPER DUE AT MIDNIGHT ON SUNDAY, MAY 1ST AT MIDNIGHT
? Final Exam Essays Open
? No Quiz this week
Week 16, 05/02 - 05/06: Paper Presentations
? Tuesday - Paper Presentations
? Thursday - Paper Presentations and Final Review
? FINAL EXAM ESSAYS DUE AT MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAY MAY 6th
Week 17, 05/09 - 05/13: Final Review
? Tuesday - Final Exam Multiple Choice
? Thursday - Paper Presentations Extra Day

Final Exam Date

May 9, 2022 - 2:0 PM Through May 9, 2022 - 4:0 PM

Grading Scale

A = 100-90
B = 89-80
C = 79-70
D = 69-60
F = 59 and below

Determination of
Final Grade

? 5% Introduction Paper
? 10% Attendance
? 10% Discussion Boards
? 25% Weekly Quizzes
? 15% Research Paper
? 15% Midterm Exam
? 20% Final Exam

Course Policies

Instructor Policies

Attendance Policy

Lamar State College - Port Arthur?s absentee policy allows instructors deciding attendance policies
as it fits with the overall view of the department and college. Therefore, you are expected
to follow the attendance policy as provide Here. If a student leaves and returns during class or
leaves the class before the class is over, they may be considered absent.
Faculty members are not obligated to provide opportunities for students to make-up missed
assignments and tests as a result of a student?s absence from class.
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of the class every day. A roll sheet will be passed out to all
students to sign. If a student is caught signing for another student, they will be treated as if they did not
attend the lecture meeting as well as the student they attempted to sign for. If a student is late or missed
class, it is their responsibility to notify me.
A student is allowed a maximum of 4 absences (which constitutes 2 classes per week). Any
more than 4 absences could result in the student?s final grade being lowered a letter grade for
every additional unexcused absence.
A student should not stop attending a class without formally withdrawing from the course by
the institution?s published Last Day for Students to Drop. If a student stops attending after the
published Last Day for Students to Drop, the student may receive a grade of "F" in the class. The
professor will submit the last date of attendance for students receiving a grade of "F" or "W".
Withdrawal from a course(s) may affect a student?s current or future financial aid eligibility.
Students should consult the Financial Aid Office to learn both short and long term consequences
of a withdrawal.

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

Alternative Operations during Campus Closure
In the event of an emergency or announced campus closure due to a natural disaster or pandemic,
Lamar State College - Port Arthur may need to move to altered operations and course delivery
methods. During this time, Lamar State College - Port Arthur may opt to continue delivery of
instruction through methods that include, but are not limited to: online learning management
system Blackboard, online conferencing through TEAMS, email messaging, and/or an alternate
schedule. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor Lamar State College - Port Arthur?s
website for instructions about continuing courses remotely, instructor email notifications on the
method of delivery and course-specific communication, and LSCPA email notifications for important
general information.
COVID-19 Online/Virtual Environment Instructional Commitment
The ongoing COVID-19 situation will require that some course materials and instruction are provided
through an online and/or virtual format. Even if all or a portion of a class was originally
scheduled to meet face to face, social distancing guidelines associated with COVID-19 will limit
the number of students who are able to attend face to face classes in person simultaneously.
Further, circumstances associated with COVID-19 could cause the college to be forced to shift
completely to an online and/or virtual delivery at any time during the semester. While LSCPA
faculty members are committed to providing students the option of face to face instruction
if possible, students should be prepared to continue their classes in an online and/or virtual
environment if necessary. Lamar State College - Port Arthur is committed to maintaining engaging,
high quality instruction regardless of the delivery format.
The Lamar State College - Port Arthur 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
COVID-19 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.

HB 2504

This syllabus is part of LSC-PA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.

Department

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.
General Education and Developmental Studies
Chair:	Dr. Michelle Davis
E-mail:	davisml1@lamarpa.edu
Phone:	(409) 984-6341