North Seattle Community College's Introduction to American Government

North Seattle Community College's
Introduction to American Government

(online)

Syllabus*

·  INSTRUCTOR: Jill Raynor Lane

·  PHONE: Weekdays -- (206) 251-4850 (cell)

·  COLLEGE EMAIL ADDRESS:

·  CLASS EMAIL ADDRESS: WebCT email

·  CAMPUS OFFICE: Math, Science and Social Sciences, 2423C #18 (directly above the bookstore)

·  OFFICE HOURS: Call or email for an appointment

·  TEXT: Melusky, The American Political System: An Owner's manual

·  (Plus Powerweb American Government, MP--Optional--comes with new textbooks)

Course Description: This course is an introduction to American government. Topics will consist of: democracy, the constitution, the presidency, the congress, the federal courts, political parties, elections, and state & local government. The class will consist of quizzes, discussions about current events and how they are applicable to the text, and a research paper.

Course Objectives:

- To study the concepts and themes of American Government;
- To familiarize students with the basic history of U.S.A.;
- To help students understand the changing nature of government;
- To show the students how the government impacts them and
how they can impact the government;
- To give the students an understanding of the achievements
of our government as well as its shortcomings;
- To give students an understanding of the U.S. Constitution,
The Bill of Rights, and The Declaration of Independence;
- To give students a better understanding of the historical
development of the American system of government; and
- To read and write in a competent and analytical manner.

*NOTE: A syllabus may change depending on the interests and directions of each class. So please check back for updates in this online information as the quarter proceeds -- especially if you print out the syllabus details and schedule early in the quarter.

Schedule

Read how assignments are organized in the syllabus. All assignments are due at the end of the day (midnight or 2400 hours, Pacific Standard Time). Assignments are shown below as well as a handy clickable calendar.
Important Dates:
Spring Quarter Begins Monday, April 3, 2006
Research Paper Topic Due April 15, 2006
Research Paper Bibliography Due May 25, 2006
Spring Quarter Ends June 16, 2006
Quizzes will be due at the end of each week. Homework Assignments will be due at the end of the week indicated below.
SELF-TESTING QUIZZES
Quizzes will be held every week. They will be multiple-choice. You may utilize the book's companion website to take practice quizzes (not required).
Quizzes consist of multiple choice on the week's reading and class discussions. Unlike other assignments, the quizzes are timed -- you have 45 minutes to complete each one. You will only have permission to take each quiz once. Each quiz, of course, is "open-book" but be aware that you may not have time to complete the quizzes if you rely on looking up answers rather than remembering them from your homework and reading. Quizzes will be available to take throughout the semester. If you would like to move ahead in the schedule, that is all right.
Also, the quizzes behave differently than other assignments. Only one question will appear at a time. You must answer this question in order for the second one to appear. This method insures that, if you are "booted out" because of a computer connection problem or mistaken click, you will be able to re-enter the quiz and continue where you left off without jeopardizing the assessment process (no student will be able to change answers or look ahead at questions unfairly). You need to email me immediately if this happens!
Finally, be sure to READ the instructions on the "Quiz Introduction" page before you "Begin Quiz" (and start the 30 minute clock). You will want to understand how the green and red dots work to verify that you have answered all questions.
FINALLY, HERE IS AN IMPORTANT WARNING: IF YOU USE THE SCROLL BUTTON TO ROLL UP OR DOWN A WEB PAGE, BE SURE THAT YOU DON'T SCROLL TO ANOTHER ANSWER CHOICE BY MISTAKE BEFORE SAVING IT. IF YOU SELECT "a" BUT THEN SCROLL DOWN, YOUR SELECTION MIGHT SCROLL TO "b" or "c" ETC. Several of us have answered the questions one way, but accidentally scrolled to other choices before saving the answer.
Topics / Activities/Readings
Week 1: / Introduction/What is the Political System / Chapter 1: Politics
Read through the Federalist Papers found in the Appendix
View Power Point Chapter One
Quiz One
Week 2: / Theory/History/Character of Democracy / Chapter 2: Foundations of the American Political System
Read the Declaration of Independence (back of text)
View Power Point Chapter Two
Quiz Two
HomeworkAssignment #1
Week 3: / Constitution/Branches of Govt. / Chapter 3: Constitutional Rights & Liberties
Read the Constitution (back of text)
View Power Point Chapter Three
Quiz Three
Week 4: / Voting/Political Parties/Interest Groups / Chapter 4: Linking…
Chapter 5: Collective Links…
View Power Point Chapters Four & Five
Quiz Four (Includes Chapters 4 & 5)
Homework Assignment #2
Week 5: / Elections / Chapter 6: Elections: Presidential & Congressional
View Power Point Chapter Six
QuizFive
Week 6: / Congress/How a Bill Becomes a Law / Chapter 7: Congress
View Power Point Chapter Seven
Quiz Six
Week 7: / The President and Cabinet / Chapter 8: The American Presidency
View Power Point Chapter Eight
Homework Assignment #3
Week 8: / Bureaucracy/Administrative Organization / Chapter 9: The Federal Bureaucracy
View Power Point Chapter Nine
Quiz Seven (Includes Chapters 8 & 9)
Week 9: / Supreme Court/Court systems / Chapter 10: The Federal Court System
View Power Point Chapter Ten
Quiz Eight
Week 10: / State & Local Politics / Handout to be e-mailed
Homework Assignment #4
Week 11: / Review
The Discussion Board
(click on the group above to join the discussion)
You must read and understand our rules of "Netiquette and Privacy" outlined here. Also please read below on how to use the Discussion Board to earn credit as well as some practical hints on managing the discussion set-up..
Netiquette and Privacy
Words can mean many things and what we intend to say is not always what others hear. This is especially true of "online communication" during which other students do not have the opportunity to see your "body language" and therefore have a greater possibility of misunderstanding what you truly mean.
Please, follow these guidelines in all your online responses
and discussion groups.
·  RESPECT. We would like to suggest respectful exchanges as a basic ground rule. We feel that informational errors should be pointed out- respectfully (even if stated strongly...). Disagreements that honor the viewpoints of the various contributors are productive and can lead to new learning and understanding.
·  PRIVACY. Keep in mind not only your own privacy rights but others as well. Do not reveal any information that you deem private.
·  BE CONSIDERATE of grammatical/spelling errors.
·  REMEMBER that humor and satire are often misinterpreted online. Communication is more than words. So, be prepared for some misunderstanding and requests for clarification.
·  BE SUPPORTIVE. We are all still learning. Our job is not to judge or condemn or even praise, although genuine encouragement is a necessary ingredient. We are here to provide information, to address topics in a discussion forum, and to provide assistance in helping each participant use her/his own unique learning style. Reflection generally precedes growth. So reflect upon what is said, provide sincere comments, and hopefully, we will all grow.
One good way to avoid problems is to reread your postings before sending them. Something written in haste may be misread.
Created by Val Donato, Sandra Looper, Diane Hostetler and Tom Braziunas
Discussion Postings/Current Events:
It is required that you read a newspaper article and/or watch the news for a short time every day. I recommend the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. I also recommend that you read an "alternative" political news source from time to time. Alternative news sources can be about:
1.  Specific issues (special interest group newsletters found on the websites);
2.  Points of View (e.g., In These Times, Mother Jones, National Review); or
3.  Publications from foreign countries (e.g., The Financial Times)
You will be expected to post comments on two current events over the course of the quarter. Note your sources, the event, and how the event applies to the text and American Government. You are also required to response to one other person's postings. Please remember the netiquette explained above.
Pointers for using the Discussion Board:
·  When you first enter the Board, you will notice a table of "Topics." Click on "Main" in order to view the messages posted this week. As each week goes by, an "archive" for that week will appear so that you can review messages from past weeks as well.
·  After clicking on "Main" you will see only the "Unread Messages." They are marked "new" under status. You might want to look at All Messages by clicking on "Show All" on the Menu frame on the left. Then you will see all messages, read and unread.
·  A little blue arrow will also appear next to a message if it is the beginning of a "thread" of messages. By clicking on the arrow, you will be able to see the entire thread.
·  You may reply to a message by clicking on it, reading it and then clicking on the Reply button that appears with the message. The Quote button will include the original message in your reply.
·  The "Compose Discussion Message" button on the Menu allows you to create your own message and start a new "thread" of conversation (string of messages).
·  You may attach a document to your message. First you need to browse your hard-drive for your document (WORD, GIF, JPEG and Text files seem to work best as attachments). Click on the Browse button (and then click on the Attach button after you have selected the file).
·  Last but not least, you may download many messages at once (or just read them all at once) if you would like. If you select a number of messages by clicking the boxes in front of them, and then click on the Compile button, all messages will be conveniently listed one after the other (and ready for you to download to your computer if desired). Try it out!

Web Resources

Links to web sites of immediate interest will be displayed here. Also, a list of liberal and conservative pundits is included. Please share any web links, authors, pundits, etc. which you find especially valuable.
www.supremecourstus.gov Official website of the U.S. Supreme Court, featuring opinions, press releases, etc.
www.senate.gov Link to the United States Senate
www.house.gov Link to the United States House
www.whitehouse.gov Link to the White House. This site provides links to the President's cabinet and related bureaucracy. Provides links to the President's position papers, news releases, speeches, etc.
www.gpoaccess.gov The Government Printing office's official site. Provides text of congressional floor action and any publications by the government.
http://thomas.loc.gov Legislative information provided by the Library of Congress. This site is used by congressional staff and interested parties to track legislation. All bills introduced are included with text, summaries, and legislative action included.
www.nga.gov Official website of the National Governor's Association
www.gop.com or www.rnc.com Website of the Republican National Committee
www.democrats.org Website of the Democratic National Party
www.fec.gov Website of the Federal Election Commission which monitors and enforces federal campaign laws.
http://access.wa.gov Link to Washington state government
Liberal Pundits/Authors:
George Stephanopoulos
Jim Hightower
Barbara Ehrenreich
Molly Ivins
Calvin Trellis
Jon Stewart
Al Frankin
Michael Moore
Richard Cohen
Noam Chomsky
Jimmy Carter
Bill Clinton
Bob Herbert
Conservative Pundits/Authors:
Pat Buchanan
Fred Barnes
John McLaughlin
David Berger
Robert Novak
William F. Buckley Jr
George Will
William Safire
Carl Thomas
Jonathon Alter
Joe Klein
Robert J. Samuelson
James Kilpatrick

Grade Book

Your grades are posted online for you to review (click on the image above or below to access your grade book). Each of us can only see our own grades (although we can also compare them to the statistics for the rest of the class). Grades for each assignment will generally be posted a couple days after each due date.

Course Grading:

Reading Quizzes...... 20%
Homework Assignments...... 20%
Current Events Discussions...... 20%
Research Paper...... 40%

No credit, Incomplete or Withdrawals: If any requirements are not completed, one may request an incomplete and fill out an Incomplete Removal Agreement. Any withdrawal requires a Withdrawal Form. Anyone who drops the class without formally withdrawing will fail the course.