Houston Community College System
American Government 2301-38 (51667)
Fall Semester, 2011
Instructor:
Kelly Jacobs
Office Hours:
The instructor can be reached at jacobsko@gmail.com
Class Meeting Times: Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00-9:30AM. Westloop C242
Course Description:
GOVT 2301: A study of theories of American democracy and other ideologies, United States
and Texas constitutions, federalism, state and local government, political economy, political
socialization and public opinion, the media, interest groups, and political parties and elections.
This course formatted to include lecture and class discussion. Student participation in class discussions is
required. Students are expected to be aware of and follow current international, national, and local
political events that might pertain to class discussions. Each class meeting will begin with a topic
(regarding interesting current events) on which students should attempt to provide comments and
opinions.
Course Goals:
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to write college level
reports, analyze various written works and have a basic understanding of:
1. The Policymaking Process;
2. U.S. and Texas Constitutions;
3. U.S. and Texas Demographics;
4. Federalism;
5. Public Opinion;
6. Political Participation;
7. Political Parties in the U.S. and Texas;
8. Interest Groups in the U.S. and Texas;
9. Campaigns and Elections in the U.S. and Texas; and
10. Local Government in Texas.
1. O’Connor, Karen et al. American Government: Roots and Reform, Custom
Edition for Houston Community College. Boston: Pearson, 2011.
Texts:
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2. Access to Pearson Publishing’s My Polisci Lab at:
http://www.mypoliscilab.com/index.html
3. A copy of the United States Constitution, which can be downloaded from the
national archives website (listed below). [click the “printer-friendly version”
button and print]. This will require about 20 pages to print [10 if printed 2
sided].
Website:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html
Grading:
There will be two exams, a participation grade (or, a series of quizzes), and a
final exam given during the semester. There will also be a written assignment. The exams will consist of
about 30-50 multiple-choice, True/False and short answer questions. The series of quizzes might consist
of True/False, multiple-choice, short essay, and/or short answer questions. The number, difficulty, and
length of the quizzes is at the discretion of the instructor and will correlate to the level and quality of class
participation. Therefore, a class with a high level of participation in discussions and activities can expect
one or a few easier quizzes while a class that demonstrates a low level of participation can expect several
quizzes on a more difficult level. Quizzes will likely be unannounced and administered at the beginning of
class. If the class (as a group) maintains an excellent level of participation, there will be no quizzes. If this
turns out to be the case with this class in particular, the quiz grade will be replaced with an individual
participation grade for each student, which will be based upon attendance, punctuality, etc. The final
exam is a comprehensive multiple-choice exam and will consist of questions from the last sections of the
course as well as the first two exams. Depending of class participation, there might be extra-credit
opportunities, which are optional and not a part of the graded items listed below.
Grading Scale:
Exam 1
Exam 2
Participation (or quizzes)
Written Assignment
Final Exam
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
A
B
C
D
F
There are NO make-up exams. Students who have missed an exam will not be allowed to retake
the exam. However, if you have a medical reason, please notify the instructor to discuss an alternative.
YOU MUST CAREFULLY READ ALL ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS! Assignments not turned
in on the due date will likely not be graded. Failure to turn in the written assignment on the due
date will result in a drop of one letter-grade per day past the due date that the assignment is
turned in.
Participation:
The participation component for each student is based on punctuality,
attendance, participation in class discussions, and overall class behavior. Students who are chronically
late, absent, sleeping, and/or using their laptops and smartphone for reasons other than for class
purposes will not receive high grades for the participation component.
Written Assignment:
Students are required to submit a written assignment during the
semester. The written assignment is worth 20% of the final grade in this course. The report should be at
least 5 pages in length plus appendices, double-spaced, 12-point font (either Times New Roman or Arial)
with 1-inch margins, typed on any type of word processing software that allows for checking spelling and
grammar, stapled with a cover sheet. The cover sheet must include the date, CRN number, course title,
class meeting times, instructor’s name, as well as the topic and title of the report. Spelling and written
grammar are part of the written assignment grade. Students must document the sources used in the
research of the paper in an appropriate manner (footnotes or endnotes AND bibliography) using any
method (MLA, Chicago, etc.). Do not use contractions (e.g., “don’t” or “can’t”) in your paper. Do not end
sentences with prepositions in your paper. Also, remember the correct usage of “its” and “it’s” in your
paper. “Its” is possessive (e.g., “Considering its amendments,…”). “It’s” means “It is.” Failure to
document your sources will result in a grade of zero. If you have any questions regarding the written
assignment, please contact the instructor before the due date.
Topics for the research paper will be assigned in class.
Attendance:
Students are expected to attend class regularly. Students are responsible for
materials covered during their absences. Although it is the responsibility of the student to officially
withdraw from the course, a student may be dropped from the course for reasons stated in the Policy
Regarding “W,” “F,” and “I” section on the last page of the syllabus. Failure of a student to officially
withdraw from the course will result in the student receiving a grade of “F” in the course.
“Cardinal sins” of the course
Do not commit any of these violations while in class under any circumstances:
1.
Cheating on exams in any shape or form.
2.
Cheating on the written assignment in any shape or form.
3.
Being disrespectful of your classmates’ and/or professor’s views and/or input.
4.
Exhibiting unprofessional and/or unscholarly behavior and/or language.
5.
Talking to other students while the professor is lecturing.
6.
Talking and/or texting on smartphones during class.
7.
Haggling the professor for a particular grade. Discussing a grade is one thing—haggling is
another.
Scholastic Dishonesty:
There will be no sharing of answers on exams, quizzes, or on the written
assignment. In addition, students must present their original work on all assignments and document all
outside sources. Plagiarism is not allowed under any circumstances! Cheating will result in a grade of
“F” in the course as well as various discipline actions according to HCCS policy.
POLICY REGARDING “W,” “F,” AND “I”:
Withdrawal from a course (“W”)
It is your responsibility to officially withdraw from a class and prevent an “F” from appearing on
your transcript. When considering withdrawal from a course, remember the following information:

If you withdraw before the Official Date of Record, no grade is given and your transcript reflects
no record of the course.

A “W” (indicating withdrawal) appears on your transcript if you drop a course after the Official
Date of Record and before the final deadline.

If you do not attend class before the Official Date of Record, the college may automatically drop
you from the course.

A “W” (withdrawal) may negatively impact your ability to receive financial aid or your visa status if
you are an international student.

If you MUST withdraw, visit with your instructor, a counselor or online student services associate
prior to withdrawing (dropping) the class BEFORE the “Last Day for Administrative/Student
Withdrawals” posted in the HCCS Schedule of Classes. Instructors are no longer allowed to
process a “W” on their final grades—YOU are responsible for processing the paperwork in a
timely manner.
Failure of a course (“F”)
You will receive an “F” in this class if your grade is less than 60%. Receiving an “F” (failure) may
negatively impact your ability to receive financial aid. It is YOUR responsibility to submit collegelevel quality work in a timely fashion or to withdraw yourself from the course by the deadline if you
cannot complete your work satisfactorily.
Incomplete (“I”)
You will receive an “I” (incomplete) ONLY in the event of a documented emergency situation that
prevents you from completing the last assignment, such as the final exam. You must speak with
your instructor as soon as possible in the event of such an emergency to arrange a course
completion schedule. If you receive an “I,” you must arrange with the instructor to complete the
course work before the end of the next long semester. After that deadline, the “I” becomes an
“I/F.” All “I” designations must be changed to grades prior to graduation. The changed grade will
appear on your record as “I/Grade” (e.g., “I/B”).
NOTICE OF STUDENTS’ RESPONSIBILITY TO READ THE HCCS STUDENT HANDBOOK: Please
refer to the HCCS Student Handbook for information about students’ rights and responsibilities. It is your
responsibility to be aware of the information provided in this document.
Course Outline:
The following course assignments fulfill the reading, listening, speaking, writing,
computer literacy, and critical thinking components required by the HCCS core curriculum.
This course outline is tentative and is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion.
Students are to read assigned chapters BEFORE the listed dates.
August 30
Review Syllabus, Introduction
September 1
Theories of Government
September 6
Theories of Government (Cont.)
September 8
Theories of Government (Cont.)
September 13 Ch. 1 A Changing America in a Changing World
Ch. 18 The People, Economy, and Political Culture of Texas
September 15 Ch. 2 The American Constitution
September 20 Ch. 2 The American Constitution
September 22 Constitutional Analysis
September 27 Constitutional Analysis
September 29 Constitutional Analysis
October 4
Constitutional Analysis
October 6
EXAM 1
October 11
Ch. 3 The Federal System
October 13
Ch. 3 The Federal System
October 18
Ch. 3 The Federal System
Ch. 20 The Federal Context of Texas Policymaking Ch. 8 Political Parties
October 20
Ch. 8 Political Parties
October 25
Ch. 8 Political Parties
Ch. 23 Political Parties in Texas
October 27
EXAM 2
November 1
Ch. 4 Public Opinion
November 3
Ch. 4 Public Opinion
Ch. 5 Political Participation
November 8
Ch. 9 Elections
November 10
Ch. 9 Elections
Ch. 24 Texas Elections
November 15
Ch. 7 Interest Groups
November 17 Ch. 7 Interest Groups
Ch. 22 Interest Groups in Texas
November 22
Ch. 6 The Media
November 24 Thanksgiving Holiday (No Class)
November 29 Ch. 28 Local Government in Texas
December 1
Ch. 28 Local Government in Texas
December 6
Ch. 29 Texas Counties, School Districts, and Special Districts
RESEARCH PROJECT DUE!
December 8
LAST DAY OF CLASS!
Review for Final Exam
December 13 Study Day (No Class)
December 15 FINAL EXAM!
FINAL EXAM: Thursday, December 15th, 8:00-10:00AM.
In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the information on this syllabus is subject to change.