Western Illinois University
Department of Political Science
POLS 101-1: Introduction to Political Science (17819)
Spring 2016
MWF: 10:00 am – 10:50 am
Morgan 312
Left, police officers detained a protester in Ferguson, Mo.; right, a police dog attacked a civil rights demonstrator
in Birmingham, Ala., in May 1963. Source: Whitney Curtis for The New York Times; right, Bill Hudson, via
Associated Press1
Dr. Daniel Ogbaharya
Office: Morgan 411B
Office Phone: 298-1349
Email: DG-Ogbaharya@wiu.edu
Office Hours: TThF 2:30pm – 4:30pm
& by appointment
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R. Kennedy & J. Schuessler (Aug. 14, 2014). Ferguson Images Evoke Civil Rights Era and Changing Visual
Perceptions. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/15/us/ferguson-images-evoke-civil-rightsera-and-changing-visual-perceptions.html?_r=0
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Man is by nature a political animal...politics is the master science.
-- Aristotle
…In political science, the people who do have pretentions to ‘scientificity’
are actually very busy learning more and more about less and less.
-- James C. Scott
Course Description
Politics concerns the acquisition and exercise of power by competing groups in society to
achieve specific socio-economic, moral and material objectives. This course is designed to
introduce you to basic concepts, theories, and methods in the study and analysis of politics from
both national and international perspectives. We will explore the meaning of politics, trace the
scope and evolution of political science as a social science discipline, and shed some light on
modern methods and techniques of political analysis. The first part of the course examines such
salient concepts as political power and the state, which inform the study of politics and
comparative analysis of political systems. The second part deals with Comparative Politics – a
major area of study in political science – with a focus among others on political ideologies,
political systems and institutions, election and electoral systems, civil society and mass media,
and bureaucracy. The third part deals with the field of International Relations –relations among
states.
Course Objectives
The main objective of this course is to help you develop essential and transferable skills in
critical reading, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and professional writing. Essentially, the
course is designed to equip you with the skills and sensibilities that one needs to grow into a
more informed, enlightened, and engaged citizen of a democratic society, and of the increasingly
interconnected world. Upon completion of the course, you will be able to:
A. Understand the multifaceted nature of political power and its various uses and
applications;
B. Utilize theories and methods of political power and political behavior to describe,
analyze, and interpret current events at the national and international level.
C. Appreciate the complexity and diversity of global economic and security matters;
D. Develop writing and research skills that are essential for further studies in political
science and related social science fields.
E. Learn different ways of expressing verbally and in writing your political and
ideological stances without hurling diatribes and defamation at fellow classmates and
friends who hold opposing views.
Course Structure
The instructor adheres to the Socratic method of teaching in which a critical engagement with
course material is valued more than simply memorization of facts and concepts. To be sure, a
grasp of essential concepts such as the state is a key requirement of the course, but students are
also expected to think and engage critically with concepts and theories, to challenge themselves
to explore and discover new and alternative ways of interpreting social and political phenomena,
and envision how they apply to their own preconceived ideas, biases, beliefs and conventional
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wisdoms. The course will combine lectures with frequent class discussions and showing of
relevant films, documentaries, and video clips. Students will have ample opportunity to ask
questions and contribute to class discussions. Lectures are designed to introduce you to basic
concepts, terms and methods of studying politics as well as help you develop essential skills in
critical thinking and analysis. In order to participate in class discussions constructively, you
should come to class having read the assigned material and adequately prepared to render
informed and concise remarks. During class discussions, students should express their opinions,
comments, questions, and objections in a CIVIL, POLITE and RESPECTFUL manner. You
should remember to “agree to disagree”, but not to be “disagreeable.”
Course Requirements
Required Text: Kevin L. Dooley & Joseph N. Patten (2013). Why Politics Matters: An
Introduction to Political Science (Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning). ISBN-13:
978-1-111-82820-2.
Modification Statement: I reserve the right to alter and/or add readings wherever
appropriate, and to modify course requirements. I will notify you in writing in advance
about any changes to the course assignments and course schedule that may arise.
Course Evaluation
Your grade for this course will be based on:
Grade Distribution
Course Requirement
Attendance and Participation
In-Class Activities
Reading Quizzes, Film Responses and other assignments
Course Exams I (40) and II (60)
2016 Presidential Election Journal
Total
Grading Scale
Grade
Points
250 – 226
A
225 – 211
A210 – 195
B+
194 – 179
B
178 – 165
B164 – 150
C+
149 – 135
C
134 – 121
C120 – 106
D+
105 – 90
D
89 – 76
D75 and below
F
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Points
20
30
50
100
50
250
Attendance and Participation (20 pts.)
Attendance and active participation in class and group discussions will make up 20 points of
your final grade. Too many unexcused absences will obviously undermine your final grade. You
should inform me in advance preferably via email if you are unable to attend a class. If you
cannot attend class because of medically supported illness and/or institutionally recognized
obligation, it remains your responsibility to do the readings and complete the required
assignments. No-make up exams or quizzes will be allowed except in proven cases of medical or
family emergency. Make-up exams may incur point deduction. In addition to regular attendance
and active participation in class discussions, you will have to complete occasionally assigned
course work in a timely and sufficient manner. You should come to class having read the
assigned readings and adequately prepared to discuss the salient concepts, terms, and arguments
covered in the readings.
In-class activities (30 pts.)
You will participate in in-class group activities on various topics covered in readings and
lectures. In each group discussion, you will be evaluated on your individual contribution to the
group and the overall performance of your group. You will submit individual and group reports
that clearly show the contributions you have made to the discussion and presentation of the
group assignment. Handouts and worksheets for group discussions will be provided.
Reading Quizzes, Film Responses and other assignments (50 pts.)
There will be Reading Quizzes (mostly short answers) for roughly ten weeks. Quizzes test your
comprehension of the central themes covered in textbook and supplemental readings. Quizzes
will mostly be given announced. They are open-book, meaning you can use the textbook.
Therefore, you should bring the textbook with you to every class. There will also be other
homework and in-class assignments. Quizzes also include supplemental readings that I will
assign in the future and will be posted on Western Online. Sometimes, quizzes will include
questions from films shown in class or ones you have seen on your own as a homework
assignment. Therefore, you should make it a habit to take notes when you are watching a video
clip or documentary in class or on your own time.
Exam I (40 pts.) and II (60 pts.)
There will be two exams. Exams will comprise fill-in-the blank, short-answers, and essay
questions. Exam questions will be drawn from assigned and supplemental readings, lectures,
class and online discussions, and documentaries/video clips shown in and out of class.
2016 Presidential Election Journal (50 pts.)
You are taking this course during an exciting time: the 2016 US Presidential Election. Do you
have a favorite presidential candidate(s)? Who do you want to be the next President of the United
States? This project allows you to closely follow and delve into the views of a presidential
candidate or two over the course of the semester. Your 2016 Presidential Election Journal should
contain no less than 10 entries (ideally three a month) on the activities of the presidential
candidate(s) of your choice. Your journal entries can include: candidate’s views on a range of
topics, campaign speeches, campaign events and announcements, debates, etc.
Each journal entry is the length of a paragraph and should have two important
components:
A. Specific Issues and Policies: Here you will focus on the Presidential Candidate’s core
issues. What is the main idea behind the campaign of the Presidential Candidate(s) you
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are covering? What specific policy/issue does the candidate advocate for? How do the
views of your candidate differ from those of other candidates running for President of the
United States?
B. Fact Checking the Candidate: Here you will “Fact Check” the talking points,
speeches, and views of the candidate. For example, let’s say in one of your entries, you
have reported that the candidate has stated that the Affordable Health Care act—aka
Obama Care –resulted in skyrocketing costs for consumers. Right below this entry, you
would then provide and discuss evidence/data from a credible source on whether or not
the candidate’s statement is accurate.
You will submit a one-page Presidential Candidate Profile that describes the presidential
candidate(s) you have chosen to cover in your journal and why. This includes a short profile of
the candidate—their background, the office they currently hold, why they are running, whether
they have run for president before, etc. The Presidential Candidate Profile is due Friday,
February 5. You will submit the rough draft of the 2016 Presidential Election Journal Friday,
March 25. The final draft is due Friday, April 29
Grading Rubric for 2016 Presidential Election
Journal
Points
Introduction
5
Specific Issues and Policies
15
Fact Checking the Candidate
20
Organization, Grammar and Citation
10
Total
50 points
Important Dates and Deadlines
Presidential Candidate Profile
Exam I
Presidential Election Journal
(Rough Draft)
Presidential Election Journal
(Revised and Final)
Exam II (Final)
Fri., Feb. 5
Fri. Mar. 11
Fri., Mar 25
Fri., April 29
Mon., May 9
Course Policies
1. Class conduct: Texting, any other usage of phone and lap tops, and other disruptive
behavior including sleeping while class is in session will not be tolerated and will cause you to
lose participation points in addition to other penalties. You may also be asked to leave the
classroom if, after several warnings, you continue to engage in disruptive behavior such as
excessive use of phone and other electronic devices. Repeated cases of late attendance will result
in significant reduction of participation and attendance points. Understandably, sometimes you
may not be able to be on time. If you are late, try to enter the classroom with as little disruption
to me and your fellow classmates as possible. Unless you have notified me in advance, leaving
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early while class is in session is impolite and disruptive. It will not be tolerated! This rule
applies in all class sessions including those in which documentaries or films are shown.
2. Submission of assignments and papers: Unless otherwise indicated, all assignments
and papers must be submitted in hard copy. Hand written and emailed assignments will not be
accepted unless I approve first. In many cases especially the Case Studies, you will be required
to submit your assignments on Western Online. If so, I will give specific instructions.
3. Late assignments and papers: All late assignments and papers will incur point
deduction, 2 points for each day past the deadline. Assignments and papers overdue for more
than a week will not be accepted and will receive zero. Although late assignments and papers
submitted within a week after the deadline will be graded, I will not necessarily provide timely
grade or feedback. Students who submit their work on time will have the opportunity to revise
their work for a better grade. If you don’t submit your work on time, you will not receive grade
or feedback on time.
If you can’t make the deadline for medical reasons and/or officially recognized duty or
travel, please notify me prior to the deadline. You will also have to provide appropriate and
legitimate documents to support your absence or why you will not be able to turn in your work
on time.
4. Cheating and Plagiarism: Any case of cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. If
you cheat and/or submit a plagiarized work, you will fail the class. Plagiarism, a serious
academic offense, involves the use in part or whole of other people’s work, ideas, and phrases
without paraphrasing and/or giving full and proper credit. Please take time to familiarize yourself
with WIU’s standards of academic honesty: http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php
5. Extra Credit: There will be several opportunities to earn “extra credit” points. You are
allowed to earn up to 10 extra credit points. Extra credit opportunities will be announced in class.
You will not be able to take advantage of an extra credit opportunity if you did not attend class
on the day the announcement for such opportunity was made. In most cases, you will have to
turn in a one-page report on the event that you attended in order to earn extra credit points.
6. ADA Statement: “In accordance with the University policy and the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies
the instructor of the need for an accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper
accommodations (s) you must obtain documentation of the need for an accommodation through
the Disability Resource Center and provide it to the instructor. Contact the Disability Resource
Center (DRC) at 298-2512 for additional services.”
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Course Calendar (Tentative)
NOTE: Additional readings and news items will be posted in Western Online.
Week Date
Topic
Reading Assignment
1
1/20
Introductions, Syllabus and Course
None
Overview
1/22
Politics and Science
Chapter 1 (Dooley & Patten)
2
1/25-1/29
3
2/1 – 2/5
4
5
6
7
8
10
Morality and Politics
Chapters 2 & 3 (Dooley & Patten)
Political Ideologies
Chapters 2 & 3 (Dooley & Patten)
Fri. Feb. 5: Presidential Candidate
Profile Due
2/8– 2/10
American Politics: Now and then
Chapters 4 & 5 (Dooley & Patten)
February 12, Fri. -- Lincoln's Birthday -- No Classes/University Closed
2/15 – 2/19
American Politics: Looking in from
Chapters 6 & 7
outside
(Dooley & Patten)
2/22 –2/26
Democracy in America compared to Chapters 8 & 9 (Dooley & Patten)
other countries
2/29 – 3/4
Tyrants vs. Benevolent Autocrats
Chapter 10 (Dooley & Patten)
3/7 – 10/11
Health, Education, and Welfare
Western Online
Fri. March 11: Course Exam I
March 14-18, Mon.-Fri. -- Spring Break -- No Classes
3/21 – 3/25
What is justice? Social, economic,
Western Online
and cultural views
11
3/28 – 4/1
12
13
14
4/4 – 4/8
4/11 – 4/15
4/18 – 4/22
15
4/25 – 4/29
16
17
5/2 – 5/6
5/9 – 5/13
Fri., March 25: Presidential
Election Journal (ROUGH
DRAFT) due
Causes and Effects of Economic
Inequality
Politics and the Economy
International Politics
Developing countries versus
developed countries
International Environmental Politics
Friday, April 29: Presidential
Election Journal
(REVISED/FINAL) due
Conclusion and Final Exam Review
Final Exam Week
Final Exam: Mon., May 9@ 10 am
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Chapter 11 & 12 (Dooley &
Patten)
Western Online
Western Online
Western Online
Western Online
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