Cleveland State University
PSC 111, section 1
American Government
3 credit hours
Spring 2016
8:30-9:45a.m. TT
MC 440
Instructor: David F. Ericson
Office Phone: 216-687-4513
Office Location: Rhodes Tower 1743
Office Hours: 11:10-12:00 MW; 9:50-10:30 TT; or by appointment
Email: d.ericson@csuohio.edu
Catalogue Description: History and evolution of American political processes, institutions and
public policies from the founding period to the present, including importance of federalism,
culture, public opinion, parties, interest groups, elections and the media, nature and quality of
American democracy, political challenges, dilemmas, and reform. This course may fulfill a
General Education Requirement.
General Education: Partially fulfills the Social Sciences requirement of two introductory courses
in the social sciences; one each from two different departments.
Required Books
(1) Alexander Hamilton, et. al., The Federalist Papers (New York: Mentor, 1999).
(2) David Mayhew, Congress--The Electoral Connection, 2nd ed. (New Haven: Yale University
Press, 2004).
(3) Richard E. Neustadt, Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents: The Politics of
Leadership from Roosevelt to Reagan (New York: Free Press, 1990).
(4) Robert McCloskey, The American Supreme Court, 5th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 2010).
[All these books can be purchased at the university bookstore.]
Class Requirements
(1) Class participation (10% of grade)
This class will be heavily oriented toward discussion of our readings. You will need to complete
reading assignments on time in order to contribute to discussion and, obviously, you cannot
participate if you are not in class.
(2) Class attendance (5%)
(3) Policy paper/oral report (15%)
Everyone in class will present an oral report on a public-policy issue that they have researched
throughout the course of the semester. Unfortunately, the oral reports must be brief---absolutely
no more than 8 minutes--to accommodate everyone in class. The paper also should be relatively
brief, approximately 6-8 pages in length. You may choose your own topic but it must be
relevant to the course material and approved by the instructor. See below for more details.
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(4) Four short-essay exams (12% each)
These exams will consist of two to three essay questions that will test your understanding of the
class materials.
(5) Final exam (20%)
The final exam will be comprehensive. It will consist of three to four essay questions.
Class Goals
(1) to learn more about how the three major institutions (Congress, the presidency, Supreme
Court) of our federal government work.
(2) to learn general theories that try to explain why they work the way they do; i.e., in this class
we will not take a “just the facts” approach to the study of American government.
(3) to compare the “original vision” of how those three major institutions would or should work
to how they actually work in practice.
(4) to develop critical thinking and writing skills.
Assessment
Your exam answers and policy paper will be graded according to the following criteria. (The
policy paper will also be graded on the quality and proper documentation of your sources.)
A = shows a superior understanding of the relevant material or materials; a superior
understanding is one that not only expertly explicates the meaning of the relevant material but
also one that artfully conveys its deeper implications and (where appropriate) presents insightful
connections between materials.
B = shows a good understanding; is deficient on one of the above dimensions
C = shows an adequate understanding; is deficient on two of the above dimensions
D = shows a poor understanding; is extremely deficient on one or more dimension
F = none of the above
Your class participation will be graded according to the following criteria.
A = regularly contribute to class discussion in a meaningful way
B = frequently contribute to class discussion in a meaningful way
C = occasionally contribute to class discussion in a meaningful way
D = rarely contribute to class discussion in a meaningful way
F = none of the above
Your class attendance will be graded according to the following criteria.
A = 0-2 absences
B = 3-4 absences
C = 5-6 absences
D = 7-8 absences
F = 9 or more absences
Other Important Information
CLASSROOM POLICY: All students should follow the Viking Creed:
We, the Members of the Cleveland State University community, as active citizens in a living and
learning environment, bring to our campus a shared vision where "community" means.
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Sharing a clear vision of our common purpose
Treating all people fairly, justly and respectfully
Embracing and celebrating our diversity
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Collaborating toward a common goal
Exhibiting caring and trust Involving students at all levels
Connecting Cleveland State University with our Greater Community
Embracing CSU as the metropolitan educational center of Cleveland
Learning in and out of the classroom
Celebrating ourselves through traditions
Taking responsibility to lead, to listen and to serve
Sharing power and influence
Committing to life-long learning and personal growth.
As members of the Cleveland State University community, we have an individual and a
shared responsibility to practice the Viking Community Creed in order to create a campus
of inclusion, respect, integrity and purpose.
In addition to the above general standards, all students are expected to adhere to the following
policies:
No use of cellphones or texting in class.
No working on other course assignments.
No reading of outside material in class.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS: All university work should reflect a devotion to academic honesty.
As found in The Code of Student Conduct: “The Cleveland State University Academic
Community values honesty and integrity and holds its members to high standards of ethical
conduct. Academic dishonesty is, therefore, unacceptable, and students must be prepared to
accept the appropriate sanctions for any dishonest academic behavior as outlined in this policy
on academic misconduct.” Such conduct includes cheating, plagiarism, and tampering.
EDUCATIONAL ACCESS: Educational access is the provision of classroom accommodations,
auxiliary aids and services to ensure equal educational opportunities for all students regardless of
their disability. Any student who feels he/she may need an accommodation based on the impact
of a disability should contact the Office of Disability Services at 216-687-2015. The Office is
located in UC304. Accommodations need to be requested in advance.
WRITING CENTER: Writing is an important skill for all students, teachers and professionals of
every kind. As a student at Cleveland State University you will find that classes in every
discipline use writing to help students explore, create and communicate ideas. Student writing
can take many forms, from lab reports to research papers, group projects to journal entries.
The CSU Writing Center and WAC Program have two goals: hospitality and independence. We
strive to create a warm environment because we believe that writing requires many decisions that are
best made in a peaceful and welcoming environment. The other goal of independence refers to our
desire to teach students to use writing strategies for themselves. For the past several semesters, we
have seen over 900 students and given between 2,000-3,000 appointments. Our staff is comprised of
graduate students in literature or creative writing who enjoy working with students. We are located
on the first floor of the library behind the reference desk.
LIBRARY ASSISTANCE: Frances Mentch, Social and Behavioral Science Librarian, Michael
Schwartz Library, RT 110A; (216) 687-2365; f.mentch@csuohio.edu
Ms. Mentch has developed a research guide for this class that you may find very useful;
http://researchguides.csuohio.edu/PSC111
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You can also schedule a research appointment with her using the “Ask Your Personal Librarian”
service: http://library.csuohio.edu/services/librarians.html
STARFISH: I encourage you to speak with me about any issues related to this course. My office
hours are posted in Starfish (accessible via CampusNet). You can visit this system 24/7 to check
on my times of availability and make an appointment. If those times do not work for you, please
email or speak to me after class about scheduling an appointment during another time. I will
also use Starfish to record attendance; which will flag your adviser about any attendance issues.
Course Outline
[all reading assignments should be completed by the
date listed below unless I announce otherwise in class]
Week 1
Jan. 21
Read the United States Constitution
[which is reprinted in the assigned edition of The Federalist Papers]
Week 2
Jan. 26
Read Federalist Papers 47-48, 51 (separation of powers)
Jan. 28
Read Federalist Papers 35, 55-58 (House of Representatives)
Week 3
Feb. 2
Read Federalist Papers 62-63 (Senate)
Feb. 4
Read Federalist Papers 68, 70-73 (Presidency)
Week 4
Feb. 9
Read Federalist Papers 78-79 (Judiciary)
Feb. 11
Test I
Week 5
Feb. 16
Read Mayhew, preface to the second edition, introduction
Feb. 18
Read Mayhew, chap. 1 (pp. 13-45)
Week 6
Feb. 23
Read Mayhew, chap. 1 (pp. 46-77)
Feb. 25
Read Mayhew, chap. 2 (pp. 81-125; up through footnote 91)
Topic Statements Due
Week 7
March 1
Read Mayhew, chap. 2 (pp. 125-180)
March 3
Test II
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Week 8
March 8
Read Neustadt, preface to first and 1990 editions, chap. 1
March 10
Read Neustadt, chaps. 2-3
Spring break
Week 9
March 22
Read Neustadt, chaps. 4-5
March 24
Read Neustadt, chaps. 6-8
Week 10
March 29
Discussion of voting behavior in presidential elections
March 31
Test III
Week 11
April 5
Read McCloskey, preface to first edition; chap. 1
April 7
Read McCloskey, chap. 2-3
Week 12
April 12
Read McCloskey, chaps. 4
April 14
Read McCloskey, chaps. 5-6
Week 13
April 19
Read McCloskey, chap. 7, epilogue
April 21
Test IV
Week 14
April 26
Oral reports
April 28
Oral reports
Week 15
May 3
Oral reports
May 5
Oral reports
May 12 Final Exam, 8:00-10:00 a.m.; policy papers are also due at this time
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Research Papers and Oral Presentations
(1) The basic idea of the paper is to argue the pros and cons of a particular policy proposal. In
order to formulate a policy proposal you should research a current controversial policy issue on
the federal or state level and then decide what you think is the policy that best addresses that
issue. Written topic statements are due February 25. One sentence is sufficient; simply
state your policy proposal. I must approve your topic; if you write on a topic I have not
approved I will not grade your paper.
(2) Your paper should be 6-8 pages in length; no more than 8 pages. In documenting sources,
you may either use Chicago Style (with endnotes or footnotes; e.g., Stephen Skowronek,
Building a New American State: The Expansion of National Administrative Capacities, 18771920 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1982), 87) or a MLA-type style (with
embedded notes; e.g., Skowronek 1982, 87). Proper documentation is an important component
of any good research paper; a works cited page is not sufficient; you must cite the works in
your paper. Obviously, given the page limits I am not expecting a ton of research but I am
expecting some quality research, such as using JSTOR to find refereed articles on your topic;
merely surfing the web is not sufficient research.
(3) In writing your paper, you should do the following; if you choose your sources wisely, they
will help you do each:
(a) present a policy proposal
(b) present evidence and arguments in favor of your proposal
(c) present counter-evidence and counter-arguments in opposition to your proposal
(d) present rebuttals of the counter-evidence and counter-arguments to your proposal
(4) Your paper should also be well written stylistically (no misspelled words, good sentence
construction, logically organized, etc.) but it will be graded primarily in terms of how persuasive
it is. The paper is due at the time of the final, May 12. Late papers will be marked down a half
letter grade each day they are late.
(5) In the oral part of the assignment, you will defend your policy proposal before the class.
Because you will not have much time—6-8 minutes--you will need to distill your arguments,
counter-arguments, and rebuttals to make the best case you can for your proposal within the
allotted time. You can use powerpoints and other visual or audio aides. If you do use
powerpoints please send them to me in advance and I can download them on my laptop for quick
access at the start of your presentation. There might be some time for questions at the end of the
class but that will depend on the pace of the presentations that day. I will provide written
feedback on your oral presentation with possible suggestions for improvement as you finish your
paper. If past experience is any guide, this feedback leads to papers of substantially higher
quality.
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