Spring 2004

Dr. Clarissa Peterson

American National Government

T TH 2:00-3:50, office TTH 9:00-10:00 & W 11:00

Office: 105 Asbury Hall, *4807

email: cpeterson@depauw.edu

This course is designed to introduce you to the field of American politics. You will receive a more thorough investigation into each of the sub fields of American politics if you decide to take other classes in the political science department. For example, if you choose to learn more about Congress, you may take “The Legislative Process.” This course will prepare you to take that course and many other courses that cover different aspects of how the American national government operates.

We will cover each of the areas of American National Government. Although we will not delve as deeply as the upper level courses, I hope that you will come away with an understanding of the government that we have. In particular, I hope that you can understand how it functions and why it functions the way that it does. It may sometimes seems as if we live in a country that is very different from the one created, but the reality is that many of the issues that we deal with are very similar to the ones that were prevalent at that time.

American politics is constantly changing and being challenged through those mechanisms that were created early in American history. Although change seems to come slowly, it has been a constant. The most recent incidents of the election of 2000, the September 11^th tragedy, and the War on Iraq demonstrate the durability of the system, yet cautions us that some critical changes may be necessary. In addition to the election problems, the ongoing debates surrounding the issues of welfare, minority rights, inner city problems, and police brutality (at the least), indicate the possibility of very serious changes in the political climate of the near future. After you have taken this course, you should have an understanding of the American political system and some legitimate speculations about its future. You should also be able to engage in a dialog about American National government with support from what you have learned in this class.

The following are the goals of this class:

1) Teach the basics of American government i.e. Constitution, Institutions, Elections, etc

2) Make you aware of the different perspectives and controversies of American government

3) Help you to develop as critical thinkers and writers

4) Help you become better writers

You are expected to read the material before coming to class. You are expected to participate in class discussions and complete homework assignments. When relevant, films will be used to illustrate different points. You are also expected to read the New York Times daily. This is especially the case because of the upcoming presidential election.

1) You will be required to complete 3 critical papers over the semester. When completing these papers, you must have at least two sources that fall outside of the class readings. Critical essays are papers that you write over the material that was assigned. The paper should be approximately 4 pages (1000-1250 words) long and should cover some aspect of the readings. Papers that do not fit within this guideline may be penalized. In other words, if you turn in a paper that is shorter or longer than stated, you will probably be penalized. This paper is a critical essay regarding topics in this course. It is not a summary of the material.

In order to prepare for writing such a paper, I suggest that you read the material, and then THINK about the theme of what you have read. Focus on one or two themes for writing the paper. Be sure to be critical! (i.e. discuss the contributions of the works as well as the flaws, discuss how the works further our understanding of the subject matter, etc.) You are expected to lead the class in discussing the assigned reading when the class reaches that point. If you are unsure about how to write this paper, please make an appointment so that we can discuss some options for the paper.

The number of pages that include tables, charts, bibliography, and figures are in addition to the 3-4 pages for the critical essay. You must use two sources in addition to the assigned readings. Be VERY careful not to plagiarize in these papers. Please read the student’s handbook for the policy regarding plagiarism. I will report any cases of plagiarism to the appropriate officials at the University. You should also be aware that papers that have grammatical errors are graded harshly. I would expect you to let others read your papers before turning them in. Although I will not monitor peer evaluation, it usually leads to a better paper.

I strongly encourage you to schedule at least one of you critical essays early in the semester. Experience has demonstrated that those who wait until the end of the semester usually do not complete all 3 essays. Since you control these essays (you choose the date, topic, and additional resources) I will not force you to complete an essay early in the semester. I will, however, publish the essay schedule and expect you to turn in your essay when it is due. If you choose to change your topic at the last minute, your paper will be penalized. 35%

2. You will have two TESTS in this class. No makeup tests will be given so make it your top priority to be present when tests are scheduled. 50%

3. Class Participation, attendance, quizzes, and miscellaneous projects: Although I will not take attendance everyday, you are expected to be present for all class sessions. Moreover, you are expected to participate in class discussions. This is primarily a discussion class on American politics. Although I am the professor, I expect you to participate in discussions with each other about the material. I will facilitate and monitor the discussions, as well as lecture when necessary. I want you to be active learners in this class, because I want you to get as much out of this course as you can. I want you to understand what scholars are saying about American politics and to question the statements that are made about politics in America.

When you finish this course you should have a new understanding of what it means to study American politics and how politics in America are constantly changing. In addition, you should have an appreciation for opinions and thoughts that are different from your own, but be able to separate what appears to be the truth from the truth that evidence supports. In order for these objectives to be realized, you must be active participants in the class. Of course, if you are not in class, you cannot participate. Before you come to class, you should have read the daily assignment and the New York Times. In addition to the things listed above, homework and/or quizzes will be given and calculated into the participation grade.

So that you will be better prepared for class discussions, tests, and assignments, there will be note takers during class. Each person will serve as the note taker during the semester. You are responsible for taking notes for the entire class and then reporting your notes at the end of class or the beginning of the next class. I STRONGLY encourage all of you to take your own notes. A note taker may not write down everything that you need to properly study for the test. The purpose of the note taker is to make sure that there is continuity in the class. 15%

Class Policies:

No late papers will be accepted for full credit. If you find that one of your papers will be late, you must let me know as far in advance as possible. Your grade will be penalized a half letter grade for every day that the paper is late.

It is YOUR responsibility to show that your work was done and was done on time. If there is ever any discrepancy pertaining to when your work was turned in, you must provide evidence of the time and date that the work was completed and turned in. This evidence may be an electronic file that includes a time and date stamp. It is not acceptable to resubmit the paper, without the evidence of the date and time that it was submitted. Since this is the case, I strongly suggest that you make sure that your work has been adequately placed on Blackboard and that you keep an electronic copy of your work (with the time and date of the last time the it was modified) until your final grade is in.

If you have any problems with the course, you should see me as soon as possible. Do not wait until the end of the semester to voice your concerns about the class. Often it is too late in the semester to have an impact on the way the class is developing.

I reserve the right to modify the schedule from time to time to accommodate the unanticipated things that may come up during the semester.

The following books will be used this semester and can be found at Fine Print Book

O’Connor, Karen and Larry Sabato. 2004. The Essentials of American Government. (O&S in the syllabus)

O’Connor, Karen. 2002. Readings and Cases in American Government. (O in the syllabus)

*I will often give additional reading assignments.

The breakdown of the grade is as follows...

Participation, Homework, Quizzes, and Miscellaneous 15%

Essays 35%

Tests 50%

Class Schedule…Homework is listed in Italics

Feb 3 Introduction

Feb 5 Roots of American Government

O’Connor and Sabato, Chapter 1

O’Connor, Chapters 1-2

Go to the census website (www.census.gov). Find the demographics of your hometown and home state. Compare those demographics to the national demographics.

Go to web and find polling data (Use Roper or Gallup poll). Are Americans really frustrated and cynical? Talk to friends and family, read the newspaper, watch the news. Compare the information that you have collected from these sources to the information that you collected from the polls. Do the opinions match? Why or why not?

Feb 10 Constitution

O&S Chapter 2

O Chapter 3

Feb 12 Federalism

O&S Chapter 3

O Chapter 4

Come prepared to have a discussion about what you believe to be the most important federal issues of the day. Please bring evidence of their existence. IF the US were to have another Constitutional Convention, would we keep the federal system or change it?

Feb 17 Civil Liberties

O&S Chapter 4

O Chapter 5

Feb 19 Civil Liberties continued

Should there be controls put in place? What controls would be Constitutional acceptable? Has the Supreme Court dealt with this issue yet?

Feb 24 Civil Liberties/ Civil Rights

What is the ACLU currently sponsoring? Why? Are you surprised? Does its working differ from its goals? How? How have the due process rights been reduced under the Rehnquist Court?

Feb 26 Civil Rights

O&S Chapter 5

O Chapter 6

Look up the current Supreme Court docket. What are the current civil rights cases? What are the Constitutional arguments? How do they differ from the cases of the 50s and 60s?

March 2 Civil Rights contd.

March 4 Study for test

March 9 Putting it all together (Jeopardy)

March 11 TEST #1

Begin paying attention to the press coverage of the president.

March 16 American Institutions

A. Congress

O&S Chapter 6

O Chapter 7

How representative is Congress? What proposals exist to address any perceived deficiencies in representations? What are the limitations of incumbency advantage? Is it waning?

March 18-30 B. The Executive

O&S Chapter 8

O Chapter 8-9

Since you have been paying attention to news coverage of the president (newspapers, TV, etc.), how is the president covered? What gets the attention of the media? Is the president “spinning” any of the coverage? Is the media out of control? What does this mean about how we perceive the president?

*Other readings TBA

Apr 1-6 C. Judiciary

O&S Chapter 10

O Chapter 9

Think about the differences in the selection of state court judges, federal judges, and Supreme Court justices. Does the process differ? Who should sit on the bench? Who should determine who sits on the bench?

Do some research on plea bargains, violent crimes, and white-collar crime. What is the current state of the justice system? Is America getting more violent or less litigious? What are the effects on public opinion, the public, and individuals? What is the effect of Court that is on TV.

Apr 8 Public Opinion

O&S pp. 326-348

O Chapter 11

Apr 13-15 Interest Groups and Political Parties

O&S Chapter 11

O Chapter 12

*Additional readings TBA

Apr 20 -22 Campaigns

O&S Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Identify and analyze the contenders for the 2004 election. Which websites are best? To whom do they address their messages, and why? What are their messages? Think about how you could increase voter turnout. Is this something that America should strive for?

*Additional Readings TBA

Apr 27 Media

O&S pp. 349-end of chapter

O Chapter 14

From now until the next class period, follow the major news networks (ABC, CBS, NBC), CNN, and FOX. View at least 2 days of each broadcast. Pay attention to the order and length of each story, the tone of the report, and the graphics. How are they similar and different? Which seem most objective, and why? What kinds of information are they offering? Is it the type of information that you need to make educated decisions about politics and world affairs?

May 4 Voting and Elections

Chapters TBA

May 6 Public Policy

O&S Chapter 13

O Chapter 15

May 11-13 Foreign Policy

O&S Chapter 14

O Chapter 16

Criteria for Discussion Grade:

You get an F for discussion if you miss lots of classes, rarely speak when you are there, and show no evidence of having done the reading.

You get a D for discussion if you come irregularly and rarely show signs of having done or thought much about the readings.

You get a C for discussion if you come to class regularly, but rarely speak, or if you are active in discussion but irregular in attendance, or if you participate in discussion in a way that shows little evidence of having done or thought much about the readings.

You get a B for discussion if you are always in class and take a thoughtful part in our discussions: participate actively and well, engaging in texts, themes, and others with some depth: and occasionally take leadership for the direction of the discussion

You get an A for discussion if you are always in class: show evidence of having read and thought about the reading with some depth: listen well to others: help focus our discussions with thoughtful comments and questions about the broader implications and comparative possibilities of the readings: and generally offer creative, imaginative ways of engaging the texts, the themes, and other students.

Adapted from Peter Frederick