Government 2306
Texas Government
Second Start - Fall Semester 2013
Course# 66577 - Stafford Campus
Days/Time: M & W 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Room 219 – Learning Hub
Instructor: Charlotte Craik
E-Mail: charlotte.craik@hccs.edu
Government 2306 is designed to introduce students to the study of the origin
and development of the Texas constitution, structure and powers of state and
local governments, federalism and inter-governmental relations, political
participation, the election process, the public process, public policy, and the
political culture of Texas. This particular survey of the Texas system of
government includes a study of the fundamental principles of political
science, the study of the state constitutions, the state legislative, executive
and judicial branches, local governments. This course is fully transferable to
all Texas State colleges and universities.
1. Required Text:
Lyle C. Brown, Joyce A. Langenegger, Sonia R. Garcia, Ted A Lewis,
Robert E. Biles. 2014. Practicing Texas Politics, 2013 – 2014 Edition.
Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Loose Leaf Edition (HCC Bookstore)
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%
(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
The Environment of Texas Politics, Federalism and the Texas
Constitution, Local Governments, and Finance and Fiscal Policy
Approximate date: Oct. 14
Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 11 (pp.451 – 460)
Political Parties, Campaigns and Elections, and The Politics of Interest
Groups
Approximate date: Nov. 6
Chapters 4, 5, and 6
Research Project Due: Nov. 13. All written assignments will be delivered
in class on or before the day assigned. No e-mailed or late copies will be
accepted.
The Legislature, The Executive, and Laws, Courts, and Justice
Approximate date: Dec. 9
Chapters 7, 8, and 10
RESEARCH PROJECT - 25 PTS. - Due November 13
What Property Taxes Do You Pay?
This project gives you an opportunity to explore the various entities of local government
that affect your life. This will be original and unique research utilizing a variety of
sources including some as basic as the telephone book, the internet and library. No two
persons will have the same results unless you live in the same house or apartment. Every
person in this class lives in the United States and in the State of Texas. If you work, you
have federal income taxes deducted from your paycheck (usually). If you purchase items
you pay sales tax to the State of Texas, and frequently to the city in which the item was
purchased. Taxes are also collected from individuals based on the value of their home,
apartment, etc. If you own the home you pay the taxes directly. If you are a renter, you
are indirectly paying the taxes through the landlord.
The focus of this project will be to discover the property taxing entities you live in and
research the activities of one of those taxing entities.
Step 1 Based on your home address, print out the taxing entities you live in and
their various property tax rates. This information can be found on the internet.
If you live in Harris County, go to www.hcad.org. If you live in Fort Bend, check
www.fbcad.org. Include a printout of the taxing information for your
property - feel free to white-out the appraised value of your property.
NOTE: If you life in an apartment you will have to check the business
section of the appropriate web site.
Caution: In some cases your school district will not be included in your
initial research. EVERYONE lives in a school district, so you may need to
check further.
Caution: If you live in Fort Bend County, you may need to do additional
research to find out tax rates. Tax rates are readily available on the Fort
Bend Tax Assessor Collector website.
Step 2 Assume your house is valued at EXACTLY $100,000. Figure the various
taxes you pay and total them up (make the further assumption that there are no
tax exemptions). Type on a separate sheet the name of the taxing entity, the tax
rate, taxes paid to the entity and the TOTAL property taxes paid.
Step 3 Write a two to three page typewritten analysis of a current (no earlier than
4/1/2013) political problem or political issue facing ONE of the units of
government that you live in. Most of this information is readily available in
local newspapers (Harris County residents should check with Houston Chronicle
and Houston Press & neighborhood papers; Fort Bend County residents should
check online, but you must use your HCCS library card in order to access the
Houston Chronicle database without paying a fee. This analysis should include
all appropriate citations including footnotes/endnotes AND a bibliography of
at least three different articles, attaching copies of the articles or sources.
Citations may use any standard format. (Additional information is available
on the HCC library website). In other words, this is a small research paper.
OR
Attend THREE meetings of one of the governing bodies of the local entities YOU
LIVE IN, such as County Commissioners Court, City Councils, and School Boards
meetings. Write descriptive essay regarding each of your visits including your
personal opinion as well as factual events. Your report should include copies of the
agenda for each meeting.
Step 4 Write a typewritten descriptive essay about HOW you conducted the research for
this project and how it impacted you.
Step 5 Include a cover sheet and include Steps 1 - 4 in the order listed above on or before
the final due date!!
No project report will be accepted after November 25
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 (3 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
Friday, November 11, 2013, at 4:30 p.m. After the deadline, a student will
receive the grade that he/she has that date. 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 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 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.