Introduction to American and California
Government and Politics
POL S 102, Sections 3-14
Lecture MW 11:00—11:50 a.m., AL-201
Professor Carole Kennedy
Spring, 2015—San Diego State University
Office Hours: T, 11-12pm, W 12:30—1:30
p.m. and by appointment
Office Location: Nasatir Hall Room 104
e-mail: ckennedy@mail.sdsu.edu (please put 102-X in subject line of your e-mail, where X is
your section number)
Course Web Page: Blackboard
Official Course Description: "Political processes and institutions in the United States and
California. Considers a variety of public policy issues such as environmental quality, health,
education, relation between government and business, taxation, and foreign affairs as reflected in
the dynamics of national and state politics. When taken with Political Science 101 will satisfy
graduation requirement in American Institutions. Credit will not be allowed for both Political
Science 102 and 320."
This course is intended to acquaint you with the foundations, processes and institutions of
American and California government. If you intend to pursue studies in the political science
major/minor field, it will provide the necessary background for more advanced courses in
political science. If you are not pursuing studies in political science, the course will inform you
about how the federal and state governments work, both in theory and in practice. The
overriding goal of this course is to provide you with tools that will help you to be a more
intelligent consumer of political news and information and to better understand the civic
responsibilities that attend to American citizenship.
One particular goal of this course is to help you to understand how politics and
government affect you personally, and what means you have to influence your government.
Thus, we will do a great deal more than recite facts, figures, names, dates and places. We will
also investigate many of the major controversies surrounding the Constitution, our electoral
system, and our political institutions. This course will not be taught with a single point of view.
It will, however, if successful, help you to explore and understand your own political attitudes
and beliefs and how those beliefs are expressed and represented in the political process. Finally,
this course is designed to help you learn how to communicate your understanding of American
politics to others through written assignments.
You will be required to utilize the SDSU E-services Web Portal
(https://sunspot.sdsu.edu/pls/webapp/web_menu.login) so that you can utilize Blackboard for
important assignment and deadline information and to complete required course readings.
Policy on Electronic Devices in the classroom:
No laptops, smartphones, headphones or any other electronic devices are permitted in the
classroom during lecture or during exams. You may wish to download the PPT lecture
slides that the professor maintains on Blackboard and add lecture notes or you may wish to
take handwritten notes in lecture. In any event, it is a distraction to your fellow classmates
when you utilize electronic devices during lecture. Repeat offenders will be asked to leave.
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Learning Objectives:
Students successfully completing this course will:
1. Develop critical thinking skills that are applied to objective exams and writing
assignments.
2. Demonstrate the ability to take appropriate notes during lecture, complete assignments
regarding course materials, and utilize those notes and assignments to master course
concepts and succeed on examinations.
3. Develop the ability to write essays communicating their understanding of course
materials.
REQUIRED TEXT: (available at campus bookstores including KB Books and the Aztec
Bookstore, shop around to get the best price, but don’t purchase the wrong edition!)
Harrison, Brigid, Jean Harris and Michelle Deardorff. 2015. American Democracy Now,
4th edition. McGraw-Hill: Boston. Packaged with:
Giventer, Lawrence. 2008. Governing California. 2nd McGraw-Hill: Boston.
Please be sure to purchase the textbook from a campus bookstore because it is a
specially ordered package that has been designed specifically for this course. PLEASE do
not use previous versions of the text. This is a customized textbook for the course and it
includes access to on-line materials (CONNECT assignments) that will be required in the
course.
You may wish to purchase access to CONNECT separately. Details about how to do
this will be provided in class on Monday, January 26th. On-line access to CONNECT also
allows on-line access to the Harrison text (but NOT the Giventer text).
If you don’t purchase the text and the access code you will be unable to complete
course assignments and you may not be able to pass the course.
Other reading material IS required as well, and will posted to Blackboard Course
Documents for each chapter. Please make sure to do ALL assigned readings for each unit as it is
all covered on course exams. All Reading Assignments are posted on Blackboard course
documents along with due dates. Be sure to do the reading BEFORE CLASS on the day it is
due. Finally, all students need to pay attention to current American political events, as these will
be discussed in lecture as appropriate.
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GRADING:
Your final course grade will be determined as follows:
Section attendance and participation
20%
Connect Learnsmart modules and quizzes
20%
First Exam
20%
Second Exam
20%
Third Exam
20%
The first, second and third exams will be 50 Multiple Choice questions and you will have 50
minutes to complete. These exams will cover discrete portions of the course (i.e., they are not
cumulative). Please bring a number two pencil and an 882 scantron to all exams.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There may be extra credit opportunities available during the spring
semester. Extra credit opportunities would involve attending a campus event or
completing an out-of-class assignment including a written essay that you would submit
through Blackboard to Turnitin.com. These extra credit assignments are graded on
accuracy and quality and there is no guarantee of receiving full credit. If any of these
opportunities arise, I will provide you with ample notice, specific instructions and deadlines
for submission. Extra credit may only be offered to supplement grades on the First,
Second, and Third exams.
I do not curve grades in any way, shape, or form.
Your final course letter grade will be entered as follows:
93-100 A
90-92 A88-89 B+
83-87 B
80-82 B78-79 C+
73-77 C
70-72 C68-69 D+
63-67 D
60-62 D59-0 F
If you are taking the course CR/NC, you must earn at least a 73 to receive credit. Yes, I will round up or
down to the nearest whole number.
CONNECT ASSIGNMENTS are on-line homework assignments that need to be completed by
their due dates. For each chapter of the textbook, you will complete two assignments: A
Learnsmart module (which is an interactive study session) and a CONNECT quiz.
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These assignments are accessible through the Assignments section on Blackboard with the
access code that comes with your purchased textbook. Due dates for each assignment are clearly
indicated on each assignment. No late assignments are accepted and you may not ask for an
extension. It is highly recommended that you complete assignments in advance of the due date,
as technical problems or other issues are not an excuse for not completing the assignment on
time.
Procedure for disputing a CONNECT grade on Blackboard:
1. It takes several hours for a grade to migrate from CONNECT to Blackboard Gradebook.
Please do not report missing or incorrect grades for at least 24 hours. After that period of time,
be sure to refresh both your CONNECT web page and your Blackboard gradebook web page
before making a report (this very often will solve the problem and you will not need to report).
2. Print out a copy of your student performance report from Connect that shows the completed
assignment and grade. If the report contains more than one assignment you MUST HIGHLIGHT
the disputed assignment so that I can easily see it on your report.
3. Write your name, e-mail address and section number on the report and put it in the
CONNECT Problems folder which the professor will bring to each class session.
4. If a correction is necessary, the professor will make it within one week. If the problem is not
resolved in one week then please send the professor an e-mail inquiry.
Policy on Assignments and Exams:
If you do not complete CONNECT Learnsmart modules in a timely manner, then you will
receive a 0. If you do not complete CONNECT chapter quizzes by the due date, will receive a 0.
There are no do-overs, so please be sure to keep up with the assignments and be in class
regularly if you wish to earn a passing grade.
It is your responsibility to stay abreast of the multiple due dates involved.
Each exam covers a discrete portion of the course. Exam One will cover all materials in the first
three chapters of the text. Exam Two will cover all materials in chapters 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Exam
Three will cover all materials in chapters 9, 12, 13, 15, and California state government.
COURSE OUTLINE:
I.
Reading Assignment Due:
People, Politics, and Participation
Feb 2nd
Chapter 1 and assigned reading on Blackboard
II.
The Constitution
Chapter 2, Appendices A, B, and C
III.
Federalism
Ch 3 and assigned reading on Blackboard
IV.
Marijuana and Federalism
See assigned reading on Blackboard
CONNECT due:
Feb. 4th
Feb . 9
Feb. 11th
Feb. 16
Feb. 18th
Feb. 20th
N/A
First Examination—Wednesday, February 25th in class
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V.
Civil Liberties
Chapter 4 and assigned reading
March 2
Mar. 4
VI.
Civil Rights
Chapter 5 and assigned reading
March 9
March 11th
VII.
Political Socialization and Public Opinion
Chapter 6
March 16th
March 18th
VIII.
Interest Groups and Political Parties
Chapter 7 and 8 and assigned reading
March 23rd
March 25th
Second Examination, Monday, April 6th in class
IX.
Elections, Campaigns and Voting
Chapter 9 and assigned reading
April 13
April 15
X.
Congress
Chapter 12 and assigned reading
April 20
Apr. 22
XI.
The Presidency
Chapter 13
April 27
April 29
XII.
The Judiciary
Chapter 15
May 4
May 6
XIII.
California Government
Giventer supplement
May 4
N/A
Third Examination, Monday, May 11th, 10:30—11:30 a.m.
All required course readings (along with due dates) are posted in Course Documents on the class
Blackboard web page. Make sure that you do ALL assigned reading in a timely manner. In
addition to doing the required reading in advance of the course meeting, it is expected that you
will review the PPT lecture outlines after you’ve done the assigned reading and before lecture. I
do not read the PPT slides in lecture. Instead I focus upon the most difficult concepts and ideas.
That means that if you have questions after reading the assigned reading and after reviewing the
PPT slides, those questions should be asked in lecture or during my office hours. In addition, I
have posted a list of questions on the material in each section of the course in Course Documents
on the class Blackboard web page. After we complete that section of the course, you should
review these questions and make sure that you can answer them. They will also serve as your
study guide in preparation for the exams.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Wednesday, January 21st - First day of classes.
Tuesday, February 3rd 11:59 p.m. Last day to add/drop classes or change grading
basis.
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First Examination—Wednesday, February 25th in class
Spring Break, March 30—April 3rd
Second Examination, Monday, April 6th in class
Thursday, May 7th
Last day of classes
Monday, May 11th Third Examination, 10:30—11:30 a.m.
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Please note the following rules, which will be fairly but firmly enforced:
The professor reserves the right to alter the course outline as necessary, with advance
notice being given to all students through class announcement and announcement on the
class web site on Blackboard.
Make-up examinations will be given only in cases of illness, family emergency and
religious holiday and will only be given when students contact the professor in advance of
missing an exam. The professor reserves the right to request documentation of any excuse
submitted. There are no extensions for any reason on CONNECT assignments.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. All written work must be your original work (i.e., not
previously submitted for credit in any other course, either at SDSU or at any other academic
institution). Additionally, the provision to others of any course materials, including CONNECT
assignments, quizzes, Study Guides is prohibited. If you post a Google Doc that purports to
provide answers to the Study Guides, you have committed academic dishonesty. If you rely on
someone else’s posting of a Google Doc that purports to provide answers to course materials,
you are committing academic dishonesty. Please familiarize yourself with the University Policy
regarding Academic dishonesty and Plagiarism at:
http://coursecat.sdsu.edu/0809/webfolder/440-454_U_Policies.pdf#page=14
AND
http://csrr.sdsu.edu/conduct1.html
AND
http://its.sdsu.edu/docs/TURN_Plagiarism_AcadSen.pdf
There is a useful tutorial on plagiarism avoidance at:
http://library.sdsu.edu/guides/tutorial.php?id=28.
And also be aware of the Student Grievances procedure, available on-line at:
http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/ombuds/process.html
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Finally, please note that I am required by law to report all instances of academic dishonesty,
pursuant to Executive Order 969:
http://csrr.sdsu.edu/complaint3.html
If you need any help as a student, check out this website for recommendations and resources:
http://dus.sdsu.edu/helpforstudents/
STUDENT DISABILITY INFORMATION:
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your
responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt
of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please
note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be
provided until you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability
Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
SDSU Writing Center
The Writing Center is a free resource open to any SDSU faculty, staff, or student. The Writing
Center staff consists of peer (student) tutors who assist students in understanding writing
assignments and criteria and can help students with any stage of the writing process, from
brainstorming topics to revision of rough drafts. The Writing Center’s purpose is to teach writers
strategies to navigate complex situations for writing, both in and outside of the University.
To make an appointment, please visit the Writing Center’s webpage
http://www.writingcenter.sdsu.edu
By accessing the webpage, students can schedule tutoring appointments online at their
convenience, or they can simply stop by for a drop-in appointment. The Writing Center is open
Monday-Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday from 9
a.m. to 2 p.m. The Writing Center is located in the Dome, LLA 1103, next to the circulation
desk.
Helpful Hints:
1.
Bring your syllabus to each course meeting.
2.
Check Blackboard on a daily basis for updated information.
3.
Do all assigned readings before lecture and come to section prepared to discuss
course materials and ask questions as needed.
4.
Calendar all assignment due dates as no extensions are available.
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