AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
POLS 1101
Fall 2015
Instructor: Professor Hood
Office: Baldwin Hall 103 D
Phone: 583-0554
E-Mail: th@uga.edu
Course Website: ELC
Office Hours: Monday—Friday by appointment
Required Texts:
(Available at Off-Campus Bookstore, Baxter Street Books, or the UGA Bookstore):
 The Logic of American Politics,7th ed. [978-1-4833-1984-1]
Kernell, Jacobson, Kousser, and Vavreck [KJKVV]
(E-Book Version available at http://store.vitalsource.com)
 Georgia Politics in a State of Change, 4th Custom Edition for use in Discussion Sections
[ISBN: 978-1-256-81336-1]
 U.S. Constitution [C] (Appendix 1 in KJKV) and Federalist No. 10 (Appendix 4)
Course Overview:
Students will gain a more complete understanding of the basic organization and functions of the
United States and Georgia governments through a series of assigned readings and lectures.
Emphasis will be placed on learning basic concepts and ideas concerning how our government
actually works (or fails to work). After successfully completing this course you will hopefully be
able to comprehend, and meaningfully participate in, the American political process.
Course Requirements:
You are expected to take all three of the regularly scheduled exams as well as the final. The
grade earned on the final exam, in addition to counting for the assigned 22.5% of a student’s
grade, may also be substituted for the lowest grade earned from Exams 1-3. In the event that a
student misses one of the exams scheduled during the semester (Exams 1-3), the normal
procedure will be to substitute the final exam grade (Exam 4) for the missed exam. While
attendance to the main lecture is not required, it should be noted that regular attendance is crucial
for success in this class. Attendance to your discussion section is, however, mandatory.
Students should also make note of the fact that a sizeable proportion, 10%, of their grade will be
determined by performance in their discussion section. Details concerning grading requirements
for discussion sections are available in a separate syllabus located on the ELC course page.
Grading Procedure:
Your course grade will be based on the following distribution:
Exam 1
22.5%
Exam 2
22.5%
Exam 3
22.5%
Exam 4
22.5%
Discussion Section
10%
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Grading Scale:
<60: F; 60-69: D; 70-72: C-; 73-76: C; 77-79: C+; 80-82: B-; 83-86: B; 87-89: B+; 9092: A-; 93-100: A
Other Notes:
Students who are tardy on examination days will not be given a test once the first
examination is turned in at the front of the room.
Course Outline:
Date
Topic
8/18
Why do we need government?
Required Readings
KJKV, Ch. 1
8/20
Making Collective Decisions
KJKV, Ch. 1
8/25
The U.S. and Georgia Constitutions
8/27
The U.S. and Georgia Constitutions;
KJKV, Ch. 2; C,
Articles V & 7
KJKV, Ch. 2
9/1
Federalism
9/3
Federalism Cont.
9/8
Exam 1
9/10
Public Opinion
KJKV, Ch. 10
9/15
Public Opinion Cont.
KJKV, Ch. 10
9/17
Guest Lecture: Professor Jack Rakove
Federalist No. 10
9/22
The Role of the Media
KJKV, Ch. 14
9/24
The Role of the Media Cont.
KJKV, Ch. 14
9/29
Political Parties
KJKV, Ch. 12
10/1
Political Parties Cont.
KJKV, Ch. 12
10/6
Exam 2
10/8
Elections and Political Participation
10/13
Elections and Political Participation Cont.
KJKV, Ch. 11
C, 19th, 24th, & 26th
Amends.
KJKV, Ch. 11
10/15
Interest Groups
KJKV, Ch. 13
10/20
Interest Groups Cont.
KJKV, Ch. 13
10/22
Legislatures—U.S./Georgia; Withdrawal Deadline
KJKV, Ch. 6
C, Article I
Ch. 3; C, Articles
VI; Article I, Sec. 8;
10th and 14th Amend.
KJKV, Ch. 3
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Course Outline:
Date
Topic
10/27
Legislatures—U.S./Georgia
Required Readings
KJKV, Ch. 6
10/29
Exam 3
11/3
The Executive—The President/The Georgia
Governor
KJKV, Ch. 7
C, Article II; 22nd &
25th Amends.
11/5
The Executive—The President/The Georgia
Governor Cont.
KJKV, Ch. 7
11/10
The Bureaucracy
KJKV, Ch. 8
11/12
The Bureaucracy Cont.
KJKV, Ch. 8
11/17
Presidential Elections
Electronic Reading
11/19*
Video Presentation: Journeys with George
11/24
Thanksgiving Holiday
11/26
Thanksgiving Holiday
12/1
The Judicial Branch—U.S./Georgia
KJKV, Ch. 9
C, Article III
12/3
Last Class; The Judicial Branch—U.S./Georgia
KJKV, Ch. 9
12/10
FINAL EXAM (Exam 4); 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Note: Class lecture times denoted with an asterisk (*) are 1 hour and 15 minutes (11:00-12:15).
Otherwise, lectures will be 50 minutes (11:00-11:50).
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