GOVT 2305 390 - FEDERAL GOVERNMENT-HYBRID

Introduction

Syllabus GOVT2305.390 Spring 2018

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title:

American National Government – Monday Nights/Hybrid

Course Prefix & Number:

GOVT2305

Section Number:  

390

Semester:

Spring2018

Semester Credit Hours:

3

Lecture Hours:

3

Lab Hours:

0

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.   

Course Prerequisite(s): None

Required or Recommended Course Materials:

Patterson, Thomas E.  We the People. 12th edition. McGraw Hill. (E-book with Connect Plus Access)

ISBN 9781260200607

** Students can order a full color loose leaf book for an additional $25 directly from McGraw Hill when registering Connect Access

 

 
             

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:

Aubri E. Thurmond

Campus/Office Location:

Corinth 201

Telephone Number:

 

E-mail Address:

athurmond@nctc.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

5:00 – 6:30 pm

 

 

 

 

7:50 – 8:20 pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog

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 an understanding of our 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 in the political system.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements

Graded Course Elements

Percentage or Point Values

6

Discussion Boards

150

17

CONNECT – Learnsmart Chapter Concept Mastery

255

13

Reading Quizzes

260

1

Supreme Court Case Analysis

100

1

Media Worksheet

50

5

Homework Assignments

100

3

Exams

400

 

 

Total = 1315

 

Students accumulating between 1315 and 1184 points will receive an                   A

Students accumulating between 1183 and 1052 points will receive a                    B

Students accumulating between 1051 and 921 points will receive a                      C

Students accumulating between 920 and 789 points will receive a                       D

Students accumulating or fewer than 788 points will receive an                             F

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)

Course Policy & Procedures

 Late Policy: No assignments will be accepted late. No Canvas or Connect assignment will be re-opened. All assignments must be completed on time and will receive the grade of 0 if they are not completed by the due date.

 

Attendance: Student attendance will be recorded in each class meeting. Students are expected to attend class, to be on time, and to stay for the duration of our class meeting. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get notes from one of your peers and to ask the instructor about assignments, handouts, etc. There are NO MAKE UP QUIZZES OR EXAMS. There are no excused or unexcused absences in this course; students are either present or absent. If a student has perfect attendance (and is punctual and does not leave early), he or she will be awarded 10 extra credit points at the end of the semester.

 

Technology Requirements: Students are required to have weekly access to an internet-enabled computer (not a phone, not a tablet – an actual computer).         There are computers available in the lab on campus, if needed. Students are also required to have Microsoft Word and Adobe Reader programs.  

 

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 by January 29th. 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.

 

Course Pre-Test and Post-Test: To measure student learning outcomes, students must complete both a pre-test and a post-test for this class. These are REQUIRED assignments and students must complete them within the given time frame. As an incentive, Mrs. Thurmond will give 5 extra credit points to students who complete the pre-test by January 29th at 11:59pm. The post-test will be available after our last class meeting on April 30th and an additional 5 extra credit points will be given to students who complete the post test by May 7th at 11:59pm. Both the pre-test and post-test can be found on CONNECT.

 

Recording Lectures: You are permitted to record lectures using only audio recording devices. However, if you intend on recording my lectures, you must first complete and turn in the recording contract found on Canvas. You do not have permission to record my lectures, unless you complete the recording contract.

Additionally, students are not permitted to take pictures of the instructor’s power point presentations without my explicit permission. All lecture material is considered my academic property and you may not replicate it without my permission. Students who do so will be removed from the classroom.

 

 

 

Assignments

 

Exams: There will be two exams in this course (100 points each) and a Final exam (200 points). Exams will assess your comprehension of all materials discussed in lectures and printed in the assigned readings. Exams #1 and #2 will only be offered online in Canvas during the dates and times listed in the syllabus. Students will have 1 hour to complete the exams on Canvas. The Final exam is comprehensive and will only be offered in-class on the date listed in the syllabus. Failure to take an exam will result in a 0.

 

Readings: You are required to do all reading listed in the course schedule. Quizzes – worth 20 points each – will be completed online prior to class to assess your comprehension of the assigned reading. Careful reading is essential to success in college government courses.

 

Media Worksheet: You will be required to engage with news media throughout the semester by completing 1 media worksheets. You will find two news articles from two different news outlets (NBC, CNN, ABC, BBC, NY Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, etc.) reporting on the same event or story. The articles must be recent; they must be dated within the time frame of this semester (Jan 16 – May 7). The news outlets must be legitimate and either national or international in scope, meaning the news sources cannot be op-ed pieces, local news, or satirical. Using Lecture 11 material, you will then answer the questions on the media worksheet regarding the articles you’ve chosen. Your answers must be typed and you must print and attach copies of the articles to your worksheet.         I will not accept any worksheets without articles attached. I will not accept web links to articles or worksheets by email.

 

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 at least 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 Vericite.         Please see syllabus for due dates. Further instructions are available on Canvas.

 

 

Assignments

 

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 March 5th at 11:59pm. All Unit 2 LearnSmart assignments are due on or before April 16th at 11:59pm. All Unit 3 LearnSmart assignments are due on or before May 7th at 11:59pm. The due dates listed in the course schedule are simply a suggestion to help students stay on track.

 

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

 

Discussion Boards: You are required to write six 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 and 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.

 

Participation: Students are expected to be fully engaged in class; to take notes; to ask questions; and to participate in class discussions.         Do not brush your hair, paint your nails, or put on make up during class. Do not eat a hot meal during class. Do not chat with your neighbor during class. Do not sleep during class. Do not study for other courses during class. All cell phones and other mobile devices must be turned off and put away.

 

Students are asked to remain seated throughout the entire class; please leave only in cases of emergency.   If you anticipate needing to leave before the end of class, speak with Mrs. Thurmond before the beginning of class and sit near an exit. Perennially leaving class may result in severe academic penalty. Students are not permitted to leave class during the administration of in-class examinations. Students who engage in disruptive and/or inattentive behavior will lose participation points and possibly be asked to leave the classroom.

 

 

 

 

 

Other Important Information:

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered. All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor. It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgment by the faculty member. Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence. Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work. Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor. A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam. Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.  Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is ______April 5_________.

 

  • 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 classroom.

 

  • Laptop Computer Policy: Tablets are NOT permitted in this class under any circumstances. However, proper laptop computers are allowed for student use in the classroom. Using laptops in class is a privilege. Any student who is found using their laptop in class for unrelated activities will no longer be permitted to use their laptop in class.

 

  • 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 (Office for Students with Disabilities)

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc. Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

For support, please contact the counselors at (940) 498-6207 or (940) 668-4321. Alternatively, students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion. Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty. See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”.

 

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 paraphrased material; 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.

 

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)_______  

 

o        Communication

o        Mathematics                       

o        Life and Physical Science

o        Language, Philosophy & Culture

o        Creative Arts

 

X         Government/Political Science

o        Social and Behavioral Sciences

o        Component Area Option

o        American History


 

REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES (For classes in the Core)

 

X               Critical Thinking

o             Communication

o             Empirical and Quantitative

 

o             Teamwork

X                Personal Responsibility

X                Social Responsibility

 

COURSE TYPE

o             Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)

X          Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

o        WECM Course

 

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

Name of Chair/Coordinator:

Crystal R.M. Wright

Office Location:

Gainesville Campus, Room 824

Telephone Number:

940-668-7731, ext. 4320

E-mail Address:

cwright@nctc.edu

Name of Instructional Dean:

Dr. Bruce King

Office Location:

Gainesville Campus, 100 Bldg

Telephone Number:

940-668-4267

E-mail Address:

bking@nctc.edu

Tentative Course Schedule

 

COURSE SCHEDULE

 

 

January 22                 Welcome to Government 2305

Assigned Reading:     Syllabus

Assignments:              Sign & Submit Course Agreement Statement

  

        

         To Do for next week: Course Pre-Test

                                            Read We The People Chapter 1

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch.1

                                               Reading Quiz #1 – Chapter 1

                          

 

January 29                  Roots & Context – Lecture 1                        

Assigned Reading:   We The People Chapter 1

Assignments:            Sign & Submit Course Agreement Statement          

                                  

           To Do for next week: Homework – Locke & Jefferson

                                               Read We The People Chapters 2 & 3

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 2 & 3

                                             Reading Quiz#2 – Chapters 2 & 3

                                   

February 5               The Constitution and The Federal System – Lecture 2

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapters 2 & 3

Assignments:             Homework – Locke & Jefferson Due Today

 

         To Do for Next Week: Homework – Examining the Constitution

                                              Discussion Board #1

                                                 Read We the People Chapter 4

                                                 Connect LearnSmart Ch. 4

                                             Reading Quiz #3 – Chapter 4

                                                                          

                                                                                                      

February 12               Civil Liberties – Lecture 3

Assigned Reading:     We the People Chapter 4

Assignments:              Homework – Examining the Constitution Due Today

 

           To Do for Next Week: Read Selection from Lewis “Freedom for

                                                   the Thought that We Hate”

                                               Discussion Board #2

                                               Read We The People Chapter 5

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 5

                                            Reading Quiz #4 – Chapter 5

                                              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 19                 Civil Rights – Lecture 4

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 5

 

        

           To Do for Next Week: Discussion Board #3

                                                 Read We the People Chapter 11

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 11

                                               Reading Quiz #5 – Chapter 11

 

 

February 26                Congress – Lecture 5 

Assigned Reading:       We the People Chapter 11

 

           To Do for Next Week: Homework – Who Represents Me?

                                               Read We The People Chapter 12

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 12

                                             Reading Quiz #6 – Chapter 12

 

UNIT 1 EXAM DUE ON MARCH 5TH – To be completed on Canvas

 

 

March 5                      The Presidency – Lecture 6

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 12

Assignments:              Homework – Who Represents Me? Due Today

                                     UNIT 1 EXAM

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

 

 

           To Do for Next Week: Read selection from The Imperial Presidency

                                                       By Arthur Schlesinger

                                                 Discussion Board #4  

                                                 Read We The People Chapter 14                    

                                                Connect LearnSmart Ch. 14

                                                 Reading Quiz #7 – Chapter 14

 

March 19                    The Judiciary – Lecture 7

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 14         

 

           To Do for Next Week: Discussion Board #5

                                               Read We The People Chapter 13

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 13

                                               Reading Quiz #8 – Chapter 13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 26                    The Executive Branch and Federal

                                     Bureaucracy – Lecture 8

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 13

 

       To Do for Next Week: Homework – Bureaucracy

                                               Read We The People Chapters 6 & 8 through p. 237   

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 6

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 8

                                               Reading Quiz#9 – Chapters 6 & assigned section

                                                   of Chapter 8

 

 

April 2                                 Public Opinion and Socialization; and

                                   Political Parties – Lecture 9

Assigned Reading:   We The People Chapters 6 & 8 through p. 237

Assignments:             Homework – Bureaucracy Due Today

 

         To Do for Next Week:

                                               Read We The People Chapter 7 and

                                                   We The People Chapter 8 –     Section “Candidate

                                                   Centered Campaign” on pg. 237 through end

                                                   of chapter

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 7                                      

                                               Reading Quiz #10 – Chapter 7 & assigned sections

                                                   of Chapter 8

                                  

 

April 9                        Elections; Voting, and the Campaign Process – Lecture 10

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 7 and

                                   We The People Chapter 8 –   Section “Candidate Centered

                                   Campaign” on pg. 258 through end of chapter

          

         To Do for Next Week: Homework – Two Party System (Connect)

                                               Homework – Electoral College (Connect)

                                                Read We The People Chapters 9 & 10

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 9 & 10

                                               Reading Quiz #11 – Chapters 9 &10                          

 

 

UNIT 2 EXAM DUE ON APRIL 16TH – To be completed on Canvas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 16                      News Media and Interest Groups – Lecture 11

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapters 9 & 10

Assignments:             UNIT 2 EXAM

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

                                     Homework – Two Party System Due Today

                                    Homework – Electoral College Due Today

 

           To Do for Next Week: Media Worksheet

                                             Read We The People Chapters 15 and 16

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 15

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 16

                                            Reading Quiz #12 – Chapters 15 & 16

                                                                              

                                                                                                                

April 23                        Domestic & Economic Policy – Lecture 12                                  

Assigned Reading:   We The People Chapter 15

                                   We The People Chapter 16

Assignments:           Media Worksheet Due Today

 

       To Do for Next Week: Discussion Board #6

                                               Read We The People Chapter 17

                                               Connect LearnSmart Ch. 17

                                               Reading Quiz #13 – Chapter 17

                                              

 

April 30                       Foreign Policy – Lecture 13

Assigned Reading:       We The People Chapter 17

Assignment:                  Supreme Court Case Analysis Due Today                          

                              

             To Do for Next Week: Course Post-Test

              

 

May 7                         Final Exam (in-class)

                                  All unit 3 LearnSmarts are due tonight by 11:59pm

                                   Post-Test Due tonight by 11:59pm

 

 

 

 

 

Syllabus File(s)

There are no Handouts for this set.