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GOVERNMENT
2302: AMERICAN AND TEXAS GOVERNMEN=
T
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INTERNET
COURSE SYLLABUS
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ALL
SUMMER SESSION 2009
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JUNE 1
– AUG 18
Professor: E.
Michael Young
LOGGING IN TO YOUR E-COURSE: To log in to Trini= ty Valley Community College’s internet courses go to https://ecourses.tvcc.edu or click <= b>e-Courses on the TVCC homepage. If you were enrolled in an internet class (e-Cours= e) in the fall 2007 semester and created an 8-digit, strong security password,= you may continue using that password. If you were not enrolled in an e-course in the fall 2007 semester, read the following instructions for logging in to y= our e-Course. The log in and password information has changed. The new log in and password will now be the same. (Example log in: doej1234, Password: Doej1234), except the first letter will be capitalized on the password. Log in using yo= ur last name, first initial and last 4 digits of your Social Security Number. If you are a VCT student, use the last four digits of your college-issued ID. Upon initial login, you will have to create an 8-digit password that confor= ms to the strong password security requirements. If you don’t, you will get th= ese error messages until you comply.
1. Please ente= r a password with at least 8 characters.
2. Your password does not m= eet the strong password requirement. It must include 3 of the following types of characters: Uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. For example: Pa55w*rd.
HOW TO SETUP E-MAIL RETRIEVAL OF FORGOTTEN PASSWORD= S: Once logged in, on your homepage where your courses are listed, click on My Settings (upper right hand corner), this will open your My Profile page. Click on Edit Profile and enter your email address, click S= AVE. This will take you back to your My Profile page. Click on Change Password, the Change Password page opens. Enter your current password and then create a new 8 digit secure password (see above), enter y= our new password again. Next, you will need to create a secret question, such a= s: What is my pet’s name? or What city was I born in? Enter= the correct answer to your secret question. When you are through, click o= n SAVE. Now, if you forget your password, you can retrieve it through your e-mail account.
Contact Inform=
ation: My office is =
T101
at the Palestine campus. But for this internet course, the best way to cont=
act
me through the course Blackboard email. My TVCC email is myoung@tvcc.ed=
u. My office ph=
one
number is (903) 729-0256 extention 261.
Textbooks: The Challe=
nge of
Democracy, 9th edition, by Janda, Berry, and Goldman; Tex=
as
Politics Today, 13th edition, by Maxwell and Crane.
Course Decript=
ion: This is a 3
semester credit hour distance learningcourse. The instructional methodology=
is self-learning
via the internet. This type of course can be very useful to certain student=
s,
for example those who want to complete their education while working full t=
ime.
But it does require more self motivation and discpline. This course is an introduction =
to the
United States and Texas Constitutions, federalism, civil liberties, public
opinion, voting and elections, and interest groups.
Course Rationale: The Texas Education Code (51.301) mandates that
"every college and university receiving state support or state aid from
public funds shall give a course of instruction in government or political
science that includes consideration of the Constitution of the United States
and the constitutions of the states, with special emphasis on that of Texas.
This course shall have a credit value of not less than six semester hours or
its equivalent." Implicit in the law is the understanding that a good
citizen knows something about the constitution and the politics of his coun=
try
and state.
Course
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, the student is expected to: 1) acquire an
understanding of the origins, development, and current practices of America=
n and
Texas government; 2) gain factual knowledge about American and Texas
government, including terminology, classifications, methods, and trend; 3)
learn to apply course material to improve rational thinking, problem solvin=
g,
and decision-making. 4) gain a broader understanding of the intellectual and
cultural activities as they relate to government; 5) develop an appreciatio=
ns
of the contributions made to American and Texas government and society by
racial, ethnic, and religious minorities; and, 6) develop a sense of person=
al
responsibility (self-reliance and self-discipline).
Course
Grade:
A (90 -100%) B (80-89) C (70-79=
%) D (60-69%) F (59% and below)
Your
course grade will consist of the following four grades:
<=
![if !supportLists]>1) Four
Unit Exams (50%):
Each unit exam will cover three or four chapters and consist of 50 multiple
choice questions. They will be proctored (supervised). You must take them in
the library or a testing center of one of the TVCC campuses. The test proct=
or
has the passwords for each exam.
<=
![if !supportLists]>2) Thirteen
Chapter Quizzes (25%):
The quizzes can be taken at home, or wherever you have a computer. You can =
take
the quizzes an unlimited number of times, and you only need a passing grade=
to
get the credit (If you get a score of 70% or higher, I will give 100% credi=
t). The
quizzes will mostly serve as preparation for the unit exams. Students who t=
ake
the quizzes two or three times each often get an A on the exams.
<=
![if !supportLists]>3) Discussion
(25%): You must
participate in the four unit discussion topics.
Discussion
Topics: Go to the
Discussion board and participate by posting your thoughts on the following
topics: *** Discussion topics might
change if an interesting news event occurs. So, go by the discussion to=
pic
in the Blackboard when summer comes.
Unit One: Do you think the new
president is doing a good job? What mistakes has he made? What good things =
has
he done?
Unit Two: Do you think the mainstream m=
edia
is politically biased? Discuss something you have seen on TV that convinces=
you
the media is conservative or liberal?
Unit Three: Find an interest group that y=
ou
would support and describe what issues it supports.
Unit Four: Discuss political socializati=
on
in your life. What is your first political memory? When did you first reali=
ze
you are a liberal or conservative?
<=
![if !supportLists]>·
These
discussion topics might change as the semester progresses and if an interes=
ting
topical issue presents itself.
SUMMER I
SCHEDULE
UNIT ONE=
Read Janda Chapter 11: Congress
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Read
Janda Chapter 12: The Presidency
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Read
Janda Chapter 13: The Bureaucracy
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Complete
chapter quizzes 11, 12, and 13.
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Submit
Discussion One
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Take
Exam I in the Testing Center or Library
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Everything is DUE by Friday, June 19
UNIT TWO=
Read Janda Chapte=
r 14:
The Courts
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Read
Janda Chapter 15: Order and Civil Liberties
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Read
Janda Chapter 16: Equality and Civil Rights
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Complete
chapter quizzes 14, 15, and 16.
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Submit
Discussion Two
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Take
Exam II in the Testing Center or Library
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Everything is DUE by Friday, July 3
UNIT THR=
EE
Read Janda Chapte=
r 18:
Economic Policy
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Read
Janda Chapter 19: Domestic Policy
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Read
Janda Chapter 20: Global Policy
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Complete
chapter quizzes 18, 19, and 20
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Submit
Discussion Three
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Take
Exam III in the Testing Center or Library
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Every thing is DUE by Friday, July 24
UNIT FOU=
R
M & C Chapter 6: The legislature
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M
& C Chapter 7: The Legislative Process
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M
& C Chapter 8: The Governor
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M
& C Chapter 9: The Bureaucracy
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Complete
chapter quizzes 6, 7, 8, and 9.
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Submit
Discussion Four
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Every thing is DUE by Friday, August 14
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