GOVT 2302 --
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT II COURSE SYLLABUS
Section: S08, S18
Spring 2012 Semester
Dr. Glenn
David Garrison, Professor of Political Science
Spring Creek Campus Classroom B125
This syllabus is subject to
periodic revision.
Last revised
1-20-11
(dye9etxeml+/spr12)
THE COURSE:
The Govt 2302 American Government II course
examines the institutional
structures of government at both national and state levels, including the
legislative process, executive and bureaucratic structures, and judicial process
and explores civil rights and civil liberties, domestic policy, foreign
relations, and national defense.
The student must demonstrate, by assessment or prerequisite course,
placement in READ 0310. 3 credit hours.
This
course and Govt2301 fulfill the State of Texas legislative requirement of 6
credit hours of American Government for Baccalaureate Degrees.
If
the student has credit for
an
American or Texas Government course
from another institution, check with
Enrollment Management to
assure that
you have enrolled for the proper course to
complete the legislative requirement.
Note: Students transferring a
government course from out-of-state must enroll in Govt 2301 to complete
the Texas legislative requirement.
Course Repeat
Policy:
A
student may repeat this course only once after receiving a grade, including
“W.” Please also note that Texas law now restricts students from withdrawing
from more than six classes during their college career from any Texas college or
university.
The professor may use a variety of methods including lectures, debates,
group and individual projects, learning games, simulations, multimedia,
experiential learning assignments, web and computer-based work.
OFFICE & HOURS:
Dr. Glenn David
Garrison, Professor of Political Science
SCC
G224 in Suite G221
972.881.5815 (office)
972.881.5800 (Secretary)
972.881.5700 (Fax)
dgarrison@collin.edu
http://iws.collin.edu/dgarrison
Classroom: B125 SCC
Please make appointments for these or other mutually agreeable times:
|
Monday |
12-1 pm. |
|
Tuesday |
11:30
am. -1:30 pm.
|
|
Wednesday |
12-1 pm. |
|
Thursday |
11:30
am. -1:30 pm. |
|
Friday |
12
- 1pm. |
TEXTBOOK
required:
Dye, Gibson, & Robison,
Politics in
America , 9th Edition, Texas Edition,
Vol
2
Package
Collin
College,
NY: Pearson Education, 2011
with
access to
MyLabsPlus.
ISBN:1-256-283568
MyLabsPlus registration instructions will be presented at the first or
second class meeting.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the
following:
1.
Describe
the organization of Congress and the process of creating and passing
legislation, (communication
component)
2. Identify the leadership in and members of Congress/State
Legislature and their constituencies.
(communication
component)
3. Describe the nature of
Presidential/Gubernatorial Power and the roles of the Chief Executive at the
federal and
state levels. (communication
component)
4. Describe the nature, growth, and functions of the federal and state
bureaucracies. (communication component)
5. Outline and compare the structure and
selection processes of the federal and Texas judicial systems
(critical thinking
component).
6. Outline and compare the process and major philosophies of judicial
decision-making (critical thinking component).
7. Describe the movements to establish and protect Civil Rights for
African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Women
and the LGBT community and explain their public policy
implications (communication and critical thinking
components).
8. Outline the incorporation of the
liberties protected by the Bill of Rights, including Freedom of and from
religion,
freedom of expression, the right to bear arms, the
rights of the accused, and the right to privacy
(communication
component)
9. Describe public policy formation in the United States and Texas,
particularly economic and foreign security policy.
(communication component)
10. Describe and evaluate the political and legal actions
citizens may take to organize and influence their government
(social responsibility and teamwork components)
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS &
METHOD OF EVALUATION:
The student is expected to
attend class, read the assigned textbook and supplemental materials, take
thorough
class notes, thoughtfully participate in class discussion and
activities, become knowledgeable in current affairs
relevant to the course,
complete the experiential learning assignments and the assigned exams. No exams
are optional.
The professor is available for help and
advice.
Free tutoring
is available from the ACCESS program.
Textbook
study guides and materials in
MyLabsPlus
are
strongly recommended.
Exams occur approximately every
four to five weeks and are announced in class.
See
Spring Due Dates. Exams
consist of
objective questions (multiple choice
and
true-false)
and a take home essay question. The final
exam is
in part
comprehensive.
All exams are
mandatory.
Experiential learning tasks (usually three) are
required and are related to the exams and
typically involve
research,
writing and critical analysis.
For exam study lists, take home essays,
and tasks see the
course
page.
MyLabsPlus
text book chapter exams = 100
points (10%)
Exam 1 = 200 points (20%)
Exam
2 = 200 points (20%)
Final =
200 points (20%)
Experiential Tasks =
300 points
(30%; typically 100 points per task)
1000 total possible points
The grading scale is:
900-1000 points = A
800-899 points = B
700-799 points = C
600-699 points = D
0-599 points = F
Bonus
Opportunities are offered throughout the semester.
See the
Bonus
Opportunities
web site page. Fifty bonus opportunity points are available for the semester.
Ten bonus points per exam are also
available.
Class
participation is expected and includes:
a. writing a letter of introduction,
b.
becoming
knowledgeable in current
affairs relevant to the course,
c.
joining in
class discussion,
d.
reviewing test scores by
appointment before the next exam,
e.
attempting all
bonus point
opportunities,
f.
attending
class regularly,
g.
visiting
the Writing Center for each writing assignment, and
h.
demonstrating a
thoughtful and
caring interest in the class and course.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Students are expected to
attend class regularly, arrive on time, notify the professor of expected
absences,
and make arrangements to complete any missed work. Absences may
adversely affect the student’s grade.
Take tests at the assigned
time. Makeup exams will be given only
under extraordinary circumstances if a
legitimate excuse is presented.
No exams are optional.
Religious Holy Days:
Please refer
to current
Collin Student Handbook.
Assignments/papers are due in class on the assigned date. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE
ACCEPTED.
Any
exceptions to this policy must be negotiated with the professor in advance.
The grade of “I” (Incomplete)
is given
only under extreme circumstances and is considered for a student who is passing
the course and
has completed at least 80 percent of the course material.
Students that have fallen behind and are failing are responsible
for officially withdrawing themselves from the
course; failure to do so will result in a performance grade of "F". Last day to
withdraw with a grade of “W” is
MARCH 9, 2012. You
may repeat this course only once after receiving a grade, including W. See
also
the
state of
Texas
withdrawal limits.
AMERICANS
WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) POLICY STATEMENT:
Collin
College will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws,
regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable
accommodations as required to afford equal opportunity. It is the student’s
responsibility to contact the ACCESS office, SCC-G200 or 972.881.5898 (V/TTD:
972.881.5950) to arrange for appropriate accommodations. See the current
Collin Student Handbook for additional information.
ACADEMIC ETHICS:
Every member of the Collin College community is expected to maintain the
highest standards of academic integrity. Collin College may initiate
disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of scholastic
dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to,
statements, acts, or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the
award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work material that is
not one’s own.
Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not limited
to, one or more of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, use
of annotated texts or teacher’s editions, use of information about exams
posted on the Internet or electronic medium, and/or falsifying academic
records. While specific examples are listed below, this is not an
exhaustive list and scholastic dishonesty may encompass other conduct,
including any conduct through electronic or computerized means:
Plagiarism is the use of an author’s words or ideas as if they were one’s
own without giving credit to the source, including, but not limited to,
failure to acknowledge a direct quotation.
Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in
an unauthorized manner during an examination; collaborating with another
student during an examination without authority; using, buying, selling,
soliciting, stealing, or otherwise obtaining course assignments and/or
examination questions in advance; copying computer or Internet files; using
someone else’s work for assignments as if it were one’s own; or any other
dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course.
Collusion is intentionally or unintentionally aiding or
attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty, including but
not limited to, failing to secure academic work; providing a paper or
project to another student; providing an inappropriate level of assistance;
communicating answers to a classmate about an examination or any other
course assignment; removing tests or answer sheets from a test site; and
allowing a classmate to copy answers.
In
cases where an incident report has been filed for alleged violation of
scholastic dishonesty, faculty are requested to delay posting a grade, for
the academic work in question, until the Dean of Student’s Office renders an
administrative decision of the case. Students found responsible for
scholastic dishonesty offenses will receive an authorized disciplinary
penalty from the Dean of Students Office. The student may also receive an
academic penalty in the course where the scholastic dishonesty took place.
The professor will determine the appropriate academic penalty.
CIVILITY & CLASSROOM DECORUM:
Please practice civility toward others. Follow George
Washington’s admonition: “Labour to keep alive in your Breast that Little Spark of
Celestial fire Called Conscience.”
Please take to heart the
life lessons of George Washington
and
A
Student's Guide to
Academic Etiquette.
No
distractions are allowed in the classroom including informal talking, eating
& drinking snacks,
reading material, and electronic (audio or video) devices such as computers,
cell phones, laptops, I-Pods, I-Pads, E readers, etc. Seek permission from the
professor for any exceptions.
LETTER
OF INTRODUCTION:
As a part of your class participation
please write a letter of introduction to the professor.
Include your biographical information: hometown, major, current college, high school, current
course load, work hours per week,
vocational aspirations, and your interests. Also include what you think
is your role as a citizen in a democratic society.
Please
submit the
letter
by email during the first week of class. Please put in the subject line: Course,
Section, Introduction Letter. For example: GOVT 2302.S10 Introduction Letter.
Please include your name, course and section, and email address with your
letter.
WRITING, DOCUMENTING &
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING EXPLAINED:
Govt 2301 experiential learning consists of
several tasks involving research, analysis and writing.
Tasks are subject to change at the professor's discretion.
If you are unable to do any of the tasks for a
legitimate, documented reason, an alternative assignment may be available.
Please notify the professor at the beginning of the course if you
cannot meet any of the experiential learning requirements.
All papers are to be submitted to Turnitin.com for
review.
See the
course links
for writing and documenting details and the task assignments.
COURSE CONTENT & READINGS/ETC.
(subject to change):
Assignments, bonus
opportunities, and other information are located at
the professor's web site. Check the web site daily.
Reserve reading is usually available
online and
may be available
at SCC
Library
EReserves.
For Reference:
GOVT
2301 American Government I Topics
&
GOVT 2302 American Government II Topics
The Interactive Constitution
Texas Constitution of
1876,
Texas Almanac &
The National Constitution Center
Texas Politics:
©
2005,
Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services,
University of Texas at Austin.
Recommended news sources:
The New
York Times,
Texas Tribune
Los Angeles Times,
The Wall Street Journal,
The Washington Post,
The Dallas Morning News,
Politico,
C-SPAN,
NPRadio,
PBS
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
READING
ASSIGNMENTS for the 1ST EXAM:
(Spring Due Dates)
I.
The
Courts: Judicial Politics
TEXT:
Dye chapters US 13 &
MyLabPlus
chapter exam
Reference & Current Affairs:
U.S. Constitution, Article
III Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Justia.com US Supreme Court Center
Oyez
SCOTUSWIKI
NY Times:
U.S. Supreme Court 2009-2010
Term
C-SPAN,
The Supreme Court
PBS Newshour,
Law
Archive
Washington Post:
The
Supreme Court
U. S. District Court Eastern
District of Texas
Editorial,
Politics and the Supreme Court,
New York Times, February 4, 2012.
Excerpt: Cal Jillson's
"Lone
Star Tarnished," Texas Tribune, February
17, 2012.
David Savage, "Supreme
Court set to open crucial term,"
Los Angeles Times, October 2,
2011.
Philip Boffey,
Will Health Care Reform Survive the Courts? New York Times
Editorial,
August 21, 2011.
Editorial, "An
Evolving Court,"
New York Times, January 24, 2011.
Akil Amar,
Constitutional showdown,
Op-Ed
Los Angeles Times,
February 6, 2010.
Measuring
the Conservatism of the Roberts Court
New York
Times, July 24, 2010
Geoffrey R.
Stone, "Our
fill-in-the-blank Constitution,"
New York Times, April 14, 2010.
Jeffrey Rosen, "A
Man of Influence,"
New York Times Book Review, December 31, 2009.
Emily Bazelon, "The
Place of Women on the Court,"
New York Times Magazine, July 12,
2009
II.
The
Texas Judiciary
TEXT:
Dye chapters TX 24 &
MyLabPlus
chapter exam
Reference & Current Affairs:
Texas Constitution of
1876,
Texas Almanac
Texas Courts Online
“Justice for Sale,” Library Reserves
and
web site
Dan Eakin,
Grand
jurors serve many hours for community Plano Star Courier, January
26, 2012
Beth Brown,
Texas Voters Will Consider 10 Constitutional Changes
Texas Tribune,
July 13, 2011.
Adam Liptak
Justices Tell Judges Not to Rule on Major Backers ,
New York Times,
June 9, 2009.
Ed Housewright, "Collin
cuts court costs, but at what price?"
Dallas Morning News,
August 4, 2007
III.
Civil
Liberties: Politics & Personal Liberty
TEXT:
Dye chapters US 14 &
MyLabPlus
chapter exams
Reference & Current Affairs:
The
Bill of
Rights
The
Texas Bill of
Rights
Fourteenth
Amendment
SCOTUSWIKI
&
SCOTUSBLOG
Oyez
William Bennett Turner,
Is There a Right to Lie?
New York Times February 19, 2012.
Editorial:
Court’s GPS ruling was correct but incomplete Dallas Morning News,
January 30, 2012.
Jonah Goldberg:
People Inc. Los Angeles Times, January 17, 2012.
Emily Ramshaw
Judges: Texas Can Enforce Sonogram Law Now
Texas Tribune January 10, 2012
Jonathan Turley,
Obama: A disaster for civil liberties," Los Angeles
Times Op-Ed, September 29, 2011.
Ross Douthat, "Islam
in Two Americas,"
New York Times, August 15, 2010 &
On Assimilationists and Nativists
Timothy Egan, "Backward
into the future,"
New York Times, June 6, 2010.
Rusell Shorto, "How
Christian Were the Founders?"
New York Times Magazine, February
14, 2010.
Interview with Floyd Abrams, "The
Media & Corporate Free Speech,"
Wall Street Journal, January 30, 2010.
Dahlia Lithwick, "The
Life of a Death Penalty Lawyer,"
New York Times Book
Review, February 14,
2010.
"Death
No More: The Texas Death Penalty,"
Dallas Morning News series,
April 15-forward.
IV.
Civil
Rights:
Politics & Equality
TEXT:
Dye chapters US 15 &
MyLabPlus
chapter exams
Reference & Current Affairs:
U.S. Constitution Amendments 13-15,
17, 19, 23-26 The
Fourteenth Amendment
Declaration of Independence,
Texas Declaration of Independence
Declaration of the Causes Which Impel the State of Texas to Secede from the
Federal Union (1861)
Abraham Lincoln
The
Gettysburg Address &
The Emancipation Proclamation
Robert
Frost,
The Black Cottage
NY Times:
U.S. Supreme Court 2009-2010
Term
SCOTUSWIKI
&
SCOTUSBLOG
Perry v. Perez
(2012) SCOTUSblog, Texas redistricting & Voting Rights Act
Lyle Denniston,
Texas voting in 2012: A three-court puzzle (UPDATED), SCOTUSblog
(Dec. 11, 2011, 1:01 AM),
http://www.scotusblog.com/2011/12/texas-voting-in-2012-a-three-court-puzzle/
Consolidated with:
Perry v. Davis
Perry v. Perez
"Lawsuit claims Irving voting district violates equal protection,"
Dallas Morning News, February 11, 2010.
Ralph K.M.
Haurwitz,
UT admission policy upheld Austin
American Statesman, January 18, 2011.
Michael Gerson,
Republicans are ramping up the birthright,
Washington Post, August 13, 2010.
Jonathan Kaufman, "Fair
Enough?"
Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2008, A1.
Barbara Belejack, "A
Lesson in Equal Protection,"
Texas Observer, July 13, 2007
Katherine Leal Unmuth, "Tyler
case opened schools to illegal migrants,"
Dallas Morning News,
June 11, 2007 &
Video
Michael Oreskes, “Texas
in black and white,"
The New York Times Book
Review,
16 December
1990, 23.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
READING
ASSIGNMENTS for the 2ND EXAM:
(Spring Due Dates)
V.
The
American Presidency White House Politics
TEXT:
Dye chapters US 11 &
MyLabPlus
chapter exams
Reference & Current Affairs:
U.S.
Constitution, Article II
Presidential Job Approval
Center @ the
Gallup Poll
Floyd
Norris,
"What
Stocks and G.D.P. Say About Obama’s Chances
New York Times
March
23, 2012 &
accompanying table
Off the
Charts: Among the Best Presidents or the Worst, in Economic Terms
William McGurn,
Obama Brings Back the Constitution Wall Street Journal, January 17,
2012.
Paul Krugman,
The Post-Truth Campaign
New York Times, December 22, 2012.
Marjorie
Connelly
Polls Finds Bipartisan Support for Libya Campaign
New York Times,
March 23, 2011.
Charlie Savage,
Attack Renews Debate Over Congressional Consent
New York Times, March 21,
2011.
Bruce Ackerman,
Obama, Warren and The Imperial Presidency Wall Street Journal September
22, 2010.
Matt Bai,
The
Paradox of a Legislative President,"
New York Times, August 18, 2010.
Andy Barr, "D.
C. Elites, a world apart," Power & the People, Politico series, July 19,
2010.
David Brooks, "Getting
Obama Right,"
New York Times, March 12, 2010.
Exploring Tensions Between Presidents and the Media, PBS Newshour,
November 4, 2009.
Paul Starr, "Governing
in the Age of Fox News,"
The Atlantic, January/February 2010.
VI.
The Bureaucracy:
Bureaucratic Politics
TEXT:
Dye chapters US 12 &
MyLabPlus
chapter exams
Reference & Current Affairs:
VII.
Politics & Foreign & National Security Policy
TEXT:
Dye chapters US 18 &
MyLabPlus
chapter exams
Reference & Current Affairs:
Aaron David Miller,
Hail to the 'not now' president
Op-Ed Los Angeles Times, May 7, 2012. NEW
Jonathan Freedland,
The Big Bang: Zbigniew Brzezinski and Robert Kagan on
the State of America New York Times Book Review,
April 5,
2012
The
Neocon Quiz, &
Neoconservatives, formerly @ The Christian Science Monitor
Dennis Hickey,
Breathing easier on Taiwan Los Angeles Times, January 17, 2012.
John Yoo, "From
Gettysburg to Anwar al-Awlaki," Opinion, Wall Street
Journal, October 3, 2011.
Michael Kinsley,
Presidents can't declare war?Just watch them
Los Angeles Times
March 29, 2011.
Bruce Ackerman,
Obama’s Unconstitutional War
Foreign Policy,
March 24, 2011.
Ross Douthat,
A Very Liberal Intervention, New
York Times, March 20, 2011.
Editorial,
War by Global Committee
Wall Street
Journal, March 21, 2011.
George P. Shultz, William J. Perry, Henry A. Kissinger, Sam Nunn,
Deterrence
in the Age of Nuclear Proliferation
Wall Street
Journal,
March 7, 2011.
Michael J. Graetz,
The high cost of oil
Op-Ed Los Angeles Times, March 7, 2011.
Editorial,
Foreign Entanglements, Los Angeles Times, February 13, 2011.
The War Logs,
New York
Times,
The Guardian,
Der Speigel
Dana Priest & William M. Arkin,
Top
Secret America, Washington Post,
July 19, 2010.
washingtonpost.com/topsecretamerica
Jack Goldsmith,
The New Vulnerability,
Ecco Press, 2010 in
The
New Republic, July 17, 2010.
Leslie Gelb, "What
the WikiLeaks Documents Really Reveal,"
The Daily Beast, July 26,
2010.
Andrew Bacevich, "Endless
war, a recipe for four-star arrogance,"
Washington Post, June 27,
2010.
Robert Mackey, The Lede:
Is a Culture War Between American Soldiers and Civilians Inevitable?
NewYork
Times.
June 23, 2010.
George Will, "The
high price of American hubris,"
Washington Post,
July 15, 2010.
VIII.
The Texas
Plural Executive & Bureaucracy
TEXT:
Dye chapters TX 23 &
MyLabPlus
chapter exams
Reference:
Brian McCall,
Power and the
Texas Governor: Connally to Bush, Austin: University of Texas Press,
2009. & Current Affairs:
Current Affairs:
Jim Henson,
Immigration, Perry and a Divided GOP Texas Tribune, July 27,
2011.NEW
Video,
Is the Texas school board rewriting history?
& Responses, Need to Know,
PBS, May 10, 2010 & updates.
Ciara O'Rourke,
Fact-checking columnists
Austin American Statesman Politifacts Texas, March 7th, 2011.
PolitiFact Texas: Do
governors control job gains
and losses?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
READING
ASSIGNMENTS for the FINAL EXAM
(Spring Due Dates)
IX.
Congress:
Politics on Capitol Hill
TEXT:
Dye chapters US 10 &
MyLabPlus
chapter exams
Reference & Current Affairs:
U. S. Constitution, Article I
& Amendments 17, 20, 27
110th Congress, C-SPAN
Congressional Links,
C-SPAN
Paul Kane,
Book: GOP freshman class turned into ‘a monster’ for Boehner, other House
leaders The Washington Post,
April 22, 2012.
NEW
Scott Neuman
Congress Really Is As Bad As You Think, Scholars Say
NPR December 27, 2011.
Eric Lichtblau,
Economic
Downturn Took a Detour at Capitol Hill,
&
Graphic:
A
Growing Divide Between Congress and Constituents,
New York Times,
December 26, 2011.
Measuring
political
polarization,
The Global Public Square, CNN, August 8, 2011.
Norman Ornstein, "Worst.
Congress. Ever."
Foreign Policy, July 19, 2011.
George Packer,
The Empty Chamber,
New Yorker,
August 9, 2010.
X.
The Texas Legislature
TEXT:
Dye chapters
TX 22 &
MyLabPlus
chapter exams
Reference & Current
Affairs:
School
House Rock -- I'm Just a Bill
The Texas Legislature Online
"Mexican Hat Dance,"
Vote for Me
& "Born Politician,"
Vote for Me
Paul Burka & The Best & Worst Texas Legislators, Texas Monthly, June
2011.
Jason Embry,
The Texas House finally makes the ‘Daily Show,’ Austin
American Statesman, February 4, 2011.
XI.
Politics & the Economy & Social Welfare
TEXT:
Dye chapters US 16
& 17 &
MyLabPlus
chapter exams
Reference & Current
Affairs:
Rick Perry, Governor of Texas,
Texas
Budget Compact, Office of the Governor, April 16, 2012.
NEW
Becca Aaronson,
Chris Chang, Ben Hasson & Todd Wiseman,
Interactive: Texas vs. the Federal Government,
Texas Tribune, March 21,
2012. NEW
Robert Skidelsky,
The
Keynes-Hayek
rematch
Global Public
Square, CNN
World, August
19, 2011.
David Kocieniewski,
U.S.
Business Has High Tax Rates but Pays Less
New York Times,
May 2, 2011.
Bernie Sanders,
Saving Social Security,
Los Angeles Times, February 14,
2011.
Paul Krugman,
The
Texas Omen,
New York Times,
January 6, 2011.
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