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NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
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Course Title:
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Federal Government
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Course Prefix & Number:
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GOVT2305
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Section Number:
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Semester/Year:
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Semester Credit Hours:
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3
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Lecture Hours:
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3
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Lab Hours:
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0
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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.
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Course Prerequisite(s): None
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Required Course Materials:
Patterson, Thomas E. We the People. 13th edition. McGraw Hill. (E-book with Connect Plus Access)
ISBN 978-1264031919
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INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
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Name of Instructor:
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Christine Millard
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Campus/Office Location:
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Telephone Number:
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E-mail Address:
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cmillard@nctc.edu
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OFFICE HOURS
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Zoom conference meeting upon request
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog)
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At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
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Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States.
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Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system.
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Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice.
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Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.
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Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system.
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Analyze the election process.
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Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
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Analyze issues and policies in U.S. Politics.
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GRADING CRITERIA
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# of Graded Course Elements
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Graded Course Elements
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Percentage or Point Values
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17
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Chapter SmartBook
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170
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17
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Chapter Quizzes
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170
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10
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Weekly Discussion
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200
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1
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Semester Writing Assignment
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160
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2
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Exams
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300
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COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)
SmartBooks: McGraw-Hill Smartbooks will be due each Friday of the week that we are going over a chapter. These assignments are a completion grade and take you through the book to learn particular outcomes.
Chapter Quizzes: McGraw-Hill Quizzes will ask you questions over the chapter that you went over through the book and lectures. You will only have one chance to take these, so please make sure you have completed the smart books, read the chapter, and gone through the lectures to make sure you are ready for the assignment.
Weekly Discussions: 10 weeks we will have discussions due on Wednesdays. To receive full credit you will need to have a lengthy and thoughtful initial post, plus two lengthy and thoughtful responses to your peers by the due date.
Semester Writing Assignment: You will pick a policy topic to research. With your policy discuss how each branch of government addresses the topic and how the three branches of government interact when it comes to your policy. What does the future of your policy look like? Half Way through the semester you will upload an anecdotal bibliography of sources you will use in your paper worth 40pts. The full paper will be due at the end of the semester worth 120pts. Please review instructions on canvas for more instructions.
Exams: There will be a Midterm and Final Exam. Each of these will have 50 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions. You will have an hour and 20 minutes to take the exam. You will not use any notes or outside materials for this exam.
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: Since this is an online class your attendance will be counted by completion of assignments. No late assignments will be accepted, so please make sure to complete things on time. Everything is made available to you at the start of the semester, so you can definitely work ahead if that works better for your schedule.
Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is Nov 2, 2020.
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)_______
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
X Communication
o Empirical and Quantitative
o Teamwork
X Personal Responsibility
X Social Responsibility
o Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)
X Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course
o WECM Course
Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.
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)]”.
[Instructor-specific Academic Dishonesty Policy:
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS
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Name of Chair/Coordinator:
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Adam Ramsey
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Office Location:
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Gainesville Campus, Room 814
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Telephone Number:
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940-668-7731, ext. 4925
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E-mail Address:
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aramsey@nctc.edu
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Name of Instructional Dean:
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Dr. Bruce King
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Office Location:
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316 E Hickory St, Denton, TX 76201
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Telephone Number:
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940-380-2504
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E-mail Address:
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bking@nctc.edu
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COVID-19 Specific Syllabi Statements Fall 2020
Syllabi statement regarding potential Conversion of Onsite Classes to Online/Remote Format: North Central Texas College students should be aware that in the event of a college closure due to COVID-19, onsite classes will be converted to an online/remote format. Students should plan ahead to ensure they have access to the computer equipment (either PC, MAC, or tablet), webcam, and internet connectivity to continue their classes in an online/remote format. Please read all your official North Central Texas College student emails as the transition from onsite to online/remote might require a reorganization in your personal situation. Students will be granted a 72-hour transition and grace period. Online classes will continue as scheduled without disruption. Wear a mask, stay safe, and contact your Instructor as the situation arises. These policies and procedures were updated on July 30, 2020 and are subject to change.
Syllabi Statement Regarding Face Coverings: Per the North Central Texas College guidance on face coverings on campus, in the instructional setting, faculty and students must wear face coverings, such as masks or face shields. Students without coverings, or those who do not comply with the rules relating to face coverings, will not be able to participate in on-campus classroom activities. To request an exception to this requirement, students should contact the NCTC HR Office of Enrollment Management (ccove@nctc.edu). Failure to comply with the face coverings requirement may result in the Instructor directing the student to leave the classroom. Any student asked to leave the classroom may be referred to the student conduct officer. These policies and procedures were updated on July 30, 2020 and are subject to change.
Temporary COVID-19 Attendance Policy for Face-to-Face Meetings: We are facing an unprecedented situation in which all of us must be flexible and make prudent decisions in the best interest of our families, our campus, and our community. In light of this, North Central Texas College is temporarily establishing the requirement that faculty keep records of student attendance for face-to-face course meetings as well as a documented seating chart. In addition, students who are sick or need to quarantine should not attend classes. Students will not be required to provide formal documentation from a health care provider and will not be penalized for COVID-19 related absences when proper notification to campus health officials is made in accordance with the guidelines stated below.
Faculty will:
- Notify students about important course information and delivery changes through Canvas and campus email.
Students should:
- Provide notification to campus officials (via NCTC Daily Health Check protocol through Canvas) if they have tested positive for COVID-19 or have to quarantine so we can confirm reported absence with instructors, monitor, and assist the campus community.
- Notify instructors in advance of the absence.
- Connect with that class through Webex if the class session is being transmitted in a hybrid fashion.
- Keep up with and/or make up missed classwork or assignments.
- Submit assignments digitally through Canvas or other means as announced by your instructor.
- Work with their instructors to reschedule exams, labs, and other critical academic activities described in the course syllabus.
- Check Canvas and campus email daily to receive important announcements pertaining to the course.
During this period, faculty with face-to-face meetings will establish assigned seating/work stations to facilitate roll-taking, and, if necessary, contact tracing. Additionally, we ask all members of the College community to be attentive to their health, and safeguard others, by following the CDC’s guideline to “stay home when you are sick.” You should stay home if you have symptoms. More information on what to do if you are sick is available at the CDC’s website.
Additional NCTC information is available at http://www.nctc.edu/coronavirus/index.html
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Week
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Topic
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Assignments
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Week of August 24
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Introduction
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Chapter 1 SB and Quiz
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Week of August 31
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Constitution
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Chapter 2 SB and Quiz
Discussion 1
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Week of September 7
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Federalism
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Chapter 3 SB and Quiz
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Week of September 14
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Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
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Chapter 4 and 5 SB and Quiz
Discussion 2
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Week of September 21
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Political Socialization
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Chapter 6 SB and Quiz
Discussion 3
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Week of September 28
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Participation and Elections
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Chapter 7 and 8 SB and Quiz
Discussion 4
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Week of October 5
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Interest Groups
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Chapter 9 SB and Quiz
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Week of October 12
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Midterm
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Week of October 19
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Media
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Chapter 10 SB and Quiz
Discussion 5
Annotated Bibliography
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Week of October 26
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Legislature
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Chapter 11 SB and Quiz
Discussion 6
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Week of November 2
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Executive
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Chapter 12 and 13 SB/Quiz
Discussion 7
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Week of November 9
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Judiciary
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Chapter 14 SB and Quiz
Discussion 8
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Week of November 16
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Economic And Environmental Policy
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Chapter 15 SB and Quiz
Discussion 9
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Week of November 23
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Domestic Policy
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Chapter 16 SB and Quiz
Discussion 10
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Week of November 30
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Foreign Policy
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Chapter 17 SB and Quiz
Writing Assignment
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Week of December 7
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Final
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