Texas A & M University Central Texas
PLSK355.115: Religion and Politics
Fall I 2013
August 26–October 18
T/R 4:45 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.
Instructor Information
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Dan Karppi, Ph.D.
As an adjunct I do not have a TAMU office.
254-702-4890 (cell)
dan.karppi@ct.tamus.edu
Office Hours:
As an adjunct I do not hold office hours. However, I will make every effort to be available to students
before and after class as needed.
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your location. Please enroll today at http://TAMUCT.org/UNILERT
1.1
Course Description and Overview
1.2
Course Description
This course focuses on the historic development of church-state relations in the United States, the
evolution of church-state constitutional law, and the impact of this history and law on the current political
environment. Particular attention will be given to the role played by religion in political campaigns, local
politics, and interest group activities (TAMUCT Catalog 2012-2013).
1.3
Course Overview
The primary focus of this course is on the role of religion in American politics. It will examine the
historic roots of modern controversies surrounding church-state relations. Students will investigate the
Supreme Court’s role in mediating these controversies and how its decisions impact various political
actors: voters, candidates, office holders, bureaucrats, etc.
2.1
Course Objectives
In general terms, the main objective of this course is for students to be able to demonstrate an
understanding of religion’s impact on American politics. In so doing, it is hoped that students will be
able to engage in the modern debates related to church and state with the tools and intellectual foundation
expected of an informed, educated citizen.
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2.2
Student Learning Outcomes
The following suggest the essence of the course, and upon completion the student should be able to:
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3.0
Discuss the important developments in church-state relations throughout American history.
Describe the contribution of various individuals in defining the American understanding of
church-state relations.
Explain the major Supreme Court decisions related to church-state relations.
Discuss the role played by religion in the formulation of foreign and domestic policy.
Explain the impact of religion on major government institutions: Congress, the President, and the
Supreme Court.
Describe the impact of religion on social movements, interest groups, and political parties.
Required Reading and Text
Black, Amy E., Douglas L. Koopman, and Larycia A. Hawkins, eds. 2011. Religion and American
Politics: Classic and Contemporary Perspectives. Boston: Longman.
Waldman, Steven. 2008. Founding Faith: How Our Founding Fathers Forged a Radical New Approach
to Religious Liberty. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Note: Students will be required to read several Supreme Court cases as part of this course. There is no
required text related to these cases, as they can be found in the public domain. Students will be able to
access the full text decisions via the Internet. The instructor will provide a list of cases in class lecture.
4.1
Course Requirements
4.2
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Exams (2 @ 300 each)
These exams will cover the material in the required readings per the reading and exam schedule
below (see section 6.0). They will also cover material presented in class lecture and discussion.
Exams may consist of any combination of essay questions, short answer questions, true & false
questions, matching, or multiple choice questions.
Make-up Exam Policy: Students not present on exam days must make arrangements with the
instructor to take a make-up exam. PLEASE NOTE: Make-up exams may consist of additional
essay questions. In addition, thirty-one (31) points will be deducted from all make-up exams.
Therefore, the highest score a student can receive on a make-up exam is 269. However, students
may arrange with the instructor to take each exam early. Early exams will be authorized on a
case-by-case basis. If the instructor does not have the exam prepared early, this option will not be
available. Early exams will not be subject to a point penalty.
Each exam will cover the assigned reading material, class discussion, and class lecture. The
student is responsible for all assigned reading – even if some reading material is not directly
covered in class lecture.
Students should bring a scantron and blue book to each exam.
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4.3
Research Paper (240 points)
In order to successfully complete this assignment, the student must:
1. Select a topic related to the religion and American politics and research it in detail.
2. All topics MUST be approved by the instructor BEFORE writing the paper.
3. The paper must include the following elements:
 A specific argument. This means that I want the student to argue a specific point.
 Supporting evidence for the argument
4. The paper must comply with the following format guidelines:
 Typed
 Eight (8) to ten (10) pages in length
 Double spaced
 One inch margins (top, bottom, left, right)
 Font style/size: Times New Roman/12 point
5. The paper must be properly documented as follows:
 Style Manual: Turabian, Kate L. 2013. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and
Dissertations. 8th ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
 Style Form: Parenthetical citations/reference list form.
6. The paper is due on October 10, 2013.
7. Late papers will lose twenty-nine (29) points. Therefore, the highest score a late paper can receive is
211. After October 17, 2013 (the final), late papers will be accepted at the instructor’s discretion. That is
to say, after that date, papers may or may not be accepted.
8. Students who fail to meet the above format guidelines will loose points.
9. The instructor will also evaluate papers based on the student’s competency related to spelling,
grammar, and writing.
10. Submitting the paper: Except in cases where the student has been given specific permission by the
instructor to turn in his/her paper via e-mail, all papers must be turned in as hard-copy documents
Students who e-mail papers are responsible for ensuring that the document is saved as an .rtf document.
This will ensure that all formatting is retained. If a student’s paper is sent via e-mail and is unreadable,
the student must re-submit it. If this re-submission arrives after the due date, the paper will be considered
late and a point penalty assessed. In other words, if I can’t read your paper, it is not considered “turned
in”.
11. NOTE: Students are NOT allowed to recycle old research papers from previous courses (mine or
any other instructor’s).
12. Grades on the paper will be based on:
Component
Argument clearly stated
Quality of supporting evidence
Extent to which format guidelines are followed
Extent to which Turabian documentation is followed
Writing components: Style, spelling, grammar, etc.
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Points Possible
10
140
30
30
30
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4.4
Blackboard Discussions (3 @ 40 points each)
In order to facilitate class participation, students will be required to participate in Blackboard discussions.
There will be three (3) discussion topics posted by the instructor. In order to avoid a late penalty, students
MUST respond by the posted deadlines. If a student’s response is not posted by the deadline, a 10-point
penalty will be assessed. No responses will be accepted after October 17th. In the first class after
each deadline, the instructor will lead a class-wide discussion on student responses.
NOTE: Discussion questions will not be available immediately. On the first day of class, the instructor
will announce when the Blackboard discussion session will go LIVE. Therefore, it is important that
students log into blackboard several times per week to check on the availability.
Discussion
1
2.
3.
Deadline
No later than 9/5/13
No later than 9/24/13
No later than 10/3/13
Points Possible
40
40
40
Response Guidelines
 Each response must be at least three full paragraphs.
 Grades will be based on the extent to which responses demonstrate critical thinking skills and the
extent to which they are useful in class discussion.
 Proper spelling and grammar must be observed (no text-speak).
 Your grade does not depend upon responding to your classmates postings.
 Responses should observe proper decorum (keep your responses clean and civilized).
 If asked to defend your comments with evidence, make sure to cite sources.
4.5 Class Participation & Attendance (40 points)
The success of any class depends in large measure on student participation in class discussion. In order to
get the most out of this class, students must attend regularly. With this in mind, the instructor will
evaluate each student’s level of class participation and attendance. Except for the first day of class and
the two exam days, students who miss lecture classes will lose points. Students who attend class but fail
to participate and/or are inattentive will also lose points.
5.1
Grading Criteria
5.2 Graded assignments
Assignment
Exam 1
Exam 2
Paper
Blogs
Participation & Attendance
Total
Possible Points
300
300
240
120 (3 @ 40 points each)
40
1000
Percent
30%
30%
24%
12%
4%
100%
5.3 Final grade calculation
Grade A
B
Points 900-1000 800-899
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C
700-799
D
600-699
F
0-599
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5.4 Incomplete grades
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Any missing assignments in your record will be assigned a score of zero.
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Incomplete grades will be issued at the instructor’s discretion and under the conditions set by
University policy. See the Catalog for details.
6.0
Reading and Exam Schedule
Date
Aug. 27
Aug. 29
Black, Koopman, & Hawkins
Syllabus/Introduction to the Course
Ch. 1: “Our Mainstream Religious Heritage”
Sept. 3
Sept. 5
Sept. 10
Ch. 2: “Forging a New Nation”
Ch. 3: “Religion and American Civic Life”
Ch. 4: “The American Religious Landscape”
Sept. 12
Ch. 5: “Religion and Social Movements”
Sept. 17
Sept. 19
Sept. 24
Sept. 26
Catch-up lecture
Exam #1
Ch. 6: “Religious Groups in the Political
Process”
Ch. 7: “Religion and the Presidency”
Oct. 1
Ch. 8: “Religion and Congress”
Oct. 3
Oct. 8
Ch. 9: “Religion and the Supreme Court”
Ch. 10: “Domestic Policy Debates”
Oct. 10
Oct. 15
Oct. 17
Ch. 11: “Foreign Policy Debates”
Catch-up lecture
Exam #2
7.1
Waldman
Introduction
Ch. 1: “Christian America”
Ch. 2: “Benjamin Franklin”
Ch. 3: “The Evangelical Revolution”
Ch. 4: “John Adams”
Ch. 5: “The Godly Roots of Rebellion”
Ch. 6: “George Washington”
Ch. 7: “Holy War”
Catch-up lecture
Ch. 8: “Thomas Jefferson”
Ch. 9: “Nature’s God Meets the Supreme
Judge”
Ch. 10: “James Madison”
Ch. 11: “A Diabolical Persecution”
Ch. 12: “The Mighty Current of Freedom”
Ch. 13: “Forgetting the Powerful Friend”
Ch. 14: “The First Amendment
Compromise”
Ch. 15: “Practicing What They Preached”
Catch-up lecture
Classroom Decorum
7.2
Class Discussion
Students are reminded to observe proper decorum when engaging in classroom discussion. Foul language
and hostile debate are not constructive to the learning process and will not be tolerated.
7.3
Cell Phones
All cell phones must be turned OFF (not silent or vibrate mode) during lecture. Refrain from leaving the
room to make phone calls or send text messages during lecture.
7.4
Laptop Computers
Students should refrain from using laptop computers to type notes during lecture. Typing distracts other
students in the class.
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8.0
Drop Policy
If you discover that you need to drop this class, you must go to the Records Office and ask for the
necessary paperwork. Professors cannot drop students; this is always the responsibility of the student.
The record’s office will provide a deadline by which the form must be returned, completed, and signed.
Once you return the signed form to the records office and wait 24 hours, you must go into Duck Trax and
confirm that you are no longer enrolled. If you are still enrolled, FOLLOW-UP with the records office
immediately. You are to attend class until the procedure is complete to avoid penalty for absence.
Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the procedure, you will receive an F in the course. For
complete details about the University’s drop policy and procedure, consult page 66 of the TSU Catalog.
9.0
Academic Honesty
Texas A & M University—Central Texas expects all students to maintain high standards of personal and
scholarly conduct. It is the scholarly responsibility of the student to understand what plagiarism means.
Students guilty of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes,
but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the
abuse of resource materials. The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each case of
academic dishonesty. More information can be found at: www.ct.tamus.edu/StudentConduct.
10.0
Disability Support Services
Texas A&M University – Central Texas complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. TAMUCT promotes the use of the Principles of Universal
Design to ensure that course design and activities are accessible to the greatest extent possible. Students
who require reasonable accommodations based on the impact of a disability should contact Gail Johnson,
Disability Support Coordinator at (254) 501-5831 in Student Affairs, Office 114E. The Disability Support
Coordinator is responsible for reviewing documentation provided by students requesting
accommodations, determining eligibility for accommodations, helping students request and use
accommodations, and coordinating accommodations.
11.0
Tutoring
Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online. Subjects tutored include
Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, and Writing (APA). Tutors are available at the Tutoring
Center in Founder's Hall, Room 204, and also in the Library in the North Building. Visit
www.ct.tamus.edu/AcademicSupport and click "Tutoring Support" for tutor schedules and contact info. If
you have questions, need to schedule a tutoring session, or if you're interested in becoming a tutor,
contact Academic Support Programs at 254-501-5830 or by emailing cecilia.morales@ct.tamus.edu.
Chat live with a tutor 24/7 for almost any subject on your computer! Tutor.com is an online tutoring
platform that enables TAMU-CT students to log-in and receive FREE online tutoring and writing support.
This tool provides tutoring in Mathematics, Writing, Career Writing, Chemistry, Physics, Biology,
Spanish, Calculus, and Statistics. To access Tutor.com, click on www.tutor.com/tamuct.
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12.0
Library Services
INFORMATION LITERACY focuses on research skills which prepare individuals to live and work in an
information-centered society. Librarians will work with students in the development of critical reasoning,
ethical use of information, and the appropriate use of secondary research techniques. Help may include,
yet is not limited to: exploration of information resources such as library collections and services,
identification of subject databases and scholarly journals, and execution of effective research strategies.
Library Resources are outlined and accessed at: [http://www.ct.tamus.edu/departments/library/index.php]
13.0
Teaching Philosophy
Learning is something that one does actively. It is not something that one does passively. My goal is to
facilitate the activity of learning. To do this, my classes emphasize two things. The first is lecture. This
is where students are presented with the essentials of the course material. Class discussion is an important
part of the lecture process, as it gives students a chance to apply what they have learned. It is essential
that students maintain good attendance. The second is the work done by students outside of class. This
includes reading all the assigned chapters completely, conducting college-level research and writing, and
participating fully in Blackboard activities. In short, students are responsible for their own learning.
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