Houston Community College
Central Campus
Department of Social Sciences
Course Syllabus
For
Government 2301
CRNS#53317,62098, 62099
Fall 2011
Professor Michael Senatore
Office Hour
TBA
Course Topics:Democracy and How Government Works,Constitutional Foundations, Federalism, Public
Opinion, Media, Interest Groups, Political Parties and Elections
Credit (3-Hours) 3 Lectures
Electronic Devices: not allowed in the class session. These include cellphones, lab tops, iPods etc.
Textbooks ,Authors,and Editions: Page,Greenburg, and Tannahill, Struggle for Democracy, Rouke You
Decide-Current Debates in American Politics (2011)
Grading Scale:
Five of Six Tests
60%
You can drop one test
Homework
20%
I do the general information, you do the details
Participation
20%
Mainly class presentations From applying the Framework&YouDecide
Total
100%
The Final is a REPLACEMENTGRADE based on most salient points
Grading System:
A=-90-10
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=below 60
Drop Date: Nov 3 by 4:30PM 2011if you drop before the deadline you get a grade of W. If you drop after
it, you get an F for your semester grade.
Makeup Policy: Since one of the lowest tests will be deleted, under no circumstances may any makeup
test be given.
2301 Topics and Sub-topics
Chapter One
Democracy, Democratic Origins, Benchmarks of Representative Democracy, Democracy as an Evaluative
Standard, the Framework for Understanding how government in American Works, Holistic Politics
Chapter Two
The American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence, Key ideas in the Declaration,
The Articles of Confederation: Provisions and Shortcomings, Eighteenth Century Republican Beliefs, the
Founders: Who were they? and What were they worried about? Conflict at the Philadelphia Convention
Chapter Three
Federalism: States and Nations
Federalism in the Constitution
Evolution of American Federalism
The Role of States in American Government
Fiscal Federalism
Chapter Four
Structural Foundations
American People
American Economy
American Political Culture
Chapter 5
Public Opinion
Democracy and Public Opinion
Measuring Public Opinion
How & Why People’s Attitudes Differ
Are people Fit to rule?
Chapter 6
The News Media
Roles of the Media in Democracy
How the Mainstream news Media
Chapter 7
Interest Groups and Business Corporations
Interest Groups in a Democratic Society
Why there are so many Interest Groups
What Interest Groups Do
Interest Groups and Inequality
Chapter 8
Social Movements
Major Social Movements
Social Movements in a Majoritarian Democracy
Factors that Encourage the Creation of Social Movements
Chapter 9
Political Parties
Why a Two Party system
The role of political parties
Shifts in the American two party system
Parties as Organizations
Parties in Government and in the electorate
Chapter 10
Voting& Elections
Elections & Democracy