GREAT BASINCOLLEGE
PAHRUMP, NV
PSC 101
INTRO TO AMERICAN POLITICS
FALL 2009
Mr. R. S. HAAS
DESCRIPTION:
PSC 101 is a three credit hour course designed to introduce the college student to the American Political System. Emphasis throughout the course will be based upon a developed understanding of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Additional areas of emphasis will include: Congress, the Presidency, the Supreme Court and Federalism as well as an in-depth examination of the history and role of our Nevada State Government. This course will fulfill the requirements for the State of Nevada for an entry level credit in both History and Political Science and therefore has no prerequisites.
THE CLASS:
PSC 101 will meet each scheduled Wednesday of the Fall 2009Semester from 7:00 p.m. until 9:45 p.m. The evening will normally be divided into three 50 minute sessionsfor attendance purposes. Students should give the highest priority to class attendance realizing that a missed class constitutes a full week of a normally scheduled class. Attendance is a most important obligation for all students to meet. This time-slot of 7:00 – 9:45 p.m. must be viewed as a basic course requirement. You may earn six (6) “Participation and Attendance” points by meeting the sixteen (16) Wednesday semester dates. A tardy of 20 minutes or more will count as a “missed session”. Missing any total of six “sessions” will result in a loss of all six (6) attendance points (valued at one point per “session” missed). The missing of any five (5) additional sessions will result in a Withdrawal (W). Examination dates are a MOST important responsibility that must be met by all students.
The text for this class is America at Odds (Sixth Edition) by Sidlow and Henschen and The Sagebrush State(Second Edition) by Michael W. Bowers. In addition to these resources, outside readings will be assigned on an individual basis as well as class assignments as selected.
GRADE EVALUTATION:
PSC 103 will be graded on the following scale:
A = 112 - 100
B = 99 - 90
C = 89 - 74
D = 73- 65
Each letter grade can be expressed with a (+) or a (-).
All exams equal 20 points of the final grade.
Class Project = 0 – 6 points
Participation + Attendance = 0 – 6 points
Total = 112 Points
PSC 101 - COURSE PROGRESS – SPRING 2009
WEDNESDAYS
Sep 2Introduction – Procedures – Requirements – Begin Chapter #1
Sep 9Chapter #2 – “The Constitution”
Sep 16Chapter #3 – “Federalism”
Sep 23Exam #1 - (Session #3)
Sep 30Chapter #4 – “Civil Liberties”
Oct 7Chapter #5 – “Civil Rights”
Oct 14Exam #2- (Session #2) - Research Comp. (Session #3)
Oct 21Chapter #11 – “Congress”
Oct 28Chapter #14 – “The Judiciary”
Nov 4Exam #3 - (Session #2) – Research Comp. (Session #3)
Nov 11Veteran’s Day – No Class
Nov 18Chapter #12 – “The Presidency”
Nov 25Chapter #17 – “State and Local Government of Nevada”
Dec 2Exam #4- (Session #3)
Dec 9Chapter #15 – “Domestic Policy”
Dec 16Chapter #16 – “Foreign Policy” - Final Exam – (Sessions 2 & 3)
This is a tentative schedule and is subject to change as announced.
Office Hours: To be individually adjusted as needed.
E-Mail Address:
Scheduled Exams: Will occur in the designated session of the scheduled date to allow a review and/or completion of material prior to the exam. PLEASE! – PLEASE! Do not miss scheduled exams – make ups will bedifficult to re-schedule.
SELECTED STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Learning outcomes for each sequence of material will be presented in class at the beginning of the chapter. Upon the successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Learning OutcomeMeasurement
1. Explain origin and function of theClass Discussions – Question and Answer
American Government System.Session - Exam #1
2. List and explain the meaning of theClass Discussions – Question and Answer
four major Constitutional Principles.Session – Exam #1
3.Explain the unique aspects and oper-Class Discussions – Question and Answer
ation of Federal/State relationship.Session – Exam #1
4. Identify “Civil Liberties” guaranteedClass Discussions – Question and Answer
by the Constitution and define itsSession.- Exam #2
significance.
5. Explain “Civil Rights: contained in theClass Discussions – Question and Answer
Constitution, identify application andSession – Exam #2
restriction.
6. Identify function and operations ofClass Discussions – Question and Answer
Congress – define major terms.Session – Exam #3
7. Explain the Executive Branch, identifyClass Discussions – Question and Answer
factors of growth and power expansion.Session – Exam #3
8. Article III and the powers and role ofClass Discussions – Question and Answer
the Federal Court. Major impact ofSession – Exam #4
Court rulings.
9. Define major characteristics of theClass Discussions – Question and Answer
NevadaState System. Compare uniqueSession – Exam #4
and common features.
10 Explain Tax and Spending Policy in Class Discussions – Question and Answer
theory and practice. The role of Poli-Session – Exam #5
tical choice.
11 Define concepts of Foreign Policy andClass Discussions – Question and Answer
their objectives. Identify alternatives Session – Exam #5
of choice.
POLICY OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic honesty is expected in this course and all college courses. Acts such as cheating and plagiarism are violations of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Code of Conduct as well as violations of the standards of intellectual dishonesty. All student work must be original and authentic. Any acts of cheating, copying, and/or plagiarizing are violations of the NSHE Code of Conduct and will be taken seriously. Students who cheat, copy another’s work, or plagiarize from the Internet or other sources are subject to consequences ranging from dismissal from and failure of a class to dismissal from the college.
THE RESEARCH COMPONENT
This responsibility is a most important part of this class. All students are required to participate by presenting a minimum 4 - 6 page research paper on an individually assigned date and providing a 5 - 7 minute oral report to the class. This project and class presentation will be graded with a total of six (6) points and be divided into a total of four (4) points for the written report and two (2) points for the oral presentation. Students are encouraged to select their own topics that are relevant to the course material and will be open to questions at the end of their presentation. All topic choices and appropriateness of the subject are to be approved by the instructor prior to beginning the Research Paper. A Title Page is required that lists the title of your paper in caps, and at the bottom right lists the course name, number, your name, and the date presented.
The use of multiple documented sources and materials are to be noted in the typed paper submitted at the time of your class presentation. The research paper must include a minimum of three (3) Primary and two (2) Secondary sources that are cited at the end of the paper. These sources are to be identified by Author, Title, Date of Publication and Publisher. The use of proper course terminology and research documentation is required: do not rely upon non-verifiable Internet information for your report – NO BLOGS. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are an important component of the research project. Failure to present your report on the assigned date will result in a three (3) point reduction.
Further specifics as to subject choice will be provided in class as well as complete requirements to be met for this portion of the course.
Objective 1: Communication Skills (Strong)
Communication skills are of critical importance in PSC 101, and the course strongly meets this objective through a variety of methods. First, students develop acute listening and oral communication skills. Not only do students have to assimilate a great deal of information from the historical narrative presented by the instructor (lecture is the basic format of the course) but also listen effectively to each other as questions are raised and discussion stimulated by their peers. In these discussions, students hone their oral and written communication skills as they grapple with new ideas. Second, students sharpen their reading skills through the required text and short supplemental readings left to the instructor’s discretion. In the past, supplemental readings have taken the form of an optional text on Nevada government and politics, but in the future might also include such things as other books and/or short readings on reserve in the library or on the internet. The textbooks require a college-level reading ability to digest the vast amounts of information and distill it into a usable form. Third, student will learn writing skills. While each instructor’s assignment vary, this element is always present in some combination of various forms: short free writes, short answer questions that require the ability to know not only the facts but also the significance of an event or person, large essay questions on the examinations that require the ability to synthesize vast amounts of material and present it in a concise essay format, book reviews, and/or formal papers.
Objective 2: Critical Thinking (Moderate)
Critical thinking is a vital process that students must develop in this course. Reasoning and independent thought are significant parts of this course because students are required to examine American government and politics and interpret the concepts. In class discussions, examinations, and papers students are asked to analyze and critically examine the difficult concepts behind our federal form of government and challenging Constitutional questions. Many Constitutional questions are ambiguous and have different interpretations, so students must come to some sort of awareness that for some of the issues there are no simple answers and that all interpretations are not of equal merit.
Quantitative ability is addressed to a considerable degree in a number of ways. Political Science relies heavily upon statistical analysis to study issues such as voting patterns, ethnic character, party representation, public opinion, apportionment of districts, and polling. Quantitative ability is also addresses to some degree through the broad use of statistics throughout the course. Scientific understanding is dealt with to some degree in PSC 101. Scientific discovery and development play a role in this course in a variety of ways. Most importantly, the Brandeis Brief introduced the use of scientific data into questions of law and revolutionized legal questions. We take for granted today that science will be used in the courtroom and Congressional legislative proceedings, but this has not always been the case. Scientific understanding also involves methodology. In this regard the course deals explicitly with science, as method, through assignments that require the explication and testing of hypotheses regarding governmental and political processes.
Objective 3: Personal & Cultural Awareness (Strong)
PSC 101 deals with personal and cultural awareness to a moderate degree. The course handles the first three elements to a significant degree. Students develop a strong sense of the individual in society. This entire class is about the creation of our democratic republic and the Constitution which guarantees every American civil rights that we perceive as uniquely American. Students are also urged to interpret the Constitution from different perspectives (e.g. race, class, religion, education, gender, political party affiliation, interest) and to understand that different groups of Americans can interpret the Constitution very differently because of their various experiences and values. This course obviously engenders a sense of the past through the historical study of the evolution of the Constitution through its drafting and the amendment process, but it also produces a sense of accountability and civic responsibility such as the importance of voting, responding to a jury summons, volunteering in the community, and participating in public hearings. PSC 103 explores ramifications of past Constitutional actions, such as the acceptance of slavery and later legal segregation of blacks, and evaluates the outcomes. Finally, this course develops an appreciation of fine arts to a significant degree. Several court decisions have significantly affected the arts in the U.S., interpreting the boundaries of free expression. Concerns over freedom of expression are part of the American heritage of civil rights and are integral to questions of artistic freedom in a democratic society.
In addition, political cartoons, arguably an old and important part of American political culture, continue to play a vital role in American political life. Other artistic modes of political satire also have a tremendous impact on modern politics, such as music, television, and the internet. It is not difficult to see how political satire and commentary affect us today from the Tonight Show monologue, to the antics of Saturday Night Live and the Jon Stewart Show, and to more cerebral humor in the satirical music of Mark Russell. Instructors will obviously deal with this material differently, but political cartoons are presented in the book. Instructors may introduce complementary materials in lecture, though audio and video clips, online resources, and in assignments geared toward these modes of expression.
Objective 4: Personal Wellness (Some Degree)
PSC 101 meets the personal wellness objective to some degree by highlighting public policies that have created our modern health care system and the welfare state, such as the creation of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The class will review the role of the three branches of government and their involvement and influence in the public policymaking process.
Objective 5: Technological Understanding (Strong)
PSC 101 fulfills the technological understanding objective due to the emphasis in the course on using technology as a writing and research tool. There is a plethora of online resources for American government and politics. Writing assignments are encouraged to be completed using computer word processing applications and internet research. In addition, some instructors use supplemental primary source readings, video clips, and audio clips that are available on the internet. By encouraging students to become more computer and internet literate, PSC 103 encourages technological understanding.