Professor Peter F. Burns Jr.
Office: Monroe Hall 537 H
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 9:30 to 10:30 and by appointment
Phone 865-2299
pburns@loyno.edu
Students with disabilities who wish to receive accommodations in this class should contact Disability Services at 504-865-2990 as soon as possible so that warranted accommodations can be implemented in a timely fashion. Disability Services are located in the Academic Enrichment Center, Monroe Hall 405.
I. Goals:
The goal of this class is to learn.
During this course we will learn more about not only American Government but also how to read, write, and think more critically.
Political Science A100-002 introduces you to the basic concepts of American Government and politics. This course is designed to increase your knowledge of the following areas: the theoretical underpinnings of this government, the operation of American institutions and politics, and the roles citizens play in American governmental processes. It is also designed to improve your analytical, critical writing, critical thinking, and communications skills. Remember that your ability to develop and perform these skills is as important to you as the information that you will take from this course.
The themes of majority rule and minority rights, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and power in representation are prevalent throughout this course. In each of the following parts and in each class, we will ask ourselves how these concepts affect American politics. Keep these themes in mind throughout the course and focus upon them in your readings, writings, and dialogue.
Throughout the course, you need to understand the concepts of independent and dependent variables. The actions of independent variables affect the dependent variable. For example, if opening an umbrella is your dependent variable, then rain is one independent variable. That is, the action of opening the umbrella depends partly upon whether it is raining. In this course, for example, we need to consider the effect of the Articles of Confederation on the new Constitution.
In this course, we will also analyze how scholars make knowledge claims. That is, how do researchers and students support their assertions? How do they know what they claim?
II. Parts:
The course is divided into three parts: foundations of government, institutions of government, and people and politics.
Part one investigates the theoretical foundations of American Government. This section emphasizes American Political Thought and Ideology; it concentrates on the concepts that drove the Founding Fathers, and it focuses on the liberties, rights, and privileges that every American should possess.
Part two examines the institutions of American Government. We study
the executive, legislative, and judicial branches separately but we must
always keep in mind how these institutions interact with each other.
Questions that guide this section include which branch of government did
the Framers think would be most powerful? Which branch of government is
the most powerful today? How do each of these branches gain power
by representing powerful groups and constituencies? In this section
we will also analyze the effect that the bureaucracy – the silent branch
– exerts on the workings of American institutions and policies.
The final part explores the people and politics of American Government.
We will look at how public opinion, the mass media, and interest groups
influence majority rule and minority rights, federalism, separation of
powers, checks and balances, and power in representation. We will
also examine how political parties, voting and elections, and the campaign
process affect policymakers, politics, and policies.
Part One: Foundations of Government
a. Ideology
b. The Constitution
c. Federalism
d. Civil Liberties
e. Civil Rights
Part Two: Institutions of Government/Policymakers
a. Congress
b. The Presidency
c. The Judiciary
d. The Bureaucracy
Part Three: People and Politics
a. Public Opinion
b. Political Parties
c. Voting and Elections
d. The Campaign Process
e. Mass Media
f. Interest Groups
III. Expectations:
a. You should attend every class. I will not deduct points from your grade for class absences but missing class will certainly affect your ability to learn and it will almost certainly affect your grade in a negative way. By contrast, attending all classes will enhance your learning experience and almost certainly improve your grade.
b. You will lose points from your final grade if you are late to class on a regular basis.
c. You are responsible for reading the entire assignment before class. If you are assigned chapter one for the first class, please have the entire chapter read before that class.
d. This class will consist of lectures and class discussion but there will tend to be more of the former than the latter. Let me assure you that this course is designed for you. Therefore, if you have any questions about the material please feel free to ask me immediately.
Expectations of Professor
a. While I expect you to work hard and to prepare on a daily basis, let me assure you that I will be there to help you. Please come and see me in my office hours or by appointment. Even if you are not having any difficulty with the material, please come and see me. My door is always open.
b. American government is such an interesting subject. You should expect to enjoy this learning experience as long as you read the material before class, attend class, prepare constantly, and work hard. If you perform these tasks, then you will do very well in this course.
IV. Grading:
Your grade consists of the following:
1. Three in-class examinations constitute 75 percent of your grade. You need to provide me with a bluebook at least one class before each exam. Please write your name on the bluebook, which you can purchase at the bookstore.
The first in-class examination covers the readings and lectures from Weeks I through IV. The second exam covers readings and lectures from Weeks V through VIII. The non-cumulative final covers the rest of the semester.
The exams will probably include some combination of identifications, short-essays, longer essays, and open-ended questions.
For the identifications, which come from the book and the lectures, you need to not only define the term but also relate it to the themes of the course. That is, why is this term significant? So what?
The detailed essay asks you to write on a major subject. I might provide the essay question to you in advance. If so, then you can use a one-page outline that I approve.
A-quality identification and essay answers contain great insight. They indicate that you have reflected on the topic. A-answers include the who, what, where, and when questions but they also explore the why and how questions and what the readings say about American Government. A-answers contain proper grammar, do not include any spelling or factual mistakes, and illustrate you have completed and reflected upon the readings.
B- and C-quality tests get all or most of the facts correct but do not
indicate that the student has thought long and hard about the assignment.
B- and C-exams answer the who, what, where, and when questions but they
neither reflect upon the why and how questions nor explain what the readings
say about American Government.
D- and F- answers are incomplete, include spelling and grammar mistakes,
contain many incorrect assertions, and are not quality work. They
do not adequately answer the who, what, were, when, why, or how questions.
Examinations = 75%
Exam Schedule:
Examination One is Thursday, September 23
Examination Two is Tuesday, October 26
Examination Three is December 14 at 9:00 a.m.
2. A short paper makes up the other 25 percent of your grade.
The topic asks you to determine which branch of government has the most power and why.
While this question asks for your opinion, you must support your opinion with facts. You must discuss why the branch that you selected is more powerful than the other two. This requires that you discuss (and compare) all three branches of government.
You must support your answer with information from the readings and the class. Do not base your answers on outside information. This is not to say that you cannot use outside sources. However, base your answers on the readings, the class, and the homework assignments.
Remember that you must support your answer with facts.
The following are guidelines that you must follow in answering your paper.
1. Provide a thesis type statement that lets the reader know what you are proving.
2. Consider the various components of the question before you start writing so that you base your answer on information drawn from careful consideration of the class and the readings.
The paper must be typewritten and double-spaced with margins that are at least 1” all around. The font must be 12 point. Points will be deducted if these requirements are not met. The paper can be no longer than seven (7) pages.
Please see the suggestions for writing a better paper on my website (http://www.loyno.edu/~pburns/). You must also use either MLA Citation Style or The Chicago Manual of Style to cite your sources. Points will be deducted if you do not follow the writing tips and the style requirements. You will lose points two points for each spelling mistake and each grammar mistake.
This paper is due in class December 2
Short paper = 25%
V. Grading Policies.
If any paper is late, you will lose one full letter grade. In addition, you will lose one full letter grade for each additional day the paper is late.
For each assignment, unless we make special arrangements, late papers include those you slip under my door while class is taking place, emailed assignments, or assignments that you hand in at the end of a class that you did not attend. Please do not email your paper to me unless we make special arrangements. I am very flexible, which means that I will make special arrangements with you when extraordinary circumstances arise and you cannot hand-in the assignment on time. Please make sure that all written assignments are top-quality work, which means that you write in complete ideas and in complete sentences.
You, and only you, must write and complete each assignment. Each assignment should reflect your ideas and your writing. You cannot consult with others unless they are library staff or other professors. Papers cannot be team-written. You must work independently. Do not discuss the paper or get assistance from others unless they are library staff or other professors. If you want to interview someone for your project, please consult with me. I will read drafts of your paper but only up to one week before the paper is due. I will be happy to discuss your paper with you at any time, but your paper will improve if we meet earlier rather than later.
VI. Grading Scale
90-100 = A
87-89 = B+
80-86 = B
77-79 = C+
70-76 = C
67-69 = D+
60-66 = D
0-59 = F
VII. Other Points of Interest
Please avoid sidebar conversations during class. If you talk while another student or the professor is addressing the class, then I will deduct points from your final grade.
Please be respectful of the other students and the professor in this course. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated and will result in a lower grade and other penalties.
Please do not get up during class unless it is an emergency. You will lose points if you continually get up during class.
If I give you extra credit assignments during the class, then you must follow these guidelines to receive credit.
a. You must be in attendance when I assign the extra credit opportunity.
You will not be eligible for the extra credit opportunity if you received
an excused absence.
b. If applicable, you must answer the extra credit assignment.
c. If applicable, you must type the extra credit assignment.
d. If applicable, you must turn-in the paper one week after I assign
the topic.
e. Unless otherwise instructed, the extra credit assignment should
be no longer than one page.
f. The values of the extra credit assignments may vary.
g. The maximum number of extra credit points you can add to your final
grade is two.
VII. Required Texts: (Please bring books to class)
1. Edwards, George C. III, Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry.
2001.
Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy (11th ed.). New
York: Longman.
2. Please check my website (http://www.loyno.edu/~pburns/) on a regular basis. The site will have important information about the class.
3. The other readings will be available on reserve in the library.
4. Please bring that day’s reading material to class.
VIII. Assignments:
Week
I. Tuesday August 31st
– Introduction and Overview
Thursday September 2nd
II. Tuesday September 7th – 9th
Read Chapter 1 – Introducing Government in America
Overview of major themes, including Majority Rule and Minority Rights, Checks and Balances and Separation of Powers, Federalism, and Power in Representation.
III. September 14th – September 16th
– Read Chapter 2 – The Constitution
Read (Federalist Papers 15 and 51)
See http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/federalist/ for a copy of the Federalist
Papers
Read the Constitution
Read de Tocqueville’s “Origins and Democratic Social Conditions of
Anglo-Americans”
IV. Tuesday September 21st
– More on the Constitution
Read Hofstadter’s “The Founding Fathers: An Age of Realism”
Thursday September 23rd – Exam #1 on all lectures and readings to this point
V. September 28th – 30th
Federalism
Read Chapter 3 – Federalism
Read Federalist 46
Read David Walker’s “Two Hundred Years of American Federalism”
Read John Marshall from McCulloch v. Maryland
VI. October 5th – 7th
– Continuation of Federalism and Start of Civil Liberties – Read Chapter
4 – Civil Liberties
Read Harry Blackmun from Roe v. Wade
Read Gitlow v. New York
Read Mapp v. Ohio
Read Miranda v. Arizona
VII. October 12th – 14th
– Read Chapter Five – Civil Rights and Public Policy
Read Hugo L. Black from Korematsu v. United States
VIII. Tuesday October 19th
Fall Break Holiday – No Class
Thursday October 21st
– Read Chapter 12 – Congress
Read Richard Fenno’s “Home Style”
Read Paul Starobin’s “Pork: A Time-Honored Tradition Lives On”
Read Woodrow Wilson’s “Congressional Government”
IX. Tuesday October 26th
– Exam #2 on all lectures and readings from Exam #1 to this point
Thursday October 28th
Congress continued and start of the Presidency – Read Chapter 13;
Read David R. Mayhew’s “Congress: The Electoral Connection”
Read Roger H. Davidson and Walter J. Oleszek’s “Congress and
Its Members”
Read Richard Neustadt’s “The Power to Persuade”
X. November 2nd – 4th
XI. November 9th – 11th
Read Chapter 16 – The Federal Courts
Read Federalist 78
Read David O’Brien’s “The Court and American Life”
Read John Marshall from Marbury v. Madison
Read Martin M. Shapiro’s “The Presidency and the Federal Courts”
XII. November 16th – 18th
– Read Chapter 15 – The Federal Bureaucracy
Read James Q. Wilson’s “Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and
Why They Do It”
XIII. Tuesday November 23rd
– Read Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Action (From “How Americans
Learn about Politics: Political Socialization” to (but not including) “Understanding
Public Opinion and Political Action”)
Read Chapter 7: Mass Media and the Political Agenda (From “The News
and Public Opinion,” to the end of the chapter)
Read George Gallup’s “Polling the Public”
Read V.O. Key’s “Public Opinion and American Democracy”
Nov. 25th
No Class – Thanksgiving
XIV. Tuesday November 30th
– Read Chapter 8: Political Parties and
Read Chapter 10 : Elections and Voting Behavior (From “Whether to Vote:
A Citizen’s First Choice” to the end of the chapter)
Read Chapter 9: Nominations and Campaigns (From “The Campaign Game,”
to the end of the chapter); Read Morris P. Fiorina “The Decline of Collective
Responsibility in American Politics”
Read Walter Dean Burnham “The Turnout Problem”
Thursday December 2nd
– Read Chapter 11 – Interest Groups (entire)
Read Federalist 10
Read Mancur Olson’s “Collective Action: The Logic”
XV. December 7th – 9th
XVI. December 14th (9 am – 11 am) Final Exam