GOVT-2306-01 - Texas Government
Lamar State College - Port Arthur
House Bill 2504
Summer II 2018 Course Syllabus
Faculty Information | |||||||||||||
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Semester | Summer II 2018 | ||||||||||||
Instructor | Triebel, Mavis T | ||||||||||||
Phone | (409) 984-6332 | ||||||||||||
triebemt@lamarpa.edu | |||||||||||||
Department |
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Office |
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MyLamarPA | Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLamarPA 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 MyLamarPA. | ||||||||||||
Course Information | |||||||||||||
Course Number | 70175 | ||||||||||||
Course 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. | ||||||||||||
Course Prerequisites | None | ||||||||||||
Required Textbooks |
Government and Politics in the Lone Star State, 2016, Ninth Edition, Tucker Gibson, Jr., and Clay Robinson, ISBN-13: 978-0-397055-5 or ISBN 10: 0-13-397055-8 |
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Attendance Policy |
Attendance is required; roll will be taken; and punctuality is expected. You are responsible for all materials covered in class, as well as all outside readings. The reading list will be followed for the basis of lectures (attached). Lectures are extremely important in this course because some of the material covered does NOT appear in the text. You will receive an "F" after five UNEXCUSED class hours are missed. If you quit coming to class and do not officially drop, you will receive an "F". The administrative details are your responsibility. After three days in which you are tardy to class, the instructor will no longer change absent to tardy. |
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Course Grading Scale | 90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B 70 - 79=C 60 - 69=D Below 59 = F | ||||||||||||
Determination of Final Grade | Three tests of 100 points each plus a 100 point research document which will be after the final divided by four for the student's average. | ||||||||||||
Final Exam Date | August 14, 2018 - 10:10 AM Through August 14, 2018 - 12:10 PM | ||||||||||||
Major Assignments |
Week 1: Introduction to Semester Chapter 1 The Social and Economic Milieu of Texas Politics Chapter 2 The Texas Constitution Week 2: Chapter 3 Intergovernmental Relationships: Federalism Chapter 4 Interest Groups and Political Power in Texas Review and Test I, Chapters 1-4 Chapter 5 The Mass Media in Texas Politics Week 3: Chapter 6 The Party System in Texas Chapter 7 Elections, Campaigns and Political Behavior Chapter 8 The Texas Legislature Research document due Review and Test II, Chapters 5-8 Week 4: Chapter 9 The Texas Executive: Governor Chapter 10 The Bureaucracy and Policy Implementation Chapter 11 The Judicial System in Texas Week 5: Chapter 12 Local Government in Texas: Cities, Towns, etc Chapter 13 Contemporary Public Policy Issues in Texas Review and final exam Review and Test III, Chapters 9-13 Final |
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Calendar of Lecture Topics and Major Assignment Due Dates | Same as above | ||||||||||||
General Education/Core Curriculum Student Learning Outcomes |
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Program Student Learning Outcomes |
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. Empirical and Quantitative Skills: Students will demonstrate applications of scientific and mathematical concepts. Teamwork: Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view. 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. |
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Course Student 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. |
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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 |
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Additional Information | I will not discuss your grades over the phone or by email. If you want to discuss your grades, you must come to my office, in person, or through email. | ||||||||||||
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 Special Populations Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241. | ||||||||||||
Copyright Violations |
Some material in this course may be copyrighted. They may be used only for instructional purposes this semester,
by students enrolled in this course. These materials are being used fairly and legally.
No one may distribute or share these copyrighted materials in any medium or format with anyone outside this class,
including publishing essays with copyrighted material, uploading copyrighted material to Facebook or YouTube, or
painting or performing copyrighted material for public display.
Copyright violation is not the same thing as plagiarism. Plagiarism is intellectual dishonesty. Offenses of plagiarism result in lower grades or failing scores, and professors and the college strictly enforce plagiarism rules. There is never any acceptable use of plagiarism. Copyright violation is a legal offense, punishable by large fines and penalties. Copyrighted material can be used if permission from the material’s creator is obtained, or if its use meets the standards of fair use in an educational setting. For example, a student can quote a line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet in a report without violating copyright but still be guilty of plagiarism if the quotation is not properly documented. If you are in doubt about what material can be freely used, ask your professor or contact the Dean of Library Services, at (409) 984-6216. |
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Assessment Statement |
Assessment is a process by which LSCPA can help you learn better and gauge the level of progress you have made to
attain knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values. It also helps your professors understand how to improve teaching
and testing methods in your classes, and it helps each department understand and improve degree and certificate
programs.
Periodically LSC-PA will collect assessment data for research and reporting purposes, including statistical data and sometimes copies of your work. Be assured that all material the college uses for assessment purposes will be kept confidential. To ensure anonymity, your name will be removed from any material we use for assessment purposes, including video-recorded performances, speeches, and projects. If you object to allowing LSC-PA to use your material for assessment purposes, submit a letter stating so to your professor by the 12th class day. You will still be required to participate in whatever assessments are being done; we just won’t use your data. What’s the difference between assessment and grades? The grades you get on papers, projects, speeches, and assignments are specific types of focused assessment. LSC-PA’s assessment efforts include class grades, surveys, standardized tests, and other tools. |
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Privacy Notice |
Federal privacy laws apply to college students. This means that college employees, including instructors, cannot
divulge information to third parties, including parents and legal guardians of students. Even if the students are
minors, information about their college work cannot be shared with anyone except in very limited circumstances.
Anyone requesting information about a student should be referred to the Registrar. Instructors will be notified in writing by that Office about what information may be released and to whom. Please remember that releasing private information about a student, however innocuous it may seem, can be a violation of federal law, with very serious consequences. Circumstances under which information may be released:
An adult student may submit, to the Registrar, a handwritten, signed note granting permission for release of
information. The note must specify what information may be divulged, and it must specify the name of the person
to whom the information may be given.
The Registrar’s office is located in the Student Center room 303B, and can be reached at (409) 984-6165. |
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College-Level Perspectives |
This course helps add to the students’ overall collegiate experience in the following ways:
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Degree Plan Evaluation |
A Degree Plan Evaluation will help you determine which classes you need to complete your program.
All of the classes that you have taken that apply to your declared major will be listed on the right. If you have a class that still needs to be completed, a “NO” will be listed on the right next to the required class. |
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HB 2504 | This syllabus is part of LSC-PA’s efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504. | ||||||||||||
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