*COUSE SYLLABUS
ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
POS 2041-2049—American Government (3 credits)
Fall 2017 (08/14-12/07)
Mondays & Wednesdays 08:00a.m.—09:15p.m.
Classroom: SE-LI270
Instructor: Bledar Prifti, Ph.D.
Office: UP 240A
Office Hours: MW from 09:30a.m to 10:30a.m. and 12:30p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
TR from 10:00a.m. to 12:00p.m.
Online only by appointment
Office Phone: 727-394-6273
Contact: ONLY via myCourses e-mail
Administration
1. Dr. Joseph Smiley, Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Office Location: Tarpon Springs Campus, PS 105
Office Phone: 727-712-5851
2. Dr. Douglas Rivero, Academic Department Chair
Office Location: Seminole Campus, UP 337-F
Office Phone: 727-394-6948
Welcome to American Government!
COURSE PREREQUISITES
ENC 0025 and REA 0017; or
EAP 1695; or
Appropriate score on the SPC placement test
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to give the student an understanding of the organization, structure and functions of the national government. You will gain knowledge of the historical events that led to the development of this unique form of government. You will gain an understanding of the interplay between the executive, legislative and judicial branches and the impact of their decisions on our daily lives.
In the process of gaining an understanding of the structure of your government, you will be introduced to your civil liberties and the ongoing struggle for civil rights. You will gain an appreciation of the need for government, the various forms of government that exist in the world and how their actions impact the global community.
MAJOR LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Explain the purpose and types of government
2. Identify the importance of political ideologies
3. Describe foundations and main features of the American federal system
4. Identify the rights and responsibilities that all individuals are subject to in America
5. Explain the role of individuals and interest groups in American politics
6. Analyze the importance of campaign and elections
7. Describe the historic development of the two-party system in America
8. Explain the separation of powers and checks and balances system
COURSE OBJECTIVES IN PERFORMANCE TERMS
1. The students will explain the purpose and types of government by:
a. discussing various functions of government
b. identifying major goods and services provided by government
c. explaining the differences between republic, democracy, theocracy, anarchy, oligarchy, aristocracy, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism
2. The students will identify the importance of political ideologies by:
a. assessing the role of ideology in dictating our view of the government and its rights and responsibilities
b. explaining the main principles of liberalism, conservatism, libertarianism, and socialism
3. The students will describe foundations and main features of the American federal system by:
a. examining the impact of the Mayflower compact on American political theory
b. explaining the form of government under the Articles of Confederation and its major weaknesses
c. analyzing the process of creating, ratifying, and amending the U.S. Constitution
d. defining federalism and describing how it has evolved over the years.
4. The students will identify the rights and responsibilities that all individuals are subject to in America by:
a. analyzing the purpose of the Bill of Rights and the importance each of its amendments.
b. explaining how the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is used to selectively incorporate liberties in the Bill of Rights.
5. The students will explain the role of individuals and interest groups in American politics by:
a. describing individual participation in various movements to secure civil rights and liberties.
b. identifying various interest groups and their impact on American politics
c. describing the process of how interest groups impact politics and political decision-making process.
d. analyzing and critiquing lobbying
6. The students will analyze the importance of campaign and elections by:
a. explaining political socialization and listing the agents/factors of political socialization
b. identifying the main requirements to run for various offices
c. describing primary elections and general elections
d. analyzing the role of the media during election campaign
7. The students will describe the historic development of the two-party system in America by:
a. explaining the birth of federalist and anti-federalist parties
b. analyzing major events that led to the transformation of the two parties
c. identifying the structure of the two modern political parties
d. analyzing of ideological bases of the Republican Party and Democratic Party today
8. The students will explain the separation of powers and checks and balances system by:
1. identifying the structure of the Congress
2. analyzing the many functions and powers of the Congress
3. describing the many roles and powers of the President
4. defining the court system and the powers of the Court
5. analyzing how each branch of the government checks and balances the other two branches.
CRITERIA PERFORMANCE STANDARD
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom measures as described below.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK/RESOURCES
· O’Connor, Karen, and J Sabato. 2018. American Government and Politics Today: Roots and Reform, 13th ed. New York, NY: Pearson. ISBN:ISBN-9780134648743
· This course requires students to conduct additional research to complete particular assignments.
· Given the subject matter of this course, I expect you to be familiar with current events related to the U.S. government. You should regularly read a quality national newspaper, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Tampa Bay Times, USA Today, or similar newspapers. They are available online, free of charge.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students are expected to keep up with the reading and the corresponding assignments. This includes completing the assigned readings, reviewing the chapter notes, completing chapter and/or unit assignments, completing exams, and the research paper.
Writing Requirements
POS 2041 is a Gordon Rule class, so there is a substantial writing requirement of a minimum of 2000 words. To satisfy this requirement, you will write a research paper of at least 1200 words and complete unit assignments online.
Important
· ALL assignments/exams completed through mycCourses must be submitted or completed within the assignment folder/dropbox.
o See each assignment folder/dropbox for additional requirements.
· Do NOT email your assignments or other files to the instructor! Emailed assignments will NOT be accepted or graded.
· ONLY students with documented emergencies/accommodations will be allowed late submissions.
Technical Issues
· If you experience a technical problem and it impedes your ability to submit the assignment/exam properly, it must be documented and verified by the SPC technology helpdesk 727-341-HELP (727-341-4357).http://web.spcollege.edu/helpdesk/
· Make sure to save a copy of all your work outside of myCourses BEFORE you submit it. SAVE A COPY OF ALL WORK SUBMITTED IN THIS COURSE. It is a good idea to save while you are working in case of technical problems.
APA Writing Format/Style
· You must use the APA citation style for all writing assignments in this course.
· You can access APA citation style handouts online through the SPC library online Web site.
· For information on the APA citation style, see the following link: http://spcollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=254132&p=1694864
Turnitin Statement
All course assignment will go through Turnitin.com. This tool/software is used to promote learning and flag similarity and mechanical issues in written work that merit review. Use of the service enables students and faculty to identify areas that can be strengthened through improved paraphrasing, integration of sources, or proper citation. Submitted assignments remain as source documents in the Turnitin database solely for the purpose of detecting originality. Students retain full copyright to their works. The Turnitin Usage Agreement can be reviewed at https://turnitin.com/agreement.aspp?.
IMPORTANT DUE DATES
· September 11, 2017 Unit I Exam
· October 9, 2017 Unit II Exam
· October 15, 2017 Due Date for the Civic Engagement Activity
· October 30, 2017 Unit III Exam
· November 21, 2017 Due Date for the Civic Engagement Project
· November 27, 2017 Unit IV Exam
· December 4, 2017 Final Exam
ASSESSMENT
Your course grade will be determined by a combination of points earned for attending class meetings, making a class presentation, and completing a civic engagement project, four unit exams, eight chapter assignments, and a final exam.
Class Attendance (80 points)
Class attendance and participation is crucial to your success in this course. You are expected to attend class in its entirety. A student who is late to class or leaves early by 15 minutes or more is considered absent. Each student is permitted three (3) unexcused absences. Any additional absence that is not a documented emergency will be penalized by ten (10) points. Thus, missing more than two meetings will significantly affect your final grade. If you will need to miss class due to observance of a religious holiday, you must notify the instructor, in writing, by the second week of classes.
The relationship between number of classes missed and the number of points deducted from the 80 points for class attendance is as follows:
Missed Classes Points deducted
4 10
5 20
6 30
7 40
8 50
9 60
10 70
11+ 80
Class Presentation (50 points)
You are required to make one class presentation on a selected chapter scheduled on the syllabus by the instructor. You will present together with another classmate.
You are required to select the chapter on the first day of class. If you miss the first day of class, a chapter will be assigned to you by the instructor.
Your presentation will be worth up to 50 points toward the final score.
In order to receive credit, you are required to:
· Make the presentation on the selected chapter and scheduled date.
· Present in no less than 30 minutes but no more than 40 minutes.
· Not read off the textbook or any other material.
· Share the presentation time evenly with the co-presenter.
o Do not worry. I will be there to assist you and facilitate the discussion.
· Discuss all major topics covered in the chapter.
· Combine visual presentation (PowerPoint Presentation) with class discussion.
Civic Engagement Project (100 points)
In this course, you are also required to perform a civic engagement/service learning project. This assignment is also listed in the main lessons section of the course site. Overall, the goal is for you, the student, to become more socially and civically connected to the needs of your community and to promote the importance of community engagement and community service.
The assignment is divided into two parts.
In Part 1, you are required to complete the civic engagement/service learning activity. In order to satisfy this requirement, you must submit the signed SPC Release of Liability form and a Log of Hours form. Both forms can be found in the assignment module. This part is worth up to 50 points toward your final grade
Options for Civic Engagement/Service Learning Activity
Choose one (1) of the following three options:
1. Complete five (5) hours of volunteer work at a not-for-profit organization that provides help to the people in need in your community. Contact the organization of your choice and set up a meeting with the administrator in charge of handling volunteer management. (This can be completed over the phone for convenience);
a. You are required to provide signed SPC Liability Release and Log of Hours forms.
i. The Log of Hours form must include the signature and official contact information of the official who supervised your volunteer work.
ii. Both forms can be found in the Civic Engagement Project module.
- You are required to upload both documents in the assignment dropbox together with the project in order to receive credits.
- Failure to submit any of the aforementioned documents will result in no credit being given for the assignment.
- Attend a meeting of a local government.
- You are required to provide proof of attendance in order to receive credits. The document must include the signature and official contact information of the official who was in charge of organizing the meeting.
- Failure to submit this document will result in no credit being given for the assignment.
b. Examples of Local Government Meetings
- Pinellas County Government calendar: http://go.activecalendar.com/pinellascounty/
- Hillsborough County Government Calendar: http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/government/meeting-information/agendas-recaps-and-minutes
- Interview an elected official (someone elected by the people at the local, state, or federal level) and discuss issues that you think are important to your community;
- You are required to provide proof of the interview in order to receive credits. The document must include the signature and official contact information of the interviewee or his/her assistant.
- Failure to submit this document will result in no credit being given for the assignment.
In Part 2, you are required to submit a reflection paper on the civic engagement/service learning activity. This part is worth up to 50 points toward your final grade. You must complete Part 1 of the assignment in order to receive credit for Part 2.
Reflection Paper
· Your civic engagement/service learning reflection paper must be in at least 1200 words.
· In your own words:
o If completed volunteer work,
§ Describe the vision and mission of the organization you volunteered for.
§ Describe the presenting issue facing the community.
§ What did you learn about the specific community or societal concern?
§ What kinds of leadership and civic engagement did you witness?
§ Did you learn anything new about yourself after the experience?
§ What are the strengths and weaknesses of this organization?
§ Note: Academic research may be needed to complete the assignment.
o If interviewed an elected official,
§ Describe the position of the interview and the length of service.
§ Describe the issues discussed during the interview (Be specific.)
§ Describe how the elected official has dealt with the issues (Be specific.)