GOVERNMENT 2306: TEXAS GOVERNMENT
HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
GOVT 2306 – 0009; Spring 2016 – CRN 86674
South Campus – Willie Gay Hall
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM | Tue/Thu
3 hour lecture course / 48 hours per semester/ 16 weeks/In person
Instructor:
Dr. Carolyn Lewis
Instructor Contact Information:
E-Mail:
carolyn.lewis@hccs.edu
Voice Mail: 832-795-9057 (cell)
Office Hours: Rm 148, By Appointment
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 2306), 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. A study of the Texas Constitution and history, the executive, legislative,
and judicial branches of the state and local governments; the economic, regulatory and social
aspects of public policy in Texas.
Course Prerequisites. Must be placed into college-level reading and college-level writing.
Course Learning Outcomes.
Upon successful completion of this course, each student will be able to:
1. Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system.
3. Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal
government.
5. Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system.
6. Analyze the election process.
7. Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens
8. Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics.
Core Objectives. (GOVT 2305 and 2306)
The Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) mandates that the core curriculum must
ensure that students will develop the essential knowledge and skills they need to be successful in
college, in a career, in their communities, and in life. Through the Texas Core Curriculum,
students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural
world, develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world, and
advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning.
Students enrolled in GOVT 2305/2306 core curriculum courses will complete assessments
designed to measure the following core objectives:
 Critical Thinking Skills—to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and
analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information
 Communication Skills—to include effective development, interpretation and
expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication
 Personal Responsibility—to include the ability to connect choices, actions and
consequences to ethical decision-making
 Social Responsibility—to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and
consequences to ethical decision-making
Student assessment of proficiencies mandated by THECB may include testing, projects, or
assignments.
Government Program Student Learning Outcomes.
1. Identify and describe the institutions of American national government. GOVT
2302/2305
2. Identify and describe the institutions of the State of Texas government. GOVT 2302/2306
3. Identify and evaluate information sources for political news, data, and opinion. GOVT 2306
4. Analyze the effects of the historical, social, political, economic, and cultural forces on politics
and government. GOVT 2306
5. Recognize and assume the responsibilities of citizenship by developing one’s critical thinking
skills, engaging in public discourse, and by obtaining information through the news media.
GOVT 2305
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
Class Presentation
Attendance
20% of the course grade
20% of the course grade
20% of the course grade
20% of the course grade
10% of the course grade
10% 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 one extra credit activity 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 equally weighted (20% each) and will count for 60% 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 each student will have the opportunity to write a short 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 that you can choose from and some specific guidelines on how the paper should be written.
For example, the paper must be wordprocessed and should be approximately 4-6 pages doublespaced with a font size no larger than 12 pt. If you wish to write on a topic in American politics
other than the ones that I provide you, 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 grade and counts as much as a test grade. Thus, it is essential
that each student complete the term paper assignment.
Class Presentation
During this semester, to make our class time more fun and interesting, students will have an
opportunity to lead the class discussions over topics related to the chapter material and learning
for that week. At the beginning of the semester, I will assign students to groups and then assign a
chapter to each group. Each group will then be responsible for presenting material over a topic
(of your choosing) that is related to your chapter assignment, and then lead a discussion over that
material. The presentation should last about 20 minutes. The objective for this activity is to allow
students to have more control over the discussion of the material and to give students an
opportunity to practice presenting and speaking before others. This activity will be graded on a
pass/fail basis; if you come and participate on the day of your discussion, 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 discussions, so plan to be present when it is your time to present. This assignment will
count for 10% of the grade. Groups are encouraged, but not required to use powerpoint
presentations or other media resources such as videos and news feeds.
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 come to class
on time; do not wander in late or leave early. Please DO NOT use your cell phones or notebook
computers during class. Do not leave the classroom to talk on your cell phone and then come
back. This is inappropriate. Please wait until after class to talk on the phone or if it is a true
emergency, then you may leave and explain the nature of the emergency to me later. There
should be absolutely no cell phone usage during exams. Use the restrooms before coming to
class. The main point is simply to treat each other with care and respect.
Extra Credit Opportunities
If you are doing poorly on one or more of the midterm exams or you just want make some extra
points 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,” “You Don’t know Jack,” “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “The Help,” “The Ides of March,”
“The Iron Lady,” “Thirty Dark Zero,” “Mandela,” “the Fifth Estate,” “The Lone Survivor,”
“American Sniper,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Lincoln,” “The Great Debaters,” or “Selma” and write
a short paper about it. The paper should be 3 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. The write-ups for the movie reviews are due no later than the last day of in-class
instruction or Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015. There will also be other extra credit opportunities during
the semester such as participation in community events and mock trials. More information on
this will be forthcoming.
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 April 5th. 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 attendance policy).
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.
TITLE IX OF THE EDUC AMENDMENTS OF 1972, 20 U.S.C. A§ 1681 ET. SEQ.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 requires that institutions have policies and
procedures that protect students’ rights with regard to sex/gender discrimination. Information
regarding these rights is on the HCC website under Students-Anti-discrimination. Students who
are pregnant and require accommodations should contact any of the ADA Counselors for
assistance.
It is important that every student understands and conforms to respectful behavior while at
HCC. Sexual misconduct is not condoned and will be addressed promptly. Know your rights
and how to avoid these difficult situations.
Log in to: www.edurisksolutions.org . Sign in using your HCC student e-mail account, then go
to the button at the top right that says Login and enter your student number.
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)
Department Chair Contact Information
Evelyn Ballard
Chair-Government Department
Evelyn.Ballard@hccs.edu
713-718-2490
Course Textbook and Readings. The textbook 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 book. The text for the course is:
Maxwell, William E., Ernest Crain, and Mark P. Jones, Texas Politics Today, 2015-2016
Edition. 2016. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. ISBN: 13:978-1-285-85313-0.
MindTap is a software program designed by Cengage to help improve student performance for
courses such as GOVT 2305 and 2306. It includes flashcards, quizzes, readings, assignments,
current event information, and more. This program comes automatically with purchase of the new
textbook. Although it is not required for the course, I highly recommend it and encourage students
to take full advantage of the resources it provides for doing well in this course.
Course Topics and Schedule of Readings.
Date
Topics and Readings
Week 1. Jan 19 and Jan 21
Introduction and Course Overview
Texas Culture and Diversity, Chapter 1
Week 2. Jan 26 and Jan 28
Texas in the Federal System, Chapter 2
Week 3. Feb 2 and Feb 4
The Texas Constitution in Perspective, Chapter 3
Week 4. Feb 9 and Feb 11
The Texas Constitution, cont. Chapter 3
Week 5. Feb 16 and Feb 18
Review and Midterm Exam 1, Chps: 1-3
Week 6. Feb 23 and Feb 25
Voting and Elections, Chapter 4
Week 7. Mar 1 and Mar 3
Political Parties, Chapter 5
Week 8. Mar 8 and Mar 10
Interest Groups, Chapter 6
Week 9. Mar 15 and Mar 17
No Classes: Spring Break
Week 10. Mar 22 and Mar 24
Review and Midterm Exam 2, Chps: 4-6
Week 11. Mar 29 and Mar 31
The Texas Legislature, Chapter 7
Week 12. Apr 5 and Apr 7
The Texas Executive Branch, Chapter 8
Week 13. Apr 12 and Apr 14
The Judiciary, Chapter 9
Week 14. Apr 19 and Apr 21
Law and Due Process, Chapter 10
Term Paper Due: Thursday, April 21
Week 15. Apr 26 and Apr 28
Public Policy in Texas, Chapter 12
Week 16. May 3 and May 5
Public Policy in Texas, Chapter 12
Final Exam Review, Chps: 7-10, 12
Final Exam Week:
Tuesday, May 10, 11:00 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.