GOVT 2306 – 4901 Texas and Local Governments
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Mr. Cory Colby, M.A., Political Science
Spring 2015
Willis High School, Room A115
ccolby@willisisd.org
Course Overview / Catalog Description
Syllabus available online at my blog http://www.lonestar.edu/blogs/ccolby
Origin and development of the Texas constitution, structure and powers of state and local
government, federalism and inter-governmental relations, political participation, the election
process, public policy, and the political culture of Texas.
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites
ENGL 0305 or ENGL 0365 AND ENGL 0307, or ENGL 0375 OR higher level course (ENGL
1301), OR placement by testing.
ADA Statement
LSC-Montgomery is dedicated to providing the least restrictive learning environment for all
students. The college district promotes equity in academic access through the implementation of
reasonable accommodations as required by the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title V,
Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) which will enable students
with disabilities to participate in and benefit from all post-secondary educational programs and
activities.
Learning Outcomes
In completing this course, you will:
1. Analyze the context of Texas politics by examining the historical legacy of Texas politics and
the Texas economy and their connection to the political cultures of Texas.
2. Understand the constitutional foundations of Texas government by analyzing separation of
powers, describing the legacy, nature, and characteristics of the current Texas Constitution, and
discussing the nature of the relationship between national and state government.
3. Analyze the political and policymaking impact of the media and political parties in the Texas,
and analyze the process and impact of campaigns and elections in Texas.
4. Evaluate how political values and behaviors are learned.
5. Describe elections and voting in Texas.
6. Analyze the functions and operations of the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the
judicial branch in Texas, and analyze the role of each in policymaking today.
7. Analyze the structure, functions, and operations of local government.
8. Describe policy and its implementation in the areas of education, health and human services,
environment, criminal justice, emergency management and border security.
9. Describe fiscal policy in Texas and describe how budgets are developed and managed in
Texas state and local governments.
Required Textbook
New online Texas Government textbook through Soomo publishing and University of Texas.
Details were provided through Remind message. Cost is $55 and students must have it purchased
by January 18, 2015. Specific details of the online text will be given in class.
Plagiarism and Cheating
In the case of plagiarism (claiming that words and ideas of others are your own and/or not
indicating the source of ideas), the instructor reserves the right to give the student a zero for the
assignment and/or an F for the course. In the case of cheating during the course of an exam or
unauthorized collaboration on a writing project including discussion postings, the instructor
reserves the right to give the student or students a zero for the assignment and/or an F for the
course. The Lone Star College System subscribes to Turnitin.com, an online collaborative
learning tool for faculty which supports faculty in their quest to uphold academic integrity.
Student coursework will be submitted to the scrutiny of the Turnitin.com software. Please note
that these submissions of assignments to Turnitin.com do not necessarily constitute an accusation
of plagiarism on the student’s part. The system policy on academic integrity can be located at
the following site http://www.lonestar.edu/13658.htm
Remind 101
Students in this course will be required to create and maintain account through remind.com.
These sites will be used as a regular part of our classroom activities and assignments.
Instructional Guidelines and Policies
1. Completion of text reading and classical reading assignments. Please have the
assigned reading completed before coming to class. There is a strong correlation between
reading the text, class attendance and high grades. I reserve the right to give periodic,
unannounced quizzes to ensure reading on the part of students. Academic Integrity
Statement. I have ZERO tolerance for academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism. Any form
of academic dishonesty will result in an F for the assignment and could result in
your failure of the course.
2. Grievance Procedures If any student is concerned about policies, classroom discussions,
grades or other matters pertaining to the course he/she should see me immediately so we
can address those concerns. If your concern is not satisfactorily addressed you may
contact:
WHS DC Program Coordinator – Tricia Neumann – tneumann@willisisd.org
WHS 12th Grade Assistant Principal – Mike Reyna – mreyna@willisisd.org
4. Class discussion. Much of the course will be devoted to analyzing, comparing and
contrasting the many aspects of American politics, including different viewpoints. Such
analysis can only take place in a forum characterized by dialogue. You will be expected
to come to every class with something to contribute about the readings, i.e., an
observation, a critique, or a question. It is also important, since many of you will come
with your own viewpoints and ideologies that you respect the right of others to speak and
hold opinions. You may disagree, but please do not disrespect others! All cell phones
should be turned off and other equipment should be muted during class. Do not text/go
online during class unless it is part of the lesson.
5. Electronic Devices. The ability to use computers and/or tablets in the classroom is a
privilege and must be treated as such. Students are allowed and encouraged to use
computers/tablets to take notes during class. However, students who abuse this privilege
by visiting social networking sites or other unauthorized websites during the course will
no longer be allowed to bring their devices to class. Under no circumstances is a cell
phone to be turned on or used during the class. Any phones being used in class will be
taken up and may be retrieved from the appropriate assistant principal. Pictures of
presentations or written materials are not permitted. This action may also result in
losing the technology privilege in the classroom.
6. Attendance/Class participation. Attendance will be taken every day. It is your
responsibility to make sure that you are in class and that your assignments are turned in
on time. No individual extra credit will be given in this class.
7. Late Work. Because assignments are given in advance it is the policy of this course that
late work will not be accepted under any circumstances. Assignments due in class are
considered late if they are not turned in within the first five minutes of class on the date
that they are due.
8. Mandatory Tests. Tests will be broken down by units and will usually take two class
days to complete. There will also be a final exam given at the end of the semester. There
is no makeup given on the final examination and there are no exemptions. All exams are
cumulative. The examinations will consist of multiple choice questions and short answer
questions. Makeup exams will be given the day that students return to campus. Students
are responsible for coming to class for the makeup even if they are not scheduled to be in
the classroom the day that they return to campus. The final exam is cumulative and will
represent college readiness standards as established by the state of Texas and the College
Board. No tests will be dropped or curved.
9. Testing Procedures. Students will be required to turn in electronic devices at the start of
class on testing days. Devices will not be returned until the last student in the classroom
has completed testing or the bell rings to end the class. Four versions of ever test will be
given out in class. There are no Free Response Questions (FRQ) for this semester. For
Texas Government, the test written portion of the test will consist of short answers
and essays. These questions will vary for each class period, but will be composed of
questions of approximately the same level of difficulty.
10. Thought Papers. Thought papers are short evaluative papers composed to apply
information the student has learned and offer an informed perspective on a particular
issue as assigned. While thought papers are not as rigorously graded as an exam or
another form of essay they are extremely important and should follow the instructions
exactly as presented in the example given in class. There will be no more than two of
these in a semester.
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Must be typed in a 12 point Times New Roman font
Must contain an appropriate heading and use standard margins
Must be between 400 to 600 words in length – more or less than this amount will
receive a 10 point grade reduction
Must be double spaced
No cover page
11. Current Events. Students are expected to complete a current events assignments
throughout the course of the semester. It will be due once each marking period and will
count for a major grade during each marking period. A separate page detailing the
requirements will be given out in class.
12. Food and Drink. Food and/or drinks are prohibited in the classroom under all
circumstances. Bottled water (with no additions) is allowed is the only exception in the
classroom. This also means no cups with lids and/or straws.
Grading
For calculating grades the following standards will be used:
Willis High School
Grade
Score
A
90-100
B
80-89
C
75-79
D
70-75
F
Below 70
Categories of “Major Grade” and “Daily Grade” will be used to calculate semester averages.
Major grades will count for 60 percent of the final average and will consist of, but is not
limited to, items like projects and exams. Daily grades will count for 40 percent of the final
average and will consist of, but is not limited to, items like journals, outlines, and homework
assignments.
Course Topic Schedule
*This schedule is not a comprehensive schedule of all assignments. It is also to be noted that the
course instructor reserves the right to make changes to the course schedule as necessary. Ample
notification will be given regarding any changes.
Week 1
Unit 1; Chs 1, 2:Environment of Texas
Politics
Federalism and the Texas Constitution
Week 9
In Class Mini-Project
Chapter 9 Quiz
Chapter 2 Quiz
Week 2
Unit 1 Continued:
In Class Mini-Project
Unit 4 Continued:
Week
10
Thought Paper 1 Assigned
Unit 4 Continued:
Unit 4 Test
Time for documentary research
Project 2 Check In - Documentary
Week 3
Unit 1 Continued:
Unit 1 Test
Week
11
Unit 5; Chs. 7, 10: The Texas
Legislature
Laws Courts and Justices
Chapter 7 Quiz
Movie Review Assigned
Week 4
Unit 2; Ch. 3: Local Governments
Chapter 3 Quiz
Week
12
Unit 5 Continued:
Chapter 10 Quiz
In Class Mini-Project
Thought Paper 1 Due
Project 2 Due - Documentary
Week 5
Unit 3: Political Parties
Campaigns and Elections
Week
13
Unit 5 Continued:
Unit 5 Test
The Politics of Interest Groups
Project 3 Assigned – Infographic
Chapters 4, 5, 6
Thought Paper 2 Assigned
Chapter 4 Quiz
Movie Review Due
Project 1 Assigned – Political Profile
Week 6
Unit 3 Continued:
In Class Mini-Project
Chapter 5 Quiz
Week
14
In Class Projects
Week
15
In Class Projects
Week
16
Final Exam Review / Final Exam
Thought Paper 1 Due
Week 7
Unit 3 Continued:
Chapter 6 Quiz
Project 3 Due – Infographic
Unit 3 Test
Project 1 Due – Political Profile
Week 8
Unit 4; Chs. 8,9: The Texas Executive
Public Policy and Administration
Chapter 8 Quiz
Project 2 Assigned - Documentary
Thought Paper 2 Due