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NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
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MWF 9:00pm – Room #202 FM
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Course Title: TEXAS GOVERNMENT
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Course Prefix & Number: GOVT 2306
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Section Number: 580
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Semester: 2016 SP
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Semester Credit Hours: 3
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Lecture Hours: 3
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Lab Hours: N/A
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Course Description (NCTC Catalog):
Origin and development of the Texas constitution, structure and powers of state and local government, federalism and inter-governmental relations, political participation, the election process, public policy, and the political culture of Texas. 48 lecture hours.
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Course Prerequisite(s): None
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Required Materials:
v Governing Texas by Champagne & Harpham, Norton, 2nd edition, paperback w/ebook folder, ISBN: 978-0-393-28731-8
v Governing Texas by Champagne & Harpham, Norton, 2nd edition, 3-hole punch w/ ebook folder, ISBN: 978-0-393-28752-3
v Students can also purchase the ebook at a lower price directly from Norton using the link within the course module
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INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
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Name of Instructor:
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Kevin Davis
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Campus/Office Location:
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Flower Mound, Room #107 - Cubicle #4
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E-Mail / Telephone:
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kdavis@nctc.edu / 972-899-8410
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Office Hours:
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MWF 1 – 3 & TR 11 - 2
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
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X
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At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
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X
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Explain the origin and development of the Texas constitution.
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X
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Describe the state and local political systems and their relationship with the federal
government.
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X
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Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice in
Texas.
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X
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Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of Texas
government.
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X
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Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups and political parties in Texas. Analyze the state and local election process.
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X
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Identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.
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X
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Research and compose an essay assignment/argument using proper grammar/English and basic computer skills.
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GRADING CRITERIA
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Course Elements
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Graded Course Elements
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Point Values
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Current Events
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Weekly assignments through CANVAS
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5 / 70 total
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Debate
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Individual Participation – Page 3
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20
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Research #1
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See Instructions – Pages 3 & 4
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50
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Res #2 or Survey
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See Instructions – Pages 3 & 4
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50
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Midterm Exams
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Intro & Chapters 1 to 4 and Chapters 5 to 8
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100 / 200 total
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Final Exam
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Chapters 9 to End
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100
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Grading Policy & Procedures
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Weekly Current Events are assigned periodically, and will count as all or nothing.
Sign up for a Debate, and they will be scheduled after the first week of class. See below for more information.
There are two short research papers due. See below for more information.
Midterms and the Final Exam will be 100 points each and count for over half of your grade!
Make Up Exams will ONLY be made for medical reasons, which are accompanied by a doctor's note on letterhead or a Rx Pad. Make-Up exams will be essay in nature, but will only be worth up to 80 points. Make Up will be given 1 week after the missed exam, or result in an Incomplete if the Final Exam is missed. Students MUST call/email ASAP to arrange this delay.
Plagiarism/Cheating/Collusion will NOT be tolerated and will result in a Zero for that assignment and a report to the Dean for Disciplinary Action.
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Other Pertinent Information
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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 at risk. 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 on my office phone 972-899-8410 or my NCTC email address: kdavis@nctc.edu. Again, do not give anyone access to your Canvas Account. Any student who cheats on any course material (exams, assignment, post tests) may immediately fail the course at the discretion of the instructor and academic dishonesty papers can be filed with the Dean and VP of Instruction.
v Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is April 24, 2017.
v YOU are responsible for getting your assignments to me as requested. You know when they are due, so points will be taken off for late work, IF it is even accepted at all.
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Attendance Policy
Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered. Absence does not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work. Dropping a course is the student's responsibility, but you MAY be dropped for excessive absence. See Attendance Regulations in the North Central Texas College Catalog.
Rumsfeld’s Unknown Speech
"As we know, there are known knowns. These are things we know. These are things we know we know… We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say, we know there are some things we do not know… But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don't know, we don't know." – Donald Rumsfeld
Debates:
Every student should participate in at least one debate. (Students may elect to participate in a second debate for extra points, but points will only be added if their side “wins” the debate.) We will register for debates the first week of classes, and each student can choose which side to represent on the debate; Pro or Con. (Debate slots are filled based on first-come, first-serve. Extra credit sign-ups will be available after everyone has had a chance.)
The debate is worth 20 points towards your final grade, and points are assigned as follows:
4 points – Argued your own side and gave at least three valid responses.
4 points – Cited facts/research during debate.
4 points – Did not “bait” or ask direct questions of your opponents.
4 points – Opened/Closed or was especially vocal.
4 points – Win debate according to secret ballot election results.
(At the end of each debate, the electorate (those in class) will vote on which team did the better job. Winner of the secret ballot election gets 4 points, the losers do not. A tie results in BOTH sides receiving 4 points.)
Students can sign up and participate in a second debate for extra credit. If you are on the winning side, you are awarded an extra 4 points. Those on the losing side, who try, get 2 points. Those who lose, and do not try, get no points.
GOVT 2306 – Research Paper – Spring, 2017
Research Paper will consist of an 800 to 1000 word paper from the assigned topic listed below. Please choose your words carefully and make sure your paper is no longer than 1200 words with your citations. Put your name at the top, skip a line and then start writing. Be sure to focus on relevant information and not extraneous personal information like exact birth dates, siblings, pets, mother’s/father’s occupation, etc. Make sure your discussion is significant to the topic at hand and researches/discusses both sides of each issue. In your conclusion, discuss your own opinions on the subject; for or against, etc. and justify that conclusion!
Make sure to cite ALL your quotes, and use APA or MLA format for citations/sources. Failure to cite your quotes is plagiarism, and you will be counted off for that. Also, do not cite more than 10%, or 100 words, of your paper. Using encyclopedias and encyclopedic websites (wikipedia.com or about.com), or grade school websites, will count against you! Do NOT quote your instructor or textbook. This is supposed to be OUTSIDE research, so make good use of the books, magazines, journals, reports, and government/education websites.
Each paper is worth 50 points towards your final grade, and points are assigned as follows:
5 point – Is the length correct?
15 points – Covered subject matter w/o grammatical, spelling, or sentence errors?
10 points – Is there a conclusion? Was it a high quality conclusion?
5 point – 4 or more “good” sources? (You will lose points for using wikipedia.com, about.com, or any encyclopedic site, as a source. You also lose points for using your textbook or instructor as a source.)
15 points – Quality of your paper. (Answers the questions, sticks to subject, no excessive quoting, no awkward spots, and has good flow?)
Papers will be submitted through Canvas by 11:59pm on the day it is due. If you miss the deadline, you can e-mail it to me, but I will deduct 5 points for not following directions. I will also deduct 10 points for EVERY day that it is late. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure YOUR paper is submitted by the deadline.
Paper #1 Due April 10th – Austin will be cutting the budget again after the most successful conservative legislative session two years ago. What is causing the smaller budget? Texas lawmakers were considering tax cuts, since local taxes are so high. Local taxes are so high, because local schools need more money, and this is because the state can’t keep up with the state’s growth rate. Do you think the state should force local entities to cut their taxes or should the state pay more for schools, which would allow the local schools to lower the local tax rates? Be sure to justify your conclusion.
Paper #2 Due April 26th – The State of Texas recently put lots of money into hiring more State Troopers to patrol border counties. Supposedly it was to help control illegal immigration and border crime, but that is not what some of the recent reports are saying. Now State Legislators want to put more money into the program. With President Trump promising to build a border wall, and a smaller budget, should Texas be worried about other things, or should this continue to be one of its highest priorities? Be sure to justify your conclusion.
If you have any questions, please ask!
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Govt & Economics Dept Chair:
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Donna Hooper
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Office Location:
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Corinth 209
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Telephone Number:
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940-498-6266
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E-mail Address:
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dhooper@nctc.edu
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Dean of Instructional:
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Dr. Larry Gilbert
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Office Location:
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Corinth 305
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Telephone Number:
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940-498-6216
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E-mail Address:
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lgilbert@nctc.edu
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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
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Disability Services (OSD)
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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
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Support Services
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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
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Financial Aid
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Financial Aid offers financial resources for students that qualify, visit the financial aid offices for more information. http://www.nctc.edu/FInancialAidHome.aspx
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EEOC Statement
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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.
In this government class EVERY student will be treated fairly and NO special treatment will be given or tolerated. You will pass or fail on your own merits.
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Course Schedule
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This is a TENTATIVE Schedule which is subject to change W/O notice due to inclement weather or other unforeseen events.
March 20th – First Day of Class.
April 3rd – First Midterm Exam – Intro plus Chapters 1-4
April 10th – Research Paper #1 due on-line
April 21st – Second Midterm Exam - Chapters 5-8
April 24th – Last Day to Withdraw from Course.
April 26th – Research Paper #2 due on-line or Surveys due in class
May 10th – Final Exam - Module #3 - Chapters 9-13
If you cannot meet these deadlines, then consider taking another class.
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Helpful Phone #’s for Flower Mound:
Admissions: 972-899-8430
Business Office: 972-899-8403
Counseling/Testing: 972-899-8412
Financial Aid: 972-899-8400
FM Director: 972-899-8402
Library: 972-899-8413