Syllabus

GOVT 2305 0103 - FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Introduction

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Title:	Federal Government
Course Prefix & Number:		GOVT2305	Section Number:	103	Sem/Year:	Spring 2020
Semester Credit Hours:		3	Lecture Hours:	48	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 Course Materials: Patterson, Thomas E. We the People: An Introduction to American Government. 13^th edition. McGraw Hill. (E-book with Connect Plus Access) ISBN 978-1259912405

COURSE TIMES/LOCATION: Gainesville (GNV) Campus / Room 811

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
	11:00 AM – 12:20 PM		11:00 AM – 12:20 PM

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Paul Coraccio
Campus/Office Location:	Online (via email) or at Gainesville by appointment
Telephone Number:	940-280-1923
E-mail Address:	Please use the CANVAS email system

INSTRUCTOR OFFICE HOURS*

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
	12:20 – 1:20 PM		12:20 – 1:20 PM
*Office hours for this course signify the times that the Instructor is available on campus; however, meetings can be scheduled outside of these times and through official school email/online.

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

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
LO-1.	Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States.
LO-2.	Demonstrate an understanding of our federal system.
LO-3.	Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice.
LO-4.	Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.
LO-5.	Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system.
LO-6.	Analyze the election process.
LO-7.	Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
LO-8.	Analyze issues and policies in U.S. Politics.
LO-9.	Research and compose an essay assignment/argument using proper grammar/English and basic computer skills.

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Point Values	Total Point Values
	McGraw-Hill ‘Connect’ Assignments/Readings:		0
17	Smartbook® (CONNECT) – 1 per chapter	15 pts ea.	255
17	Chapter Post Tests (Quizzes) (CONNECT) – 1 per chapter	5 pts ea.	85
5	Chapter Modules (CONNECT) – varies per chapter	5 pts ea.	25
15	Weekly Class Assignments – There will be roughly a class assignment per chapter/lesson; these are a mixture of written papers, projects, worksheets, etc.	15 pts ea.	225
4	Unit Exams - Any discussions, debates, or issues presented “in class” may be included in an exam.	50 pts ea.	200
1	Writing Assignment – There will be one properly cited and formatted research paper demonstrating critical thinking on a course-relevant topic.	70 pts	70
6	Writing Assignment Components – The research paper is broken down into sub-parts (mini-assignments) due at various weeks prior to the final paper’s due date. This is done to incentivize working towards the final paper over many weeks.	5 pts ea.	30
6	In-Class Participation Projects/Activities – These are special group activities conducted in class such as a class congress/legislature, class court, or other group projects.	10 pts ea.	60
4	Current Events Assignments – Students are expected to stay informed on emerging issues/events relevant to the course, and will at various times be assigned to write, present in class, or take a quiz on current events.	10 pts ea.	40
1	Forum Discussions (online posts) – Three posts due per discussion: one is your original reflection with citations from the textbook or a reputable online source (due mid-week) and a response to at least two other student’s post (due end-of-week).	10 pts ea.	10
			1000

Letter Grade Equivalents:†

A	B	C	D	F
90% or higher	80-89.99%	70-79.99%	60-69.99%	59.99% or less

†Grades are not rounded up in this course--students will receive the grade earned.

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

Unit	Week	Class Dates	Assignments	Points	Due Dates
I			Government’s Foundational Basis (i.e. guiding principles)
	1	21 Jan	Course Introduction	0	-
			Discussion Forum #1: Student Introductions	10	22/24 Jan
			Course Pre Test	0	25 Jan
			Assignment #1: American Political Culture	15	25 Jan
		23 Jan	Smartbook® Ch 1: Political Thinking and Political Culture	15	22 Jan
			Ch 1 Post Test (Quiz)	5	25 Jan
	2	28 Jan	Smartbook® Ch 2: Constitutional “Democracy” And Self-Government	15	27 Jan
			Ch Module #1: Ch 2 Separation Of Powers	5	29 Jan
			Ch Module #2: Ch 2 Social Contract Theory	5	29 Jan
			Ch 2 Post Test (Quiz)	5	1 Feb
			Assignment #2: Constitutional Analysis	15	1 Feb
		30 Jan	Ch 2 Constitution, cont. [READINGS: Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution]	0	29 Jan
	3	4 Feb	Constitution Analysis Activity	10	In-Class
		6 Feb	Smartbook® Ch 3: Federalism	15	5 Feb
			Assignment #3: Federal Budget	15	8 Feb
			Ch Module #3: Ch 3 Federal Spending by State	5	8 Feb
			Ch 3 Post Test (Quiz)	5	8 Feb
			Current Events Assignment #1	10	10 Feb
	4	11 Feb	Federal Budget Activity	10	In-Class
			Assignment # 4a: Congressional Representatives (Part I)	5	15 Feb
		13 Feb	Smartbook® Ch 4: Civil Liberties	15	12 Feb
			Ch 4 Post Test (Quiz)	5	15 Feb
			Assignment #5: Civil Liberties/Equal Rights	15	15 Feb
			Research Paper: REVIEW INSTRUCTIONS	0	17 Feb
	5	18 Feb	Smartbook® Ch 5: Equal Rights	15	17 Feb
			Assignment # 4b: Congressional Representatives (Part II)	10	19 Feb
			Ch 5 Post Test (Quiz)	5	22 Feb
		20 Feb	Unit I Exam (Chapters 1-5)	50	22 Feb
II			Government's Influencers (i.e. the players)	0
	6	25 Feb	Smartbook® Ch 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization	15	24 Feb
			Ch Module #4: Ch 6 Public Opinion	5	29 Feb
			Ch 6 Post Test (Quiz)	5	29 Feb
			Assignment #6: Political Ideology	15	29 Feb
			Research Paper: TOPIC ONLY	5	29 Feb
		27 Feb	Smartbook® Ch 7: Political Participation	15	26 Feb
			Ch 7 Post Test (Quiz)	5	29 Feb
	7	3 Mar	Smartbook® Ch 8: Political Parties, Candidates, & Campaigns	15	2 Mar
			Current Events Assignment #2	10	4 Mar
			Ch 8 Post Test (Quiz)	5	7 Mar
			Assignment #7: National Policy Issue and Party Platforms	15	7 Mar
			Research Paper: WORKING THESIS	5	7 Mar
		5 Mar	Ch 8 Parties, Candidates, and Campaign Activity	10	In-Class
	8	10 Mar	Smartbook® Ch 9: Interest Groups	15	9 Mar
			Ch 9 Post Test (Quiz)	5	14 Mar
			Assignment #8: Interest Groups	15	14 Mar
			Research Paper: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY	5	14 Mar
		12 Mar	Smartbook® Ch 10: The News Media and the Internet	15	11 Mar
			Ch 10 Post Test (Quiz)	5	14 Mar
	9	17 Mar	NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK	0	-
		19 Mar	NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK	0	-
	10	24 Mar	Ch 10 Media Analysis Activity	10	In-Class
			Assignment #9: Media Analysis	15	28 Mar
			Research Paper: UPDATED THESIS & BIBLIOGRAPHY	5	28 Mar
		26 Mar	Unit II Exam (Chapters 6-10)	50	28 Mar
III			Government’s Structure, Institutions & Organization (i.e. rules of the game)	0
	10	31 Mar	Smartbook® Ch 11: Congress	15	30 Mar
			Ch 11 Post Test (Quiz)	5	4 Apr
			Assignment #10: Congressional Legislation / Bill Review	15	4 Apr
			Research Paper: OUTLINE	5	4 Apr
			Assignment #11: Draft Bill for Class Congress	15	6 Apr
		2 Apr	Congress, cont., and Class Congress Instructions & Prep	0	-
	11	7 Apr	Class Congress: Committees & Floor Debate	5	In-Class
			Research Paper: DRAFT PAPER	5	11 Apr
		9 Apr	Class Congress: Committees & Floor Debate, cont.	5	In-Class
	12	14 Apr	Smartbook® Ch 12: The Presidency	15	13 Apr
			Ch 12: Post Test (Quiz)	5	18 Apr
			Research Paper: FINAL PAPER DUE	70	18 Apr
		16 Apr	Ch 12 The Presidency, cont.	0	-
	13	21 Apr	Smartbook® Ch 13: The Federal Bureaucracy	15	20 Apr
			Ch Module #5: Ch 13 The Bureaucracy	5	25 Apr
			Ch 13 Post Test (Quiz)	5	25 Apr
			Assignment #12: Federal Bureaucracy	15	25 Apr
		23 Apr	Smartbook® Ch 14: The Federal Judicial System	15	22 Apr
			Ch 14 Post Test (Quiz)	5	25 Apr
	14	28 Apr	Class Court - Judicial Review Activity	10	In-Class
			Current Events Assignment #3	10	29 Apr
			Assignment #13: Federal Court Case	15	2 May
		30 Apr	Unit III Exam (Chapters 11-14)	50	2 May
IV			Government's Impact & Results (i.e. public policy issues)	0
	15	5 May	Smartbook® Ch 15: Economic and Environmental Policy	15	4 May
			Ch 15 Post Test (Quiz)	5	9 May
			Ch 15 – 16 Case Studies	0	-
			Assignment #14: Current Topic	15	9 May
			Current Events Assignment #4	10	6 May
		7 May	Smartbook® Ch 16: Income, Welfare, and Education Policy	15	6 May
			Ch 16 Post Test (Quiz)	5	9 May
			Ch 15 – 16 Case Studies, cont.	0	-
	16	12 May	Smartbook® Ch 17: Foreign Policy	15	11 May
			Ch 17 Post Test (Quiz)	5	14 May
			Assignment #15: Foreign Policy	15	14 May
			Course Post Test	0	13 May
			Student Outbrief (Survey)	0	15 May
			Course Evaluation	0	15 May
		14 May	Unit IV (Chapters 15-17) / Final Exam	50	14 May

* Assignments are due by 11:59 PM on the respective DUE DATE.

** Instructor may change this schedule and assignments at any time to better the learning experience.

Unit Exams. Exams will be online through McGraw-Hill Connect via Canvas. There will be no extra credit on the exam and no make-up test dates. Any discussions, debates, or issues presented “in class” may be included in an exam.

Class Assignments. At any time during the semester, in-class assignments may be given. Students who are absent will not have the opportunity to make up these assignments/points.

Late Work. Late assignments will not, as a rule, be accepted. Most assignments and tests are submitted online, so even when a student cannot make it to class, assignments can still be submitted on time. Please manage your time wisely and leave enough time to deal with any computer problems that might prevent you from completing, and submitting, your course work as required. Students must communicate as early as possible with the Instructor to receive consideration for adjusting due dates, if circumstances warrant such.

Chapter Quizzes (i.e. Post Tests). Students will complete a post test for each chapter, which is designed as a study tool, for the exams. All quizzes must be completed on or before the due date, but students have unlimited attempts until the due date. Post tests will not be reopened for any reason. Students are free to use the book/notes/assignments information to complete the post tests.

Extra Credit. From time to time, students may have a chance to earn extra credit points. Each properly completed extra credit is worth one or more points, which will be added to the course grade; however, no student’s final course grade may exceed 100%. Extra credit opportunities are at the Instructor’s discretion and will be announced in class and/or posted on Canvas. If an extra credit opportunity is given, it will be given to all students.

CANVAS ACCESS. Canvas is the NCTC online forum used by students and faculty. All students must have complete access to Canvas for the entire semester. It is the student’s responsibility to have access to the Internet and all needed programs to complete assignments. Students are not to give any other person access to his/her Canvas account. Students can be removed from the course immediately if found to be in violation of this rule. Once a student has given another person access to his Canvas account, the credibility of all completed work becomes questionable.

MCGRAW-HILL CONNECT ACCESS. The textbook, Smartbook®, and Connect activities are all maintained within the McGraw Hill Connect System. Students MUST be enrolled immediately in Connect, which can be purchased at the bookstore or online directly from McGraw Hill. McGraw Hill does offer a 14-day free courtesy period so that all students can start their coursework as scheduled. PLEASE NOTE: The ability to sign up for a courtesy period is only available within the first week of classes. Students should be enrolled by the end of day 1 as assignments are given immediately. Students who do not properly enroll in Connect will be given a warning by email and then dropped from the Course if the required materials are not purchased.

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 judgement 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)

Additional Instructor-Specific Absence Policy:

Attendance Policy. Please make every effort to attend and actively participate in each class meeting. However, if circumstances warrant missing a class, realize that you are responsible for classes you miss. Attendance will be taken during each class to ensure an accurate record is maintained. Students will be considered absent if he/she is not in class when attendance is taken. If a student comes in late, it is his/her responsibility to stay at the end of class and request to be changed from ‘absent’ to ‘late’. Students who miss more than half the class period will be considered absent. Attendance is not calculated in a student’s GPA for this class; however, there are numerous in-class activities and discussions that are testable and cannot be re-accomplished.

Regular attendance significantly increases a student’s chance of overall course success.

LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW. The last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is April 3, 2020. Dropping the course is the sole responsibility of the student.

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.

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

 Communication

 Mathematics

 Life and Physical Science

 Language, Philosophy & Culture

 Creative Arts

X Government/Political Science

 Social and Behavioral Sciences

 Component Area Option

 American History

REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES (For classes in the Core)

X Critical Thinking

X Communication

 Empirical and Quantitative

 Teamwork

X Personal Responsibility

X Social Responsibility

COURSE TYPE

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

X Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course

 WECM Course

STUDENT HANDBOOK

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

Electronics Policy. Students are permitted to use electronic devices, such as computers, tablets, etc. for class purposes only, which includes accessing Canvas, note-taking, or class participation assignments. In short, use whatever resources you need to be successful in this class. If this is misused and becomes a persistent distraction, a more restrictive policy may be put in place.

Communication. The instructor answers emails during the week within 24 hours of receiving them. The Instructor will not discuss specific grade questions by phone or email, nor discuss grade issues with anyone other than the student. Please be aware that FERPA (Federal Privacy Laws) prevents the Instructor from discussing a student’s enrollment, grades, attendance, etc. with anyone but that student. The Instructor will not speak with parents, spouses, siblings, girlfriends, boyfriends, etc. regarding enrollment and/or performance in this course.

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)]”.

CAMPUS INFORMATION

Tobacco-Free Campus: NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco, on campus property.

Campus Carry: Effective August 1, 2017, a license holder may carry a concealed handgun on or about the license holder's person while the license holder is on the campus of an institution of higher education or private or independent institution of higher education in this state. For more information, see the website at http://www.nctc.edu/campus-safety/campus-carry.html.

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:	Denton Exchange Campus
Telephone Number:	(940) 251-0701, ext. 6464
E-mail Address:	bking@nctc.edu

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