GOVERNMENT 2305: AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
CRN 66682 - Fall 2013
South Campus – Willie Gay Hall, Rm 114
10 AM -11:30 AM | Mon/Wed
3 hour lecture course / 48 hours per semester/ 16 weeks
Instructor:
Dr. Carolyn Lewis
Instructor Contact Information:
E-Mail:
carolyn.lewis@hccs.edu
Voice Mail: 832-795-9057 (cell)
Course Website. Go to the Learning Web at: http://learning.cc.hccs.edu
At the “Find a Faculty Member” field type my name: Carolyn Lewis and it will take you to a
picture of me. Click on my name to the right of the picture, click on American Government
(GOVT 2305), and it will take you to my webpage where you can find the syllabus, copies of
powerpoint presentations and handouts for the course.
Course Description. This course studies American democracy and other ideologies, the United
States Constitution, federalism, political economy, political socialization, public opinion, the
media, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections, executive, legislative and judicial
institutions, civil liberties, civil rights, economic, social and foreign policy.
Course Prerequisites. Must be placed into college-level reading and college-level writing.
Course Objectives. The main objective of the course is to broaden and deepen our
understanding of American politics. This objective has at least three parts. The first part is to
develop a body of shared knowledge about American politics. The second part is to become
acquainted with and understand a number of important concepts and theories with which to make
sense of American politics. The third part is to develop some of the skills necessary to the
understanding and practice of American politics.
Student Learning Objectives. After completing GOVT 2305 students will be able to do the
following:

Demonstrate the ability to read and evaluate government documents and data critical to
the study of American government and politics, election returns, public opinion data,
Census data, and political party platforms.

Describe the methods individuals and groups use to affect government policy and
evaluate their effectiveness.

Articulate contrasting points of view on one or more major political issues.

Give specific examples of the impact of election systems at different levels on
contemporary policymaking.
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Demonstrate the ability to read and evaluate the U.S. Constitution.

Demonstrate the political knowledge to understand what is being reported/discussed in
the media.

Describe and evaluate the impact of government on the lives of individuals and society as
a whole.
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Compare and contrast the election systems of American government.

Trace the development of the U.S. Constitutions from their drafting through the present.

Identify and evaluate information sources for political news, data, and opinion, including
newspapers, websites, television, radio, and social media.
Instructional Methods. This class will consist of lectures, class discussions and group activities.
Course Requirements. The course requirements are:
First Midterm Examination
Second Midterm Examination
Final Examination
Short Term Paper Assignment
Group Debate Presentations
Attendance
15% of the course grade
20% of the course grade
30% of the course grade
20% of the course grade
10% of the course grade
5% of the course grade
Grading Scale. The grading scale for all exams, the class presentation, and the course is:
A (Excellent)
B (Good)
C (Average)
D (Poor)
F (Unacceptable)
= 100 - 90 %
= 89 - 80 %
= 79 - 70 %
= 69 - 60 %
= 59 and below %
The following scale will be used for establishing your grades. If your accumulated percentage is
on or near the margin between grades, regular attendance and participation in class can help you
to achieve the better grade. In addition, I will allow extra credit activities such as a movie review
that may count for up to 5% of your total accumulated percentage or ½ a letter grade. This can be
enough to make the difference between a higher and lower grade! So, take the time to take
advantage of this opportunity to make some extra percentage points.
Midterm Exams and Final
The midterm exams will be multiple choice exams with essay questions. The exams will be
based on the readings and our class discussions. The final exam will cover material from the last
third of the class. The exams are weighted from 15% - 30% and will count for 65% of the total
grade and the remainder will be comprised of other elements such as a short term paper, regular
attendance, in class activities and extra credit.
Short Term Paper
This semester I am requiring that each student write a term paper on a topic from the material
that we will be covering in class. I will provide you with a selection of topics for the paper and
some guidelines (4-6 pages double-spaced) on how the paper should be written, e.g., how to
avoid plagiarism. If you wish to write on a topic other than the ones that I provide, then you will
need to talk with me about it and clearly explain how and why it relates to the class and why you
want to write on that topic. This portion of the class will count for 20% of the grade. This
semester I will also be using the “turnitin.com” utility for checking papers; more on this later.
Group Debate Presentations
During this semester, to make our discussions more fun and interesting, I will divide the class
into several groups. Each group will be responsible for leading an in-class debate over a
controversial topic that is currently being debated in American politics and culture. For example,
current topics might include: gun control, abortion rights, gay marriage, and capital punishment. I
will assign topics to each group and the group members should prepare to present a debate over
the controversial aspects of their topic. Some groups members should argue from one side of the
debate, while other group members should argue from the opposing side of the debate. The
objective for this activity is to discuss the debate topic and involve the class, as much as possible,
in the debate discussion. This activity will be graded on a pass/fail basis; if you come and
participate on the day of your debate, you will receive full credit, if you do not come and
participate, then you will not receive any credit. There will be no make-up debates, so plan to be
present when your group is scheduled to debate. Groups are encouraged, but not required to use
powerpoint presentations or other media.
Participation and Attendance
During the semester it will be essential to do the course reading and to come to class on a regular
basis. Attendance will be taken every day and your presence will count as an important portion of
the grade. In general, your participation in activities during class will also count as part of this
grade. This portion of the grade will be somewhat subjective on my part, but putting your head
down and sleeping during class would be a good example of poor participation. Please pay
attention during class, share your views with other students when the time comes for discussion.
Read a newspaper or other news sources such as online newspapers. Keep informed on what is
going on in the world! Doing these will also help you to become a better global citizen.
Make-Up Policy. In order to be eligible for a make-up exam on ONE of the two midterm exams
you must notify me before the exam that you will be absent, or no later than 24 hours after the exam
in the case of an accident or an emergency. You will be required to provide documentation that
validates your claim for reasonable absence. The make-up exam will be administered at the time of
the final exam, so be prepared to stay an extra hour after the final for the make-up. Only ONE
make-up exam will be allowed and there will be no make-up exams for the final.
General Conduct
We all need to be respectful of each other. There will be no fighting or foul language in the
classroom or foul writing on exams or other written assignments. Students need to turn off their
cell phones and DO NOT use notebook computers or cell phones during class. Please use these
only after class. Please do not expect to walk around the classroom or leave the classroom and
come back. Do not leave the classroom to use the cell phone in the middle of a class or during an
exam. There should be absolutely no cell phone usage during exams. Use the restrooms before
coming to class. The main point is simply to treat others with the care and respect you would
hope to receive from them.
Extra Credit Opportunities
If you are doing poorly on one or more of the midterm exams then I will allow you to do an extra
credit activity to boost your grade. You may rent and watch a “political” movie such as “The
Special Relationship,” “Recount,” “John Adams,” “W,” “Milk,” “The Great Debaters,” “You
Don’t know Jack,” “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “The Help,” “The Ides of March,” “The Iron Lady”
or “Lincoln” and write a short paper about it. The paper should be 3-4 pages, double-spaced. You
should answer the following three questions in the paper: (1) what is the film about, (2) how does
the film relate to the class, and (3) what did you get out of watching it? This can count for up to
5% or ½ of a letter grade. So, it could make a big difference at the time of the final grade
calculation. If there are other political movies you are interested in watching for extra credit, just
check with me to make sure it is okay.
Course Attendance and Withdrawal Policy. Attendance will be taken on a daily basis. A
student may officially drop at the registrar's office anytime up to and including Nov. 1st. Students
who stop attending (five or more absences) or never attended class prior to the drop deadline may
be dropped; students who have four absences prior to the official date of record will be dropped by
the instructor. Students who attend class after the drop deadline cannot receive a W.
Students who take a course for the third time or more 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 or a 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.
Beginning Fall 2007, the State of Texas imposes penalties on students who withdraw/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. Students are
encouraged to review the HCC 6 Drop Policy.
To help you avoid having to withdraw from any class, contact your professor regarding your
academic performance. You may also want to contact your counselor to learn about helpful HCC
resources (e.g. online tutoring, child care, financial aid, job placement, etc.).
How to Drop: If a student decides to withdraw from a class upon careful review of other options,
the student can withdraw online prior to the deadline through their HCC Student Center.
HCC and/or professors may withdraw students for excessive absences without notification (see
course attendance policy above).
AskOnline. All government students are encouraged to use HCC’s online tutoring system for help
with any GOVT class. Questions submitted to the ASK queue will be answered within 24 hours –
and usually much before that. Tutors are on duty 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Online tutors will
not do homework for you, but they will guide you in the right direction. To maximize the
effectiveness of the system, be specific when you ask questions, and let the tutor know what class
you are taking. You will receive two responses – one from an English tutor and one from a
government tutor.
Registering for online tutoring is easy. Go to www.hccs.askonline.net. Select a user name and
password that you will remember. Use any e-mail address, and add your student ID number (W
number). It will probably take five minutes to set up your askonline account. After that, you can
submit questions in seconds. Tutor responses are not e-mailed to you. To see the answers, log back
in to the system and click the bright yellow NEW button.
Students with Disabilities. Students who require reasonable accommodations for disabilities are
encouraged to report to LHSB 106, or call 713-718-6164 to make necessary arrangements. Faculty
is only authorized to provide accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.
International Students. Receiving a W in a course may affect the status of your student Visa.
Once a W is given for the course, it will not be changed to an F because of the visa consideration.
Please contact the International Student Office at 713-718-8520 if you have any questions about
your visa status and other transfer issues.
HCC Policy Statement: Academic Honesty. A student who is academically dishonest is, by
definition, not showing that the coursework has been learned, and that student is claiming an
advantage not available to other students. The instructor is responsible for measuring each
student's individual achievements and also for ensuring that all students compete on a level
playing field. Thus, in our system, the instructor has teaching, grading, and enforcement roles.
You are expected to be familiar with the University's Policy on Academic Honesty, found in the
catalog. What that means is: If you are charged with an offense, pleading ignorance of the rules
will not help you. Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity in
fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings may be initiated by
College System officials against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty. "Scholastic
dishonesty": includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.
Cheating on a test includes:





Copying from another students' test paper;
Using materials not authorized by the person giving the test;
Collaborating with another student during a test without authorization;
Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the
contents of a test that has not been administered;
Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
Plagiarism means the appropriation of another's work and the unacknowledged incorporation of
that work in one's own written work offered for credit.
Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work
offered for credit. Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a grade of 0 or F in
the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or
dismissal from the College System. (See the Student Handbook)
Course Textbooks and Readings. The two textbooks for the course can be purchased at the
bookstore at HCCS Central College, 1300 Holman. Take this syllabus with you to make sure you
get the correct books.
The text for the course is:
Bianco, William T., and David T. Canon, American Politics Today, 3rd Essentials Edition. (W.
W. Norton & Co. 2013) ISBN 978-0-393-921069.
Course Topics and Schedule of Readings.
Date
Topics and Readings
Week 1. Aug 26 and Aug 28
Introduction and Course Overview
Understanding American Politics, Chp. 1
Week 2. Labor day and Sep 4
Democracy and American Politics
Understanding American Politics, Chp. 1
Week 3. Sep 9 and Sep 11
The U.S. Constitution
The Constitution and the Founding, Chp. 2
Read: The Declaration of Independence, p. A1
Read: The Constitution of the United States, p. A6
Week 4. Sep 16 and Sep 18
The U.S. Constitution
The Constitution and the Founding, Chp. 2
Madison, “Federalist #10 and #51, p. A16
Debate Group 1: Gun control and the right to arms
Week 5. Sep 23 and Sep 25
Understanding Federalism
Federalism, Chp. 3
Week 6. Sep 30 and Oct 2
Federalism, Chp. 3, Review
Midterm Exam 1 Wed
Week 7. Oct 7 and Oct 9
American Politics
Public Opinion and the Media, Chp. 5
Week 8. Oct 14 and Oct 16
American Politics
Political Parties, Chp. 6
Elections, Chp. 7
Week 9. Oct 21 and Oct 23
American Politics
Interest Groups, Chp. 8
Debate Group 2: Gay marriage and homosexual rights
Week 10. Oct 28 and Oct 30
Interest Groups, Chp. 8, Review
And Midterm Exam 2
Week 11. Nov 4 and Nov 6
American Political Institutions
Congress, Chp. 9
Week 12. Nov 11 and Nov 13
American Political Institutions
The Presidency, Chp. 10 and
The Bureaucracy, Chp. 11
Week 13. Nov 18 and Nov 20
American Political Institutions
The Courts, Chp. 12
Week 14. Nov 25 and Nov 27
Civil Liberties
Civil Liberties, Chp. 4
Short Paper Due, Wednesday Nov. 27th
Week 15. Dec 2 and Dec 4
Civil Rights
Civil Rights, Chp. 13
Debate Group 3: The future of affirmative action.
Week 16. Final Exams, Dec 9-15th
Final Exam on Wed, Dec 11, 10:00 a.m.
As the instructor, I reserve the right to make any changes in the schedule as are necessary to stay on
track and cover all the appropriate material.