Course Title: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT – Summer II

Course Prefix & Number: GOVT 2305

Section Number: 323

Semester: Summer 2017

Semester Credit Hours: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

Room #: Online

Course Description (NCTC Catalog):

Origin and development of the U.S. Constitution, structure and powers of the national government including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, federalism, political participation, the national election process, public policy, civil liberties and civil rights. 48 lecture hours.

Course Prerequisite(s): None

Required Materials:

We the People (ebook with Connect Plus Access Card) by Thomas E. Patterson, McGraw Hill, 11th edition, ISBN: 9781259563614

   ** Students can order a full color loose leaf book for an additional $15 directly from McGraw Hill when registering Connect Access

Name of Instructor:

Aubri E. Thurmond

Campus/Office Location:

Corinth 331

Virtual Office Hours:

Mondays & Thursdays 8:45 – 10:00am

E-mail Address:

athurmond@nctc.edu

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States.

Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system.

Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice.

Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.

Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties.

Analyze the election process.

Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics.

Research and compose an essay assignment/argument using proper grammar/English and basic computer skills.

# of Graded Course Elements

Graded Course Elements

Percentage or Point Values

17

CONNECT – Learnsmart Chapter Concept Mastery

255

14

Reading Quizzes

280

1

Supreme Court Case Analysis

100

5

Discussion Boards

125

6

Homework Assignments

140

3

Exams

300

Total = 1200

Grading Policy & Procedures

Students accumulating between 1200 and 1080 points will receive an                   A

Students accumulating between 1079 and 960 points will receive a                       B

Students accumulating between 959 and 840 points will receive a                         C

Students accumulating between 839 and 720 points will receive a                         D

Students accumulating or fewer than 719 points will receive an                             F

1. Late Policy: No assignments will be accepted late. No Canvas or Connect assignment will be re-opened. I will not re-open any assignments for any student for any reason. You must complete the assignments by the due dates stated in the course schedule. All assignments must be completed on time and will receive the grade of 0 if they are not completed by the due date.

1. Attendance: Because this course is facilitated online, I will not formally take attendance. However, students who are not consistently logging-in to Canvas and are not completing assignments, will be reported to the registrar as “not attending.

1. Email: I encourage you to contact me via the Canvas Inbox to get extra help on an assignment, to clarify materials covered in the lectures or readings, to discuss comments on work, or to discuss the course generally.         Please contact me using the Canvas Inbox. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours during the week and within 48 hour over the weekend.

1. Course Agreement Statement: You are required to read the syllabus and understand all assignments, due dates, requirements, course expectations, and the course grading system. After reading the syllabus you must complete the “Agreement Statement” found on Canvas. Mrs. Thurmond will not accept future course work from any student who has not submitted the course agreement statement. If you do not understand the syllabus, assignments, due dates, requirements, course expectations, course grading system – and are, consequently, unable to sign the statement – you must contact Mrs. Thurmond immediately. If you do not understand any aspect of the course requirements, etc. Mrs. Thurmond will be happy to explain them to you. Failure to sign the agreement statement, within the allotted time, will result in severe academic penalty.

1. Statement Regarding Lecture Material: Students may not, under any circumstances, release or make public the lecture materials provided in this course. Lecture materials are the LEGAL academic property of the instructor. Students who share, post, or make public the lecture materials in any way will face serious institutional consequences. Before you begin any work in the course, you must complete the Statement Regarding Lecture Material to demonstrate your understanding of and agreement to this policy.

1. A Note on Canvas Assignments:

It is imperative that you complete Canvas assignments during the time allotted in the syllabus. In other words, you must complete a Unit 1 assignment during the time allotted for Unit 1 assignments.   Failure to take a quiz, or complete an assignment, at the appropriate time will result in a 0. COMPUTER PROBLEMS, POWER FAILURES, etc. will not be considered viable excuses for not completing a Canvas assignment. Plan to complete your assignments at the earliest possible moment so that, should technical problems arise, you will have time to make other arrangements (come to a campus computer, etc.) to complete the assignment. What Should I do if I Encounter Technical Problems with a Canvas Assignment?     Should you encounter any difficulty in accessing a Canvas assignment do the following things:

a. Contact Mrs. Thurmond via the Canvas Inbox (or email, if Canvas is unavailable)

AND

b. Contact the Technology Service Desk (ph. 940-498-6288, etx. 6288)

Assignments

1. Exams: There will be three exams in this course (100 points each). Exams will assess your comprehension of all materials discussed in lectures and printed in the assigned readings. Students will get 1 attempt and will have 1 hour 20 minutes to complete each exam.         Exams Failure to take an exam will result in a 0.

1. Readings: You are required to do all reading listed in the course schedule. Quizzes – worth 20 points each – will be administered to assess your comprehension of the assigned reading. Each reading quiz has ten questions, worth two points each. You will have 15 minutes to complete each quiz and are allowed 2 attempts. Careful reading is essential to success in college government courses.

1. Supreme Court Case Analysis: Students will complete a research paper examining a U.S. Supreme Court case. Students will select a case from the list provided and answer the following questions in a formal essay: What are the facts/circumstances of the case? How did the lower courts decide? What were the arguments of both sides? What reasoning did the court use to come to a decision? What is the significance of the court’s decision? Your essay must be 3 pages in length. It must be doubled-spaced with 1-inch margins and you must use 12-point font. The essay will be submitted both in class and through Turnitin.         Please see syllabus for due dates. Further instructions are available on Canvas.

Assignments

1. Connect – Learnsmart: Students are required to have access to Connect – the McGraw Hill online learning tool for our textbook, We the People. Students are required to complete a content mastery activity (called Learnsmart) for all 17 chapters of our textbook. They are organized into 3 units. All Unit 1 LearnSmart assignments are due on or before July 20^th at 11:59pm. All Unit 2 LearnSmart assignments are due on or before July 31^st at 11:59pm. All Unit 3 LearnSmart assignments are due on or before August 10^th at 11:59pm. The due dates listed in the course schedule are simply a suggestion to help students stay on track.

1. Homework: Students are required to complete six homework assignments, worth 20 points each. See course schedule for due dates.

1. Discussion Boards: You are required to write five discussion board posts examining the topics covered in the lectures and your reading assignments. A series of questions will be provided to guide your discussion. Your post must be thoughtful and demonstrate that you are critically thinking about topics covered in the course, and they must be at least 10 sentences. After writing submitting your post, you must respond to the posts of two classmates. Always be respectful in your responses to others; disrespectful and derogatory language will not be tolerated.

Tentative Course Schedule

COURSE SCHEDULE

Unit 1

July 10                                  Welcome to Government 2305

Assigned Reading:     Syllabus

Assignments:              Sign & Submit Course Agreement Statement

                                   Statement Regarding Lecture Material

                                   Syllabus & Course Policy Quiz

July 11                       Module 1 - Roots & Context – Lecture 1                      

Assigned Reading:   We The People Chapter 1

Assignments:             Connect LearnSmart Ch.1

                                   Reading Quiz #1 – Chapter 1

                                   Homework – Locke & Jefferson

July 12                        Module 2 - The Constitution and Federalism – Lecture 2

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapters 2 & 3

Assignments:             Connect LearnSmart Ch. 2 & 3

                                   Reading Quiz#2 – Chapters 2 & 3

                                   Homework – Examining the Constitution

                                   Discussion Board #1

July14                        Module 3 - Civil Liberties – Lecture 3

Assigned Reading:     We the People Chapter 4; and Selection from Lewis

                                   “Freedom for the Thought that We Hate”

Assignments:             Connect LearnSmart Ch. 4

                                   Reading Quiz#3 – Chapter 4

                                       Discussion Board #2

July 16                         Module 4 - Civil Rights – Lecture 4

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 5

Assignments:           Connect LearnSmart Ch. 5

                                   Reading Quiz#4 – Chapter 5

July 18                         Module 5 - Congress – Lecture 5     

Assigned Reading:       We the People Chapter 11

Assignments:             Reading Quiz#5 – Chapter 11

                                    Connect LearnSmart Ch. 11

                                   Homework due – Who Represents Me?

July 20                       UNIT 1 EXAM

                                    All Unit 1 assignments are due tonight by 11:59pm

Unit 2                      

July 21                        Module 6 - The Presidency – Lecture 6

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 12; and Selection from

                                     Schlesinger’s “The Imperial Presidency”

Assignments:              Connect LearnSmart Ch. 12

                                  Reading Quiz#6 – Chapter 12

                                     Discussion Board #3

July 24                        Module 7 - The Judiciary – Lecture 7

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 14

Assignments:              Connect LearnSmart Ch. 14

                                   Reading Quiz #7 – Chapter 14

July 26                        Module 8 – The Federal Bureaucracy – Lecture 8

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 13

Assignments:              Connect LearnSmart Ch. 13

                                     Reading Quiz #8 – Chapter 13

                                     Homework – The Bureaucracy

                                     FDR Documentary Extra Credit

July 28                    Module 9 - Parties & Public Opinion – Lecture 9

Assigned Reading:   We The People Chapters 6 & 8 through p. 258

Assignments:             Connect LearnSmart Ch. 6 & 8

                                 Reading Quiz#9 – Chapters 6 & 8

July 31                       UNIT 2 EXAM

                                   Supreme Court Case Analysis due by 11:59pm

                                  All Unit 2 assignments are due tonight by 11:59pm

Unit 3

August 1                   Module 10 - News Media and Interest Groups – Lecture 10

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapters 9 & 10

Assignments:              Connect LearnSmart Ch. 9 & 10

                                    Reading Quiz #10 – Chapters 9 &10

                                   Homework – Media & Interests Groups

August 3                     Module 11 - Elections, Voting, and Campaigns – Lecture 11

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 7

Assignments:            Connect LearnSmart Ch. 7

                                   Reading Quiz #11 – Chapter 7

                                   Discussion Board #4

August 4                       Module 12 - Domestic Policy – Lecture 12

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 16

Assignments:              Connect LearnSmart Ch. 16

                                   Reading Quiz #12 – Chapter 16

August 5                   Module 13 - Economic Policy – Lecture 13

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 15

Assignments:              Reading Quiz #13 – Chapter 15

                                   Connect LearnSmart Ch. 15

                                     Discussion Board #5

August 7                     Module 14 - Foreign Policy – Lecture 14

Assigned Reading:     We The People Chapter 17

Assignments:            Connect LearnSmart Ch. 17

                                   Reading Quiz #14

                                  Homework – Truman Doctrine & Recent American

                                 Intervention

August 10                  UNIT 3 EXAM

                                  All Unit 3 assignments are due tonight by 11:59pm          

Other Pertinent Information

v Academic Dishonesty will not be tolerated in this course.  You are not to give any person (which includes parents, spouses, friends, etc) access to your Canvas account at any time during the semester.  If you do, you are putting the integrity of the course work completed in question.  Do not ask someone to email me on your behalf in Canvas.  If you have an emergency and cannot contact me yourself, it is best to have an alternative person contact me via my NCTC email address: athurmond@nctc.edu.  Again, do not give anyone access to your Canvas account.

Academic dishonesty in ANY form will NOT be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, using incorrect citations; not citing paraphrases; using unauthorized sources; working together when not permitted; falsifying assignments; and turning in or copying the work of someone else. Students who engage in academic dishonesty on any course material (exams, assignment, post tests) will immediately fail the course and academic dishonesty papers will be filed with the Dean and VP of Instruction.

v Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is August 2^nd ­­­­.

v Classroom Decorum: Many different experiences, opinions, and beliefs will be represented in our class and sensitive and divisive topics will be discussed. Therefore, this course will be an exercise in civil discourse. Students will disagree; however, students must be respectful and kind to one another at all times or he/she will be removed from the class.

v Familiarizing Yourself with Canvas: It is imperative that, before class begins, you familiarize yourself with the various folders and assignments available on the course Canvas site. In addition to hosting many assignments in this course, Canvas also contains the course grade book, faculty contact information, and other helpful tools.   I use Canvas to post important announcements, course documents and to send periodic communications to the class. I will only use the Canvas Inbox to communicate with students, so be sure that this function is working properly. It is your responsibility to check Canvas and your e-mail account regularly.

Disability Services (OSD)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. A disability is anything that can interfere with learning, such as a learning disability, psychological challenge, physical illness or injury. Accommodations may include extra time on tests, tests in a distraction reduced environment, volunteer note taker in class, etc.

On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 in the Administration (100) Building or call 940-668-4209.   Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209 to arrange for an intake appointment with OSD.

North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112).

http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices.aspx  

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook. http://nctc.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2014-2015/Catalog/North-Central-Texas-College-Student-Handbook

Support Services

Counseling and Testing staff offer a variety of services to current and prospective students, such as College 101, placement testing, academic advising and course registration, transfer assistance, and College Success seminars (Time Management, Study Skills, Test Anxiety, Choosing a Major, Learning Style Strategies, Career Exploration), and much more.  http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/CounselingTesting.aspx

 Student Success offers academic coaching, tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, free 24/7 online tutoring through Grade Results and assist new students acclimate to college by providing computer lab services for prospective students.   First generation students can also participate in TRIO which offers specialized support services.

http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices.aspx

Financial Aid offers financial resources for students that qualify, visit the financial aid offices for more information.  http://www.nctc.edu/FInancialAidHome.aspx

EEOC Statement

North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability in the employment or the provision of services.

Name of Chair/Coordinator:

Donna Hooper

Office Location:

Corinth 209

Telephone Number:

940-498-6266

E-mail Address:

dhooper@nctc.edu

Name of Instructional Dean:

Dr. Larry Gilbert

Office Location:

Corinth 305

Telephone Number:

940-498-6216

E-mail Address:

lgilbert@nctc.edu