GOVERNMENT 2301

GOVERNMENT = 2301

AMERICAN an= d TEXAS CONST= ITUTIONS

INTERNET

Instructor: Donna Godwin, Gibbs Building, A125. Office Phone: 903.= 675.6267;

E-mail: dgodwin@tvcc.edu

Logging into = your E-COURSE

To log in to Trinity Valley Community College’s internet courses go to https://ecourses.tvcc.edu/ or click= e-Courses on the TVCC homepage. VCT stu= dents will go to the TVCC homepage and follow the e-Courses link as w= ell.

Your user name is your last name first initial and las= t four Social Security numbers (doej1234). (VCT students will use the last four di= gits of their college ID number.) The password is the same except the first lett= er will be capitalized on the password. (Example log in: doej1234; Password: Doej1234).=

Scope and Emp= hasis

Do people need government? If so, why? What desirable goals—if any—can government achieve that individuals cannot ach= ieve by themselves? What is the U.S. and Texas’s government’s record in furthering these goals?

This course grapples with these questions while survey= ing the broad and complex subject of American and <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Texas government and politics. Th= is is difficult to do in one semester, especially when students vary greatly in t= heir understanding of national, state and local politics. I will try to make the subject clear to those with little preparation while challenging those who already know a good deal about American politics.

In this course, you will analyze politics in the = U.S. using five major concepts: freedom, order, equality, majoritarian democracy, and pluralist democracy. These concepts form the core of our main text: The Challenge of Democracy. We will attempt to analyze Texas polit= ics using the same concepts.

Reading Assig= nments

The weekly reading assignments in your texts will be substantial (averaging about 50 pages a week) but not overwhelming. Assigned readings will are referenced in your syllabus. It is essentia= l, therefore, that you read the assigned material in advance of the tests. Those who do not will be wasting their time and tuition money. = The readings, study guides and any additional material posted will figure prominently in the course’s exams.

Texts

Kenneth Janda, Jeffrey Berry, and Jerry Goldman, The Challenge of Democracy, 9th ed. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008) ISBN: 978-0-618-81017-8

Maxwell, et.al. Texas Politics Today, 13th ed. (Thomson Learning, 2008) ISBN: 978-0-495-410676

Participation=

Students should post to the discussion board if they have a question or problem with the course that other students might help them answer. You should also send one e-mail to the instructor per week. All communication about the course will be within= the course shell.

Testing<= /o:p>

1. Mid-term and final exams must be proctored. Quizzes= are not proctored. Proctors will have a password that will allow you to begin testing.

2. You cannot directly sign in to the exam. Click the = title of the exam. The proctor will then enter the password. After the passw= ord has been entered by the proctor, click “begin exam”.

3. TVCC students may test at Terrell (LRC), Palestine = (LRC), or Athens (Testing Center= or at night, in the LRC)

4. VCT students must test at their testing centers. Pr= octor passwords will be sent to the listed testing contact. If your home col= lege has branch campuses, proctor passwords will be sent to all listed testing contacts.

Missed Exam

Students are expected to take exams as scheduled. Only= under the most extraordinary circumstances will missed exams be made up.

Approaches to Learning

The Challenge of Democracy is a general textbook about government and politics in the United States. While it does = not argue any particular ideological position, it specifically analyzes politics along two ideological dimensions of value conflicts: between the values of = freedom and order on the one hand, and between freedom and equality on the other. T= he book also invites students to evaluate government in terms of two mode= ls of democracy: majoritarianism and pluralism. Its aim is to get you to think about what values government ought to pursue and the ways that government should decide how to pursue those values.

Practicing Texas Politics is a traditional structural look at Texas= government. We will use it in conjunction with the American government book= .

Grading<= /o:p>

Your grade will be based on your performance on the mi= dterm and final examinations (75%), and quizzes (25%). Chapter quizzes may be= taken twice and the highest score will be used to average for grades.

Study Guides<= o:p>

Study guides are available within the WEBCT course she= ll.

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OUTCOMES and OBJECTIVES

COORDINATING BOARD CORE CURRICULUM EXEMPLARY OBJECTIVES (OUTCOMES) = FOR SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES.

The objective of a social and behavioral science compo= nent of a core curriculum is to increase students' knowledge of how social and behavioral scientists discover, describe, and explain the behaviors and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, events, and ideas. Su= ch knowledge will better equip students to understand themselves and the roles they play in addressing the issues facing humanity.

1. To comprehend the ori= gins and evolution of U.S. and Texas political systems, with a focus on the grow= th of political institutions, the constitutions of the U.S. and Texas, federal= ism, civil liberties, and civil and human rights. Assessment: Satisfactory completion of this objective will be demonstrated by the students earning a grade of 70 or more on the chapter quizzes and the two major exams covering these topics.

2. To recognize and assu= me one’s responsibility as a citizen in a democratic society by learning= to think for oneself, by engaging in public discourse, by obtaining information through the news media and other appropriate information sources about poli= tics and public policy. Assessment: Satisfactory completion of this objective wi= ll be demonstrated by the students receiving a passing grade on short essays covering areas of civic responsibility.

Government 2301 Course Objectives*

United States Government

Texas= Government
2. GOVERNMENT 2301 Fall 2009 Schedule
  
  We will do American government chapters first, then Texas.
  
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  Final semes= ter final will be posted on the website before class begins.