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Instructor: Dr. Harbour
Office: East Ruffner 228
Office telephone: 395-2219
Office hours:
MWF 11:00-12:00 TR 9:30 - 10:30
harbourwr@longwood.edu
Table of Contents
Course
Description
Texts
Course
Objectives
Class
Schedule
Course
Requirements
Grading
Attendance
Policy
Honor
Code
Class
Discussion
Critical
Thinking Writing Exercises
Taking
Exams
Bibliography
Course Description:
An introduction to the American political system, with an emphasis upon the
national political institutions, processes, groups, public behavior, and issues
which shape contemporary society.
Texts:
Edwards, Wattenberg, Lineberry. Government in America
14th Edition.
Students will also be required to purchase a discounted subscription to the New York Times from the Bookstore. Being aware of current political developments is important to good citizenship. Each exam will have at least one essay question requiring students to reflect on current political news.
Other Reading:
Students will also be required to purchase a discounted subscription to the
New York Times from the Bookstore. Being aware of current
political developments is important to good citizenship. Each exam will
have at least one question requiring students to reflect on current political
news and relate such developments to the material we are studying about the American
political system.
Students may also keep up with current political events and may follow the news
through the following online sites:
http://www.nyt.com/
http://www.cnn.com/
Students may also read the Online editions of CQ Weekly and The CQ Researcher published by Congressional Quarterly Inc. These may be found by going to the CQ Library site at: http://library.cqpress.com/
There will be specific assignments from the above and other Web sources.
Click HERE for the Study Guide which contains questions for reading and thinking about the assignments, links to useful web sties containing materials on the topics being explored, and suggestions on developing your research for the critical thinking writing assignments.
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a capacity for critical and analytical thought about issues central to the American political system.
2. Demonstrate an ability to communicate in writing their knowledge and beliefs about the institutions and forces shaping the American political system.
3. Describe the essential features of the American political system.
4. Identify information regarding the American political system which is necessary for useful and responsible citizenship.
5. Discuss important philosophical and ethical issues associated with the practice of politics and the challenges facing this nation's system of government.
6. Describe the major ways in which political scientists have tried to understand American politics.
7. Discuss how American government and politics have shaped and been shaped by the dynamic social forces of the last hundred years.
8. Demonstrate an awareness of the diversity of persuasions and interests within American society.
9. Discuss elements of both continuity and change within the American political system.
Class Schedule:
Click HERE for the Study Guide which contains
questions for reading and thinking about the assignments, links to useful web
sites containing materials on the topics being explored, and suggestions on
developing your research for the critical thinking writing assignments.
Week 1 (Aug. 24-28) Introduction to the Study of American Politics; The Constitutional System
Read: Edwards, Chpts, 1, 2
The Constitution
The Federalist, No. 51
Special Topics:
What is politics all about? How do political scientists try to understand
politics?
What are the most important features of the American constitutional system?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 1
First read The Federalist, No. 10 and No. 51 and then carefully study
the Constitution. Then write a three page essay on what you believe to be
the core principles of Madison's political theory and what he hoped the system
of checks and balances in the constitutional system would both prevent and
achieve. Explain how the design of the Constitution reflects Madison's basic
objectives.
This assignment is due by 4:00 on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Week 2 (Aug. 31 - Sept. 4) The Constitutional System; Federalism
Read: Edwards, Chpts. 2, 3
The Constitution
Special Topics:
How have the rules governing American institutions and politics been changed by
amendments added to the Constitution?
What are the essential attributes of American federalism?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 2
This assignment is based upon your reading the Supreme Court decision:
McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819. You can read this decision online by using the
Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe at: http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/
There you will find a summary and outline of the case,
the arguments presented to the Court by both sides, and the opinion handed down
by the Court. In your three page essay you should explain why this case was so
important to the evolution of the federal system.
This assignment is due by 4:00 on Thursday, Sept.3.
Week 3 (Sept. 7-11)
(No classes on Monday, September 7, Labor Day)
Constitutional Liberties; Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Read: Constitutional Amendments
Edwards, Chpts. 4, 5
Special Topics:
What are the most important rights protected by the Bill of Rights?
What are the most important equal rights issues facing this country?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 3
This assignment is based upon your reading the Supreme Court decision: Brown v.
Board of Education of Topeka, 1954. You can read this decision online by using
the Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe at: http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/
There you will find a summary and outline of the case,
the arguments presented to the Court by both sides, and the opinion handed down
by the Court. In your three page essay you should explain the constitutional
and public policy issues at stake in this case as well as the arguments used by
Chief Justice Earl Warren in overturning the doctrine used by the defenders of
government mandated segregation in education. In this essay you should also
explain how knowledge from different academic disciplines played a role in how
one could look at the practice of state mandated segregation in education.
This assignment is due by 4:00 on Thursday, Sept. 10.
Week 4 (Sept. 14-18) American Political Culture
(No classes on Monday, September
1, Labor Day)
Read: Declaration of Independence
Edwards, Chpt. 1
Special Topics:
What are the most important features of American political culture?
First test
NOTE: You will have your first test on Thursday, Sept. 17.
This test will count for 1/5 of your semester grade.
Week 5 (Sept. 21-25) Public Opinion; Political Ideology; Political
Participation
Read: Edwards, Chpt. 6
There are important think tanks on both
the left and right and each produce informative research on contemporary
political issues.
You may read studies
representing contemporary liberalism by going to the online site of the Center
for American Progress at:
http://www.americanprogress.org/ and Brookings at: http://www.brookings.edu/
There are important political
magazines found on both the left and right that feature stories and editorials
on contemporary political issues.
You may read articles
representing different contemporary liberal views by going to the online
version of The New Republic at:
http://www.tnr.com/
You may read studies
representing contemporary conservatism by going to the online site of The
Heritage Foundation at:
http://www.heritage.org/ and the American Enterprise Institute For
Public Policy Research at: http://www.aei.org/
You may read articles representing
different contemporary conservative views by going to the online version of The
National Review at:
http://www.nationalreview.com/#
Special Topics:
What are some of the most important observations which can be made about public
opinion in American politics? What are the most important observations one can
make about citizen participation in American politics?
What role does ideology play in American politics?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 4
After reading the text material on political ideologies, do some web-based
research on the views advanced by these different ideologies. Then write
a three page essay in which you explain the most important differences between
contemporary liberalism and conservatism in American politics. What
really sets these two schools of thought apart?
This assignment is due by 4:00 on Thursday, Sept. 24.
Week 6 (Sept. 28 – Oct. 2) Voters, Elections, and Campaigns
Read: Edwards, Chpts. 9, 10
Presidential Election Results, 1789-2004
Special Topics:
What are the most important observations one can make about voting behavior in
the United States?
How has research and knowledge about voting behavior developed by political
scientists influenced how political consultants plan campaigns? How are
election campaigns driven by the empirical knowledge developed by the social
sciences?
What are the principal aspects of the presidential selection process?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 5
Write a three page essay explaining why and how Barack Obama won the 2008
presidential election.
This assignment is due by 4:00 on Thursday, Oct 1.
Week 7 (Oct. 5-9) Political Parties; Interest Groups
Read: Edwards, Chpts. 8, 11
The Federalist, No. 10 and No. 51
Special Topics:
What are the most important of characteristics of American political parties?
What is the role played by interest groups in American politics?
Do interest groups advance or diminish democracy in America? Do Interest
groups advance or diminish the common good?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 6
Write a three page essay on the role of interest groups in the current
debate over national health care reform.
This assignment is due by 4:00 on Thursday, Oct. 8.
FALL BREAK OCTOBER 12-13
Week 8 (Oct. 14-16) Mass Media Politics
Read: Edwards, Chpt. 7
Special Topics:
Fall Break (No classes on Monday and Tuesday of this week.)
How has the media influenced politics in the United States?
What does content analysis (a method used by social scientists to analyze
communication) employed by political scientists tell us about important changes
taking place in American politics? How has the study of the media's impact on
American politics modified our overall understanding of the political system?
Week 9 (Oct. 19-23) Second Test and The Congress
Read: Edwards, Chpt. 12
Special Topics:
Second Test
The Congress
NOTE: You will have your second test on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
This test will count for 1/5 of your semester grade.
What is the role of Congress in the American political system? Who has power in
Congress?
What is the role of political parties in Congress?
Week 10 (Oct. 26-30) The Congress
Read: Edwards, Chpt. 12
Special Topics:
What is the role played by committees in Congress?
What processes must a bill go through in order to become a law?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 7
Write a three page essay in which you explain why presidents often have trouble
getting Congress to pass their legislative proposals. Why do presidents have
trouble getting Congress to do what they want done? Pay close attention to the legislative
process and Congressional politics. This
assignment is due by 4:00 on Thursday, Oct. 29.
Week 11 (Nov. 2-6) The Presidency
Read: Edwards, Chpts. 13, 14
Special Topics:
What functions are performed by the presidency in the American political
system? What are the key elements of presidential power?
What institutional forces shape the modern presidency? How important is
presidential personality to the office?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 8.
What factors account for the success or failure of presidents as they attempt
to lead the country?
This assignment is due by 4:00 on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Week 12 (Nov. 9-13) The Bureaucracy; The
Judiciary
Read: Edwards, Chpts. 15, 16
The Federalist, No. 78
Special Topics:
What are the most important characteristics of the federal bureaucracy?
What role does the judiciary play in the American Political System?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 9
Write a three page essay in which you explain why presidents have trouble
dealing with the federal bureaucracy. Then explain what tools they have
at their disposal in trying to lead the bureaucracy.
This assignment is due by 4:00 on Thursday, Nov.
12.
Week 13 (Nov. 16-20) Third Test; Domestic Policy Making; Economic and
Budget Policies
Read: Edwards, Chpt. 14
NOTE: You will have your third test on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
This test will count for 1/5 of your semester grade.
Special Topics:
What are the most important political characteristics of domestic policy
making?
What are the major steps in the policy making process?
What are the principal forces shaping economic and budget policies?
Week 14 (Nov. 23-24) Social Welfare Policies, Health Care
Read: Edwards, Chpts. 14, 17, 18, 19
Understand some of the challenges to Social Security and Medicare posed by the
aging of the population and the impending retirement of the "Baby
Boom" generation. You may also want to understand this issue in a
broader global context.
You must start by going to the Congressional Quarterly Library online at: http://library.cqpress.com/
Go to the link on the Congressional Researcher (CQ Researcher
Online). Look for the October 19, 2007 article by Alan Greenblatt, "Aging Baby Boomers."
http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2007101900
Also read the Nov. 21, 2008 article by Sarah Glazer, "Declining
Birthrates." http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2008112100
Special Topics:
What are the most important features of American social welfare policies?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 10
Write a three page essay in which you examine the main issues involved in the
current debate over national health care reform.
This assignment is due by 4:00 on Tuesday, Nov. 24.
Thanksgiving Vacation November 25-29
Week 15 (Nov. 30 - Dec. 4) The Environment; Foreign and Defense
Policies; Review
Read: Edwards, Chpts. 19, 20
Special Topics:
What are some of the most important environmental issues facing the country?
What forces have shaped the making of American foreign policies and defense
policies since World War II?
How is American foreign policy evolving?
Classes end Dec. 4
Reading Day: Dec. 5
Exam Period: Dec. 7-11
Final Exam: The final exam for section04 will be on Tuesday, Dec.
8 at 8:00 A.M. - 10:30 A.M. The final exam will be worth 1/5 of your
semester grade.
Course Requirements:
Ten critical thinking writing assignments
Three tests
Final comprehensive examination
Daily reading of the New York Times
Grading:
Your semester grade will be based on your combined score for 10 critical
thinking writing assignments, three tests given during the course of the
semester, and a final examination. Each of these will count for 1/5 of your
semester grade for the class.
Attendance Policy:
The attendance policy for this course is the college policy found in the
College Catalog and Student Handbook.
Honor Code:
Students are expected to live by the Longwood College Honor Code. All work done
for the class must be pledged. Your instructor will not tolerate any form of
cheating.
Class Discussion:
Your instructor values class participation. Those students who make consistent
contributions to class discussion will discover that if their semester average
is on the borderline between two grades that they will receive the higher of
the two grades. Students are encouraged to ask questions and to express their
knowledge and beliefs about the material and issues being dealt with in
class. Be prepared to relate what we are studying to current political events.
Critical Thinking Writing Exercises:
There will be 10 critical thinking writing exercises. These assignments will be
three pages in length. They will be done in Microsoft Word with a Font size 12
and double spaced. Any documentation for these exercises will be done according
to the Turabian format for a research paper. A
shorter version of that style manual can be found on the History style manual
at the following web address: <http://www.longwood.edu/history/HDPTSTS2.htm>
All of these essays will also be turned in to <turnitin.com>
Your essays also must demonstrate reading beyond what is required for class
assignments and must reflect knowledge of current political events.
Taking Exams:
All tests and exams must be taken on time. You are expected to provide
proof for any legitimate reason (illness, participation in a college sponsored
activity, or recognizable emergency) you have for missing a test or exam.
Quizzes, critical thinking worksheets, and papers handed in past the time they
are due will lose points. You must be prepared in all the exams to relate
the material being studied to current political events.
Bibliography:
Required Reading:
The Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry and Serow & Ladd texts required for the course
Online CQ Library publications
Students will also be required to purchase a discounted subscription to the New
York Times from the Bookstore. Being aware of current political
developments is important to good citizenship. Each exam will have at
least one question requiring the student to reflect on current political news
and relate such developments to the material we are studying about the American
political system.
Current online news sites
Any special assignments of web based materials posted
on Blackboard
Suggested Reading or Reference:
James David Barber. The Presidential Character.
4th Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall, 1992.
Colin Campbell & Bert A. Rockman.
Editors. The Clinton Legacy.
New York: Chatham House Publishers, 2000.
Thomas E. Cronin & Michael A. Genovese. The Paradoxes of the American Presidency. New
York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Byron W. Daynes & Glen Sussman. The American
Presidency and the Social Agenda. Upper Saddle River, New
Jersey:
Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2001.
Byron W. Daynes, Raymond Tatalovich,
Denis L. Soden. To Govern a Nation: Presidential
Power
and Politics. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1998.
Robert E. DiClerico. The
American President. Fifth Edition.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000.
Robert E. DiClerico. Political
Parties, Campaigns, and Elections. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:
Prentice Hall, 2000.
George C. Edwards III & Philip John Davies. New Challenges for the
American Presidency. New York:
Longman, 2004.
E.J. Dionne. Why Americans Hate Politics. New York: Simon and Schuster,
1992.
James M. Fallows. Breaking the News: How the MediaUndermine
American Democracy. New York: Pantheon, 1996.
Steven W. Hook and John Spanier. American Foreign Policy Since
World War II. Eighteenth
Edition. CQ Press: Washington,
D.C., 2009.
Abraham J. Henry and Barbara Perry. Freedom
and the Court. 5th Edition. New
York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
John S. Jackson III & William Crotty.
The Politics of Presidential Selection. Second Edition. New York: Longman, 2001.
Bruce W. Jentleson. Editor.
Perspectives on American Foreign Policy. New
York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000.
Lance T. LeLoup & Steven A.
Shull. Congress and the The
President: The Policy Connection.
Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1993.
James P. Pfiffner & Roger H.
Davidson. Editors. Understanding the Presidency. Second Edition. New York: Addison
Wesley Longman, Inc., 2000.
Nelson W. Polsby and Aaron Wildavsky. Presidential
Elections. 10th Edtion.
New York: Chatham House Publishers, 2000.
Gerald M. Pomper et. al. The Election of 2000.
New York: Chatham House Publishers, 2001.
Larry Sabato. Editor.
Overtime: The 2000 Election Thriller. New York: Longman, 2002.
Larry Sabato.
The Year of Obama: How Barack Obama Won the White House. New York: Longman. 2010.
John Spanier and Eric Uslaner.
American Foreign Policy and the Democratic Dilemmas.
Sixth Edition. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company,
1994.
Sidney Verba, Kay Lehman Schlozman, and Henry Brady. Voiceand
Equality: Civic Voluntarism in
American Politics. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1995.
Shirley Anne Warshaw. The Domestic Presidency:
Policy Making in the White House. Boston:
Allyn and Bacon, 1997.
Martin P. Wattenburg. The Decline of American
Political Parties, 1952-1992. Cambridge, Mass.:
Harvard University Press, 1994.
Stephen P. Wayne. The Road to the White House 1996: The Politics of
Presidential Elections. New
York: St. Martin's Press, 1997.
Academic Journals:
American Political Science Review
Presidential Studies Quarterly
Journal of Politics
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