PSCI 1051-03: Honors American Government
Spring, 2014
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 2:00-2:50 pm, Sage 329
Instructor: Dr. Tom Miles
Email:
Office: Sage 259F
Office Hours: MWF 12:00-2:00, and by appointment.
Course Description and Process:This course is part of a two-semester introduction to American and Texas politics in fulfillment of the legislatively required 6 hours of government for students in the Honors College. The goal of the two-semester sequence is to give you a general understanding of how government forms the policies that affect you and how you, as a citizen or resident of the U.S., can influence those policy decisions. This class, specifically, involves an examination of political processes including public opinion, voting, the role of the media, political parties & interest groups, and campaigns & elections. We will also look at various public policies including education, health care, social welfare, business regulation, the environment, and national security/international relations.
Class meetings are intended to blend lecture and discussion. If the latter is to prove valuable, you will need to complete the assigned readings on time and attend class with questions and observations in mind. Each week we will focus on a specific topic relevant to the structure of American and Texas government and discuss related problems, challenges and institutional constraints confronting them.
Course Materials:
- Graham, Bob. (2010). America: The Owner’s Manual. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.
- All additional readings, videos, and web links will be posted on Blackboard.
All honors courses have the following general objectives:
- Honors courses emphasize development of analytical and evaluative skills through readings from primary sources, journal articles and other supplementary materials.
- Honors courses encourage students to engage in high-level thinking and learning through activities such as intensive discussion; writing in small, collaborative learning settings; and intensive research papers and projects.
- Honors courses promote independent thinking by making students accountable for important aspects of their learning.
- Honors courses place material in a conceptual context that illustrates its importance and relationship to other knowledge.
- Honors courses provide enhanced opportunities for students to develop research skills and produce independent, original research or creative products as part of the course requirements.
- Honors courses include innovative approaches to course content and teaching so that honors courses can serve as campus-wide prototypes.
The six tips to succeed at UNT are:
- Show up. Go to class every day, take notes and participate in discussions. It’s a pretty big campus, but we’ll help you find your way.
- Find support. Everyone needs help sometimes. Whether you need tutoring for a tough class or a check-up from the health center, we’ve got you covered.
- Take control. Know where you’re going and what you’re doing. Use tools to help you choose a major and tips to make the most of every minute.
- Be prepared. Do your homework and study. Conquer a college-sized workload with speed reading classes, writing skills labs and much more.
- Get involved. New people, places and perspectives are coming your way. Join a student organization and explore the campus and the community.
- Be persistent. College is hard, but you’re not alone. Meet your challenges head on and ask for help when you need it.
Blackboard:A Blackboard conference is maintained for this course. Students are responsible for checking Blackboard for assignments and notices. You should check Blackboard frequently to ensure that you are up to date on all class-related information. Readings, slides, and supplemental materials will be found there. All assignments will be submitted via Blackboard and grades will be posted there as well.
Grading:
There are 400 total points available assessed through: Exams (200 points); Semester Project (100 points); Current Events (60 points); Attendance and Participation (40 points).
The grading scale is as follows: A=360-400 points D=240-279 points
B=320-359 points F=239 points or less
C=280-319 points
The following components will make up your grade:
Exams (200 points):
- There will be two exams given this semester, each worth 100 points. The exams will be administered on Blackboard and will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions. More information on completing these exams will be provided in class.
Policy Project(100 points):
- So, you want to change the world? How would you do it? This exercise will ask you to make a policy proposal and chart its course through all of the phases of the policy or rule making process, from implementation to evaluation. You will need to be cognizant of the actors and interests involved, from Congress to interest groups, to government agencies. How will you fund it? Who will be in charge? How will they be held accountable? *Note: this does not have to be a formal paper; it can be a flow chart, a policy summary with diagrams, etc. Be creative while being substantive! Full instructions will be posted on Blackboard.
Current Events Quizzes(60 points):
- A goal of this course is to raise awareness of the issues that affect our world. To this end, there will be 4current events quizzes administered on Blackboard, each worth 15 points. The questions (multiple choice and T/F) will be based on major news stories occurring around the time of the quiz. To “study” for these, you will merely need to follow a major national news source like CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times,The Washington Post, etc.
Attendance/Participation Points (40 points):
- The remainder is free points. Show up to class and pitch in to the conversation and you get all 40 points. Easy! I will post a rubric on Blackboard.
Extra Credit: Exam grades will not be curved. However, two opportunities for extra credit will be given during the semester. Extra Credit assignments will be turned in via a Blackboard assignment drop-box prior to the first two exams.
Three Final and Important Notes about Grading:
- Make-up opportunities for missed exams or class assignments will only be allowed when an absence is due to observance of a religious holiday or participation in a university-sponsored activity. Arrangements for make-up work should be made prior to a scheduled absence whenever possible.
- If you do not receive a grade in Blackboard for any assignment or exam you must contact me within two weeks of the assignment or exam being returned to the class. If you do not do so, you will receive a 0 for that assignment or exam.
- Take your education into your own hands. If you do poorly on the assignments and exams, you need to see me as soon as possible to ensure that you understand what you can do to improve your grade. Begging for a higher grade after you complete all the assignments will not do you any good. I will not give you a special opportunity for extra credit simply because you are not doing as well in the class as you hoped. The only way to get the grade you want is to pay attention to during class and complete the assignments and study for the exams.
General Class Expectations:
Acceptable Student Behavior:Student behavior that interferes with an instructor's ability to conduct a class or other students' opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum. The university's expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, etc.
Academic Integrity:The instructor will adhere to and enforce UNT's policy on academic integrity (cheating, plagiarism, forgery, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and sabotage). Violations of academic integrity in this course will be addressed in compliance with the procedures laid out in this policy.
- The complete UNT Code of Student Conduct can be found at:
Accommodations:If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Office of Disability Accommodation in order to obtain the required official notification of your accommodation needs. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss approved accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate. Full information can be found at:
Course Outline:
The following represents an approximate calendar of class discussions. Every attempt will be made to adhere to this schedule. Departures from the schedule may occasionally occur. However, assignment dates should be considered firm.
Week 1 (Week of January 13)—Topic: Course Introduction/Public Opinion
Readings:Blackboard Module 1
**Note: No Class Monday, January 20—Martin Luther King Day**
Week 2 (Week of January 20): Public Opinion/Media
Readings:Blackboard Module 1.
Week 3 (Week of January 27):Media and Politics
Readings:Blackboard Module 2.
**Current Events Quiz #1, open online Wednesday, January 29**
Week 4 (Week of February 3): Elections
Readings:Blackboard Module 3.
Week 5 (Week of February 10): Political Participation
Readings:Blackboard Module 3.
**Current Events Quiz #2, open online Wednesday, February 12**
Week 6 (Week of February 17): Texas Elections/Participation
Readings:Blackboard Module 4.
Week 7 (Week of February 24): Interest Groups
Readings:Blackboard Module 5.
Week 8 (Week of March 3): Review for Exam 1
**Exam 1, Online, Wednesday, March 5**
**No Class March 10-14—Spring Break
Week 9 (Week of March 17): The Federal Bureaucracy
Readings:Blackboard Module 6.
Week 10 (Week of March 24): Domestic Policy
Readings:Blackboard Module 7.
**Current Events Quiz #3, open online Wednesday, March 26**
Week 11 (Week of March 31): Social/Economic Policy
Readings:Blackboard Module 7.
Week 12 (Week of April 7): Economic Policy
Readings:Blackboard Module 7.
**Current Events Quiz #4, open online Wednesday, April 9**
Week 13 (Week of April 14): U.S. Foreign Policy
Readings:Blackboard Module 7.
Week 14 (Week of April 21): Problems in Texas Policy
Readings:Blackboard Module 8.
Week 15 (Week of April 28): Review for Exam 2 and wrap-up.
**Exam 2, Online, Wednesday, April 30**
**Policy Proposal Due by 5 pm Thursday, May 9**