Pols 204: American National Government
Fall 2008 TR 2:30-3:45 pm HAL 304
Final Exam: Wed 17 Dec 9:00 am
Dr. Marvin Folkertsma
Office HAL300D Phone 2198
Office Hours: 11-12MWF/10-11:30TR
1. Course Goals:
1.1.
Course goals include coverage of constitutional foundations, federalism, public
opinion, parties and interest groups, campaigns, elections, Congress, Presidency,
judiciary, bureaucracy, and civil rights and civil liberties.
1.2.
Significant issues in public policy are covered by participation in class debates.
2. Outcomes: By the end of the course, students should be knowledgeable about the following
subjects. Methods of Assessment include Testing and Evaluation of Papers. Items 2.1—2.15
are covered in exams. Items under 2.16 are covered in course papers.
2.1.
Philosophical and historical roots of American Government
2.2.
Political ideologies of Americans
2.3.
Writing, ratification of, and amending the Constitution
2.4.
Federalism: Federal-State relationships
2.5.
Civil Liberties & Civil Rights
2.6.
Congress: organization, membership, rules, functions, decision-making
2.7.
Presidency: development of, powers, White House Office, leadership
2.8.
Executive Branch: development of, rules, accountability
2.9.
Judiciary: organization, selection of judges, cases, judicial philosophies
2.10. Public Opinion: formation, measurement, impact
2.11. Political socialization: sources of, measurement, effects
2.12. Political parties: history of, functions, structure, government
2.13. Elections: history, types, voting behavior
2.14. Campaigning: media influences, finance, examples of
2.15. Interest groups: roots of, functions, effects on governmental processes
2.16. Selected Issues in Public Policy:
2.16.1. The American Mission
2.16.2. Illegal Immigration
2.16.3. Congress: a “broken branch”?
2.16.4. Presidential war powers
2.16.5. The Patriot Act
2.16.6. National Health Insurance
3. Departmental Objectives met by this course include:
3.1.
Christian perspective
3.2.
Washington Internship Program
3.3.
MFAT preparation
3.4.
Writing Skills
3.5.
Professional competencies
4. Texts:
4.1.
Thomas R. Dye, Politics in America, Brief Edition. 2nd Edition.
4.2.
George McKenna, Stanley Feingold, Taking Sides, 14th edition.
5. Course Requirements:
Pols 204
Fall 2008
5.1.
American National Government
Page 2 of 12
Attendance: You are expected to attend class regularly. More than TWO unexcused
absences results in a grade reduction of three points from your final exam grade, per
class session missed.
5.2.
Grades: 1st Mid—25%; 2nd Mid—25%; Final exam—30%; Paper—20%.
5.3.
Grade structure: All grades are based on a one hundred point scale, with the following
divisions: A: 100-93; A-: 92-90; B+: 88-89; B: 83-87; B-: 80-82; C+: 78-79; C:
73-77; C-: 70-72; D+: 68-69; D: 63-67; D-: 60-62; Below 60: F
6. Paper and Debate Teams
6.1.
Every student shall be a member of a six to eight person debate team that will take a
position on an issue from the Taking Sides book and defend it in class.
6.2.
First, select the issue you wish to debate by writing your name on the list of topics for
this semester, which is posted on my bulletin board. Debaters choose their issues on
a first-come, first-served basis.
6.3.
Meet with others on your team and make decisions on who shall argue which side,
pro and con, and what your debating strategy should be. You may wish to allocate
various topics and or/arguments to each member of your team. An example of a
debate format is presented at the end of this syllabus. Not every member has to
address the class, however; you may assign some of your team to ask questions of the
other side.
6.4.
Email addresses of all class members will be mailed out for your consultation.
6.5.
The debater who receives the most votes for giving the most outstanding performance
receives extra credit of TEN points for this assignment. The debater who comes in
second receives FIVE points.
6.6.
Your paper is due the day you conduct your debate. Follow this format:
6.6.1. Paper length is five pages, double-spaced, not including endnotes.
6.6.2. Your HEADER should include your name, paper title, and page number.
6.6.3. Present your own view, citing no fewer than SIX ADDITONAL sources.
6.6.4. Do NOT use encyclopedias. Consult books, professional journals, and news
sources. Consult research guides cited at the end of this syllabus.
6.6.5. Please use the MLA (intext citation) or Chicago/Turabian.
6.6.6. Attach the paper cover sheet to your paper when you turn it in.
7. Tips and Comments:
7.1.
TIP ONE: Check off the items listed in the Topics for Review as we go through the
material. Be systematic; don’t wait until a few days before the exam. You won’t be
able to work in the real world this way, so establish good study and work habits now.
7.2.
TIP TWO: Check the items in the Paper Review Sheet to see what is important in
writing and organizing your paper. Be sure to recheck your work and avoid common
mistakes.
7.3.
TIP THREE: Look over the issues carefully and seek out individuals with whom you
would like to work in preparing your debates.
7.4.
TIP FOUR: TALK! Ask questions, disagree, argue in a civil fashion, engage the
subject matter, struggle with it, probe and wrestle with the questions.
Pols 204
Fall 2008
American National Government
Page 3 of 12
COURSE LOG AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
1
1. T 26 Aug
Ch. 1: Politics
2. R 28 Aug
2
3. T 2 Sep
Ch. 2: Political Culture
4. R 4 Sep
3
5. T 9 Sep
Ch. 3: The Constitution
6. R 11 Sep
4
5
7. T 16 Sep
1st Debate—Issue 1 on American Mission
8. R 18 Sep
Ch. 4: Federalism
9. T 23 Sep
10. R 25 Sep
6
Ch. 5: Participation—Voting, Elections
11. T 30 Sep
12. R 2 Oct
7
First Midterm Exam
13. T 7 Oct
14. R 9 Oct
Ch. 6: Mass Media
2nd Debate—Issue 14 on Illegal Immigration
Ch. 7: Parties & Interest Groups
Pols 204
Fall 2008
8
15. T 14 Oct
American National Government
Page 4 of 12
Ch. 8: Congress
16. R 16 Oct
9
17. T 21 Oct
3rd Debate—Issue 6 on Congress
10
18. T 28 Oct
Second Midterm Exam
19. R 30 Oct
11
20. T 4 Nov
21. R 6 Nov
12
13
Ch. 10: Bureaucracy
23. R 13 Nov
Ch. 11: Courts
24. T 18 Nov
Ch. 12: Liberties & Rights
26. T 2 Dec
27. R 4 Dec
15
4rd Debate—Issue 4 on Presidential War Powers
22. T 11 Nov
25. R 20 Nov
14
Ch. 9: Presidency
28. T 9 Dec
5th Debate—Issue 13 on the Patriot Act
Ch. 13: Economics, Social Welfare
6th Debate—Issue 11 on National Health Insurance
Ch. 14: National Security
Pols 204
Fall 2008
American National Government
Page 5 of 12
GUIDELINES FOR EXAM REVIEWS
1. It is important to note that the following lists are not exhaustive. There are numerous matters
covered in class that are not included below. Every semester is a bit different, depending on
amount of class discussion, breaking events, and so forth.
2. Keep in mind that review of the items below involves understanding their context,
significance, and relevance. In short, be prepared to probe each topic, asking what it is, what
it means, why did it take place, and consequences.
EXAM ONE—KEY TERMS CHECK LIST: Identify the following terms.
Ch. 1 Politics
 direct democracy
 public goods
 politics
 elitism
 Terrorism
 free market
 income transfers
 Confidence in American
 democratic ideals
 government
Institutions
 democracy
 limited government
 Trust in government
 political science
 pluralism
 representative democracy
 Gross Domestic Product
 social contract
 Civil disobedience
 paradox of democracy
 externalities
 Support for government
 legitimacy
 totalitarianism
programs
Ch. 2: Culture
 beliefs
 extremism
 political culture
 social mobility
 politically correct
 equality of opportunity
 right
 capitalism
 liberalism
 socialism
 Ideology & professors
 Leninism
 subcultures
 fascism
 values
 class conflict
 political equality
 equality of results
 radicalism
 conservatism
 political left & right
 end of history
 Marxism
 communism
 classical liberalism
 Bell curve
 class consciousness
 Immigration
Ch. 3: Constitution
 John Locke
 George Washington
 constitutionalism
 common market
 Economic Interpretation of
 constitution
 taxation power
the Constitution
 referenda
 separation of powers
 Supremacy Clause
 Equal Rights Amendment
 enumerated powers
 James Madison & Faction
(ERA)
 amendment
 Bill of Rights
 republicanism
 checks and balances
 Federalists
 nationalism
 judicial review
 Anti-Federalists
 ratification
 tariff
 Bill of Rights
Ch. 4 Federalism
 partial preemption
 new federalism
 federalism
 dual federalism
 mandates
 enumerated, powers
 National Supremacy Clause  laboratories of democracy
 reserved powers
 home rule
 concurrent powers
 preemption
 confederation
 grant-in-aid
 Necessary & Proper Clause  standard partial preemption  cooperative federalism
 total preemption
 implied powers
 unfunded mandates
 unitary system
 devolution
 centralized federalism
 intergovernmental relations  representational federalism
Pols 204
Fall 2008
American National Government
EXAM TWO—KEY TERMS CHECK LIST
Ch. 5 Participation
 negative campaigning
 mandate
 focus group
 retrospective voting
 photo ops
 incumbent
 sound bites
 name recognition
 mobilize
 challengers
 issue ads
 franking privilege
 Political Action
 campaign strategy
 Committee (PAC)
Ch. 6 Mass Media
 “feeding frenzy”
 mass media
 libel
 muckraking
 selective perception
 equal-time rule
 agenda setting
 information overload
 horse-race coverage
 newsmaking
Ch. 7 Parties & Int Gps
 closed primaries
 political parties
 open primaries
 responsible party model
 raiding
 party polarization
 runoff primary
 nominee
 general election
 nomination
 convention
 primary election
 presidential primaries
 machine patronage
 delegates
 divided party
 platform
government
 party identification
 nonpartisan elections
 dealignment
 caucus-ward-precinct
 realignment
 party unity
Ch. 8 Congress
 filibuster
 gridlock
 party votes
 standing committees
 trustees
 discharge petition
 closed rule
 confirmation
 cloture
 constituency
 rules of the chamber
EXAM THREE—KEY TERMS CHECK LIST
Ch. 9 Presidency
 Cabinet
 impeachment
 Override
 executive privilege
 Recissions
 Watergate
 Veto
 line-item veto
 Pocket veto
 diplomatic recognition
 War powers resolution
 NSC)
 Deferrals
Ch. 10: Bureacracy
 division of labor
 bureaucracy
 budget maximization
Page 6 of 12
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Federal Election
Commission (FEC)
retail politics spin doctor
front-end strategy
front-loading
Electoral College
swing states
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slander
television malaise
socialization
prior restraint
Sullivan rule
name recognition
proportional
representation
interest group
majoritarianism
trade associations
public-interest groups
single-issue groups
ideological orgs
lobbyist/lobbying
public relations
access
grassroots lobbying
delegates
restricted rule
rider
logrolling
censure
divided party government
advice and consent
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Gridlock
Cover actions
Impoundment
Honeymoon period
WH press corps
executive order
 impersonality
 merit system
Pols 204
Fall 2008
 regulation
 budget resolution
 program budgeting
 chain of command
 adjudication
 authorization
 discretionary funds
Ch. 11 Judiciary
 appellate jurisdiction
 standing
 amicus curiae
 statutory laws
 appeal
 plaintiff
 solicitor general
 judicial self-restraint
 district courts
 defendant
 majority opinion
Ch. 12 Civil Liberties/rights
 Free Exercise Clause
 Lemon test
 clear & present
 danger doctrine
 preferred position
 freedom of expression
 symbolic speech
 writ of habeas corpus
Ch 13 Social Welfare
 (GDP)
 economic cycles
 unemployment rate
 international trade
 protectionism
 free trade
 individual income tax
 progressive taxation
 Regressive Taxation
 proportional taxation
Ch. 14 Defense policy
 Truman Doctrine
 containment
 (BMD)
 collective security
 Marshall Plan
American National Government
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outlays
deregulation
obligational authority
spoils system
continuing resolution
casework
specification/ authority
circuit courts
contingency fee
original intent
grand juries
sovereign immunity
concurring opinion
judicial activism
petit (regular) juries
class action suits
dissenting opinion
stare decisis
writ of certiorari
bill of attainder
ex post facto law
search warrant
exclusionary rule
plea bargaining
Emancipation
Proclamation
Jim Crow
Separate but equal
De facto segregation
social insurance programs
public assistance programs
entitlements
Social Security
unemployment
compensation
(SSI)
Family Assistance
underclass
poverty line
flat tax
terrorism
regional security
second-strike capability
NATO
START I & II
Cold War
Page 7 of 12
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incremental budgeting
implementation
capture theory of reg
whistle-blowers
zero-based budget
fiscal year
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senatorial courtesy
precedent
briefs
remedies and relief
adversarial system
jurisdiction
civil cases
litmus test
independent counsel,
original jurisdiction
rule of four
judicial review
nonviolent direct action
affirmative action
Bakke case
set-aside program
strict scrutiny
Title IX
Equal Rights Amendment
(ERA)
direct discrimination
glass ceiling
Earned Income Tax Credit
(EITC)
Medicaid
Temporary Assistance to
Needy Families
managed care
preferred provider
organizations
(PPOs)
(HMOs)
Medicare
Deterrence
SALT I & II
Vietnam
Preemption
Test ban treaty
Korean war
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Pols 204
Fall 2008
American National Government
Page 8 of 12
 Cuban Missile crisis
 Superpowers
PAPER COVER SHEET:
Course: POLS 204 ANG Topic:_____________________________________________
Name:
_____ Grade:___________
EVALUATION
CATEGORIES
EVALUATION CRITERIA Strength Weakness
Introductory
Clarity of Thesis
Paragraph
Statement of Themes
of Paper
of Paper
Satisfactory
INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS
Succinctness
Organization/
Introduction
Format
Body
Conclusion
Strength of
Cogency
Arguments
Clarity
Completeness
Quality of
Grammar
Writing
Spelling
Punctuation
Quality of
Relevance
Research
Timeliness
Completeness
Endnotes/
Format
Bibliography
Accuracy
Completeness
Copy-edit markings
= Delete
=
= Non-agreement
SP
Ref?
Gr
Fn = Footnote needed
Lc = Lower Case
= Spelling
P
= Insert Paragraph
= Unclear Reference ww = Wrong Word
= Grammar Problem Rep = Repetitive
Frag = Sentence Fragment
Awk = Awkward
Run-on = Run-on sentence
۷ = Insert punctuation
Org? = Organization?
Comments:
I affirm that this paper is my own work, written to complete the assignment for this course only.
Pols 204
Fall 2008
American National Government
Page 9 of 12
Signature: ________________________________________________________________________
Pols 204
Fall 2008
American National Government
Page 10 of 12
Debate Handout Format
What is the Issue?
Précis of the Issue:
Participants:
Affirmative Side:
Negative Side:
The Debate—Statements of Positions
Introduction by Affirmative Panel Speaker: (cite the speaker)
Introduction by Negative Panel Speaker: (cite the speaker)
Affirmative Side: (cite Speaker)
Negative Side Questions Affirmative Panel
Negative Side: (cite Speaker)
Affirmative Side Questions Negative Panel
(Continue with as many Statements and Questions as you deem necessary)
Five minute intermission fifty minutes into the debate (stand up, stretch, get a drink)
Questions and Answers from the Audience
(About 20-25 minutes)
Other Debate Reminders:
1) When you present your thoughts before class, please proceed from notes. Do NOT read your
paper verbatim; provide a summary as fluently as you can.
2) Designate someone to be a timekeeper, so that your presentation does not go beyond the time
allotted.
3) Be sure to finish no later than 50 minutes after the class starts. Then we’ll take a break and
continue with questions from the audience.
Pols 204
Fall 2008
American National Government
Page 11 of 12
PAPER SIGN UP SHEET (FYI—Posted Outside my Office)
1
2
3
4
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2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
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American Mission
5
6
Illegal Immigration
5
6
Congress: the Broken Branch
5
6
Presidential War Powers
5
6
Patriot Act
5
6
National Health Insurance
5
6
Pols 204
Fall 2008
American National Government
Page 12 of 12
APPENDIX:
On “My GCC” go to HBL, click Research Guides: Political Science, and then Databases.
Henry Buhl Library
RESEARCH GUIDE: POLITICAL SCIENCE — DATABASES
Research Guides:
Political Science Home
Research Guides Home
If the library does not have access to the journal you need,
click HERE for information on document delivery!
Academic Search Elite (more info)
CQ Researcher (more info)
CQ Weekly (more info)
CIA World Factbook
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online (more info)
GPO Access (more info)
JSTOR (more info)
LexisNexis Academic (more info)
LexisNexis Congressional (more info)
Library of Congress (more info)
Oxford Reference Online Database (more info)
Project Muse (more info)
Sociological Abstracts (more info)
STAT-USA (more info)
United States at War (more info)
Westlaw Campus (more info)
Wilson Biographies Plus Illustrated (more info)