AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, POL SC 1

22548

Dr. Fabian Biancardi / Wednesday: 6:00- 9:23 pm HM 104
RiversideCommunity College
Spring 2010, MorenoValley Campus / Office Hours: Wed. 2:00-6:00 pm HM 309 B

PURPOSE:

This course is designed to provide the beginning student of American politics with a basic understanding of the ideas, institutions, actors and issues prevalent in the U.S. democracy.

In order to understand contemporary political developments it is essential for the student to understand the meaning of political concepts and terminology and to be familiar with the perennial problems and issues faced by governments and other political and economic actors. In addition, it is necessary to understand the different kinds of approaches and ideologies that exist in the world, and how and why they differ. To this end, students are expected to read their text book very closely, to attend our weekly sessions and take detailed notes of the lectures, to read a quality newspaper every day, to present in class a short summaryof an article, and to participate in discussions arising from such summaries.

Course Aims:

a) To provide students from all majors with an appreciation of Political Science in general and of American politics in particular.

b) To provide students with an appreciation of the social, economic and cultural dimensions of politics.

d) To provide prospective Political Science and International Relations majors with an introduction to political science and the study of government.

e) To encourage a critical approach to political designs and ideas.

Student Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this course, a student will be able to do the following:

  1. Describe, explain, and evaluate American political institutions, political systems and processes.
  2. Identify and analyze the major current political theories and ideologies.
  3. Objectively explain critical issues in American politics and be able to use theories and debates to argue convincingly in defense of a position, selecting examples to illustrate points and organizing these appropriately.
  4. Explain current political issues and analyze the major opinions about them using accepted academic methods.
  5. Employ a variety of current social scientific methodologies in the research, analysis and evaluation of data.
  6. Demonstrate critical thinking ability including the understanding of alternative explanations and the forming of conclusions from the data presented.

FORMAT:

This is a regular face-to-face course with weekly meetings. It requires you to be an effective reader of college-level material including textbooks and journalistic articles. Social science courses such as political science are much easier if you possess the basic college reading and writing skills. You can still be successful if you do not but expect to work at least two to three times longer on the homework. It is recommended that you do not take political science unless you are eligible to take English 1A or higher and you are above the Reading 83 level (You may wish to take the college level Reading 2 or 3 to develop your personal college reading skills).

REQUIRED TEXT:

1) J. Bond, K. Smith, R. Watson eds., The Promise and Performance of American Democracy, 8th or 9thEdition, Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008/10.

The above book is available for purchase at the MorenoValley campus bookstore. Please take advantage of the resources provided with it such as the software attached and its internet resources.

GRADING:

The final grade will be determined by the news article summaries, participation in discussions arising from summaries, a mid-term exam, one book review, ten, one-page responses to reading assignments and a final exam.

Course Evaluation

Article summaries/participation- 10% (I will notify you)

Mid-term Exam - 25% (Wednesday, April 7: In class

essays)

Book Review[2000 – 2500 words]- 20% (Due Wednesday, May 12)

Reading Packet responses- 20% (Due by Wednesday, May 26)

Final Exam- 25% (Wednesday, June 2: Last day

Of class before finals week)

Assignments

The news article summaryinvolves being chosen by the instructor, picking an article from a reputable news source (for instance, the New York Times) that is related to the United States – politically, socially, culturally, or economically – and telling the class what you make of the points and arguments in the article.

TheMid-term Exam will be based on the first half of the textbook as well as the material covered by the lectures/PowerPoints. It is imperative that your in-class notes are of high quality and that you read the textbook very closely – you will be answering three essay questions in an hour and a half so responses must be thorough and very well rehearsed.

The Final Exam will be much like the mid-term but covering the second half of the course – second half of the textbook as well as the lecture material. Again, your responses will need to be thorough, well written and properly conceived.

TheBook Review will be 2000 to 2500 words. If you have never written a book review, start by reading some. While I will provide you with a list of suggested titles, you may choose your own book as long as you clear it with me before you get started on it.

Finally, the responses to the reading packet articles are to be completed at your own pace but must be submitted by Wednesday, May 26. These responses should be no more than a single page each – one page for each response.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS

Generally, late work will not receive credit with the exception of illness requiring a doctor's care, jury duty, and a few other incredible events as valid reasons. Documentation is required. Acceptance of late assignments is up to my discretion and is rarely granted.

GOLDEN RULES:

DO NOT expect that:

a) exam or course grades will be curved;

b) old exams will be available;

c) cramming all your study for an exam in an all-nighter will work;

d) this is high school civics;

e) you will get an "I" unless you fit the rules set out in the

catalog.

PleaseDO:

a) bring a positive attitude, be active, and willing to learn;

b) consider the learning process rewarding and fun;

c) treat other students as well as faculty and staff with the respect they deserve.

Grading Policy

Grade F, a fail, applies to non-submissions of work, late work, to work which is illegible and/or chaotic, and to work which may be competent, but is either irrelevant (i.e. does not address the requirements of the assignment) or which uses un-attributed material (plagiarism).

Grade D applies to unsatisfactory work (D-), very poor work (D) and work which is weak (D+). This is the grade band which often applies to work which has been done in a hurry, or has been done without proper understanding of the requirements. It may be too short, or long and unedited, lack structure, rely on superficial, subjective statements, and use incorrect or confused information, without proper use of named references and quotations.

Grade C is the passing grade band which applies to work which is basically competent, although undeveloped (whether through lack of time, lack of interest or because the relevant skills are still being practiced). It is awarded to work of just below average (C-), average (C), or showing signs of reaching above average (C+). It indicates an ability to fulfill the requirements of the assignment at a foundation level, involving adequate coverage of the essential information specified, and the skill to present that material coherently, selecting relevant named references and quotations.

Grade B applies to work which goes beyond the foundation level to develop a more questioning and analytical approach. It is awarded to work which is of good quality (B-), very good (B), or excellent (B+). This grade band is achieved by students who go beyond the basic required reading to study and discuss recommended texts and articles. It indicates an increasing ability to appreciate an extensive body of knowledge and to conceptualize the key theories, issues, debates and criticisms, along with the skills to present a balanced and comprehensive discussion. Work in the B range has been completed with a degree of energy and thoroughness which has evidently aimed to get the most out of the exercise.

Grade A applies only to the exceptional piece of work which has continued beyond the B grade band to develop a more advanced analytical and integrative command of the material and issues. It is awarded for work which is superior (A-) or outstanding (A), in recognition of the substantial work and thought which will inevitably have been involved. Work at this level gives evidence of very wide reading and extensive knowledge of relevant theory and recent research. It is very well structured, putting forward cogent arguments which are well supported by carefully evaluated evidence.

Withdrawal from the course and other administrative matters are the responsibility of the student. Any student who wishes to withdraw from the course should discuss the decision with the instructor in case your prospects of successful completion are better than you realize.

Plagiarism is not giving credit for ideas, thoughts, or concepts to their authors. Plagiarism and cheating are prohibited at RCC (see your student handbook) and will result in lowering your course grade at least one grade and possibly a failing grade for the course as well as any other sanctions determined by the college. If you feel you do not understand what constitutes cheating or plagiarism, consult with the professor before the first assignment is due.

COURSE OUTLINE

As you can see, this outline is not written in stone and may be subject to slight modification.

Week One: Introduction

Lecture topics: Local, national and international sources of political information (newspapers, radio, television, internet). What is Politics? What is the state? Michael Mann’s sources of social power.

Reading: Bond - Ch. 1 (The Promise of Democracy)

Weeks Two and Three: Nations and Nationalism/ Democracy and Dictatorship

Lecture topics: Fundamental features of national identity. Ethnic versus Civic forms of nationalism. Plato’s critique of democracy. Authoritarian and totalitarian dictatorships. Social origins of democracy and dictatorship. How democratic is the US Constitution?

Reading: Bond – Ch. 2 (The American Constitution)

Week Four: Liberalism and Conservatism

Lecture topics: Comparing and contrasting classical and modern liberalism and conservatism. The pros and cons of federalism.

Reading: Bond - Ch. 3 (Federalism)

Week Five: Capitalism, Socialism and Feminism

Lecture topics: Fundamental features of modes of productions. The political economy of modern ideologies. The social institutions that reinforce “patriarchy”.

Reading: Bond - Chps. 4, 5 (Civil Liberties/Civil Rights)

Week Six: Interest Groups

Lecture topics: Promotional and sectional interest groups.

Reading: Bond - Ch. 6 (Interest Groups)

Week Seven: Political Parties

Lecture topics: Functions of political parties. Party interests versus public ones. The decline of party politics?

Reading: Bond - Ch. 7 (Political Parties)

Mid-Term Exam: Wednesday, April 7 (Bring Blue Book)

Week Eight: The Fourth Estate

Lecture topics: Characteristics of the modern media. Does it “manufacture consent” for the elites or is there a general “liberal bias”?

Reading: Bond - Ch. 8 (The Mass Media and Politics)

Week Nine: Political Culture, Political Socialization and Public Opinion

Lecture topics: Types of political learning. Agents of political socialization. Making sense of public opinion. Examples of public opinion altering public policy.

Reading: Bond - Ch. 9 (Public Opinion and Political Socialization)

Week Ten: Influencing the Political Process

Lecture topics: Why do so few citizens vote? Different kinds of political participation and activism. Comparing electoral systems.

Reading: Bond - Chps. 10, 11 (Elections/Voting Behaviour and Political Participation)

Weeks Eleven and Twelve: The Institutions of State

Lecture topics: Legislatures, executives, bureaucracies, judiciaries.

Reading: Bond - Chps. 12 – 15 (Congress, The Presidency, The Bureaucracy and The Federal Judiciary)

Book-Review due: May 12

Week Thirteen: Domestic Public Policy

Lecture topics: Do corporations rule the United States? Economic, environmental, welfare and education policy. The political economy of public policy.

Reading: Bond – Ch. 16

Responses to the reading packet articles are due Wednesday, May 26.

Weeks Fourteen and Fifteen: International Politics

Lecture topics: The international political system: actors, structures and issues. US foreign policy in a world of interdependent challenges. Why was the US attacked on September 11, 2001? Are we witnessing a new US imperialism?

Week Sixteen: Final Examination (Wednesday, June 2)

Possibilities for Book-Reviews

  1. Seymour Martin Lipset, American Exceptionalism
  2. Robert Dahl, How Democratic is the American Constitution
  3. Sanford Levinson, Our Undemocratic Constitution
  4. Robert Reich, Supercapitalism
  5. Chalmers Johnson, Nemesis
  6. Ralph Nader, Crashing the Party
  7. Noam Chomsky, Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance
  8. Arianna Huffington, How to Overthrow the Government, Pigs at the Trough, Fanatics and Fools
  9. Paul Krugman, The Conscience of a Liberal
  10. Barbara Ehrenreich Nickel and Dimed
  11. Thomas FrankWhat’s the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of Kansas
  12. Peter Peterson, Running on Empty
  13. Paul Berman, Terror and Liberalism
  14. Christopher Hitchens, Blood, Class and Empire
  15. Michael Ignatieff, The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror

Political Biographies

  1. Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope / Dreams from my Father
  2. Hilary Clinton, Living History