Political Science 1101: The American Political System
Recitation Syllabus – Fall 2013
Sections 107 and 111
Instructor: Corey Barwick
Email: Corey.Barwick@Colorado.edu
Office: Ketchum Arts and Sciences (KTCH) 8B
Office Hours: Mondays 9:00AM – 11:00AM and by Appointment
Section 107:
Monday: 12:00PM – 12:50PM
Eaton Humanities (HUMN) 1B90
Section 111:
Monday: 2:00PM – 2:50PM
Muenzinger Psychology (MUEN) E131
Goals and Expectations
While the objective of the course itself is to introduce you to the institutions, processes and actors of the American
political system, the goal of recitation is for you to develop a better and more in depth understanding of the course
material. In recitation, I will generally cover topics and themes that Professor Greenberg did not have time to lecture on
as well as emphasize important concepts that are critical to getting the big picture. As such, I structure recitations as more
of an interactive lecture. My expectation is that you come prepared, having done the reading and having attended the
lectures for that week. Please ask questions and be prepared to engage in scholarly debate and critical thinking when the
opportunity arises.
Evaluation
Your recitation grade is 20% of your course grade and will be broken down as follows:
1) Attendance (10% of your total grade)
 Attendance at your assigned recitation section is required and will be taken promptly at the beginning of
each session. You can miss up to two recitations and still earn an A in this portion of your grade. My
tardiness policy is that if you arrive after I take attendance it is your responsibility to come to me after
class and inform me of your presence; failure to do so may result in you not getting credit for being in
class. If you arrive within two minutes of class starting, I will give you full credit so long as such
tardiness does not become a habit (more than two times). If you arrive after two minutes of class starting,
I will give you half credit for the day.
 Grades for the attendance portion of recitation are broken down as follows based on the number of
absences:
Number of Absences Percent Grade
0-2
100%
A
3
92%
A4
84%
B
5
76%
C+
6
68%
C7+
0%
F
 Please note that missing seven or more recitation sections results in not only a failing grade, but a 0% for
the attendance portion of your recitation grade.
2) Participation and Quizzes/Assignments (10% of your total grade)
 Frequent participation is not essential to do well in my recitation, but I most certainly consider quality
participation in calculating this portion of your grade. This means that if you like to ask questions and
participate often, that is fine but if you are rather quiet and only speak up occasionally, you can still earn a
high grade in my recitation because quality participation is more important than quantity. Participation
can come in many forms such as:
 Asking/Answering questions
 Making comments

 Coming to my office hours to discuss course material
There will be a fair number of quizzes throughout the semester (expect around nine). These quizzes will
resemble the exam in both difficulty and format. They will not be cumulative and will be taken at the end
of recitation such that it is still possible to do reasonably well if one pays attention during recitation and
the lectures from that week. I drop the lowest quiz score.
Reading Schedule for Recitation
This is to give you a guide as to what material you are responsible for on certain dates for recitation (in other words, what
chapter/theme we will be discussing and what reading the quiz will cover). Any changes to this list will be announced in
recitation or sent via e-mail in advance. Please note that some weeks we will actually be ahead of the readings for
lecture. This is because I have found that reviews for the exam are extremely helpful; but in order to have the reviews,
certain material must be covered earlier.
Date
Reading Due
Quiz/Assignment
Monday, August 26, 2013
None; Syllabus Day
Monday, September 2, 2013
None; Labor Day – No Recitation
Monday, September 9, 2013
Chapter 1 on Democracy and
Chapter 2
American Politics
Chapter 2 on the Constitution
Monday, September 16, 2013
Chapter 3 on Federalism: States and
Chapter 3
Nation
Monday, September 23, 2013
Chapter 4 on the Structural
Chapter 4
Foundations of American Government
and Politics
Friday, September 27, 2013
None
Optional Assignment 1 Due at
11:59PM (Electronic Copy Only)
Monday, September 30, 2013
None; Review Day
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
None; EXAM 1
Monday, October 7, 2013
Chapter 5 on Public Opinion
Monday, October 14, 2013
Chapter 7 on Interest Groups and
Chapter 9
Business Corporations
Chapter 9 on Political Parties
Monday, October 21, 2013
Chapter 10 on Voting, Campaigns, and Chapter 10
Elections
Monday, October 28, 2013
Chapter 11 on Congress
Chapter 11
Friday, November 1, 2013
None
Optional Assignment 2 Due at
11:59PM (Electronic Copy Only)
Monday, November 4, 2013
None; Review Day
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
None; EXAM 2
Monday, November 11, 2013
Chapter 12 on the Presidency and
Chapter 12
portions of Chapter 13 on the
Executive Branch
Monday, November 18, 2013
Chapter 14 on the Courts
Chapter 14
Monday, November 25, 2013
None; Fall Break
Monday, December 2, 2013
Chapter 15 on Civil Liberties: The
Chapter 15
Struggle for Freedom
Chapter 8 on Social Movements
Chapter 16 on Civil Rights: The
Struggle for Political Equality
Monday, December 9, 2013
None; Review Day and Workshop on
Final Essay
Friday, December 13, 2013
None
Optional Assignment 3 (Rough Draft
of Final Essay) Due at 11:59PM
(Electronic Copy Only)
Monday, December 16, 2013
None; EXAM 3 and FINAL ESSAY
Personal Policies
Missing Recitation (Excused or Otherwise): While missing up to two recitations will not affect the attendance portion
of your recitation grade, missing even one section will negatively affect your performance portion of your recitation
grade. Thus, I encourage all of you to attend as many recitations as you possibly can. In other words, it is ill advised to
“plan” for two absences. I will NOT give makeup quizzes under any circumstances. However, if you have a legitimately
excused absence from recitation (due to a documented illness, athletic or university sanctioned activity, religious holiday
or family emergency) you will be allowed to make up the quiz in the form of a short essay/paper on a topic determined by
myself.
Laptops and Cell Phones: Laptops are not allowed and I ask that you silence your cell phones during recitation. I do
notice when someone texts and it is quite distracting to me, so please check your messages before and after class but not
during recitation.
Email: Check your university e-mail often. I will use email to make you aware of any changes that may occur over the
course of the semester, and you are responsible for knowing these changes that are communicated via email. I will also
generally give some guidance on what to study for the quizzes through e-mail.
University Policies
Disability
If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in
a timely manner so that your needs can be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on
documented disabilities.
Contact: (303) 492-8671, Center for Community, N200, and http://www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices.
Religious Observances
Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to deal reasonably and
fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or
required attendance. See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html.
Classroom Behavior
Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those who
fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are
especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, color, culture, religion, creed,
politics, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression, age, disability, and
nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student’s legal name. I will gladly honor your request to
address you by an alternative name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I
may make appropriate changes to my records. See policies at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at
http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code.
Discrimination and Harassment
The University of Colorado at Boulder Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures, the University of
Colorado Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures, and the University of Colorado Conflict of Interest in Cases of
Amorous Relationships Policy apply to all students, staff, and faculty. Any student, staff, or faculty member who believes
s/he has been the subject of sexual harassment or discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin,
sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and
Harassment (ODH) at (303) 492-2127, or the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) at (303) 492-5550. Information about the
ODH, the above reference policies, and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or
harassment can be obtained at
http://www.colorado.edu/odh.
Honor Code
All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic
integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic
dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct should be reported
to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; (303) 735-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the
academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions
(including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be
found at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at
http://honorcode.colorado.edu/.