PLSC 330 URBAN POLITICS SYLLABUS, Summer, 2016 ONLINE
http://it.emich.edu/service/online/ocsb/
PROFESSOR:
Adrian J. Lottie, Ph.D.
Office: Political Science Department
601 R Pray-Harrold
Telephone: 734-487-1402 or 734-487-3113
Class: Online
CRN 53857
Office Hours: Via e-mail by appointment or on campus by appointment or:
TR 8-9. If by appointment please try to allow a 48 hour notice via e-mail.
e-mail: alottie@emich.edu
Course Description
This course introduces students to the political, social, and economic forces
affecting modern urban America.
Text: Available online from a variety of sources including the publisher. This
text may not be available at campus area bookstores.
Judd, Dennis R. and Todd Swanstrom (2015). City Politics, 9th ed. Pearson
Upper Saddle River, NJ
ISBN -13: 978-0-205-99639-1
Or
0-205-99639-6
It is strongly suggested that you stay abreast of major contemporary urban
issues by accessing major national and local media.
Requirements and Course Policies
1. Three examinations: objective items. Exams are usually assigned
giving students approximately one week for completion. You will
access and take the exams using the university online system
software. Examinations will constitute 50 percent of your grade. You
will receive one point for each correct answer on exams 1 and 2 and 2
points for each correct answer on the final exam.
2. Make-up examinations and quizzes are not allowed for any reason,
you will be given 6-7 days in general to complete these and hence due
to the liberal time policy there will be NO make- up or late exams or
quizzes for ANY reason. Late exams will be graded ZERO.
3. There will be three Quizzes which will constitute 22 percent of your
grade. You will be given one point for every correct answer on quizzes.
Late quizzes are not allowed for any reason (see above policy on
quizzes and examinations)
4. There will be no incompletes granted for this course.
3. Regular and meaningful participation in the threaded discussions. This
is an interactive (student to student), "on-topic" discussion.
Grading of discussions will be based upon the level and quality of
participation including prompt responses. 28 percent of your grade will
depend upon discussion participation. Grades will be generally posted
in the grade-book within every two weeks of your posting. The Grading
Rubric will be as follows:
1point:
Postings are consistent, relevant and prompt: within
one week of introduction of the topic; postings are
grammatically correct; Postings demonstrate evidence that
reading material has been covered + additional evidence of
research outside of assigned readings; postings demonstrate a
contribution to the educational objectives of the entire class:
they enrich and inform the class.
You may earn one point for each discussion by:
Responding to any one of the questions under any
particular discussion,
Or, by responding to another student in a threaded
discussion, i.e., by continuing the conversation through
providing your relevant opinion to another student’s
remarks. Or responding to me if I make a comment or
ask a question.
If your response or answer to a question is relevant to
the topic, in general you will receive the 1 point.
There are 28 discussions to which you can respond and
one point for each discussion for the total of 28 points.
You will be given Approximately one week to respond to
each discussion and the dates for responding will be
provided.
0 points:
posting
not meeting the above bulleted requirements no
For examinations, quizzes and discussions the software will be
marked late once the due date has passed. In general, the due
date expires at 11:59pm on the date listed.
4. Civility and academic honesty are required. Engaging in uncivil or
dishonest behavior may result in disciplinary action against the
offending student. Cheating of any kind will be subject to my policies
as well as university and Student Conduct and Community Standard
policies. In general, any cheating detected in my classes will result in
expulsion from the class and the grade F immediately upon discovery.
The Student Conduct Office may add to the sanctions.
5. Course objectives:

To make students aware of the role of the urban environment
as an institution in American Government.

To make students aware of the interplay between
industrialization and the development of urban America

To expose students to the elements of industrialization that
shaped urban America and its conflicts.

To expose students to the roles of race and ethnicity in urban
America

To introduce students to the roles played by the federal
government in national urban policy.

To introduce students to the role of national politics in shaping
the urban conditions and future

To expose students to the roles of technology and globalization
in urban America and the challenges that these factors pose.

To expose students to the governmental and cultural practices
that play a role in fostering fragmented government and
metropolitan conflict

To examine the causes and conditions of sprawl

To identify those cities which are making a “comeback” and the
practices leading to their success

To ensure that students understand the above and are able to
integrate and analyze these concepts and apply them to
practical problems when posed to them.
Grading Scale
This is the Grading Scale for exams as an aid to estimating your progress in
the course: There are a total of 100 possible points in this course. For
individual exams, quizzes and discussions, determine the % you received to
estimate your progress.
90-100 =A
88-89=A86-87=B+
80-85=B
78-79=B76-77=C+
70-75=C
68-69=C-
65-67= D+
63-64=D
60-62=D0-59=F
Final Grade Determination
Examinations
50%
Quizzes
22%
Participation in discussions
28%
You will be given 1 point for each correct answer on the first two exams and
2 points for each correct answer on the final exam. You will be given 1 point
for each correct answer on the quizzes, and 1 point for each discussion to
which you adequately and meaningfully respond.
The total possible points for this course are 100: use the scale above to
determine your grade:
Tentative Reading, Discussion, Assignment and Examination
Schedule
All assignments refer to J&S unless otherwise specified. You will be allowed
approximately one week to complete exams. All exams, quizzes, and
discussions are to be submitted via the online submission or posting system.
Section I:
Week 1
Week 2
The Origins of American Urban Politics: Chapters 1-5
Read Ch 1,2,
Discussions Ch 1,2 : Start 5-10-16 Due 5-14-16
Ch 3,4 Discussions : Start 5-14-16 Due 5-18-16. Quiz 1:
Start 5-18-16 Due 5-21-16
Exam 1: Start 5-21-16: Due 5-23-16 via online submission
system.
Section II: The Urban Crisis of the 20th Century: Chapters 6-9
Week 3
Ch 5, 6,7; Discussions: Start 5-23-16 Due 5-26-16
Week 4
Ch 8,9: Discussions Start 5-26-16 Due 5-29-16. Quiz 2:
Start 5-29-16 Due 5-31-16
Exam 2: Start 6-01-16 Due 6-03-16,via online submission
system
Section III: The Fractured Metropolis: Chapters 10-15
Week 5
Ch ,10 Discussions: Start 6-03-16 Due 6-06-16
Week 6
Ch 11,12: Discussions: Start 6-06-16 Due 6-09-16. Quiz 3:
Start 6-09-16 Due 6-12-16
Week 7
Ch 13,14,15 Discussions Start 6-12-16 Due 6-16-16. Final
Exam Start June 16, 2016
Week 8
Final Exam Due Thursday , June 22, 2016
Study Tips for This Course
1. Keep this syllabus in a permanent easy to access place: file cabinet,
loose leaf notebook, computer.
2. Review this syllabus at least each day that you plan to attend class and
preferably each week day.
3. Imagine that you are an executive who has to manage every detail of
your own affairs and consider this course one of your major projects
and responsibilities. Therefore, treat the class as a business
meeting with scheduled appointments.
4. Read assignments before class.
5. Invest at least two hours per day during the week for this
course.
6. Invest at least eight hours total in preparation for each
examination.
7. Review your notes regularly: do not wait for examinations to do
so.
8. Break down your writing/exam and when appropriate,
discussion assignments into little pieces and work on the little
pieces regularly, well in advance of due dates.
9. Read the comments posted by the professor and by other
students so that you are abreast of and aware of the
“tempo/rhythm” of the class.
10. Often due to the short time constraints you will be required to
juggle many assignments, quizzes, exams at once, this is a
necessary component of taking an online course reduced to 7.5
weeks.
Recommendation Letter Policy
Recommendation letters in general will be written only for the top two to
three students in the class. The only exceptions are generally granted to
those with an outstanding record in some field relevant to the
recommendation and based upon a history of outstanding performance
known to the professor.