Political Science (POS) 2041
American Federal Government
University of Florida
Spring 2013 Distance Learning Course
Richard S. Conley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
309 Anderson Hall
(352) 317-1860
Email: rconley@ufl.edu
Internet homepage: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/rconley
Course Description
This online (distance learning) course is designed to survey topics that are vital for an understanding of
American national politics and government. Readings and videos will examine the structural foundations,
institutions, citizen-government linkages, and processes that characterize the American political system.
This is a 3 credit hour course.
Participation in the course blog is mandatory. Details will be provided on the course website.
Required Readings
Theodore Lowi, Benjamin Ginsberg, Kenneth Shepsle, and Stephen Ansolabehere, American Government:
Power & Purpose (12th edition). New York: WW Norton, 2012. E-book ISBN 978-0-393-91912-7.
John T. Rourke (ed.), You Decide! 2012. New York: Pearson, 2012. ISBN (paperback): 0-205-86542-9.
Grades
Grades will be based on exams and participation in the course blog. Below is a breakdown of how your grade
will be determined for the course:
Constitution quiz (25 January)
Mid-term exam (22 February)
Final exam (24 April)
Participation in course blog
20.0%
30.0 %
30.0 %
20.0 %
Neither individual assignments nor final grades in this course will be subject to a “curve.” Letter grades for the
final grade in the course will be assigned per the following schedule:
A 90+
A- 87-89
B+ 84-86
B 80-83
B- 77-79
C+ 74-76
C 70-73
C- 67-69
D+ 64-66
D 60-63
D- 57-59
E < 56 (failing)
Virtual Office Hours
Professor Conley will hold “virtual” office hours. Details will be announced on the course website.
Student Support Services
As a student in a distance learning course or program you have access to the same student support
services that on campus students have. For course content questions contact your instructor.
For any technical issues you encounter with your course please contact the UF computing Help Desk at
342-392-4357. For Help Desk hours visit: http://helpdesk.ufl.edu/.
For a list of additional student support services links and information please visit:
http://www.distance.ufl.edu/student-services
Special Accommodations
Students requesting disability-related academic accommodations must first register with the Disability
Resource Center. http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/
The Disability Resource Center will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this
documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation.
Complaints
Should you have any complaints with your experience in this course please visit
http://www.distance.ufl.edu/student-complaints to submit a complaint.
READINGS, VIDEO, and EXAM SCHEDULE
WEEK 1 (7 January 2013) – Studying American Politics / Constitution
Lowi, Chapter 1, “Five Principles of Politics.”
WEEK 2 (14 January 2013) - Constitution
Lowi, Chapter 2, “Constructing a Government: The Founding and the Constitution”
Rourke, Chapter 1 (Constitution)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuTj1BFc0jI James Madison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAmZdp1cH0g Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRCG9YQe6yM Federalist Paper #10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6J_urrbem0 Shay’s Rebellion
WEEK 3 (21 January 2013) – Federalism
Lowi, Chapter 3, “Federalism and the Separation of Powers”
Rourke, Chapter 2 (Federalism)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idmZBbe5ie4 Federalism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znQKueSDpvI Lyndon Johnson: The Great Society/War on Poverty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XObcP69dhCg Ronald Reagan 1981: Government is the Problem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Sb4RtFkmo Ronald Reagan: Curbing the National Government
CONSTITUTION QUIZ – FRIDAY, 25 JANUARY 2013
WEEK 4 (28 January 2013) – Civil Liberties
Lowi, Chapter 4, “Civil Liberties”
Rourke, Chapter 3(Civil Liberties)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07buRRJ6s4k McCarthyism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHKg2y-noWQ Howard Schweber on Civil Liberties
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNJmRSTOUNI Ron Paul on Civil Liberties
WEEK 5 (4 February 2013) – Civil Rights
Lowi, Chapter 5, “Civil Rights”
Rourke, Chapter 4 (Civil Rights)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FarzJ2jjbOc The Civil Rights Movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGjNqrQBUno Little Rock, AR, 1957
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxEauRq1WxQ President Lyndon Johnson, Voting Rights
WEEK 6 (11 February 2013) - Congress
Lowi, Chapter 6, “Congress: The First Branch”
Rourke, Chapter 11 (Congress/Filibusters)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjZbDRxlVLs Congress made easy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfItMC0cUPA Congressional pay
WEEK 7 (18 February 2013) – The Presidency
Lowi, Chapter 7, “The Presidency as an Institution”
Rourke, Chapter 12 (Presidency and War Powers)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cla7dfetqQ8 Nixon impeachment & Watergate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r2T9IlXYUM Gerald Ford testifies to Congress on Nixon pardon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOFdTQAaSBs Bill Clinton on Monica Lewinsky, Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r4e5Wg4PDI Bill Clinton on Monica Lewinsky, Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMeCTbyzxi4 Impeachment, the Constitution, and the President
MID-TERM EXAM: FRIDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 2013
WEEK 8 (25 February 2013) – The Courts [Federal and Supreme]
Lowi, Chapter 9, “The Federal Courts”
Rourke, Chapter 14 (Judiciary)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dnp_01e4Qw Introduction to U.S. Court System
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfGn36uhx7c Supreme Court Justices under the Constitution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unyswl36q8w CNN: Inside the Supreme Court
WEEK 9 (4 March 2013) – SPRING BREAK
No assignments
WEEK 10 (11 March 2013) – The Bureaucracy
Lowi, Chapter 8, “The Executive Branch: Bureaucracy in a Democracy”
Rourke, Chapter 13 (Bureaucracy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi1iyROgOAY The Federal Bureaucracy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVXZVolkLhE Bureaucracy: Undermining Liberty?
WEEK 11 (18 March 2013) – Public Opinion
Lowi, Chapter 10, “Public Opinion”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvodhsMc2QM Constructing public opinion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1FRzCMc5Y0 Presidential approval
WEEK 12 (25 March 2013) – Elections
Lowi, Chapter 11, “Elections
Rourke, Chapter 10 (Voting/Campaigns/Elections)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtm4lfW_Sj4 Morris Fiorina: Are Americans Really so Divided?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjD84ple2Sg Red and Blue All Over: The Political Divide in America
WEEK 13 (1 April 2013) – Political Parties
Lowi, Chapter 12, “Political Parties”
Rourke, Chapter 9 (Political Parties/Tea Party)
WEEK 14 – (8 April 2013) Interest Groups
Lowi, Chapter 13, “Groups and Interests”
Rourke, Chapter 8 (Interest Groups)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmsgtRbhu9Y Interest groups and money in politics
WEEK 15 – (15 April 2013) Media
Lowi, Chapter 14, “Media”
Rourke, Chapter 7 (Media)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO12p1n39BE Media bias in presidential elections
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgVcvVL7pzc Media bias?
WEEK 16 – (22 April 2013) – FINAL EXAM
FINAL EXAM – WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL 2013