Course Syllabus

National Government 2305

Spring Semester 2009

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

McLennan Community College Dual Credit

 

Instructor: Kevin T. Holton, M.A.

Office: LA 117A McLennan Community College Campus; assigned classroom at MHS
Office Hours: By appointment (usually I am in the room about 15 minutes prior to class)    
E-mail: [email protected] (for questions and comments outside class time or office hours)

Course Web Address: www.geocities.com/ktholton (notes/outlines/course info.)

Required Text: Barbara A. Bardes, Mack C. Shelly, and Steffen W. Schmidt, American Government and Politics Today: The Essentials (2008 Edition), Wadsworth, 2009.

Additional readings will either be distributed in class and/or posted on given websites throughout the course of the semester.  If you have any difficulty accessing these additional readings, please let me know well in advance of when they are supposed to have been read for any class discussions.  All links in the general course calendar below are clickable from the course website’s copy of this syllabus.

Course Objectives:

            *Identify and explain the theories of representative government underlying the American Republic, including: government by consent, constitutional government,  and limited government

            *Identify and explain the various constituencies, functions, and powers of the Legislative Branch, the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch

            *Explain the development of each branch, its singularities, and the limitations to the system of checks and balances

            *Identify and explain the key elements of campaigns  and elections for government offices in each elective branch

            *Identify and explain the roles of interest groups, media, and public opinion in American politics

            *Identify and explain the origins of various American civil rights and civil liberties 

            *Prepare students for meaningful and participatory citizenship

Grading Policy: There will be four (4) major exams, all multiple choice, assessing the student’s knowledge of major themes and the mechanics of government presented throughout the course.  Students will be expected to think, not simply regurgitate answers learned by rote.  Do not expect the exams to exactly mirror what we have covered in class; the goal is application, not memorization.  Each exam will build upon the both the material of the current unit and the knowledge gained in previous units.  In other words, all exams are cumulative, and students will be expected to apply theories and ideas from previous units to material in later units. The final exam is 100 questions, 50 from the fourth unit, and 50 from the previous 3 exams.  Each of the four exams will each count for 20% of your final course grade.  The remaining 20% of your course grade will be determined by the semester activity described below.  

If you miss an exam or fail to turn in any completed assignment on its due date, you must provide a written excuse before making up for the missed assignment.  You will have one week after your return to class to make up for the assignment; after that, a zero will be recorded. 

Students who struggle with some assignments yet who actively and intelligently participate in class generally receive the benefit of the doubt if grades are borderline at the end of the semester.  I do not show favoritism, but I also do not reward laziness.

 

Attendance Policy: Attendance is not an option.  Absences must be documented appropriately in order to be excused.  Unexcused absences from 25% or more of the course will result in your being dropped from the course or your receiving an F.  

Tardiness to class is unacceptable.  Be on time to class as we will begin when the bell rings.

 

Should you require help during the semester understanding concepts in the book and outside readings or from the material presented in the lectures, please do not hesitate to visit with me before class or at another pre-arranged time to discuss your questions or concerns.  I am also available by e-mail several times during the day.  I sincerely want you all to succeed, but it is your responsibility to seek proper solutions to your problems. 

ADA Statement:  In accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the regulations published by the United States Department of Justice 28 C.F.R. 35.107(a), MCC’s designated ADA co-coordinators, Dr. Johnette McKown, Executive Vice President and Dr. Lynn Abernathy, Vice President, Student Services shall be responsible for coordinating the College’s efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under ADA.  Students with disabilities requiring physical, classroom, or testing accommodations should contact Marc Sweatt, Disability Specialist, at 299-8067 or [email protected].

*****Below is a reading schedule for your studies.  Please understand that we may cover more or less material in lecture than is required reading for that day.  The more you read, both in the book and in other, outside sources, the better prepared you will be.  I have made the reading schedule extremely light, but I strongly encourage you to read more than is suggested below.  If you would like some additional book titles relating to the topics at hand, feel free to ask.  I also reserve the right to require reading of additional documents that may be posted on the web from time to time. All reading assignments are potential sources of exam material. Do not assume that readings and information not discussed in class will not be covered on the exam.  ALL PAGE NUMBERS ARE FROM THE CURRENT, CUSTOM EDITION OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS TODAY: THE ESSENTIALS.

 GENERAL COURSE CALENDAR and READING SCHEDULE: The days on which certain material is covered may vary due to unforeseen circumstances.  Students will be held responsible for any material not covered in class but addressed in the assigned reading before a scheduled exam.  Reading assignments under a given day are for the following class period; e.g., the reading under 27th August  is for class use/discussion on the 29^th.  Read the material before coming to class. In class activities will be held the day on which they are listed.

 

*The Preamble: Principles of Liberty and Government Organization January 12: Course Introduction—Syllabi, Books, and the Bare Bones of Government Questions of the Day (QD): Why do we have government?  What would society look like without government? What is politics, and is it inevitable? Reading: pp. 3-23

January 21: Regime Types QD: Which government type is the best, and which is the worst?  Reading: Locke’s “Beginning of Political Societies,” located at: www.constitution.org/jl/2ndtr08.htm

January 23: Enlightenment Political Communities QD: From where does authority derive its legitimacy? Reading: The Declaration of Independence (pp. A-1 and A-2 in the book); pp. 29-47

January 26: The Founding of the American Republic QD: What was America’s first constitution?  Why was it deeply flawed?  Reading: “The Virginia Plan,” located at: www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=7&page=transcript and “The New Jersey Plan,” located at: http://research.history.org/pf/documents/newJerseyPlan.cfm

January 28: The Founding, Continued QD: What made the current Constitution better than its predecessor? Reading: Federalist Paper #10 on pp. A-4 to A-7

January 30: The Founding, Continued Even Further QD: What are factions?  Why are they a problem for republics, and what can be done to prevent them from damaging the republican foundations of the government? Reading: Federalist Paper #51 on pp. A-7 to A-9

February 2: Constitutional Design QD: Why is separation of powers necessary for a republican government? Why is power distributed among the branches in the way it is in the Constitution of the United States? Reading: The Constitution (pp. 58-68)

February 4: Constitutional Design, Continued QD: What are the differences between national government powers and state government powers?  Why is there a difference at all?  Why are there similarities? Reading: pp. 79-102

February 6: Constitutional Design, Continued Even Further—Part 1 of Semester Project is DUE!!! QD: See above

February 9: EXAM #1—YIPPIE! Reading: pp. 337-52

*The Legislative Branch—Power to the People February 11: Article I—The Legislative Branch QD: What are the vested powers of Congress?  Why is Congress given these powers and not others? Reading: “The Necessary and Proper Clause,” located at: http://supreme.justia.com/constitution/article-1/49-necessary-and-proper-clause.html

February 13: National Power versus State Power QD: Why give these powers to Congress instead of the Executive or the Courts or the States? Is there room for implied powers? Reading: “The Connecticut Compromise,” located at: www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/themes/

February 16: The Problems of Representation QD: What are the differences between House and Senate?  Who benefits from Congress and who does not?  Where does the real power lie in the House? In the Senate? Reading: “The End of Representation: How Congress Stifles Electoral Competition,” located at: http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-279.html

February 18: Problems of Representation, Continued; Getting to Congress QD: Is Congress truly a representative body?  Is there anything better? Reading: “Congressional Elections,” located at: http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/election04/congress.htm

February 20: Getting to  Congress, Continued QD: How are House districts created and drawn?  Why are there so many returning members every election year? Reading: pp. 191-214

February 23: Courting the Special Interests While Doing the People’s Work QD: What is the role of public opinion in politics?  Is it overused or underused?  Reading: pp. 221-244

February 25: Special Interests, Continued QD: Why does money seem to matter in elections and in major political decisions?   Reading: pp. 352-66

February 27: Congressional Leadership and Committees QD: Who pulls the strings to get things done in the House and Senate?  How can the Congress consider several thousand bills per session and manage to stay sane? Reading: “Tying It All Together,” located at: http://www.house.gov/house/Tying_it_all.html and “The Legislative Framework in the Senate,” located at: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/common/briefing/Senate_legislative_process.htm

March 2: Legal Sausage-Making—Part 2 of Semester Project is DUE!!! QD: How does a bill become a law?  Why is there gridlock on Capitol Hill?  What role does the President play in the policymaking or lawmaking process? Reading:  Study for Exam

March 4: EXAM #2—YIPPIE, HOORAY!! Reading: pp. 373-93

*The Executive Branch—Decision-Making Authority March 6: Article II—The Executive Branch QD: What are the basic powers and functions of the presidency? Reading: twiddle your thumbs tonight

March 16: Presidential Leadership Qualities What types of personalities work best in the Whitehouse, and which work worst? Reading: pp. 297-311

March 18: The Road to the Whitehouse QD: How are presidential candidates selected?  What issues are often involved in the early presidential campaigns?  Why are the nomination campaigns different from the general election campaigns? Reading: “The Electoral College (various links),” located at: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html

March 20: The General Election and the Electoral College QD: Why is there a two-part process in the selection of a president?  How does the Electoral College function?  What are its weaknesses and its strengths?  Why are some states seemingly more important in presidential campaigns than other states? Reading: pp. 507-522

March 23: The Presidency and Foreign Policy QD: What theories drive the president and his advisors when interacting with foreign powers? Which theory best can explain why President Bush has conducted the war in Iraq as he has? Reading: pp. 522-537; “The Monroe Doctrine,” located at: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=23&page=transcript; “The Roosevelt Corollary,” located at: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=56&page=transcript; “War Message,” located at: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/ww18.htm; “The Evil Empire,” located at: http://www.nationalcenter.org/ReaganEvilEmpire1983.html; and “September 20, 2001,” located at: http://www.tom-hanna.org/?page_id=1247

March 25: The Presidency and Applied Foreign Policy QD: What have been the major, driving reasons for American presidents taking the country into war?  Has America acquired an imperialistic agenda since its ascent to superpower status?  What role should America have in international institutions and agreements, such as NATO, the World Court, and the United Nations? Reading: pp. 405-27

March 27: The Presidency and Bureaucracy QD: What theories may explain why bureaucracies act the way they do?  Why does American bureaucracy seem unresponsive to the demands of the people?  Can anything be done to make bureaucracy more responsive? Reading: “Better Policy-Making,” located at: http://www.nationalschool.gov.uk/policyhub/docs/betterpolicymaking.pdf

March 30: Bureaucracy in Action QD: What are the major steps in the policy-making process?  How do government programs and projects come into being, and why are they so hard to kill?  Is the bureaucracy accountable to the people, the president, the Congress, the courts, or anyone?  Why are there loopholes in policy? Reading: “FDR’s Radio Address Revealing the Second Half of the New Deal, 1936,” located at: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=69&page=transcript

April 1: Bureaucracy in Action, Continued—Part 3 of Semester Project is DUE!!! QD: What is the legacy of the New Deal?  How did Roosevelt’s government projects produce the massive welfare state of today?  What can be done, if anything, to reduce the size of government and curtail waste and dependency?

April 3: EXAM #3—OH GOODIE!!! Reading: www.supremecourtus.gov/about/about.html (Please read the following: “A Brief Overview of the Supreme Court,” “The Court and Constitutional Interpretation,” “The Court as an Institution,” “The Court and Its Traditions,” “The Court and Its Procedures,” and “The Justices’ Caseload”); pp. 433-58; and Federalist Paper #78—pp. A-9 to A-11

*The Judicial Branch—Preserving the Constitution for Posterity April 6: Article III—The Judiciary QD: What are the major powers and functions of the US Federal Courts?    How are cases funneled through the judicial system?  What is the composition and function of the US Supreme Court?  How does the Supreme Court determine which cases it wishes to hear and which it will refuse? Reading: The Bill of Rights and other Constitutional Amendments, pp. 69-75

April 8: The Bill of Rights QD: Why is the Bill of Rights part of the US Constitution?  Why these 10 Amendments instead of others?  Reading: catch up on what you forgot to read last night

April 13: The Bill of Rights and the Other 17 Amendments QD: What sets the Bill of Rights apart from other amendments to the Constitution? Reading: “The Development of Substantive Due Process,” located at: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment14/03.html#2

April 15: The Fourteenth Amendment and Civil Liberties QD: Why do we study the 14th Amendment separately from the rest of the Constitution?  What is the doctrine of incorporation, and what is its impact on the original constitutional federal system? What can the states do to counter the powers of the federal government? Reading: pp. 147-86; Brown v. Board of Education located at: http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=87&page=transcript

April 17: Civil Rights QD: How has desegregation become normal for American public society?  Why was the Brown decision important?  Why was that decision right, and why was it also a deeply flawed legal argument? Reading: Roe v. Wade located at: http://www.tourolaw.edu/Patch/Roe/

April 20: Civil Rights, Continued Why has abortion become a federal issue?  What was the Roe decision’s impact on sexual freedom and subsequent abortion cases?  What are the consequences of removing ever larger areas of personal behavior from public regulation? Why do cases subsequent to Roe seemingly undermine all attempts at legitimately regulating various behaviours and thus the entire foundation of good government? Reading: pp. 109-140

April 22: Civil Liberties QD: How has freedom of speech developed?  Have the courts gone too far in protecting certain expressions?  How has the triumph of the individual’s right to self-expression undermined the necessity of (some minimal) conformity to social norms? Reading: Anything you want, within reason

April 24: Civil Liberties, Continued How have certain religions gained legitimacy in the US and not elsewhere?  Can we distinguish between belief and action in matters of religion, or is religious liberty a completely inviolable right? Reading: the Torah, the New Testament, the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita, etc.  (Just Kidding)….

April 27: Civil Liberties, Continued Even Further QD: How do the courts determine what is an impermissible establishment of religion?  Why do we have a constitutional prohibition of establishment in the first place?  Is there a tension between the right of free exercise and the prohibition of establishment, e.g., between Islamic or Catholic requirements that their religion be the official religion of the state if salvation for the world is to be attained and the government’s avowed secularity and refusal to grant special protections or privileges to any sect, denomination, or religion? Reading: the backs of your eyelids…

April 29: Civil Liberties, Continued Ad Nauseum—Part 4 of Semester Project is DUE!!! QD: See above

FINAL EXAM 6 May—HALLELUJAH!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Study Tips:

A.     Take extensive notes.  I suggest you write down as much as you possibly can from each lecture.  There should not ever be a time when you pen is not moving and your mind is not engaged.  Do this in a way that is consistent with your ability to understand the material.  Do not just write down snippets, and do not rely solely upon my online notes—they are not complete and not up to date.

B.     Attend to definitions and major concepts and anticipate applying them to specific cases or scenarios.

C.     Pay special attention to examples given in class.  These will probably crop up again on the exams in some form or another.  Think of other examples that may lead to similar conclusions or results.  Learn to apply the concepts addressed in the book and in the lectures.

D.     Read the book chapters and other readings assigned each day.  Mark key passages and take notes in the book or on the readings themselves.  This will help you retain information.

E.      Outline book chapters and the readings.  Pick out the key themes and ideas of each reading.

F.      Look at the overall picture. Do not focus too much on digesting independent details.  If you look at the larger picture, not the minutia, the details will be easier to remember when it comes time to apply them. 

G.     Remember that test material may come from both the lectures and the readings.  Some things will be covered in one that may not be covered in the other.  Do not assume that you can attend the lectures and not read or read and not attend the lectures. 

H.     Ask probing, thoughtful questions in class to serve to clarify or address other aspects of issues that may not be specifically pointed out in lectures or readings.  It is your job to pursue your education; it is my job to guide you in that pursuit.  When you do not pursue, you will not always find the answers you are looking for.   

 

Constitution Project

 

This is an ongoing project throughout the semester.  Various parts of it will be turned in on the assigned days given in the calendar above and in the descriptions of the parts below.  Enjoy the project, be creative, and be thoughtful.

 

Your basic task throughout the semester will be to construct a constitution for a new government that will be established after a successful revolution against a powerful oppressor government.  In other words, your task is the same as that of our Founding Fathers in 1787. 

 

Part 1: Write a preamble for your new constitution.  This seems like an easy task at first, but do not take it lightly. Consider what the preamble to our own national constitution accomplishes: it encapsulates the principles of liberal political theory that are the foundation of our American government, and it states the basic objectives of the new constitutional government that the rest of the document creates.  So…

1.      Decide what principles of government are important by answering the following:

a.       Where does the authority of your new government come from?

b.      On what is your government’s legitimacy based?

2.      Decide what are the basic goals of your government

a.       What have you been fighting against and what would you like to change?

b.      Summarize the basic powers and functions of your new government in a few short phrases—remember the preamble to the US Constitution is not very long, yet very powerfully stated

3.      Write your preamble.

4.      Submit your preamble proposals on Feb. 6; you may be asked to share your preamble for class discussion  or debate.

 

Part 2: Create your legislative branch.  Article I of the US Constitution creates the Congress as the lawmaking body of the national government.  For your new government, create a legislative body in whatever way you would like, provided that they are appropriate to your stated goals of your new government. Some key things to remember:

1.      Decide what functions the legislative body is to perform

a.       Will there be more to being a member of your legislative body than just lawmaking?

b.      How will those other functions you select be carried out?

2.      Decide how the members of the legislative body are to be chosen

a.       Who is eligible to serve in this body?

b.      Who sets the rules for selection?

c.       How long will members serve?

d.      What are the minimum qualifications for service in this body?

3.      Decide the  powers of the legislative body

a.       Determine whether powers should be broadly stated as in the US Constitution or highly detailed as in the Texas Constitution

b.      Decide what limits there should be, if any, to legislative powers

c.       Decide how the lawmaking process will look

4.      Write the first article of your constitution, taking steps 1-3 into consideration

5.      Submit your article one proposals on March 2; you may be asked to share your article one ideas for class discussion or debate.

 

Part 3: Create your executive branch.  Article II of the US Constitution creates the Presidency and implies the bureaucracy as the executive branch of the national government.  For your new government, create an executive office(s) that are appropriate to the stated goals of your new government.  Consider the following:

1.      Decide what kind of executive you will have (singular or plural)

2.      Decide how this executive will be chosen

a.       Who is eligible/what are the minimum qualifications for service?

b.      Who may participate in the selection process?

c.       How long will executive  terms last?

3.      Decide what are the basic roles of the executive in your new government?

a.       How much power do you wish to give the executive?

b.      Do you want to separate executive roles into various officers, or do you want them concentrated in one man or body?

c.       How will executive decisions be implemented? What government machinery, if any, will be necessary to get things done once decisions are made?

4.      Write the second article of your constitution, taking steps 1-3 into consideration.

5.      Submit your article two proposals on April 1; you may be asked to share your article two ideas for class discussion or debate

 

Part 4: Create your judicial branch.  Article III of the US Constitution creates the Supreme Court and allows Congress to establish all other lower courts.  You may choose to establish constitutionally any or all courts that you would like, appropriate to the goals of your new government.  Consider the following:

1.      Decide what the role or function of the judiciary is in your new government

a.       What powers will it have?

b.      Will you leave it up to the members of the higher courts to determine their own courses of action or will you limit them by the terms of your constitution

2.      Decide what the structure of the judiciary will look like

a.       Will there be only one court in all the land, or will there be several tiers of courts

b.      Will there be some courts with jurisdiction over specific areas and others over general areas of law?

3.      Decide how the members of the judiciary will be chosen.

a.       Who is eligible?

b.      What are the minimum qualifications, if any, for service?

c.       Who may participate in the selection process?

d.      How long will your judicial branch officers serve?

4.      Decide what basic rights the people will have in your new government and include them in your new constitution

5.      Write your third article for your new constitution, taking steps 1-4 into consideration.

6.      Submit your article three proposals on April 29; you may be asked to share your article three ideas for class discussion or debate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extra Credit: To obtain extra credit worth up to one higher letter grade on your final course average, you have the option of doing the following project, due December 5 (MWF)/December 4 (TTh), no exceptions.

 

 

1. Select any presidential speech from those listed on the following website, except Wilson’s “War Message,” Reagan’s “Evil Empire” and G. W. Bush’s “Sept. 20, 2001”: http://www.presidentialrhetoric.com/historicspeeches/index.html
2. Read the selected speech
3. Jot down ideas and thoughts you have about this speech, especially those relating to what we have discussed in class about the development of the national government
4. Write a 3-5 page, double-spaced, 12-point font paper explaining how this speech marked a milestone or major change in the American government.  What were the consequences of this speech?  What does this speech demonstrate about the growth or slacking off of presidential power?  What does it indicate about the president’s public approval rating?  What does it imply is within the scope of the national government’s power to govern?  How does the president see his own position in relation to the American people?
5. Please include page numbers and staple your pages together.  Do not forget to put your name on your work, or you will not receive credit.