American Government Syllabus
Room ______, Allgood Hall, MWF 10:00-10:50
Instructor: Wesley L. Meares
Office Number: _____________
Office Email: ____________________
Office Location: ____ Allgood Hall
Office Hours: 11:00-12:30 MW and by appointment
This course serves as an introduction to American government. Students will learn about the
roles, functions and powers of individuals, key political organizations and institutions in the
American political system. Additionally, the class will be introduced to theories that attempt to
explain the logic behind the interactions between American state and society. Students will
approach these topics analytically and be encouraged to think critically about the issues and
theoretical implications.
Grades will be determined by performance on two exams, in-class debate, one paper, attendance
and participation in class. The breakdown is as follows:
Each Exam:
Debate Presentation:
Debate Paper:
Participation:
30% (Total = 60%)
10%
20%
10%
Grades: The grades are assigned as such:
A = 92-100 A- = 90-91
B+ = 88-89
C = 72-77
C- = 70-71
D+ = 68-69
B = 82-87
D = 62-67
B- = 80-81
D- = 60-61
C+ = 78-79
F = 00-59
Exams: These consist of multiple choice, identifications, fill-in-the-blank, short-answer and
short-essay questions.
Debate: You will engage in one of these. These debates involve two people/groups (depending
on class size) taking a side on a particular position against another. Each side will present for no
more than ten minutes each. Material from these debates will be included on the exams. Each
person must participate in a debate. Debaters will decide which side they will take, or I will pick
teams.
Ten percent of your grade will come from the presentation itself. I highly recommend that you
use a variety of tactics to get the class interested (supporting your argument with theory and
statistical evidence, power point presentation, “show and tell,” overhead slides, outlines for the
class). However, do not let these items and tactics overshadow your argument; an “A” or “B”
presentation comes from the strength and merits of your arguments. An average, uninspired
presentation will merit a grade no great than a “C,” and may well be much lower.
Debate Paper: Another twenty percent of your grade will come from a paper that you will write
which will cover the key points of your argument. Your paper will be no less than THREE
FULL PAGES (double-spaced and normal margins, no greater than 1”). Papers will contain an
introduction that draws in the reader while providing a preview of the argument, a body that
contains substantive arguments supporting your position (as well as the weakness of the
opposing argument), and a conclusion that reiterates your case. Along with the three full pages,
you will provide a title page and a separate page bibliography with no less than three text
citations (not including course material. Papers should include a minimal of THREE outside
references. You must employ the analytical method we have adopted in this class (providing a
theory, hypothesis, variables, their relationship, and a qualitative or quantitative test of that
argument (providing and citing existing research or gathering the data on your own). The paper
will be graded on content and presentation style (spelling errors, grammatical errors, etc.). All
papers, regardless of their presentation date, are due on Monday, November 24.
Participation and Attendance: In addition to showing up, your performance in class will
depend upon your ability to demonstrate that you have read the readings by answering questions
in class, venturing questions of your own, providing relevant opinions and arguments, etc.
You are expected to be present for class lectures on a regular basis. Failure to do so will weaken
your grade in two ways. First, after the second unexcused absence, each unexcused absence will
lower your grade by three points. Second, material will be presented in class that is not available
in the book. Missing such information will undoubtedly weaken your performance on exams.
Showing up after the class has begun will result in a tardy. After the second unexcused tardy, I
will begin to take one point off of your final grade. An absence or tardy is not counted as
excused unless it is in writing. Both participation and attendance will calculate into ten percent of
your grade.
Required Texts:
Thomas R. Dye and Harmon Ziegler (2009) The Irony of Democracy: An Uncommon
Introduction to American Politics, 14th. Edition. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning: Belmont, CA.
George McKenna and Stanley Feingold (2009) Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial
Political Issues, 16th. Edition. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin: Guilford, CT.
Alan D. Monroe (2000) Essentials of Political Research, Westview Press: Boulder, CO.
Special needs:
Any students with special needs must notify me during my office hours no later than August 22nd
in order to make additional arrangements.
Academic Integrity:
It is expected that a student will refrain from plagiarism and cheating. Plagiarism and cheating
are serious breaches of academic conduct and may result in permanent dismissal. Each student is
advised to become familiar with the various forms of academic dishonesty as explained in the
Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities in either the Undergraduate or Graduate Catalog on
the Georgia Regents University website. A plea of ignorance is not acceptable as a defense
against the charge of academic dishonesty.
Instructors may use a range of strategies (including plagiarism-prevention software at the
university) to compare student works with private and public information resources in order to
identify possible plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Comparisons of student works may
require submitting a copy of the original work to the plagiarism-prevention service. The service
may retain that copy in some circumstances. Academic units or programs may establish a more
rigorous standard of review or consent, which will be noted in the relevant guidelines.
Plagiarism: To adopt and reproduce as one’s own, to appropriate to one’s own use and
incorporate in one’s own work without acknowledgement, the ideas of others or passages from
their writings and works.
Collusion: To obtain from another party, without specific approval in advance by the professor,
assistance in the production of work offered for credit to the extent that the work reflects the
ideas or skills of the party consulted rather than those of the person in whose name the work is
submitted.
Duplicity: To offer for credit identical or substantially unchanged work in two or more courses,
without specific advance approval of the professors involved.
Schedule:
Note: I reserve the right to change the course schedule as I see fit. You will be notified of any
changes either through email or during class.
Week 1: Introduction, Critical Thinking, Hypotheses
Aug 18: Introduction
Aug 20: Critical Thinking. Monroe 1-15.
Aug 22: Hypothesis Tests: Variables & Their Relationship: Monroe, 17-30
Week 2: Elitism/Pluralism
Aug 25: Battlefield Detectives: Battle of Monmouth
Aug 27: Elitism/Pluralism. Dye & Ziegler, 1-17
Aug 29: Ideologies. ***Take the quiz @ (www.self-gov.org/quiz.html).
Week 3: American Revolution/Founding Fathers
Sept 1: NO CLASS
Sept 3: American Revolution/Founding Fathers. Dye and Ziegler 19-47
Sept 5: American Revolution/Founding Fathers Cont.
Week 4: Elites
Sept 8: Evolution of Elites. Dye and Ziegler 49-70
Sept 10: Elites in America: Dye & Ziegler, 73-93
Sept 12: Film: The Perfect Candidate
Week 5: Masses: Voting and Participation/Wealth and Income
Sept 15: Masses: Wealth and Income. Dye and Ziegler, 95-105.
Sept 17: Masses: Voting and Participation. Dye and Ziegler, 109-120
Sept 19: Debates (1-2) TBA.
Week 6: Political Parties and Organized Interest.
Sept 22: American Political Parties. Dye & Ziegler, 147-168
Sept 24: Organized Interests. Dye & Ziegler, 197-215.
Sept 26: Debates (1-2) TBA.
Week 7: Elections
Sept 29: Elections, Money & Myths of Democracy: Dye & Ziegler, 169-194
Oct 1: Elections. Film: Presidential Elections and Congressional Elections
Oct 3: Election Cont. Debates (1-2) TBA.
Week 8: Mass Communications
Oct 6: Elite-Mass Communication: Dye & Ziegler, 123-145
Oct 8: Elite-Mass Communication cont.
Oct 10: Debates (1-2) TBA.
Week 9: Mid Term and National Security
Oct 13: MID-TERM
Oct 15: Elites and National Security: Dye & Ziegler, 375-399
Oct 17: Holiday
Week 10: American Federalism
Oct 20: American Federalism: Dye & Ziegler, 329-348
Oct 22: American Federalism Cont. Film: Intergovernmental Relations
Oct 24: Debates (1-2) TBA.
Week 11: Congress
Oct 27: Congress: The Legislative Elite: Dye & Ziegler, 275-306
Oct 29: Congress Cont.
Oct 31: Debates (1-2) TBA.
Week 12: The Presidency
Nov 3: The Presidency: Dye & Ziegler, 217-242
Nov 5: The Presidency.
Nov 7: Debates (1-2) TBA.
Week 13: Bureaucracy
Nov 10: The Bureaucratic Elite: Dye & Ziegler pgs. 245-273
Nov 12: Bureaucratic Elites.
Nov 14: Debates (1-2) TBA.
Week 14: Courts
Nov 17: Courts: Elites in Black Robes: Dye & Ziegler pgs. 309-327
Nov 19: Civil Rights: Elite Response to Protest: Dye & Ziegler 351-374
Nov 21: Debates (1-2) TBA.
Week 15: Public Policy
Nov 24: Elites and Public Policy
Nov 26-28 No Class Thanksgiving.
Week 16: Georgia Constitution
Dec 1: Georgia Constitution.
Dec 3: Present Research Projects.
Dec 5: Review and Debates (1-2) TBA.
CLASS DEBATES
Debate: "Should Americans Believe in a Unique American 'Mission?'"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 1
Debate: "Must America Exercise World Leadership?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 21
Debate: "Is America Becoming More Unequal?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 12
Debate: "Stopping Illegal Immigration: Should Border Security Come First?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 14
Debate: "Should There Be a 'Wall of Separation' Between Church & State?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 15
Debate: "Should the Government Provide National Health Insurance?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 11
Debate: "Should America Adopt Public Financing of Political Campaigns?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 3
Debate: "Is Homosexual Conduct Constitutionally Protected?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 8
Debate: "Is Congress a 'Broken Branch?'"
1)
Taking Sides Issue 6
2)
Debate: "Does the President Have Unilateral War Powers?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 4
Debate: "Should the President Be Allowed 'Executive Privilege?'"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 7
Debate: "Is 'Middle Eastern' Profiling Ever Justified?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 17
Debate: "Does Affirmative Action Advance Racial Equality?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 9
Debate: "Should the Courts Seek the 'Original Meeting' of the Constitution?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 5
Debate: "Is the Use of Torture Against Terrorist Suspects Ever Justified?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 18
Debate: "Is Warrantless Wiretapping in Some Cases Justified….?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 19
Debate: "Does the War in Iraq Help the War Against Terrorism?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 16
Debate: "Is Democracy the Answer to Global Terrorism?"
1)
2)
Taking Sides Issue 2