Course Syllabus
Texas State Government 2306—Spring Semester 2009, MW McLennan Community College
Instructor: Kevin T. Holton. M.A.
Office: LA 117A
Office Hours: TTh 9:30-12:00, or by appointment
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: Lyle C. Brown, et. al., Practicing Texas Politics. 13th ed. (Haughton Mifflin, 2008) 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 listed below are clickable from the course website's copy of this syllabus.
Course Objective: To provide students with a general knowledge of the history, theory, and function of the government of the state of Texas; to familiarize them with the political process on the state level: and to educate them in becoming more active and productive citizens.
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, some from the fourth unit, and several from the information contained in 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 assignment described in detail 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 msweatt(@mclennan.edu.
*****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 \veb 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 EDITION OF PRACTICING TEXAS POLIITICS, 13™ EDITION.
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 12 January is for class use/discussion on the 14th. Read the material before coming to class.
UNIT #1— January 12/14: Chapter 1—The Environment of Texas Politics
--January 21/26/28: Chapters 2 and 3—The Texas Constitution and Local Governments
— February 2/4: Chapter 4—Political Parties
--February 9/11: Chapter 5—Voting and Elections
–February 16: Chapter 6—Interest Groups
** See also '"Political Partiees" and "Voting. Campaigns, and Elections." and "Interest Groups" at http ://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu
EXAM #1—Wednesday, 18 February
UNIT #2—
February 23/25/March 2: Chapter 7—The Legislature
--March 4/16/18: Chapter 8—The Executive
--March
23/25: Chapter 9—Public
Policy and Administration
25 March—Part 1 of Semester Activity Due
**See also "The Legislative Branch/' "The Executive Branch". "The Bureaucracy" at http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu
EXAM #2— Monday, 30 March
UNIT #3—April 1/6/8/13/15: Chapter 10—Laws, Courts, and Justice
**See also "Justice System" at http://texaspolitics.laits.utexas.edu
EXAM #3— Monday, 20 April; Part 2 of Semester Due
UNIT #4—April 22/27/29: Chapter 11—Finance and Fiscal Policy
29 April—Part 3 of Semester Activity
Due
***FINAL EXAM—TBA, first week in May
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.
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 specificallly 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.
Semester Activity:
This will require a bit of research and exploration on your own, outside the classroom. Please notice that there are several due dates throughout the semester as we move toward finalizing the project. As you will discover, the state government is responsible for a number of highly important areas of public policy. Pick one of the following to pursue throughout the semester and follow the steps below:
A. Public Education—Primary and/or Secondary
B. Criminal Justice—Crime Prevention, Prosecution, and Punishment
C. Public Healthcare—Insurance Coverage, Access, and Costs
D. Transportation—Roadways, Public Transportation, etc.
Part 1: Find a piece of pending legislation in the current session of the state legislature (81st session, convenes 13 Jan 2009) on your selected topic. These topics are broad enough that there should be several hundred bills to select from on any of them. Make your selection of your bill according to what interests you. Be aware that not every bill will go through every step in the legislative process and that some will not even make it to the committee for a hearing. This is not a problem for your project, but it would be preferable that you find a bill that has a chance of going through at least most of the stages toward passage, so as to have some more information to go on, such as committee reports, etc.
Bills in the state legislature can be accessed at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us
Read about your topic in newspapers such as the Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, San Antonio Express, Waco Tribune-Herald, etc., and/or online or in other pertinent, recent printed sources. In other words, do a little background investigation into why this topic is important enough for a legislator to want to address it, etc.
Summarize your bill, its history, its legislative sponsors/authors, and its current status at the time Part 1 is due. Submit your 3-4 page summary and a copy of your bill to me on March 25.
Part 2: Explore the possible means of enforcement if your bill becomes law. Does the bill have the support of the governor? How much will it likely cost (economically, philosophically, morally) to implement? Which agency/agencies will implement it? Who will benefit from this bill and who will lose from it? What are the intended consequences of enforcement, from the lawmakers’ and executive’s point of view? What are the likely consequences of enforcement, from your point of view?
Summarize your answers to these or similar questions. Submit your 3-4 page summary to me on 20 April
Part 3: Read the relevant sections of the state constitution (available online at http://www.constitution.legis.state.tx.us) and national constitution (available online at http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html ) and determine, in your opinion, whether the bill you have researched will withstand judicial scrutiny if it is challenged in a court of law. Why will it, or why will it not?
Summarize your position, indicating the relevant texts of the state and national constitutions that you are using to justify your point of view. Submit your 2-3 page summary on 29 April.
Extra Credit: Optional extra credit assignment will not count against you if you fail to complete it. However, it is beneficial for you to complete the extra credit assignment, as it may result in up to one higher letter grade on your final average.
Attend a city council meeting in your hometown or a neighboring town. Most cities have websites that post their meeting dates, times, and places; if no such site is available, you may call your city hall to inquire as to meeting times, etc.
Locate a copy of the council’s agenda and be sure to include it with your paperwork that you will turn in to me.
Observe what the arguments, debates, and decisions are about, and who testifies for/against particular measures or wishes to bring certain items to the attention of the council.
Write a 4-5 page summary of the council’s proceedings, indicating the following:
--meeting date, time, place
--key agenda items addressed
--key testimony brought by citizens and/or special interest groups
--what, if any, resolutions were adopted or ordinances passed
--what business was reserved for the next meeting
--any other relevant information you believe is necessary
EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE DUE ONE WEEK BEFORE THE FINAL EXAM!!!! NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED!!!