Professor: Linda Webb
Office Hours: By Appointment
FALL 2009
Government 2301 will focus on constitutions, public opinion, political participation, interest groups, political parties, and elections at the national, state, and local level. It is one semester of a two semester curriculum designed to help you understand how our political system works.
Welcome to GOVT 2301:
1.
The Blackboard Vista Learning Management System will be used for ALL class email,
2.
test reviews, and outside reading assignments. You will also be able to monitor your grade throughout the semester.
When you enrolled in this class, you were automatically enrolled in Blackboard, Go to www.hccs.edu
and click on Blackboard. Follow the directions to access this class.
3.
Should you ever have problems with the Blackboard program, HCC is providing a
24/7 toll-free phone service (1-866-588-5281). If you still have problems, there may be
4.
an issue with your registration, so please speak with me.
This is a web-enhanced class. There will be traditional interactive lectures AND times when students will do original political research. If you are absent when an assignment is handed out you may request a copy via Blackboard mail. Points will be automatically deducted for any assignments turned in late.
5.
Late projects, web-enhanced assignments, etc. will be accepted (with penalty) for
ONLY one week after the due date (or the last day of instruction), whichever comes
first. After the time extension, you will automatically receive a zero.
At my discretion,
6.
exceptions may be made if there are DOCUMENTED extenuating circumstances.
Suggestions for success in this class: a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
Put your name and the TIME of your class on all tests, projects, web-enhanced assignments, extra credit and any other paper turned in for a grade or extra credit. You AUTOMATICALLY lose one point if your class time is missing.
I do not accept hand-written projects, extra-credit, web-enhanced, etc. work. I only want to read your handwriting on the essay section of tests!
Please try not to miss any tests! Students always do best when they take tests while the material is fresh. However, if you do miss all or part of a test you will have seven (7) calendar days to make the test up at the Testing Center in the Learning
Hub. Hours are M-Th ( 9AM-4PM). After seven days you will receive a zero on the missed test unless there are DOCUMENTED extenuating circumstances, as determined by Professor Webb.
Attendance will be taken every day. If an earlier class is causing you to be late for this class, I will be happy to try to resolve that problem for you.
Extra credit may be offered periodically throughout the semester. Take advantage of these opportunities, whenever possible.
Outside readings for each segment of the course are located in folders labeled by test content in Blackboard. The readings (in Word documents) will enhance class discussion and textbook assignments. There will be open-note essay questions on these readings. It is IMPORTANT to read the articles prior to the test
AND bring them to class for use during the test.
You will need to print over 100 pages this semester, so you might consider buying a print card for the computer lab in Scarcella, or pay 10 cents per page in the
Learning Hub library, if you hesitate to do this much printing at home.
There are computer labs for students in the Learning Hub library and the Scarcella
Building.
I DO NOT drop any tests or assignments, so please take every portion of the course seriously.
You can earn 3 extra credit points by sending me an e-mail on Blackboard Vista which tells me a bit about yourself, no later than 9 pm, September 3.
Thank you for enrolling in this class. It will be a positive learning experience for all of us!

ATTENDANCE:
Although I hope you will attend class every day, the reality is that there may be circumstances which will require you to miss a class or test. Should you miss part of a test you will be allowed to make the missed portion(s) up at the Testing Center (see 6 e on the first page of this syllabus for additional information) . You may use the Testing Center only TWICE during the semester. A zero will be given for any other missed work.
HCCS attendance policy for this class is detailed in the HCCS 2009/10 catalog. Briefly, you are expected to attend classes on a regular basis and attendance will be taken each class period. HCC encourages you to miss no more than six hours of classroom instruction. I do not normally drop students during the semester. Should you choose to withdraw from this class, it is your responsibility to fill out the appropriate paperwork. HCC policy states that all students enrolled in a class after the drop date of
Thursday, November 12 4:30 pm. will receive the grade that is earned The state of Texas has formulated policies that will penalize you for excessive W’s or multiple-repeats of courses while enrolled in a public college or university, so please take all your college classes seriously!
Make every effort to arrive on time . It is disruptive to the entire class to have late arrivals, and it is my experience that students who are perpetually late to class frequently miss material critical to understanding the major themes of this course
GRADING:
Your grade will be computed on the basis of four tests, two web-enhanced assignments, a major project, and various extra credit opportunities. Each test will have a multiple choice and an essay component.
Essay questions are based only on the designated online readings, and any other information specified by the instructor. You will be able to refer to print copies or notes of the online articles when answering the essay questions . The multiple choice section is closed book and based on the assigned textbook chapters and lecture information. Good class notes will definitely help you in studying for the test. .
You will have an opportunity to earn 400 points in this class:
First test 100 points
Second test 100 points
Third test
Fourth test
100 points
50 points
Research Projects 50 points
+ various extra credit opportunities during the semester
Final grades in this course will be awarded as follows:
A
B
90% (minimum of 360 points)
80% (minimum of 320 points)
C
D
F
70% (minimum of 280 points)
60% (minimum of 240 points) less than 60%
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:
Neal Tannahill, American and Texas Government: Policy and Politics, 10th edition (New York:
Longman, 2010) ISBN 13: 978-0-205-74672-9
Additional readings which may be downloaded from Blackboard Vista
The textbook can be purchased from local college bookstores. There is also an e-book version available from coursesmart.com……………….$52 for a 180 day period.
TEXTBOOK IS USED IN BOTH GOV 2301 AND GOV 2302

FIRST TEST: U.S.CONSTITUTION AND FEDERALISM
Approximate date: week of September 21
Intro, Chapters 1, 2, 3, and pp. 544-553
Additional readings in Blackboard folder entitled U.S. Constitution
SECOND TEST: POLITICAL PARTIES/ INTEREST GROUPS/ PUBLIC OPINION
Approximate date: week of October 19
Chapters 4,7,23 and pp.182-195
Additional readings in Blackboard folder entitled Political Parties & Interest Group
THIRD TEST: ELECTIONS/ MEDIA/ POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
Approximate date: week of November 16
Chapters 5,6, and 9
Additional readings in Blackboard folder entitled Elections & Political Participation
FOURTH TEST: TEXAS CONSTITUTION/ LOCAL GOVERNMENT-
8:00 class Thursday, December 10
9:30 class
2:00 class
Tuesday, December 8 at 9:00
Thursday, December 10
Chapters 19 and, 29
Additional readings in Blackboard folder entitled Texas Constitution & Local Govt.
HCC Drop Date
Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 12 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 26
Last Day of Instruction
Campus Closed
Thursday, December 3 You do not need to attend class after this date,
EXCEPT to take the fourth test (which is scheduled during the final exam period).
OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE YOUR GRADE:
1. Take advantage of extra credit opportunities offered throughout the semester.
2. At the end of the semester (December 3), you may earn up to 10 extra credit points by taking a small mini-quiz on classroom lecture/discussion material.. Extra credit points will only be given to those who earn
70% or better on the quiz.
3. It IS important that you attend class and take good notes. A large portion of your grade is based on understanding the material presented in class. I will be happy to look over your notes at the conclusion of each class period.
4. There are sample multiple choice questions for each chapter at the end of the textbook. I suggest that you use them while studying for the test.
5 .
You are encouraged to use HCC’s online tutoring system for help with written assignments, when necessary. Tutors are on duty 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Be specific when you ask questions.
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. (There is also a link to the online tutoring system from Blackboard Vista).

30 points TOTAL
Step 1 and Step 2 Due: Tuesday, 9/15 (12 pts) Step 3 and Step 4
+ Steps 1 & 2
Due: 11/17 (18 pts)
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. No two people should have the same results.
Every person in this class lives in the United States and in the State of Texas and everyone pays
TAXES. 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 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 your 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.
Skim Chapters 28 & 29 in the textbook prior to starting this project for additional background information.
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 live in an apartment you will have to check the business section of the appropriate web site. If you are totally unable to find your information, please check with me.
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 04/01/09) 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 the Fort
Bend Star, Fort Bend Herald .and Houston Chronicle). All newspapers are 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 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.
Attend THREE meetings of the governing bodies of the local entities YOU LIVE IN.
County
Commissioners Court, City Councils, and School Boards meet on a frequent basis.. Write descriptive essays of 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.
Include a cover sheet and include Steps 1-4 n the order listed above on the final due date!!!
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Mini-research project  Political Socialization
Mini-research project  Media
10 points
10 points assigned during semester assigned during semester

EXTRA CREDIT: "Interview an Elected Official" 5 points DUE: no later than Thursday, December 3 If you choose this assignment you must interview an ELECTED public official such as a school board member, county government official, etc.
INTERVIEW:
Consider asking some of the following questions, but you are obviously not limited to only these, since you will want to tailor questions that are appropriate for the particular official you are interviewing.
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Is this your first elective office? Was it a difficult office to campaign for?
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What constituency do you serve?
How much money did you raise and spend in your campaign?
Who was your campaign treasurer?
Did you accept money from PACs?
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What campaign techniques did you use to get elected?
Why did you decide to seek this office?
How many hours a week do you spend on the job?
What sources of revenue fund this office (Please be specific-property tax,etc.)?
How does the political office interact with other levels of government?
Does the unit of government receive federal grant money? If so, have there been changes in the level of funding in recent years?
Does the officeholder foresee the need to raise taxes?
Would you ever consider running for another office? Why or why not?
What single thing do you like most about your position in government?
These questions are merely guidelines. Be selective in the questions you ask, and don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions if appropriate. When the interview is complete you must write a narrative including not only the items discussed, but your impressions of the officeholder and his(her) responsibilities. BE SURE TO THANK THE OFFICIAL FOR THE TIME GIVEN TO YOU!
Part III Thank you note
Please send a thank you not as soon as possible after the interview. Xerox a copy to include with your narrative of the interview.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited by college policy and the rules of this class. Plagiarism involves using the ideas or words of another person (either in whole or in part) without crediting the source. Cheating involves fraud and deception for the purpose of violating testing or research project rules. Cheating will result in an immediate zero for the particular project or test.
HCCS CORE CURRICULUM
Government 2301 is one of the required classes to complete the Social and Behavioral Sciences portion of the HCCS Core Curriculum.
There are several basic intellectual competencies in all HCCS Core Curriculum classes including:
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Reading
Writing
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Speaking
Listening
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Critical Thinking
Computer Literacy
The objective of courses in the Social and Behavioral Sciences is to increase students= knowledge of how social and behavioral scientists discover, describe, and explain the behaviors and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, events, and ideas. Such knowledge will better equip students to understand themselves and the roles they play in addressing the issues facing humanity. For a more detailed explanation of the basic intellectual competencies of the Core Curriculum and exemplary educational objectives of the
Social and Behavioral Sciences, please see the 2005-06 HCCS Catalog.
DISABILTY
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at 713/718-7910 at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.
HCC POLICY BANNING RECORDING DEVICES
"Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and other locations where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. Students with disabilities who need to use a recording device as a reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for information regarding reasonable accommodations."
STATE OF TEXAS POLICY ON REPEATING A COURSE
As of Fall 2006, students who take a course for the third time or more will 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/counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing homework, testtaking skills, attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might be available.