Spring 2016: CRN 88127
GOVT 2305-411: Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform
Instructor’s Contact Information:
Professor: Marsha N. Lindsay
Campus: Northline Campus Room: 214
Mobile # : 281.804.4888
Email: marsha.lindsay@hccs.edu (preferred means of communication).
Office Hours: I do not have an office. Conferences may be scheduled prior to, or after class.
Purpose of the Course:
Government 2305 is one of two courses designed to introduce students to the study of the origin and development of the Texas
constitution, structure and powers of state and local government, federalism and inter-governmental relations, political
participation, the election process, public policy, and the political culture of Texas. This particular survey of the Texas state
system of government includes the fundamental principles of political science, the study of the Texas state constitution, the state
legislative, executive and judicial branches, local governments, methods of participation, and analysis of contemporary policies.
This course is fully transferable to all Texas State colleges and universities.
Required Text: Geer, John T. Gatewasys to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government, 3rd Edition. ISBN # 978-1285-85290-4; 978-1-305-63402-2 (loose leaf edition).
Supplemental Text: O’Connor, Sabato, Yanus. Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2012 Edition. Pearson
Longman Publishers. ISBN #13-978-0-205-88399-8.
Recommended:
Study Guides are available on-line to accompany the required texts. Students are also encouraged to follow current political
events by reading newspapers and following media news reports.
Course Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
1. Explain the origin and development of the Texas constitution.
2. Describe state and local political systems and their relationship with the federal government.
3. Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice in Texas.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of Texas government.
5. Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in Texas.
6. Analyze the state and local election process.
7. Identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
8. Analyze issues, policies and political culture of Texas.
Student Notification Statements:
FINAL GRADE OF FX: Students who stop attending class and do not withdraw themselves prior to the withdrawal deadline may
either be dropped by their professor for excessive absences or be assigned the final grade of "FX" at the end of the semester.
Students who stop attending classes will receive a grade of "FX", compared to an earned grade of "F" which is due to poor
performance. Logging into a DE course without active participation is seen as non-attending. Please note that HCC will not
disperse financial aid funding for students who have never attended class. Students who receive financial aid but fail to attend
class will be reported to the Department of Education and may have to pay back their aid. A grade of "FX" is treated exactly the
same as a grade of "F" in terms of GPA, probation, suspension, and satisfactory academic progress.
ADA Statement: Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs
to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Ability Services Office at the respective college at the beginning of
each semester. Faculty is authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Ability Services Office. At Southwest
College, students should contact Dr. Becky Hauri at 713-718-7909. Students who are requesting special testing
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Spring 2016: CRN 88127
accommodations must first contact the appropriate (most convenient) DSS office for assistance:
Disability Support Services Offices:
System: 713.718.5165; Central: 713.718.6164 – also for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and Students Outside of the HCC
District service areas. Northwest: 713.718.5422; Northeast: 713.718.8420; Southeast: 713.718.7218; Southwest: 713.718.7909
EGLS3: At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching
and learning. During a designated time near the end of the term, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of researchbased questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and
department chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College
Student System online near the end of the term.
HCC Course Withdrawal Policy: The State of Texas imposes penalties on students who drop courses excessively. Students
are limited to no more than SIX total course withdrawals throughout their educational career at a Texas public college or
university. The last day for administrative/student withdrawals is April 5th, 2016.
Student Services: DISTANCE EDUCATION ADVISING AND COUNSELING SERVICES: Much DE student information can be
found on the DE Student Services website: de.hccs.edu. Advising or counseling can be accomplished through our online
request form AskDECounseling. Counselors and Student Services Associates (SSA) can assist students with admissions,
registration, entrance testing requirements, degree planning, transfer issues, and career counseling. In-person, confidential
sessions, can also be scheduled to provide brief counseling and community referrals to address personal concerns impacting
academic success.
International Students: International Students are restricted to ONLY ONE online/distance education class per semester.
Please contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have additional questions about your visa status.
Due Dates for Assignments: All work is to be submitted to your instructor upon arrival to class (unless otherwise noted in
syllabus). If unanticipated and extraordinary circumstances prevent you from attending class and you are unable to submit an
assignment on time, you are responsible for making arrangements with the instructor as soon as possible. All written
assignments are based up reading or activities known well in advance, so a learner is expected to plan in advance the
completion of assignments considering events like holidays, travel or vacations. Effective time management will enable students
to prioritize family, work and school responsibilities.
Oral Presentation: You will select a topic from the list provided on the last page of the syllabus. You will then prepare a
presentation on your respective topic. Acceptable visual aids are as follows (PowerPoint) and poster boards, brochures,
newspaper articles, etc., if you are distributing additional material to the class). The presentation should be at least 7 minutes,
not to exceed 15 minutes. A grading rubric will be distributed for you to know in advance how it will be graded.
Peer Evaluations: Peer evaluations will be conducted during the class presentations.
Debate & Interview: You will be paired up with a classmate, and interview them on a specific topic. After which, you will prepare
a brief summary, and debate someone of a differing opinion. Classmates will be given a points sheet to score.
Newspaper Articles: Collect 20 newspaper articles, or magazine stories, of or relating to an issue of local, state, national or
foreign government (these are worth 10 points each). Prepare a one paragraph summary of the article. (Specific guidelines for
articles will be discussed in class and an example provided for article submissions).
Quizzes: There will be four quizzes during the course of the semester.
Midterm: You will be tested over chapters 1-7. You will need a #2 pencil. A scantron will be provided.
Final: You will be tested over chapters 8-14. You will need a #2 pencil. A scantron will be provided.
Feedback Schedule: Students are expected to read and participate in discussions every week. Assignments will be graded and
feedback given back to students within one week.
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Spring 2016: CRN 88127
Grading:
A=90 -100
B=80– 89
C=70 – 79
D=60– 69
F= 59 and below
Oral Presentation
Peer Evaluations
Peer Interview/Debate
Group Discussions
Quizzes (25 points each).
Midterm (multiple choice, true/false)
Final (multiple choice, true/false)
20%
10%
10%
20%
10%
20%
10%
Class Schedule and Assignments
Due Dates for Assignments: All work is to be submitted to your instructor the beginning of class, unless otherwise noted. THE
WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT THE INSTRUCTORS DISCRETION. IF THIS OCCURS, A
REVISED COPY OF THE SCHEDULE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED.
The following due dates apply for all graded and reading assignments. You are expected to have read the weekly assignments
prior to class in order to be prepared for discussion. The lectures and class discussions will be based on the reading material
assigned.
Required Text: Geer, John T. Gatewasys to Democracy: An Introduction to American Government, 3 rd Edition. ISBN # 978-1285-85290-4; 978-1-305-63402-2 (loose leaf edition).
Week & Date
WK 1: 01/23
Weekly Activity
Class introductions and course expectations.
WK 2: 01/30
Reading Assignments
Introduction to Government: Roots, Context, and Culture. Distribute student
contact sheet, and review syllabus.
Chapter 1: Gateways to American Democracy
WK 3: 02/06
Chapter 2: The Constitution; Chapter 3: Federalism
Instructor lecture; class discussion
WK 4: 02/13
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties; Chapter 5: Civil Rights; video presentation
Instructor lecture; class discussion; Quiz # 2
WK 5: 02/20
Chapter 6: Public Opinion; peer assignments
Instructor lecture; class discussion
WK 6: 02/27
Chapter 7: The News and Social Media; video presentation
WK 7: 03/05
Peer Interviews & Debates
Instructor lecture; class discussion; Quiz # 3
Essay question due
Instructor lecture; class discussion;
WK 8: 03/12
Midterm Exam: Chapters 1 – 6 (Please bring 2-#2 pencils; scantron form will be
provided). You are dismissed once you turn in your scantron.
Instructor lecture; class discussion;
presentation topics due.
WK 10: 03/26
Chapter 8: Interest Groups; Chapter 9: Political Parties; video presentation
WK 11: 04/02
WK 13: 04/23
Chapter 10 : Elections and Campaigns ; Chapter 11 Voting & Participation
distribute presentation schedule and grading rubric.
Chapter 12: Congress ; Chapter 13: The Presidency : Chapter 14 The
Bureaucracy
Chapter 15: The Judiciary ; Chapter 16 : Economic, Domestic and Foreign Policy
WK 14: 04/30
Presentations
WK 15: 05/07
Presentations
WK 16: 05/14
FINAL EXAM (YOU MUST ARRIVE TO CLASS ON TIME. LATE ARRIVALS
WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO ENTER. NO EXCEPTIONS!!
Instructor lecture; class discussion; Quiz # 1
NO CLASS : SPRING BREAK HOLIDAY 03/14-03/20
WK 12: 04/09
Instructor lecture; class discussion; Quiz # 4
Essay question due
Instructor lecture; class discussion.
Instructor lecture; class discussion.
Instructor lecture; class discussion
You must be in class by 855am.
Presentations will begin promptly at 9:00am.
Late entrance will not be permitted.
You must be in class by 855am.
Presentations will begin promptly at 9:00am.
Late entrance will not be permitted.
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Spring 2016: CRN 88127
Supplemental Text: O’Connor, Sabato, Yanus. Essentials of American Government: Roots and Reform, 2012 Edition. Pearson
Longman Publishers. ISBN #13-978-0-205-88399-8.
Week & Date
WK 1: 01/23
Weekly Activity
Class introductions and course expectations.
WK 2: 01/30
Reading Assignments
Introduction to Government: Roots, Context, and Culture. Distribute student
contact sheet, and review syllabus.
Chapter 1: American Government: Roots, Context, and Culture (2-23)
WK 3: 02/06
Chapter 2: The Constitution:(24-53); Chapter 3: The Federal System (54-77)
Instructor lecture; class discussion
WK 4: 02/13
The Federal System; Chapter 4: Civil liberties (78-109); Video presentation
Instructor lecture; class discussion
WK 5: 02/20
Instructor lecture; class discussion;
WK 6: 02/27
Continue Chapter 4: Civil Liberties (78-109); Chapter 5: Civil Rights (110-139);
handout review for Midterm.
Conclude Chapter 5: Civil Rights (110-139); movie presentation
WK 7: 03/05
Chapter 6: Congress (140-171); Chapter 7: The Presidency (172-195).
WK 8: 03/12
Instructor lecture; class discussion.
Instructor lecture; class discussion.
Instructor lecture; class discussion;
presentation topics due.
WK 10: 03/26
WK 11: 04/02
WK 12: 04/09
WK 13: 04/23
WK 14: 04/30
WK 15: 05/07
WK 16: 05/14
NO CLASS : SPRING BREAK HOLIDAY 03/14-03/20
Chapter 8: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy (196-219);
Chapter 9 : The Judiciary (220-247)
Watch a movie, documentary of or relating to the Presidency, Judiciary, Executive
Branch, or Federal Bureaucracy. (Titles will provided to assist you with selection).
Chapter 10: Public Opinion & The Media (248-279) .
Chapter 11 : Political Parties and Interest Groups (280-311).
Chapter 12: Campaigns, Elections, and Voting: (312-345).
Chapter 13: Social and Economic Policy (346-375);
Chapter 14: Foreign Defense Policy (376-407). Movie Presentation: Foreign
Defense Policy
Presentations: (Please adhere to the schedule).
Presentations: (Please adhere to the schedule); FINAL EXAM (YOU MUST
ARRIVE TO CLASS ON TIME. LATE ARRIVALS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED
TO ENTER. NO EXCEPTIONS!!
Instructor lecture; class discussion.
NO CLASS: EASTER WEEKEND
Instructor lecture; class discussion;
presentation schedule and grading rubric
distributed.
Instructor lecture; class discussion
Instructor lecture; class discussion.
You must be in class by 855am.
Presentations will begin promptly at 9:00am.
Late entrance will not be permitted.
You must be in class by 855am.
Presentations will begin promptly at 9:00am.
Late entrance will not be permitted.
Landmark Civil Rights/Movement Cases:
Dred Scott v Sandford (1857). A llandmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court held that African
Americans, whether slave or free, could not be American citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court.
Plessy v Ferguson, (1896) landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the jurisprudence of the United States,
upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in public facilities under the doctrine of "separate but
equal".
Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corp., (1971). An employer may not, in the absence of business necessity, refuse to hire
women with pre-school-age children while hiring men with such children.
Gonzales v. Carhart, (2007) Held that the Congress can prohibit a specific abortion procedure (Intact dilation and
extraction—also known as partial-birth abortion) on grounds that it "implicates additional ethical and moral concerns that
justify a special prohibition."
Reid v. Covert, (1957), U.S. citizens abroad, even when associated with the military, are not deprived of the protection of
the Constitution or of the Bill of Rights and cannot be made subject to military jurisdiction.
Hernandez v. Texas, (1954), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that decided that Mexican Americans and
all other racial groups in the United States had equal protection under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Sweatt v Painter (1950) A Black man (Herman Marion Sweatt) refused admission to the University of Texas.
Hopwood v Texas (1996) plaintiff Cheryl Hopwood (White American) denied admission.
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