Syllabus for Political Science 101
Unit I
Political parties
Special Interest Groups
January-November/ Electoral College
Voter tendencies
Political Socialization/Voting Rights
Public Opinion/ Media
Review/ Political Socialization Paper Due
Unit I exam
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 4
Study for exam
Legislative and Executive Branches
Feb. 15
Feb. 17
Feb. 22
Feb. 24
March 1
March 3
March 8
March 10
Unit III
Spring 2011
Politics and the American People
Jan. 18
Jan. 20
Jan. 25
Jan, 27
Feb. 1
Feb. 3
Feb. 8
Feb. 10
Unit II
Tizz Miller
Congress - How a Bill Becomes a Law
Expressed v. Implied/ Non-legislative powers
Presidential Duties and Powers
The Cabinet/ Balanced Ticket
Bureaucracy
Public policy
Review/ Congress Assignment Due
Unit II Exam
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 13
Study for Exam
Judicial Branch
March 15
March 17
March 29
March 31
April 5
April 7
Judicial Review - Marbury v Madison
Landmark Supreme Court Cases
SPRING BREAK
Free Exercise and Establishment clauses
The Rights of the Accused
Civil Rights/ Supreme Court Assignment Due
Unit III Exam
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Unit IV The Constitution
April 12
April 14
April 19
April 21
April 26
April 28
May 3
May 5
Week of May 9
Locke and the Declaration of Independence
Chapter 1
Articles of Confederation/ Convention/ Compromises
No class - special assignment
Chapter 2
Federalists v. Anti-Federalists
Principles of the Constitution
Chapter 3
Federalism
Federalist v. Anti-Federalist Paper Due
Review
Unit IV and Final Exam
Political Science 101
Spring 2011
Instructor Tizz Miller 309-0992
Room 511 Community Campus
Office Hours by appointment
American Government
Political Science 101 Course Catalog Description: A basic course in political science introducing
the essential concepts and major structural elements of the national government. Many aspects of
American government are introduced and discussed in a way that will make the study of
government more a part of the students’ worlds.
Requirements. American Government, Volkomer (13th edition) is the required text for this course.
There will be additional readings assigned to supplement the text. Readings in the text serve as
background to the lectures, and should therefore be completed in advance of the corresponding class
lectures and discussions. Class participation is strongly encouraged.
Grading: Your grade for this course will be based on performance on unit exams and written
assignments. There will be one required written assignments per unit. These assignments will
comprise approximately 25% of your grade. The first three unit exams will be worth 15% each,
while the Final Exam will include a Unit IV assessment as well as a cumulative essay, worth a total
of 30%. Late assignments will be accepted with a penalty. However, assignments will not be
accepted after two weeks. Students who are no longer attending class are responsible for
withdrawing by the end of the twelfth week, or an F will be awarded. Written assignments shall be
typed in no larger than 12-point, Times New Roman font, double spaced, with one inch margins.
Student Disabilities: Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for related
accommodations. To determine eligibility and secure services, students should contact the
coordinator of Disability Services at their first opportunity after registration for a class. (208) 7326260, or (208) 734-9929 (TTY), or email accessability@csi.edu
Student Evaluations: Students are strongly encouraged to complete evaluations at the end of the
course. Evaluations are very important to assist the teaching staff to continually improve the
course. Evaluations are available online at http://evaluation.csi.edu. Evaluations open two weeks
prior to the end of the course. The last day to compete an evaluation is the last day of the course.
During the time the evaluations are open, students can complete them at their convenience from any
computer with Internet access, including in the open lab in the library. When students log in, they
should see the evaluations for the courses in which they are enrolled. Evaluations are anonymous.
Filling out the evaluation should only take a few minutes. Your honest feedback is greatly
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