POLS 2311-01 & 02
State and Federal Government II
Spring 2007
Hardy 123
Dr. Janet Adamski Office: 138 Hardy Hall
Office Hours: M 8-11:30, 1:20-3; T 7-8:30, 2:20-3 Phone: 4549
W 8-11:30, R 7-8:30 AND by appointment Email:
Course Purpose and Objectives:
As the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Mission Statement notes, here we all are engaged in a process that seeks to “provide a quality higher education for qualified students from diverse geographic, ethic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds as they prepare for careers and community service (2006-7 Undergraduate Catalogue p. 8).” As the Mission Statement outlines, one way we can reach this broad goal is by “assist[ing] students in preparation for their roles in a rapidly changing world (p. 8).” As faculty, we can help you to discover your direction in this changeable environment, develop appropriate methods of communication and thought, refine your ability to make fine-grained judgments and increase personal and professional effectiveness.
This course contributes to these overall institutional goals in a number of ways. By helping you to understand the formal institutions that make up the national and state governments, you will be better prepared to be an active participant in society and government, at whatever level you choose. This semester, we will examine how each of the branches of government functions, the limits of its formal power and how its authority has changed over time. Further, we will study the people who have held power within these institutions and how they came to their positions. In this class, we will pay special attention to the role of these bodies in balancing the rights of individuals and those of society by looking at the tension among the core values of liberty, equality and democracy in the United States. We will grapple with the difficulties in line drawing that governments and their citizens face -- where do the rights of the individual end and those of the state begin? How do we balance the rights of the diverse individuals who make up the community? How do we balance the sometimes-competing directives of those core values? Further, we will consider such issues in relation to the national government as well as the government of the state of Texas.
While there is a philosophic and historical component to our study, much of what we will consider affects such unsettled contemporary issues as the balance of power between the executive and the legislature in the making of foreign policy and the limits on personal privacy versus the police powers of the state, especially given the extraordinary post-September 11 atmosphere. Gaining insight into the formal and informal powers of the institutions that make up our government, and the evolution in both over time, will help you to be a more effective and informed participant in the important societal process of deciding such contemporary issues.
Teaching Philosophy:
You, the student, are responsible for your own learning -- the best materials, discussions and assignments will not enhance your knowledge if you are unwilling to give the project your time, effort and thought. To take advantage of our in-class time, you must come to class prepared to learn mentally and physically: rested, awake and thinking, concentrating only on the class discussion and prepared to understand and to contribute by having completed required assignments. All of this is under your sole control. My role is to help to guide you in the learning process by offering information, explanation, encouragement and periodic evaluations. Ultimately, however, your grade reflects how well you have met course expectations.
If you feel that you are falling behind or having other difficulties, please make an appointment to meet as soon as possible so that we can work on remedies. I am here to help you as you take responsibility for your own learning. Please take advantage of my office hours to meet to review any graded assignment or further to discuss topics from reading, lecture or class discussion. Given that, frequently, several students may want meet with me prior to an assignment’s due date or after the return of an assignment, I encourage you to set appointments, even during office hours, so that you will not have to wait. On occasion, because of meetings or appointments beyond my control, I will not be in my office during posted hours. I always will try to let you know in advance of such a situation. By scheduling appointments, we can ensure that we do not miss each other. Equally, if you cannot make an appointment that you have set, you are responsible for letting me know as early as possible, so I can free that time for another student.
Required Readings:
As you enhance your knowledge of state and national government, you will find that daily reading of a good newspaper is essential. Therefore, a first reading requirement is perusal of (at the least) the national news section of a good, broad coverage daily paper, such as the New York Times, Washington Post (all available free, on-line) and the state news section of a major Texas daily (Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Austin American Statesman, e.g.). We often will use current events in our discussions – keeping up will augment your learning as current, concrete examples will help you to understand and apply abstract concepts. In addition, we will use Benjamin Ginsberg, Theodore Lowi and Margaret Weir’s We the People, in its Fifth Edition, Texas Edition.
Academic Decorum
Both in the classroom and elsewhere, our interactions are enhanced if conducted in an atmosphere of mutual respect and decorum. By thinking before speaking or acting about whether you will educate other class members or take away from the class, you contribute to the best atmosphere for our joint project. Personal behaviors that are disruptive, disrespectful or waste our very limited time together do not contribute to the educational endeavor and rob us all. They are not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Please consider your conduct carefully and act to support the learning process. Failure to do so could lead to my asking you to leave the class or removing you from a project, with appropriate grade penalties. It certainly will result in a lower participation grade. For more information, consult the Undergraduate Catalogue.
Some other personal behaviors are unacceptable and will not be allowed in the classroom. Please note that coming to sessions late, leaving early, or leaving and returning during the class, is disruptive and therefore disrespectful to the process of learning and will be penalized. If you have an unavoidable conflict and must leave early, check with me before class, and we will seat you near the door so you can leave with minimum disruption for the other students. If you are so ill that you cannot sit through an entire class without leaving to use the facilities, then you are exposing your classmates and yourself to an unacceptable health risk by being present and you should not be there. Equally, if you are so tired that you cannot stay awake through the session, you are contributing nothing and cannot receive credit for having a mere a physical presence. Text messaging, taking a phone call, reading other materials or conversing with another student, all are behaviors that do not contribute to your learning of this material, to you participation and frequently detract from other students’ learning. Please do not engage in any of these, as they too will receive a penalty, which may include being asked to leave the session.
Please note that you may not record the class in any format without my specific written permission.
Attendance
Attendance is vital both to your own and to others’ success. Class meetings offer you an opportunity to build and deepen your understanding and appreciation of course materials. In class sessions we cover materials outside of reading assignments, deepen our understanding of terms, concepts and events the readings cover, and work to apply these ideas, gaining a meaningful understanding of their nuances. Each of you contributes to this from your unique perspective and life experience. The expectation is that you will attend class sessions.
At times in everyone’s life, unavoidable conflicts arise, however, and college students are no exception. Acknowledging the importance of our in-class work and balancing that with the likelihood of unavoidable emergencies, during the semester, each student may have up to five (5) absences in this course. If your total number of absences reaches six (6), you fail the course, regardless of other grades earned in the class. Please note that this is NOT an invitation to miss the maximum allowed sessions. Even missing less than the maximum will hurt your participation grade, as you will not be available to contribute to the class.
You would be wise to think of allowed absences as you would car insurance -- not something that you want to use, but something that is there for true need. Thus, you should “budget” your absences for those genuine crises when you cannot avoid missing class -- i.e., a death in your family, your own serious illness. Please note that all absences are marked ‘unexcused’. This is because I simply record the number of missed classes, without making distinctions about why a student decided to be absent. Instead, I leave it up to you, as an adult, to make your own decisions about how to ‘spend’ allowed absences, following your calculations of your needs and reflecting your choices. Further, recognize that it is up to you to track your absences and make sure that you do not exceed the limit, leading to course failure.
Please remember that being present means being in class, awake and paying attention, for the entire period. If you are not in your assigned seat when I take roll, you are absent for that day. Similarly, if you leave class early, I will change your status for the day to absent. As I have noted elsewhere, merely having a physical presence in the room, but doing other work, sleeping or chatting with friends, for example, also qualifies as an absence.
Please do not ask me if it is “all right” for you to miss class. I cannot calculate how much you value what you gain from attendance versus some other option -- only you know your priorities. Part of being responsible for your own learning is making your own decisions about how you will operate within the class rules.
If you do miss class, it is your responsibility to catch up on the material that we covered. I’d suggest that you meet people in the class, so you will have colleagues you can ask for the notes. After you have read and thought through your classmate(s)’ notes (it is always better to get two sets), if you have remaining questions, I’d be happy to schedule an appointment with you to go over them. Please note, however, that this is not a chance to have a repeat lecture. It will be a time for you to show how you have taken responsibility for your own learning and for me to help you to fill any gaps in that knowledge.
While surely no one means to be offensive, it is frequent that students who have missed a class ask if the class “did anything important” on that day. This is a question that you should not ask in ANY class; further, by getting your classmates’ notes, you can know what precisely you have missed.
Finally, coming to class late, leaving the session before it is over, or leaving and returning to the classroom, violate UMHB’s required standards of academic decorum. These actions are disruptive and therefore disrespectful. Please do not engage in such behavior. If you are not in class for the full time, you will not get credit for attending that class. When you are in class, the best strategy for your success and the achievement of our joint enterprise is to focus on the materials and discussion related to this subject.
Attendance/Grade Forms
For anyone who needs a grade form/attendance slip signed, please note that I keep the record of grades and absences on my computer, not with me in class. You may drop off your form the night before (under my door) and I will fill it out and bring it to the next class or you will need to come by during my office hours, when I am not meeting with another student, to get your form signed. As well, I’d be happy to set an appointment for you, to sign your form and go over your progress to date. Otherwise, please exercise basic courtesy and wait until I am free during office hours to get a signature. Please do not ask me to “make something up” in class, because your form is due right away, or interrupt a meeting, as it will “only take a minute.” The form is your responsibility and the deadlines for turning it in are clear.
Courtesy
Sadly, basic standards of common courtesy seem to be failing, even, occasionally, here at Mary-Harding Baylor. Just as I will learn and use your name, I expect you to learn mine and to use it when you address me (“hey you,” “lady” and “miss” are not appropriate forms of address for any of your professors—“Dr.” if a PhD/EdD/DD etc. or “Professor” are appropriate titles).
Further, I make use of such courtesy words as “please” and “thank you,” and anticipate the same from each of you. You will find that extending simple courtesies consistently not only makes life more pleasant, but also will make you a more effective participant in it.
Course Dossier
Please note that you are responsible both for maintaining copies of all the work that you turn in and for holding all returned work, for the semester. This dossier of your work provides a resource that you should use to track your progress. In addition, you should bring it with you if you come in for an appointment to discuss your progress. We can draw upon it when working on developing your personal strategies for success in the class. Finally, if necessary, it ensures that all materials are available in case of any questions.