Political Science 1101 -- The American Political System
Fall Semester, 2009
Dr. Paul-Henri Gurian
Department of Political Science
School of Public and International Affairs
306-B Baldwin Hall
PHGurian@uga.edu
Office Hours: T.B.A.
“We hold these Truths to be self-evident,
that all Men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness that to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed,
that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends,
it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government, laying its Foundations on such Principles,
and organizing its Powers in such Forms,
as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
The Declaration of Independence, 1776
Students in this class should develop a broad understanding of American government and politics.
By the end of the semester, students should have an appreciation of the ideals of American democracy
and how those ideals have been incorporated into the system of government. They should have a
working knowledge of the Constitution, not only what the Constitution says but also how it has been
interpreted and applied. Students should also understand the roles and functions of political parties,
campaigns, elections, and other components of American politics. They should be able to see the
connections between the ideals of democratic rights and the realities of a diverse, pluralistic society.
They should understand how political power is organized through federalism and the separation of
legislative, executive and judicial powers. Finally, they should be able to apply these concepts to
current political issues and events.
There will be three midterm exams and a final. Each midterm will consist of multiple choice
questions, a few short answer questions and one essay. The final will consist of one cumulative essay.
Unannounced quizzes may be administered in discussion (breakout) sections.
Two midterm exams: each counts as 25% of your grade.
Final Exam: 15% of your grade
Participation in discussion sections: 10% of your grade
Attendance in discussion sections is required.
1 point off your semester grade for each unexcused absence.
If, for any reason, you cannot take one of the exams at the scheduled time, contact your teaching
assistant (TA) before the exam. (Be sure you know your TA’s email address and office hours.)
Make–up exams will be administered only under certain circumstances such as serious health or other
unavoidable problems. In such cases, contact your TA immediately.
All academic work must meet the standards contained in “A Culture of Honesty.” Students are
responsible for informing themselves about those standards before performing any academic work.
All students are responsible for maintaining the highest standards of honesty and integrity in every
phase of their academic careers. The penalties for academic dishonesty are severe and ignorance of the
rules is not an acceptable defense.
If you have a problem with a grade, an exam, or anything else, discuss it with your TA first. He or
she should be able to take care of any such problems. If your TA is unable to help, contact Dr. Gurian.
Text: American Government: Roots and Reform,
by O’Connor and Sabato (2009 Alternate Edition)
Reader: Choices: an American Government Reader
Be sure that you get the edition “compiled by Dr. Gurian”. Other POLS 1101 instructors
assign readers with an nearly identical cover, but with different content.
The following can be found in the textbook.
Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers #10 and #51,
U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and Amendments
The Constitution, Bill of Rights and Amendments can be found on pages 64-93 of the textbook.
The authors of the textbook have included some explanatory notes in purple.
An interactive guide to the Constitution is available on MyPoliSciLab.
Throughout the semester, we will refer to the Declaration and the Constitution.
MyPoliSciLab includes a number of resources that can be helpful in this course: videos, debates,
timelines, simulations, news clips and summaries, writing tools, and an interactive guide to
the Constitution. Some of these will be assigned in class or breakout. Students are encouraged to
explore additional resources on MyPoliSciLab to develop a better understanding of the material.
There is a WebCT for this course. Information about the WebCT will be announced in class.
News articles (required readings) will be assigned every week. Other required readings will be also
posted on WebCT. Additional readings may be assigned in class or in breakout sections.
The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary. If so, they will
be announced by Dr. Gurian or by your TA, or posted on WebCT. Important information will be
announced in class. If you miss a class, be sure to get good notes from someone and find out what
announcements were made during class. Material will be covered in lecture and breakout that is not in
the readings. You should get the phone numbers or e-mail addresses of a few other people in the class
so you can contact them if necessary.
Topics and Reading Assignments
A Constitutional Perspective
Week of August 17
“We hold these Truths to be self-evident...”
The Ideals of American Democracy
The Declaration of Independence (Text, Appendix 1)
Text Chapter 1 -- The Political Landscape
Week of August 24
“organizing its Powers in such Forms...”
The Constitutional System
Federalist #51 (Text, Appendix 3)
Text Chapter 2 -- The Constitution
U.S. Constitution: Preamble, Articles I -VII, Amendments 12, 17, 22, 25
Week of August 31
“The United States shall guarantee to every State...”
Federalism; Georgia government
Reader: Georgia's Constitution and Government
Text Chapter 3 -- Federalism
Note: There will be no breakouts on Monday September 7 (Labor Day).
Week of September 7
“... endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”
The Bill of Rights: Civil Liberties
Text Chapter 5 -- Civil Liberties
U.S. Constitution: Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10)
Reader: “Gideon’s Trumpet”
Week of September 14
“all Men are created equal...”
Equality: Civil Rights
Text Chapter 6 -- Civil Rights
U.S. Constitution: Fourteenth Amendment, Amendments 13, 15, 19, 23, 24, 26
Reader: “Women’s Right to the Suffrage”, “I Have a Dream”
First Midterm Exam
Monday, September 21 (short answer and multiple choice in breakout sections)
and Tuesday, September 22 (essay section in lecture hall)
An Institutional Perspective
Week of September 21
“The judicial Power of the United States...”
The Courts
Text Chapter 10 -- The Judiciary
Week of September 28
“All legislative Powers herein granted...”
The Congress
Text Chapter 7 -- Congress
Text Chapter 16 -- Interest Groups
Reader: “Perceptions of Constituency”
Week of October 5
“The executive Power shall be vested in a President...”
The Presidency
Text Chapter 8 -- The Presidency
Reader: “Presidential Power”
Week of October 12
“Ambition must be made to counter ambition....”
The Struggle for Power
Text Chapter 9 -- The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy
Watergate - Selected Readings I (on WebCT)
Week of October 19
“... Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”
Watergate: a Constitutional Crisis
Watergate - Selected Readings II (on WebCT)
U.S. Constitution: Article I (s.2-3), Article II (s.3-4), Article III
Second Midterm Exam
Thursday, October 22 (essay section in lecture hall)
and Monday, October 26 (short answer and multiple choice in discussion sections)
A Mass Behavior Perspective
Week of October 26
“...deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed”
Political Parties and Realignment
Reader: “Some Hypothetical Scenarios” and “The Realignment Process” by Sundquist
Federalist #10 (Text, Appendix II)
Week of November 2
“the person having the greatest number of votes...”
Voting and Elections
Text Chapter 12 -- Political Parties
Text Chapter 13 -- Voting and Elections
Week of November 9
“if no person have such majority...”
Presidential Campaigns
Text Chapter 11 -- Political Socialization and Public Opinion
Text Chapter 15 -- The Media
Week of November 16
“...to vote in any primary or other election for President”
The 2008 Presidential Campaigns
Text Chapter 14 -- The Campaign Process
“The Nominations” by Burden (on WebCT)
“The 2008 Presidential Election” by Abramowitz (on WebCT)
Note: no class Monday - Friday, November 23-27 (Thanksgiving)
Third Midterm Exam
Monday, November 30 (short answer and multiple choice in discussion sections)
and Tuesday, December 1 (essay section in lecture hall)
Week of November 30
“... most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
Epilogue: Democracy in America
Declaration of Independence, Federalist #51, Bill of Rights, 14th Amendment
Note: Thursday, December 3 is the last lecture.
POLS 1101 will NOT meet on Tuesday, December 8.
On TUESDAY, December 8 the University is on a FRIDAY schedule.
Final Exam: Friday, December 11, 12:00 - 3:00 pm