Introduction to American Government and Politics
Political Science 150 (94366)
Fall 2013
Instructor: Phil Gussin
Classroom: BONH 306
Meeting Day and Time: TTH 11:00-12:20am
Office: PCOH-222
Office Hours: MW 10:00am-12pm, TTH 8:009:00am or by appt.
Class Web Page: http://bb9.canyons.edu
Email: Phil.Gussin@canyons.edu
Extension: 3708
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
Important Note: If you don’t have the discipline and focus to carefully read this syllabus and the
Orientation Letter fully and completely, you are probably going to have trouble in this class. In fact, last
semester, more than a dozen students failed the class because they did not stay focused on complete the
work on time.
This class will introduce students to the fundamentals of American and California government and politics.
In a very general sense, the goal of the class is to provide students with the tools they need to think critically
about the political institutions, actors, processes and events that shape our lives.
The syllabus describes the organization of the class in detail. If you are unwilling to take the time to read the
syllabus, this may not be the right class for you. It’s not the most exciting document ever written, but if you
read it carefully, it will improve your ability to succeed in this class. If you have any questions when you’re
done reading it, you can either email me or ask questions at the beginning of the lecture.
Student Learning Objectives: Upon completing this course, you should be able to:
1. Identify the basic institutions of the government of the U.S. and the State of California.
2. Summarize federalism and the relationships between national, state, and local governments within
that political structure.
3. Describe and evaluate the basic theories behind the U.S. Constitution and their role in contemporary
American political life.
4. Compare the functions of the three branches of government.
5. Explain the differences in the major contemporary political ideologies and evaluate their strengths
and weaknesses.
6. Compare the influence of elections, political parties, interest groups, the media, and public opinion
in public policy decisions.
7. Explain the role of state and local governments with a particular emphasis on the distinguishing
characteristics of California government.
Classroom Rules: If you think you will have trouble following any of the rules below, you should consider
enrolling in another course. These rules will be strictly enforced.
First, when you are speaking, I will give you my full attention. When I – or someone else is speaking – I
expect you to extend the same courtesy. On-going discussions with fellow students will not be tolerated.
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Second, students may bring laptops to class solely for the purposes of taking notes. If I suspect a student is
doing something other than taking notes, the student will be told to turn off the laptop. If it happens a
second time, the student will no longer be permitted to bring a laptop to class.
Third, arriving to lecture late is very disruptive. Repeated late arrivals will affect your grade.
Fourth, do not doze off in class. If you cannot stay awake, stay home!
Class Attendance and Discussion: Throughout the semester, we will discuss current political events. If
you have not been paying attention to the news, start now! When we talk about political events, all political
views are welcome. I insist on civility in class discussions. While I do not grade on attendance, I do grade
on participation. Since you cannot participate if you’re absent, missing multiple classes will affect your
participation grade. However, if you are sick and potentially contagious, do not come to class. If you do
miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. I recommend that you ask a fellow student
for a copy of their notes. If you do not know anyone in the class, I will introduce you to someone. I do not
offer make up exams except under extraordinary – and fully verifiable – circumstances.
Disabled Student Programs and Services: Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSP&S) offers
educational support services for students with disabilities who are enrolled in college classes. The program
provides services to students with a variety of disabilities. The DSP&S staff can be helpful in providing a
variety of services including academic counseling, general studies classes/tutorial lab, test-taking
accommodations, and note takers. Students with verifiable disabilities may contact DSP&S on the Valencia
Campus by calling (661) 362- 3341. DSP&S staff and I are committed to assisting to students with
disabilities.
Email: I will be communicating with students via email throughout the semester. My emails will
automatically be sent to the email account provided by College of Canyons. Therefore, you MUST set up
and check your MyCanyons student email account regularly. For information on how to have your college
email forwarded to the email account you check more regularly, click here. If you have not received an
email from me by the end of the first day of class, come speak with me immediately.
Grading Policy: There are four components to your grade which I describe in detail below:
12 best quizzes @ 10 points each
= 120 points possible
4 exams @ 100 points each
= 400 points possible
Participation
= 100 points possible
4 assignments @ 25 points each
= 100 points possible
TOTAL = 720 points possible
Grading Scale:
A = 648 - 720
B = 576 - 647
C = 504 - 575
D = 432 - 503
F = 431 or less
Quizzes: The chapters of the textbook (see below) you will be reading are identified in the course schedule
below. For each chapter, I provide a set of questions – hereafter referred to as “Reading Questions.” The
Reading Questions are based solely on the readings, not on the lectures. For each set of Reading Questions,
there is also a quiz. You will find the Reading Questions and Chapter Quizzes on the class webpage.
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As you read the chapters, it is a good idea to have the Reading Questions with you. As you read the chapter,
you should be able to answer all of the Reading Questions. If you are unsure about an answer, you can post
a question on the Reading Questions Discussion Board. The rules for posting such questions are described
below in the section on Participation. Be sure to read it carefully. Once you’re confident in your answers,
you are ready to take the quiz. You have twenty minutes to complete each quiz. Once you activate a quiz –
by clicking on it – the countdown begins and cannot be stopped. Therefore, make sure you have your
Reading Questions readily available before you activate the quiz. If you don’t have access to a computer at
home, you can take the quizzes on the computers on campus. For the purposes of calculating your final
grade, I only count the twelve highest quiz scores.
Exams: There will be four exams, the dates of which are listed on the Course Schedule. The exams are not
cumulative. You will need a Blue Book for each of the exams. The exams all have the same general
structure.
Part I: Multiple Choice Questions (20%)
Each exam will include 20 multiple-choice questions. The multiple-choice questions will be randomly
selected from the Reading Questions for that particular exam.
Part II: Essays (80%)
Each exam will also include essay questions that require some writing. Unless you are instructed otherwise,
you MUST use complete sentences in all of your answers. The answers must be based entirely on the
information presented in lecture. If your answers reflect a good understanding of the material in the
textbook or they are based on information from any source other than my lectures, I will assume you did
not attend or understand the lecture and grade you accordingly. There will be two 25-points questions and
three 10-point questions. In some instances, you will be given a choice as to which questions to answer. In
some instances, you will not have a choice. Complete answers will include a succinct and accurate
definition of the concept(s) in the question followed by a more detailed description of the concept(s) and,
whenever appropriate, an example. This is particularly true of the 25-point questions.
Participation: There are a variety of ways for students to participate. You can participate by answering
questions that I pose during lecture or offering your opinions (when appropriate). You can also participate
by asking questions in class, via email, or during office hours. You can also participate by posting
questions/comments on the either of the discussion boards. For example, if you are unsure of the answer to
one of the Reading Questions, you can earn participation points by posting a question about it. However,
you may not simply ask fellow students to provide you with the correct answer. You must identify the
answer you believe is correct and provide your reasoning. Students can also earn participation points by
responding to questions. However, responses cannot simply identify the correct answer. They must explain
why a particular answer is correct. Comments that fail to meet these guidelines will be deleted from the
discussion board and will NOT count towards your participation grade. You can also earn participation
points by posting comments on the Current Events discussion board. As with discussions in class, all views
are welcome. Incivility will not be tolerated! Note: If a student is close to the next highest grade and has a
high participation score (i.e., 95% or better), I will often give them the higher grade. If a student is close
to the next highest grade and has a low participation score, I have never given them the higher grade.
Assignments: For each exam, I provide a comprehensive study guide. Students must complete the study
guides and submit them online. For example, Assignment #1 involves answering the Study Guide questions
for Exam 1. For the purposes of grading the assignments, I am looking to see whether students answered all
of the questions fully and provided examples (when appropriate). However, a good grade on an assignment
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does not guarantee a good grade on the exam. Assignments should be submitted as attachments on the
Assignments tab on the class webpage. Important Note: when you complete the assignments, please include
the questions from the study guide. In the past, completing the study guide was optional. It is now
mandatory. However, students should note that – which I do not offer extra credit – I am giving you an
opportunity to earn points by preparing for the upcoming exam.
Academic Dishonesty
While I encourage collaboration, students are expected to do their own work as assigned. At College of the
Canyons, we believe that academic integrity and honesty are some of the most important qualities college
students need to develop and maintain. To facilitate a culture of academic integrity, College of the Canyons
has defined plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Due process procedures have been established when
plagiarism or academic dishonesty is suspected.
At COC, we define plagiarism as follows: Plagiarism is the submission of someone else’s work or ideas as
one’s own, without adequate attribution. When a student submits work for a class assignment that includes
the words, ideas or data of others, without acknowledging the source of the information through complete,
accurate, and specific references, plagiarism is involved. This may include dual submissions of a similar
work for credit for more than one class, without the current instructor’s knowledge and approval.
To be specific, below are some of the situations that will be considered plagiarism at COC:
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Use information from any source, online or in print, in one’s own writing without
acknowledging the source in the content and in the reference page of the assignment;
Simply list the sources in the reference page, without parenthetical citations in the body of
the essay;
Take more than one printed line of words consecutively from the source without putting
quotation marks around them, even though the student has put the author’s name in the
parentheses or in the reference page;
Turn in work done for other classes, regardless how big or small the assignment may be,
without the current instructor’s approval—this is considered “self-plagiarism,” which is a
form of academic dishonesty; or,
Turn in work by another student, even by accident.
In addition, COC has strict rules against using electronic devices during exams without the instructor’s
approval. To be specific, absolutely no cell phones or any electronic devices can be on the desk or in sight
during tests or exams without the instructor’s approval. The presence of electronic devices in sight during
exams may be considered as intention to cheat and will be processed as a form of academic dishonesty.
Cases of alleged academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism or cheating, will be referred to the Dean of
Student Services for investigation.
READING MATERIAL
Custom Bundle includes two textbooks in one (available at COC bookstore):
We The People by Ginsberg, et. al.
Governing California by Anagnoson, et. al.
ISBN: 9780393137903
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Date
Topic
Due Dates
T
TH
2/11
2/13
Introduction
Assessing Democracy
T
TH
2/18
2/20
Assessing Democracy (cont)
The Constitution.
Chapter 1 Quiz*
Chapter 2 Quiz*
T
TH
2/25
2/27
The Constitution (cont)
Federalism
Chapter 3 Quiz*
Chapter 4 Quiz*
T
TH
3/4
3/6
Civil Liberties
Review
Quizzes (1-4) & Assignment 1
T
TH
3/11
3/13
Exam 1
Public Opinion
Chapter 6 Quiz*
T
TH
3/18
3/20
News Media
News Media (cont)
Chapter 7 Quiz*
T
TH
3/25
3/27
Elections
Elections (cont)
Chapter 8 Quiz*
Chapter 10 Quiz*
T
TH
4/1
4/3
Review
Exam 2
Quizzes (6, 7, 8, 10) & Assignment 2
T
TH
4/8
4/10
Spring Break
Spring Break
T
TH
4/15
4/17
Political Parties.
Interest Groups
Chapter 9 Quiz*
Chapter 11 Quiz*
T
TH
4/22
4/24
Congress
Congress/ HABBAL
Chapter 12 Quiz*
T
TH
4/29
5/1
HABBAL
Review
Quizzes (9, 11, 12) & Assignment 3
T
TH
5/6
5/8
Exam 3
Presidency
Chapter 13 Quiz*
T
TH
5/13
5/15
Presidency/Bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
Chapter 14 Quiz*
T
TH
5/20
5/22
The Judiciary
The Judiciary
Chapter 15 Quiz*
T
TH
5/27
5/29
Civil Rights
California Government
Chapter 5 Quiz*
TBA
T
TH
6/3
6/5
Review
Exam 4
Quizzes (5, 12, 13, CA Govt) & Assignment 4
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* The asterisks denote recommended due dates. This is my way of recommending that you not wait until
the last minute to complete the quizzes.
*** Note: This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor in order to adapt to
instructional needs.***
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