Introduction to American Politics
Political Science Y103
Prof. David Schwab
dvschwab@indiana.edu
Office Hours: MW 10:15 - 12
Office: Cavanaugh Hall 243C
Spring 2008
MW 1:30 – 2:45 PM
Education/Social Work 2127
Overview
This class will provide you with the foundational understanding of the
American governmental system necessary to comprehend political events in
the United States. We will begin with core principles such as political
culture, the American Founding, and federalism. We will then discuss the
machinery of government—Congress, the Presidency, the court system, and
the bureaucracy. Finally, we will discuss the role political parties, interest
groups, and elections play in putting this machinery into motion.
Learning Goals
1. To learn key facts about American politics, such as how a bill
becomes a law.
2. To learn about the different institutions of American politics, such as
Congress, the Presidency, and political parties.
3. To learn the history of the American Founding, and how this history
shapes American politics today.
4. To learn to think about politics in the terms used by political
scientists.
Required Books
Barbour and Wright, Keeping the Republic. 3rd Edition. 2007. CQ Press.
Lisa Baglione, Writing a Research Paper in Political Science. 2007.
Wadsworth Press.
Keeping the Republic is our main textbook. You should be able to find it in
the University Bookstore, located in the basement of Cavanaugh Hall.
Writing a Research Paper in Political Science is a useful guide for the
research paper component of this course. It is not available in the bookstore,
but can be purchased at Indy’s College Bookstore, Borders, or online from
Amazon.com.
In addition, I have placed one copy of both textbooks on reserve in the main
library. You may check them out for two hours at a time at the circulation
desk on the second floor.
If you have any trouble finding either book, please let me know.
Structure of the Class
Lectures: Lectures are important to give you new information and clear up
any muddy points in the readings. It is important to both pay attention and
take good notes during the lecture, so that you can remember what I have
said.
I will lecture 1-2 times each class period for about 20 minutes each.
These lectures will explain the main ideas of the course readings for that
day. In between these lectures, we will do other activities to explore these
ideas in more detail and clear up any misconceptions you have.
Discussion: Research shows that you will remember much more of what
you say than of what I say. For this reason, participating in discussion is
very important to your learning the material.
Our discussions will usually be guided. This means that I will give
you a few minutes to think about a question from the reading, such as
“Should we get rid of the Electoral College?” We will then have a
discussion on this question. This gives you a chance to think through your
response before sharing with the class.
Group Work: Working in groups helps you to draw on each other’s
strengths. For example, you may understand something better than another
student. By teaching the other student what you know, you strengthen your
knowledge and help him or her as well.
On the first day of class I will assign you to small groups. These will
be your groups throughout the semester. At least once per class, you will
work with your group to learn the material. For example, your group may
take part in a mock Constitutional Convention. By fighting for your
interests and compromising with others, you and the other group members
will better understand how and why the Constitution was written.
Assessments: In order to teach effectively, I need to know what you are
learning and what you are having trouble with. Assessments help me to do
this.
Every class, you will have the chance to tell me what is confusing to
you about the material. We will do this in different ways: for example, I
may pass out note cards and ask you to write down one question you have
about the day’s readings. I will then review the note cards and answer the
most often-asked questions during the next class. This will help me to know
what you understand and what concepts are giving you trouble.
Readings
To learn the material and succeed in this course, you must read the textbook.
By coming to class having done the day’s reading, you will be prepared to
participate in discussions and group activities. The lectures will also make
more sense to you, since you will be familiar with the material. Finally, a lot
of the exam questions will be taken from the readings, and we don’t have
time to cover everything in the reading in class.
Assignments
There are four main assignments for this course: three tests and a research
paper. The grading breakdown is:
Tests (50%)
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Research Paper (40%)
25%
25%
25%
Only two highest test scores are
counted.
Attendance: 10%
Research Question
Literature Review
Research Design
Rough Draft
Final Copy
5%
5%
5%
5
20%
Tests: Tests are simply a way of measuring how well you understand the
course material. Studying for a test helps you to remember things you had
forgotten, and to make new connections between concepts.
There are three tests in this course; however, I will count only your
two highest test grades. This means that if you do poorly on one test, it will
not wreck your final grade. It also means that if you do well on the first two
tests, you don’t need to take the final one.
In addition, there will be no new readings the week of the test. We
will also spend the class before the test reviewing what you have learned.
Test questions are based on the Keeping the Republic book, my
lectures, and other in-class activities. Each test will be worth 100 points.
There will be 25 multiple choice questions, and one essay from a choice of
two on each test.
The tests are not cumulative, although you will need to remember
broad concepts that have been introduced earlier. You will have the entire
class time to complete the exam, but may not use the books or any notes.
Research Paper: You also need to write a 6-8 page double-spaced research
paper for this course. This paper should be on a topic of interest to you that
is related to American politics. I will discuss choosing a topic, as well as
give you a handout with the criteria you will be graded on at a later date.
To make this assignment manageable, you will write this paper in
stages. These stages are as follows:
1. Identify a research question
2. Compose a literature review
3. Design and conduct research
4. Write a rough draft
5. Revise the rough draft into a final copy
You will be graded on each of the stages as well as on the final copy
you turn in. I will provide feedback for each stage to help you produce your
best work.
Late Assignments
All assignments must be turned in at the beginning of class on the assigned
due date. Failure to do this will result in a lateness penalty begin assessed.
For completion assignments—the research question, literature review, and
so on—this penalty is 1 point per day of lateness. For example, if you hand
in your literature review two days late, you will receive 3 points rather than
5.
For the final paper, the penalty is 5% per day of lateness. For
example, if you hand in your final paper two days late, you will lose 10% of
the total possible points—a full letter grade—from whatever grade you
otherwise earned.
Note that weekends do not count as days for purposes of lateness.
Thus, if the assignment is due on Wednesday, and you turn it in next
Monday, it is counted as three days late, not five.
Why this generosity? Because I do not accept any assignments,
including the final paper, by e-mail. It is simply too difficult to keep up with
multiple students submitting assignments at different times to my e-mail
address. ANY ASSIGNMENTS SUBMITTED BY E-MAIL WILL NOT
BE READ OR COUNTED, AND THE ASSIGNMENT WILL BE
CONSIDERED LATE UNTIL A PAPER COPY IS TURNED IN
DURING CLASS.
Grading Scale
The grading scale for this course is:
A+
A
AB+
B
B-
97 – 100%
93 – 96%
90 – 92%
87 – 89%
83 – 86%
80 – 85%
C+ 77 – 79%
C
73 – 76%
C70 – 72%
D+ 67 – 69%
D
63 – 66%
D60 – 62%
F
Below 60%
Extra Credit, Makeup Exams, and Incompletes
There is no extra credit for this course. Makeup exams will not be given
except under the most extraordinary circumstances. You will need to
document what these circumstances are prior to taking the exam.
In accordance with university policy, incompletes will not be given
except where the majority of course work has been completed and an
extraordinary circumstance (such as hospitalization) prevents completing the
course.
In sum, don’t count on extra credit, makeup exams, or incompletes in
this course. Do the work assigned and do it well; you will be much happier
in the end.
Attendance
Attendance counts for 10% of your final grade. Everyone starts with 10
points, representing perfect attendance. The first two absences do not count
against you; after that, each absence costs 2 points from your attendance
grade. MISSING 10 OR MORE CLASSES WILL RESULT IN AN
AUTOMATIC “F” FOR THE COURSE.
Note that there are no excused absences in this class; you have two
chances to be sick, have a grandmother die, and so on, so use them wisely.
Civility
You are expected to be civil in all classroom readings. Please turn off your
cell phones and pagers before you come to class. Leave all other work and
reading material in your bags. Students who disrupt the class will be
excused from class and will need to speak privately with me before being
allowed to return.
In addition, as in any political science class, you may hear things that you
disagree with or find offensive. Please be respectful of all points of view.
Note that this does not mean you must agree with every argument offered;
indeed, you should strive to critique the arguments offered by both myself
and your fellow students. However, these critiques should always be
directed toward the argument, not the person making it. Name calling,
personal attacks, and otherwise abusive behavior have no place in a college
classroom and will result in the offender being excused from class. I hope
this will not be necessary!
Cheating and Plagiarism
Like most teachers, I don’t tolerate cheating or plagiarism. More to the
point, since this is a small class, I have a pretty good chance of catching you
if you do cheat. If that happens, you’ll receive an F in the course, and I
reserve the right to pursue further disciplinary action. So don’t cheat; it’s
not worth it.
Plagiarism is using someone else’s words, either in a direct quote or a
paraphrase, without acknowledgement in your paper. Be sure to cite all
statements that aren’t your own, or are not common knowledge.
If you want more information on either cheating of plagiarism, please
consult the University Student Handbook at
http://campuslife.indiana.edu/Code/.
Student Accommodations
In accordance with federal law, reasonable accommodations will be made
for students who have disabilities or are otherwise learning impaired. Please
speak with me if this affects you.
In addition, reasonable accommodations will be made for students to
observe religious holidays and functions. Note that travel to and from an
event is not usually considered grounds for accommodation. If you notice
any conflict between class meetings and your religious observances, please
let me know as soon as possible so that I can make special arrangements for
you.
Tentative Course Schedule
Below I have listed a tentative schedule of course readings. We may not get
to all of the readings, or if we’re lucky, we may cover more. I would rather
take extra time to help you understand the material than push ahead for the
sake of completing everything.
All readings should be completed by the date they are listed under, with the
exception of the first week.
Week One: Politics: Who Gets What, and How?
Monday, Jan. 7th
Introduction and course overview (no reading)
Wednesday, Jan. 9th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 1 (entire)
Writing a Research Paper, chapter 1.
Week Two: American Citizens and Political Culture
Monday, Jan. 14th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 2: p. 33 – 46.
Wednesday, Jan. 16th:
Keeping the Republic, chapter 2: p. 47 – 60.
Writing a Research Paper, chapter 2.
Assignment Due: Develop a Research Question
Week Three: Politics of the American Founding
Monday, Jan. 21st
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (no class)
Wednesday, Jan. 23rd
Keeping the Republic, chapter 3 (entire)
Writing a Research Paper, chapter 3.
Week Four: Federalism and the U.S. Constitution
Monday, Jan. 28th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 4, pp. 105-120.
Wednesday, Jan. 30th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 4, pp. 120-148.
Writing a Research Paper, chapter 4.
Week Five: Review and First Test
Monday, Feb. 4th
Review Keeping the Republic, chapters 1 – 4.
Wednesday, Feb. 6th
First Test (chapters 1 – 4 of Keeping the Republic)
Week Six: Congress
Monday, Feb. 11th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 7, pp. 267-293.
Wednesday, Feb. 13th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 7, pp. 293-314.
Writing a Research Paper, chapter 6.
Week Seven: The Presidency
Monday, Feb. 18th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 8, pp. 319-341.
Wednesday, Feb. 20th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 8, pp. 341-368.
Assignment Due: Literature Review
Week Eight: The Bureaucracy
Monday, Feb. 25th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 9, pp. 373-388.
Wednesday, Feb. 27th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 9, pp. 388-408.
Week Nine: The American Legal System and the Courts
Monday, March 3rd
Keeping the Republic, chapter 10, pp. 413-434.
Wednesday, March 5th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 10, pp. 434-452.
Writing a Research Paper, chapter 7.
Assignment Due: Research Design
Week 10: Spring Break (No class)
Week 11: Review and Second Exam
Monday, March 17th
Review Keeping the Republic, chapters 7 – 10
Wednesday, March 19th
Second test (chapters 7 – 10 of Keeping the Republic)
Week 12: Public Opinion
Monday, March 24th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 11, pp. 457-471.
Wednesday, March 26th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 11, pp. 471-492.
Writing a Research Paper, chapter 8.
Week 13: Political Parties
Monday, March 31st
Keeping the Republic, chapter 12, pp. 497-520.
Wednesday, April 2nd
Keeping the Republic, chapter 12, pp. 520-538.
Week 14: Interest Groups
Monday, April 7th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 13, pp. 543-560.
Wednesday, April 9th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 13, pp. 561-582.
Week 15: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
Monday, April 14th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 14, pp. 587-602.
Wednesday, April 16th
Keeping the Republic, chapter 14, pp. 602-630.
Assignment Due: Final Copy
Week 16: The Media
Monday, April 21st
Keeping the Republic, chapter 15: p. 635 – 653.
Wednesday, April 23rd
Keeping the Republic, chapter 15: p. 653 – 675.
Week 17: Review
Monday, April 28th
Review Keeping the Republic, chapters 11 – 15
Wednesday, April 30th:
Third test (chapter 11 – 15 of Keeping the Republic)
NOTE: THIS IS THE FINAL EXAM AND MEETS
FROM 1 – 3 PM.