Government 2305
American Government
Spring Semester 2014
Stafford Campus
Days/Time: Friday 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Room 223 – Learning Hub
Instructor: Charlotte Craik
E-Mail: charlotte.craik@hccs.edu
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 U.S. Constitution, structure and
powers of the national government including the legislative, executive, and
judicial branches, federalism, political participation, the national election
process, public policy, civil liberties and civil rights. The course goals are to
develop an understanding of the institutions and political processes of the
American political system; encourage critical thinking about political events;
and introduce students to the discipline of Political Science and how political
scientists study politics scientifically. This course is fully transferable to all
Texas State colleges and universities.
Required Text:
O’Connor, Sabato, Yanus. Essentials of American Government: Roots And
Reform, 2011 Edition. Pearson Longman Publishers.
Additional Readings
Supplemental readings may be distributed throughout the semester.
Recommended
Students are encouraged to follow current political events by reading
newspapers and following media news reports.
Testing and Grading
Grades will be based on the following:
3 Exams @ 25% each
(including part essay and part multiple choice
components)
1 Research Project
= 75%
= 25%
100%
Test essay questions are based on text lectures and/or material
distributed to you at least one class before the test. The multiple choice
portion of the test is closed book and based on assigned textbook chapters
and lecture information. You are not only learning facts and theories; you
are also learning critical thinking and the ability to express that thinking in
your essays and in your class discussion.
TEST SCHEDULE
American Government; Roots, Context, and Culture, The Constitution,
The Federal System, and Civil Liberties
Approximate date: Feb. 14th
Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4
Research Project Due: March 21st All written assignments will be
delivered in class on or before the day assigned. No e-mailed or late copies
will be accepted.
Congress, The Presidency, The Judiciary, and Foreign and Defense
Policy
Approximate date: March 28th
Chapters 6, 7, 9, and 14
Public Opinion and The News Media, Political Parties and Interest
Groups, Campaigns, Elections and Voting, Social and Economic Policy
Approximate date: May 9th
Chapters 10, 11, 12, and 13
Spring Break – March 10th – 14th, Campus Closed
Good Friday – April 18th – Campus Closed
Student Notification Statements:
1. Advising and Counseling Services
Advising can be accomplished by contacting the Student Associate at 713718-6879, selection 2, and on-site advising at other HCC locations upon
request. Confidential sessions with education counselors will help students
understand admissions, registration, entrance testing requirements, degree
planning, transfer issues, and career counseling. Houston Community
College counselors also maintain a local referral base in order to provide
appropriate referrals to students with personal or family issues that may
require long-term solutions.
2. Disability (ADA) Notification
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning,
psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc) who needs to arrange reasonable
accommodations must contact the appropriate HCC Disability Support
Service (DSS) Counselor at the beginning of each semester. Faculty is
authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability
Support Services Office. The Disability Support Services Office number for
Southwest College is 713-718-7910.
3. NEW POLICY: Students who repeat a course for a third or more times
may soon face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas
public colleges and universities. Please ask your counselor about
opportunities for assistance prior to considering course withdrawal or if you
are not receiving passing grades.
4. Scholastic Dishonesty
Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity
in fulfilling course requirements. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not
limited to, cheating on a test or a written assignment, plagiarism, and
collusion. Please refer to your student handbook for definitions of these
terms. The maximum penalty for scholastic dishonesty is failure of the
course.
5. Attendance, Tardiness and Drops
A record of attendance is carefully maintained. Habitual tardiness and /or
talkativeness are disruptive and unacceptable. HCC policy states that
students may be administratively withdrawn if they miss more than 6 hours
of class. A student who misses 6 semester hours of class (2 days) may be
dropped by the Instructor. If a student wishes to drop the course, it is the
student’s responsibility to fill out the appropriate form in the college office
on campus. A student may drop a course for any reason on or before
Monday, March 31, at 4:30 p.m. After the deadline, a student will receive
the grade that he/she has at the end of the semester. College policy now
prohibits faculty from submitting a grade of W after the official drop date.
6. Policy on Make-up Tests:
There are no make-up tests after a test is given. Notify the instructor, in
advance, if you plan on missing an exam day in order to take it before the
remainder of the students.
7. EGLS3 - Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey Systems
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 research-based 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.
8. FINAL GRADE OF FX:
Students who stop attending class and do not withdraw themselves prior to
the withdrawal deadline will 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 nonattending. 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.