Political
Science 100
Instructor: Dr.
Naji J. Dahi
Office: Social Sciences 1425-02
Phone: (714) 992-7524
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/ndahi
Office Hours: M-W: 9:45-10:30
T-TH: 1:20-3:00
Time and room: MW 12:00-1:20, Room 521
I. Text:
Thomas Dye. Politics in
II. Course Objectives:
This
course is intended to introduce students to the national institutions and
political processes of American government and to a lesser extent
·
To assess
critically the meaning and limitations of American democracy.
·
To critically
understand the Constitutions of the
·
To critically
evaluate the institutions (Congress, the Presidency, bureaucracy, judiciary)
that make up the American political system and how the interaction between
these institutions shapes public policy.
·
To compare and
contrast the models of elitism and pluralism and hyper-pluralism.
·
To critically
examine and analyze the political culture of the
·
To evaluate
the role of the mass media in the political and electoral process.
·
To evaluate
the role of public opinion, interest groups and political parties in American
democracy
·
To appreciate
the differences of
III. Evaluation & Grading:
A. Examinations: 75 points of
your final grade will be based on four exams.
All exams are made up of multiple choice
questions and/or short answer
and essay questions. The exams will
test your abilities in two ways:
·
The
multiple-choice questions will test your factual
and analytical knowledge.
·
The short
answer/essay questions will test your analytical
knowledge as well as your writing
skills.
The exam dates are listed in the class schedule section
below. Each of the first two exams will count as 15 points towards your final grade. The
third exam will count as 20 points towards your final grade. The
final exam will count as 30 points
towards your final grade.
B. Activity Paper:
As the
heading suggests this is an activity paper and not a
term paper. It requires analytical thinking on you part. The paper will be
short and will be based on a topic that I choose. The paper assignment is
posted on my web site at www.geocities.com/ndahi.
It is your responsibility to print the paper assignment from the website.
The paper will count as 10 points towards your final grade. The due date of the paper
is listed in the class schedule below.
C. Participation
& Attendance (10 points):
This portion of the grade is based on your attendance and participation. Due
to the size of this class attendance will not be taken regularly. However, a
roll call will be taken occasionally based on my discretion. These attendance
points will add valuable points to your final grade. As such absences will
reduce your class participation grade and your final grade.
D. Classroom Rules:
The following classroom rules must be obeyed at all times:
Failure to obey any or all of these rules will result in being asked to leave the class for one or two class sessions.
E. Make-up Exams: No makeup exams
will be administered. If you miss an exam, consult with your professor for
available options.
F. Extra Credit: There are no extra
credit assignments in this course. However, the instructor reserves the
right to assign extra credit should a valid topic arise.
G. Exam Review
Sheets: Each exam has a review
sheet. The review sheets are meant to guide you in your study for the exam. The
review sheets are posted at the following web site: http://www.geocities.com/ndahi It is your responsibility to print the review sheets from the
website.
H. Grade
Breakdown: As a general rule
there is no curve in this class.
Grade breakdown is as follows: 90-100 A; 80-89 B; 70-79 C; 60-69 D; 0-59 F.
However, the instructor reserves the right to use a curve should the class average
drop below a "certain" level.
IV. Tips for Success
A.
Reading Assignments:
You should complete reading assignments prior to attending the relevant
lecture. Use the syllabus as a guide. Completing readings prior to lecture will
enormously aid your understanding of the material being discussed. If you are
not able to complete reading assignments before the class, then do the readings
after the class. Use the lecture as a guide for reading and highlighting what
is important in the book.
B.
Notetaking: It is important to take accurate and complete notes while
attending lectures. Taking notes is a skill that you must learn for success in
College and in any future career. As such bringing tape recorders to class with
the intention of taping lectures without my oral or written consent is strictly prohibited. For
students needing special accommodations please see me at the beginning of the
semester.
C.
Communicating with the Instructor: If you have questions about the subject matter of this
class or your progress in the class you should not hesitate to raise your
concerns after the class is dismissed. The instructor is willing to stay after
the class to discuss student problems.
D. Academic Honesty:
Students caught cheating on a test will fail both the test and the
course. Books, notes, and dictionaries are not to be used for test. If you have
any questions on the meaning of words during an exam do not hesitate to ask.
A. Critical Thinking Approach: This
professor utilizes the Critical Approach to the study of American
politics. In that vein, research, data, and information will be presented in
the classroom that challenges what a
majority of students have acquired about politics and government while
in high school. The information and data presented is sourced and it is
replicable by any student who will take the time to do the necessary research.
While this approach to teaching government and politics is welcomed and appreciated by an overwhelming majority of my students, there are a few students that do not enjoy such an approach to teaching. Professors who use this approach report that these few tend to have very rigid belief systems and have difficulty critically assessing that belief system. They refuse to go through the process of self-evaluation and self-criticism. They fear that critical thinking and research might undermine their firmly held beliefs; any data/information that challenges their political and social views is ipso facto seditious and is labeled “unpatriotic.” These few almost always confuse criticizing government with lack of patriotism; they confuse love of government and its institutions for love of country. This is of course false. Love of country does not mean love of government. As Republican President Theodore Roosevelt observed:
“Patriotism
means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or
any other public official. It is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether
about the president or anyone else. That we are to stand by the president,
right or wrong is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public.”
Therefore, be prepared to be
flexible in this classroom and do not make false assumptions about the
patriotism of others who enjoy thinking critically about government and
politics.
B. Structure of Classroom Sessions: Classes
that meet twice per week during the Fall and Spring
semesters are sometimes made up of two parts: the lecture and a story
about a salient issue taken from a newspaper/magazine/Internet source. These
stories are intended to stimulate critical thinking on the part of the
student. Students are only tested on the lecture notes and the book used
in this course. These stories are simply a tool to further enhance the ability
of students to question their perception of reality as it is presented to them
by television news.
C. Your
Ideology and Mine: Your beliefs and values about politics and society
have absolutely no impact on your grade. Your grade is based on the
exams, participation, and a paper. Do not assume that agreeing with the
instructor’s ideology will enhance your grade and do not assume that
disagreeing with the instructor’s ideology will hurt your grade. Basically,
there is no relationship between your beliefs and values and your grade.
V. Class Schedule
|
DATE |
|
CLASS ACTIVITIES |
|
M
JAN 12 W
JAN 14 |
Dye, Chap 1 & Pluralist theory from
chap 9 |
Basic
Concepts: Politics, Government, Power, Democracy, Legitimacy, Authority,
Public Goods |
|
W JAN 21 M JAN 26 |
Dye, Chap 3 & Electoral College |
Historical Context; Constitutional
Convention and Contents |
|
W JAN 28 M FEB 2 |
Dye,
Chap 4 |
Forms
of Government; States v. Federal Government; The role of Grants in
Federalism |
|
FIRST IN CLASS
CLOSED BOOK EXAM ON WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 4 |
||
|
M
FEB 9 W
FEB 11 |
Dye, Chap 2 & 5 |
Political
Culture and Political Socialization |
|
W FEB 18 M FEB 23 W FEB 25 |
Same
as above |
Public Opinion and Political
Ideologies; Similarities and Differences in American Policy Preferences; The
Vanishing Electorate; Who Votes? |
|
M
MAR 2 W
MAR 4 |
Dye, Chap 6 |
Role of Media in Politics; Bias in
the Media; Government Regulation |
SECOND IN CLASS CLOSED BOOK EXAM ON MONDAY, MARCH 9 |
||
|
W
MAR 11 M
MAR 16 |
Dye, Chap 8 |
Money and Elections; Campaign Finance
Rules; Deciding an Election |
|
W
MAR 18 M
MAR 23 |
Dye, Chap 7 |
Definition; The Two-Party System;
Party Weakness; Party Decline |
|
W MAR 25 M MAR 30 |
Dye, Chap 9 |
Increase of Interest Groups; Types of
Groups; Role of Interest Groups |
|
THIRD IN CLASS CLOSED BOOK EXAM ON
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 |
||
|
M APR 13 W APR 15 M APR 20 |
Dye, Chap 10 |
Foundations of Congress; Who are
Congress Members?; How Congress Works; The Process of Making a Law |
|
W
APR 22 M
APR 27 W
APR 29 M
MAY 4 |
Dye, Chap 11 |
Founding and Growth of the
Presidency; The Presidency and Foreign Policy; Job and Staff of the
President; Presidential Success |
ACTIVITY PAPER ASSIGNMENT DUE ON
WEDNESDAY MAY 4
|
||
|
W MAY 6 M MAY 11 |
Dye, Chap 13 & selections from 14,
& 15 |
Judiciary in the Constitution;
Judicial Review; Eras in the Supreme Court; Federal Court System; Judicial Activism
and Restraint |
|
FINAL EXAM
IS ON: Wednesday May 20, 11:00-12:50 PM |
||