Thompson Political Science 101 F 08

American National Government

Fall Semester 2008

Dual Enrollment Malad High School/CSI

Chad Thompson

208-766-3238

CSI Mission Statement: The College of Southern Idaho, a comprehensive community college, provides quality educational, social, cultural, economic and workforce development opportunities that meet the diverse needs of the communities it serves. CSI encourages our students to lead enriched, productive and responsible lives in a global society.

General Education Criteria: This course satisfies all eight criteria for general education. It is designed to:

1.  Provide a broad-based survey of a discipline and show a interconnectedness of knowledge.

2.  Develop a discerning individual.

3.  Practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

4.  Promote awareness of social and cultural diversity in order to appreciate the commonality of mankind.

5.  Foster the balance between individual needs and the demands of society.

6.  Reinforce reading, writing, speaking, and/or quantitative needs.

7.  Encourage and inspire life-long learning.

8.  Encourage creativity.

Social Science Department Goals: This course addresses the following Social Science Department goals:

1.  Help students understand important facts, concepts, and theories of Social Science subjects.

2.  Help students acquire techniques and methods used to gain new knowledge in the disciplines.

3.  Help students learn to distinguish between fact and opinion.

4.  Teach students to use evaluation, analysis, and synthesis to interpret and solve problems.

5.  Teach students to use different perspectives from the social sciences to make better-informed decisions.

6.  Help students acquire an informed understanding of various cultures.

7.  Prepare students to transfer to a university.

Political Science Program Objectives: Students will:

1.  Comprehend political theories, structure and processes.

2.  Think, integrate, and logically organize, not just memorize, political information.

3.  Gather knowledge from other disciplines to interpret political situations.

4.  Apply insight from the study of political science to understand local, state national and international developments.

Course Description: A basic course in political science introducing the basic 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’ world.

Required Textbook: American Government, Volkomer (11th –Edition)

Course outcomes aligned with GE criteria (GE) Social Science Goals (SS) and Political Science objectives (POLS)

Students Will…. / GE / SS / POLS
Understand the basic structure of American Government / 1, 2, 3, 6 / 1, 2, 3, 4 / 1, 2, 3, 4
Be able to critically interpret and articulate thoughts about American Government and politics / 1, 3, 5, 6 / 1, 2, 3, 4 / 1, 2, 3, 4
Apply course concepts in a personal and everyday context. / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 / 1, 2, 3, 4

Assessment Methods: Alignment of course outcomes with course assessment methods:

Short Answer / Essay Questions / Homework / Term Project
1 / x / x / x / x
2 / x / x / x / x
3 / x / x / x / x

Policies and Procedures:

·  General procedures for attendance, behavior and ethical conduct will be enforced strictly. For any questions, please refer to the Malad High School handbook.

·  All assigned work is due on time and complete. Late work will be penalized at 25% per day late.

·  Students will be required to complete all reading assignments on time. A list of reading assignments will be handed out the first day of class. There will also be five additional readings which will help to facilitate classroom discussion. These are mandatory and will be a part of the assessment process.

·  Four preliminary exams and a final are scheduled for this course. Exams will consist of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions. The multiple choice questions are designed to test your mastery of general knowledge. The short answer and essay questions will ascertain your ability to analyze, synthesis and integrate key concepts in the American system of Government.

·  Project work will be submitted on the turnitinhelpdesk system.

Grading Policy:

Tests 75%

Homework 10%

Quizzes 5%

Term Project 10%

Grades will be based on the Malad High School grade scale (refer to the handbook).

Schedule of Classroom Presentations

Introduction: Government, Politics and the Issues.

Unit 1 Colonialism to Constitutionalism Chapter 1-3

·  Breaking the old system

·  The Declaration of Independence a revolutionary idea.

·  A new government designed to serve the people.

·  Conflict, Compromise and the Constitution

·  Issues with a strong central government

·  The Federal System.

·  The Constitution

Test 1

Unit 2 Political Parties and Elections Chapter 5-6

·  Our two Party System

·  Interest groups

·  Competition and Platforms. Where do you fit in?

·  Party structures

·  Nomination Procedures

·  The Campaign

·  The Election

·  Analyzing the Vote.

Test 2

Unit 3 Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Chapter 11-12

·  The Bill of Rights

·  Analysis and Personal Integration of Freedom

·  Understanding “Liberal Democracy” and our responsibility

·  Issues

·  Minority Rights

·  Women’s Rights

·  Issues and extended problem

Test 3

Unit 4 The Institutions of Government Chapter 7-11

·  The functions of Congress

·  Congressional Committees

·  The President’s Roles and Powers

·  Constitutional Limits on Executive Power.

·  The Organizations of the Executive Office

·  Federal Bureaucracy

·  Function of the Judiciary

·  The Supreme Court

Test 4

Unit 5 Government Policy and the Media Chapter 4, 13, 14

·  Policy and Media scrutiny

·  Issues

Term Project

Final Exam