2305 Federal Government
Houston Community College System (HCC)
CRN: 82576
Instructor: Erik Neel
Contact: neel4967@gmail.com
*** Use the subject: HCC GOVT 2305 to lower the chance of being missed. ***
*** All communication devices are to be placed on SILENT during class. ***
2305 is a class designed to introduce students to the foundations of the United States’ Federal
Government. Some of the people that influenced the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of
Independence, Articles of Confederation, and Constitution will be covered in detail. The
structure and policy issues of the current Federal Government will be covered in detail.
Reading Material: TBA, Current Editions will be available in the bookstore.
GRADES/Assignments
Midterm
20%
Final
40%
3 Papers
30%
5 Quizzes
10%
100%
A = 91 – 100%
B = 81 – 90%
C = 71 – 80%
D = 61 – 70%
F = 0 – 60%
Please take all exams at the scheduled time. Makeup exams will be given only in emergency
situations.
DISABILITY STATEMENT:
HCC is compliant with ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. "Any student
with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who
needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Service office at the
respective college at the beginning of each semester."
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance is required, ALL testable information is given during class lecture and discussions so
if one is absent they are missing out on vital information they cannot receive by copying others’
notes. Five (5) quizzes will be given throughout the session, if one is not present for those
quizzes they receive a zero (0) for that quiz (e.g. one missed quiz and the highest grade
possible is 98% IF all other grades are perfect).
The System provides instructors with the authority to drop students that miss more than 6hours of lecture (i.e. if one misses FOUR classes during a regular 16-week session they may be
dropped from the course).
If you as a student plan on dropping the course it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to drop: if a name
appears on the final grade roster when the student intended to drop, that student will receive
an “F” for their final grade.
Three-Peater Statement:
Students who take a course for the third time or more may soon face significant tuition/fee
increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. If you are considering
course withdrawal because you are not earning passing grades, confer with your
instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing
homework, test-taking skills, attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring or
other assistance that might be available.
HONESTY POLICY:
As with your attendance, this is YOUR degree not your neighbor’s not your friend’s or family
member’s, do your own work, your own tests; take pride in your mind and ownership of your
work.
Academic dishonesty (cheating) will result in a ZERO for the assignment and/or for the course,
and possible expulsion from college, depending on the severity of the offense. ***
Objectives and Outcomes from GOVT 2305
Students will leave this class knowing what, and who, influenced our Founding Fathers to break
from England in 1770s-1780s. They will know the Founding Documents: Declaration of
Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. Students will have a grasp on
some key Supreme Court Opinions interpreting the Bill of Rights.
Students will know the “players” and the structures of the Federal Government. Resources that
are available to research from original sources will be covered throughout the course, and be
able to form coherent statements, and/or opinions, from that data.
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:
Three papers are going to be written during the course of the class, a guide to how to write
these papers will be provided to the students prior to the first assignment. The topics will
reflect current events within the national and international arenas so it is advisable to watch or
read the news daily.
Sources for the news are (to name a few):
http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage
http://www.asiapacificnews.net/
http://www.cnn.com/
http://drudgereport.com/
http://www.economist.com/
http://www.ft.com/home/us
http://www.heritage.org/
http://mises.org/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
http://www.nytimes.com/
5% Extra Credit is available to students that write their governmental representative.
Elected Officials are servants; they are there to service their constituents. Please get involved
in the process and earn 5% in the process.
If you need any help with the class or other courses I have been through what most of your are
doing, plus I have over 20 years corporate experience, I am available at different times each
semester for STUDENT CONFERENCES just ask me before or after class and we can schedule
more time if needed.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Sat, 01/18/2014
Introductions
The Social Contract
Political Leadership and Opinion
Political Influences of Our Founding
Plato and Socrates
Aristotle
Sat, 01/25/2014
Influences (cont.)
Polybius and Mixed Government
Cicero
Thomas Hobbes v. John Locke
Montesquieu and Mixed Government
Alexis de Tocqueville
Sat, 02/01/2014
Historical overview of National Laws
Overview of political terms and theories
Virginian Constitution and Declaration of Rights
Sat, 02/08/2014
Declaration of Independence
Articles of Confederation
US Constitution
Article I
Congress
Sat, 02/15/2014
US Constitution
Article II
The President
US Constitution
Article III – VII
Courts
Type of Government
Methods of Amending
Sat, 02/22/2014
Federalist / Anti-Federalist Papers
Amendments
Bill of Rights
11th - 27th Amendments
Sat, 03/01/2014
Midterm
Sat, 03/08/2014
Go over Midterms
Historical overview of legislation
US Congress – House
US Congress – House
Senate
Sat, 03/29/2014
Committees, Caucus’, and Commissions
How a Bill becomes Law
The President
Biographies of select presidents
Sat, 04/05/2014
The President (cont.)
Biographies of select presidents
VP and Executive Offices
Cabinet
Sat, 04/12/2014
Cabinet (cont.)
Supreme Court
Lower Courts
Sat, 04/19/2014
Monetary Policy
Fiscal Policy
Sat, 04/26/2014
Fiscal Policy (cont.)
Sat, 05/03/2014
Foreign and Energy Policy
Sat, 05/10/2014
Final