POLITICAL SCIENCE 150
INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Tuesday & Thursdays – 11am Class
Spring, 2014
COURSE OUTLINE
Professor, DAVID C. ANDRUS
OFFICE: Seco Hall -208
TELEPHONE: (661) 259-7800 x3052 – campus
(626) 260-0029 - cell
E-MAIL – david.andrus@canyons.edu
OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday – 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Wednesday – 1:15pm to 2:15pm
Thursday – 12:30pm to 1:30pm
COURSE SUMMARY
Political Science 150 is an introductory course that seeks to establish a foundation and basis
of understanding of American government. The course will cover various elements and
dynamics of American democracy, the institutional and practical linkage between citizens and
their government, and the roles and functions of the individual governmental institutions. A
portion of the course will be devoted to understanding California State government and its
relationship with the federal government.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to speak knowledgeably of the following subjects: the United States
Constitution, federalism, public opinion and the role of news media in government, political
parties and interest groups, elections, campaign finance, congress, the presidency, the
judiciary, contrasting political theories and American democratic values in general. The
learning process should sharpen and refine the students’ ability to understand everyday
news and current events relating to the overall governmental structure in the United States.
Student participation in discussion is deemed necessary to enhance learning and allows for
continued development of individual speaking and oratory skills. In addition, the exchange of
political opinions and experiences is vital to gaining a well rounded understanding of issues
that exist across the political spectrum.
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
The following are the Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) listed in the Political Science 150
course outline for College of the Canyons. SLO’s are similar to the objectives listed above.
They are the intended learning outcomes a student can expect to achieve for this course.
They are as follows:
Identify and explain the basic institutions of the government of the United States and the
State of California.
Compare and contrast democratic theories of American government.
Exhibit a heightened sense of personal political efficacy and civic responsibility.
TEXT BOOKS
Beginning fall, 2013 the Department of Political Science has adopted and will use a
custom textbook for Political Science 150. The Department made this decision to
reduce the cost of the textbook available in the COC Bookstore. The custom textbook
will be sold in the COC Bookstore and is a compilation of the following two widely
published and available textbooks:
1. We the People (9th Edition – Full Version) by Ginsberg, et. al.
2. Governing California (4th Edition) by Anagnoson, et. al.
The custom textbook will not be available for purchase anywhere other than the COC
Bookstore. But, these other versions are available at other sources for a much higher
price, unless you purchase them used, of course, or rent them. FYI. Also, please be
advised that the required “Governing California” textbook can be found at the end of
the bound custom textbook.
PUBLISHER RESOURCES
For this course you can access online resources from the publisher for the assigned text
book. Accessing these resources will enable the student to take practice exams in the form
of multiple choice, essay, short answer, matching etc… It also provides important excerpts
from the text book, as well as video resources explaining chapter topics. Feel free to use
these resources to prepare for the Learning Unit Tests and weekly assignments. There is
also a possibility that you will be required to visit this web site for some weekly assignments.
They are useful as they match the assigned readings in the syllabus. Here is the link:
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/polisci/we-the-people9/full/welcome.aspx
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ASSIGNMENTS/GRADE POINTS
3 Quizzes (10 Points) (Each quiz is worth 5 points. I drop your lowest score. Thus, the
remaining 2 scores comprise how many points you earned out of 10 possible. The quizzes
will be administered either in class or online.)
Analytical Paper (20 Points)
The instructor reserves the right to utilize “Turnitin.com” for paper submissions.
Note: I will accept late papers beyond the due date listed on the semester schedule (below). However, for
every day it is late, I will penalize students 5% above and beyond their graded score. Thus, if the paper is
submitted two days past the deadline, you will receive a 10% reduction etc….
SERVICE LEARNING ALTERNATIVE PROJECT*
*Students have the option of participating in a service learning project
through COC’s Service Learning Department in lieu of the required
Analytical/Research Paper(s). Students that successfully complete 20
hours of work for one of the local organizations recognized and chosen
by the instructor will receive the full 20 points for this component of the
course assignment/grade points.
Supplemental Instruction Workshops (5 Points – Due no later than May 8th.) - College of
the Canyons is offering a series of skills building workshops (called Supplemental Instruction
workshops) to promote student success in courses throughout the college. The only
workshops I will honor credit for are the English workshops. I believe math skills are
essential to a good education. However, the English workshops are most applicable to the
assigned workload of this class. You must finish completion of your five separate workshops
by Thursday, November 14th. Check in at the TLC, and you will be directed to the workshop
location. If you cannot attend the workshop at the time it is held, you may complete the
independent, self-paced Guided Learning Activity (GLA) with the help of a tutor. Every
workshop has an accompanying GLA which can be completed anytime during the open
hours of the TLC. Check the Skills4Success website at www.canyons.edu/skills4success for
the workshop schedule.
You must complete 5 separate workshops to earn your 5 points from this part of the grading
rubric. Each workshop is worth 1 point. You will only receive credit for the workshops I
designate as being most relevant to this course.
In-Class Assignments (5 Points)
Mid-Term Examination (30 Points)
Final Examination (30 Points) - The final exam is not cumulative.
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GRADING
90% - 100% A
90 - 100 Points
80% - 89%
B
80 – 89.9 Points
70% - 79%
C
70 – 79.9 Points
60% - 69%
D
60 – 69.9 Points
0% - 59%
F
59 Points or less
EXTRA CREDIT
There will be no extra credit awarded during the semester.
MAKE-UP EXAMS and DEAD LINES
Make up exams for the mid-term and final will only be honored for those excuses supported
by documentation explaining the absence. The deadline for the required writing assignment
will not be extended. Students are given advanced notice through this syllabus so that they
prepare and organize their time accordingly.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR
The policy regarding use of cell phones and lap top computers will be discussed in class. No
ipods are allowed to be utilized during the class session. Do not rest your head on the desk,
sleep or otherwise exhibit disrespectful behavior while in class. Do not maintain extended
personal conversations while lecture is underway. These behaviors are unacceptable and
disrespectful to the instructor, the other students in the class and the college as an institution.
ATTENDANCE, TARDINESS AND WITHDRAWAL
Student commitment to attending all classes is essential to a full understanding and
comprehension of the material. This class meets once a week. One missed class can cause
the student to immediately fall behind in their assignments. Furthermore, missing one class,
for less than dire reasons, can reduce the student’s focus and commitment, thereby easily
leading to continued absences.
School policy states that “any student absent for any reason for one more time than that
class meets in one week may be dropped from the class providing the withdrawal deadline
for the semester/term has not passed”. The instructor reserves the right to officially drop a
student from the course for exceeding this attendance standard. If a student is absent for
one more time than the class meets in two weeks, and the drop deadline has passed, the
instructor reserves the right to reduce the student’s overall grade in the class by one full letter
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grade. If a student is absent for one more time than the class meets in three weeks, and the
drop deadline has passed, the student will automatically have their semester grade for the
course reduced by one full letter grade.
Tardiness disrupts the class lecture and discussion. The instructor reserves the right to treat
a student’s habitual tardiness as absences.
CLASS DISCUSSION
Political Science 150 is both a lecture and discussion course. The general nature of the
material demands class discussion. This course addresses matters of public affairs. If the
course is at all representative of American society at large, then expect to listen to and hear a
variety of opinions and political positions. The instructor welcomes all views and opinions. I
only ask that you address these issues in a respectful manner and be mindful and sensitive
of your classmates and their diversity of thought and background.
PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING
COC Statement and Policy on Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
Approved by Academic Senate in May, 2010
Students are expected to do their own work as assigned. At College of the Canyons, we
believe that academic integrity and honesty are some of the most important qualities college
students need to develop and maintain. To facilitate a culture of academic integrity, College
of the Canyons has defined plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Due process procedures
have been established when plagiarism or academic dishonesty is suspected.
At COC, we define plagiarism as follows: Plagiarism is the submission of someone else’s
work or ideas as one’s own, without adequate attribution. When a student submits work for a
class assignment that includes the words, ideas or data of others, without acknowledging the
source of the information through complete, accurate, and specific references, plagiarism is
involved. This may include dual submissions of a similar work for credit for more than one
class, without the current instructor’s knowledge and approval.
To be specific, below are some of the situations that will be considered plagiarism at COC:

Use information from any source, online or in print, in one’s own writing without
acknowledging the source in the content and in the reference page of the
assignment;

Simply list the sources in the reference page, without parenthetical citations in
the body of the essay;
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

Take more than one printed line of words consecutively from the source
without putting quotation marks around them, even though the student has put
the author’s name in the parentheses or in the reference page;
Turn in work done for other classes, regardless how big or small the
assignment may be, without the current instructor’s approval—this is
considered “self-plagiarism,” which is a form of academic dishonesty; or,

Turn in work by another student, even by accident.
In addition, COC has strict rules against using electronic devices during exams without the
instructor’s approval. To be specific, absolutely no cell phones or any electronic devices can
be on the desk or in sight during test or exam without the instructor’s approval. The presence
of electronic devices in sight during exams may be considered as intention to cheat and will
be processed as a form of academic dishonesty.
Cases of alleged academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism or cheating, will be referred to the
Dean of Student Services for investigation. See your syllabus for course specific policies,
rules, and guidelines on plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
Plagiarism and cheating violate the inherent value and essence of education. The College
and the instructor consider plagiarism and cheating to be serious offenses. You are
expected to do your own work at all times. Any evidence to the contrary may lead to
disenrollment from the course. Additionally, it is often the mere appearance of
impropriety that can place a student in an unfavorable light. In other words, during exams
keep your eyes on your own paper even if you are not intending improper behavior. Don’t
create doubt.
TEST MATERIALS
Scan Tron forms will be used for the quizzes, mid term and final exams. These forms have
space for one hundred questions. You will also need two Blue Books for the essay portion of
the mid-term and final exams. Failure to obtain these testing materials in time for the exam is
not an acceptable excuse for a make-up exam. Only scan trons and blue books will be used
for these exams. The Scan Tron forms and the Blue Books can be obtained in the
bookstore.
STUDY APPROACHES/METHODS
In order to prepare for the quizzes, mid-term and final students must maintain an organized
outline of their course notes. The notes should come from the class lectures, reading
assignments, discussions and any video presentations made in class. The multiple choice
portion of the exams requires memorization of established doctrines and facts derived from
these notes. This is also true of the essay portion of the final exam and the written
assignments. However, in those assignments students will be required to draw upon their
own perspectives and positions in order to present their own thoughts in response to the
assigned questions and topics.
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SEMESTER SCHEDULE
WEEK #1
Tuesday, February 11th
Introduction to Course
Thursday, February 13th
Political Ideology Lecture
Chapter #6 – Public Opinion
Chapter #16 – Government and the Economy (Not Required)
WEEK #2
Tuesday, February 18th
Political Ideology Lecture
Chapter #6 – Public Opinion
Chapter #16 – Government and the Economy (Not Required)
Thursday, February 20th
Chapter 1 – American Political Culture (Ginsberg)
Chapter 8 – Political Participation and Voting (Ginsberg) (Not Required)
Chapter 1 – California Government in Crisis (Anagnoson)
WEEK #3
Tuesday & Thursday, February 25th & 27th
Chapter 1 – American Political Culture (Ginsberg)
Chapter 8 – Political Participation and Voting (Ginsberg) (Not Required)
Chapter 1 – California Government in Crisis (Anagnoson)
IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT –Thursday, February 27th
WEEK #4
QUIZ #1 (Chapters 1 and 6 Ginsberg) Thursday, March 6th
Tuesday & Thursday, March 4th & 6th
Chapter 2 – The Founding and the Constitution (Ginsberg)
Chapter 2 – The Constitution and the Progressive Legacy (Anagnoson)
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WEEK #5
Tuesday & Thursday, March 11th & 13th
Chapter 3 - Federalism (Ginsberg)
Chapter 9 - Local Government (Anagnoson)
WEEK #6
QUIZ #2 (Chapters 2, 3 Ginsberg, 9 Anagnoson) Thursday, March 20h
Tuesday, March 18th
Chapter 3 - Federalism (Ginsberg)
Chapter 9 - Local Government (Anagnoson)
Thursday, March 20th
Chapter 4 - Civil Liberties (Ginsberg)
WEEK #7
Tuesday & Thursday, March 25th & 27th
Chapter 4 - Civil Liberties (Ginsberg) continued…
WEEK #8
Tuesday, April 1st
Chapter 4 - Civil Liberties (Ginsberg) continued…
Chapter 5 – Civil Rights (Ginsberg)
Thursday, April 3rd
MID-TERM EXAMINATION
WEEK #9
SPRING BREAK – NO CLASS April 7th to 13th
WEEK #10
Tuesday & Thursday, April 15th & 17th
Chapter 15 – The Federal Courts (Ginsberg)
Chapter 7 – The California Judiciary (Anagnoson)
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WEEK #11
Tuesday, April 22nd & April 24th
Chapter 12 – Congress (Ginsberg)
Chapter 5 – The California Legislature (Anagnoson)
WEEK #12
Tuesday, April 29th & Thursday, May 1st
Chapter 12 – Congress (Ginsberg) continued...
Chapter 5 – The California Legislature (Anagnoson) continued...
Chapter 13 - The Presidency (Ginsberg)
Chapter 6 – The Governor and the Executive Branch (Anagnoson)
WEEK #13
QUIZ #3 (Chapter 15 Ginsberg, 7 Anagnoson) Thursday, May 8th
Tuesday & Thursday, May 6th & 8th
Chapter 13 - The Presidency (Ginsberg)
Chapter 6 – The Governor and the Executive Branch (Anagnoson)
Chapter 18 – Foreign Policy and Democracy (Ginsberg)
(May 8th Deadline for Supplemental Instruction)
WEEK #14
Tuesday & Thursday, May 13th & May 15th
Chapter 17 – Foreign Policy and Democracy (Ginsberg)
IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT –Thursday, May 15th
WEEK #15
Tuesday & Thursday, May 20th & May 22nd
Chapter 7 - The Media (Ginsberg)
WEEK #16
Tuesday & Thursday, May 27th & 29th
Chapter 9 – Political Parties (Ginsberg)
Chapter 10 – Campaigns and Elections (Ginsberg) (Not Required)
Chapter 4 – Parties and Elections in California (Anagnoson)
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WEEK #17
FINAL EXAM – TUESDAY, JUNE 3rd
ANALYTICAL PAPER DUE – Thursday, June 5th
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