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NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
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Room #202 from 9:30am to 10:50am TR
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Course Title:
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American State & Local Government
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Course Prefix & Number:
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GOVT2306
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Section Number:
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502
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Semester/Year:
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Spring 2018
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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 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.
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Course Prerequisite(s): None
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Required or Recommended Course Materials:
Champagne-Harpham. Governing Texas. 3rd edition. Norton. Paperback
ISBN: 9780393283679
Champagne-Harpham. Governing Texas. 3rd edition. Norton. 2-hole punch
9280393616477
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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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Telephone Number:
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972-899-8410
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E-mail Address:
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kdavis@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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8:30am – 9:30am
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8:30am – 9:30am
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8:30am – 9:30am
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8:30am – 9:30am
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Noon to 4pm
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12:30pm – 3pm
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2pm – 3:30pm
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12:30pm – 3pm
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2pm – 3:30pm
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(online)
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STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide 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 the Texas Constitution.
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Demonstrate an understanding of state and local political systems and their relationship with the federal government.
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Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice in Texas.
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Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of Texas government.
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Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in Texas.
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Analyze the state and local election process.
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Identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens
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Analyze issues, policies, and political culture of Texas.
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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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# of Graded Course Elements
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Graded Course Elements
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Percentage or Point Values
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15
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Participation Assignments
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10 pts / 150 pts
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1
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Debate
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25 pts
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2
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Research Papers / Survey Project
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25 pts / 75pts
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2
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Midterm Exams
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100 pts / 200 pts
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1
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Final Exam
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100 pts
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COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE
Weekly Participation Assignments 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. More info below.
Two short research papers, or one Survey project to count for one paper. More info below.
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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This is a TENTATIVE Schedule which is subject to change W/O notice due to inclement weather or other unforeseen events.
January 15th – No Class – MLK Day Holiday
January 16th – First Day of Class
February 20th – First Midterm Exam - Module #1 – Intro & Chapters 1-4
February 27th – Research Paper #1 due through CANVAS by 11:59pm
March 12th to 17th - No Class – Spring Break
March 29th – Research Paper #2 due by 11:59pm OR Survey Cards due in class.
April 3rd – Second Midterm Exam - Module #2 - Chapters 5-8
April 5th – Last Day to Withdraw from Course.
April 26th – Research Paper #3 OR Survey Input Spreadsheets due by 11:59pm
May 10th – Final Exam - Module #3 - Chapters 9-13
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If you cannot meet these dates/deadlines, then drop this course.
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.
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)
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.
Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is April 5, 2018.
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
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)]”.
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook and published online.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS
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Name of Chair/Coordinator:
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Crystal R.M. Wright
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Office Location:
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Gainesville Campus, Room 824
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Telephone Number:
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940-668-7731, ext. 4320
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E-mail Address:
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cwright@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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Gainesville
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Telephone Number:
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940-668-4287
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E-mail Address:
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bking@nctc.edu
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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 25 points towards your final grade, and points are assigned as follows:
5 points - Argued your own side and gave at least three valid responses.
5 points - Cited facts/research during debate.
5 points - Did not “bait” or ask direct questions of your opponents.
5 points - Opened/Closed or was especially vocal.
5 points - Won 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 5 points, the losers do not. A tie will result in BOTH sides receiving 5 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 5 points. Those on the losing side, who try, get 1-3 points. Those who lose, and do not try, get no points.
GOVT 2306 - Research Paper - Spring, 2018
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 25 points towards your final grade, and points are assigned as follows:
3 points - Is the length correct?
6 points - Covered subject matter w/o grammatical, spelling, or sentence errors?
4 points - Is there a conclusion? Was it a high, quality conclusion?
4 points - 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.)
8 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 5 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 February 27th – Who is running for office next year? Find out who is running for the top 6 positions in Texas Government (Governor, Lt Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General, Land Commissioner and Agricultural Commissioner). Who is running as a Democrat and who is running as a Republican. Research their positions and mention any differences they might have. As a conclusion tell me who you would like to support, and why.
Two Options for 2nd part of Research Grade – Due March 29th:
Write and Submit a Second Paper – What is a “Sanctuary City?” Texas just passed a law banning all Sanctuary Cities. What exactly does this Bill do? What will happen if this bill goes into full effect? What are the penalties if people refuse to follow its regulations? Is there a real purpose to this bill? Is the bill fully implemented? If not, why not? Will this bill cost the state money? If it does, is it worth it? Do you think we need this law? Why or why not?
Or Conduct 50 or more surveys with Eligible Texas Voters. Surveys will be provided by your instructor, but you have to get 50 or more individuals to complete them before the deadline. These will be non-partisan surveys about people’s political habits. Any one is eligible to complete the survey as long as they are a US Citizen 18 years of age or older, who are living in Texas. It is vital that they complete the entire survey and NOT leave out any information. There are no wrong answers and we are NOT here to judge, but just to collect data. Incomplete surveys will NOT be counted. Let your instructor know if you wish to choose this option and he will provide you with the survey materials.
There will be several students from this, and other, classes conducting surveys, and any person of voting age will only count ONCE for grading purposes. Make sure they have NOT completed this survey with someone else.
Two Options for 3rd part of Research Grade – Due April 26th:
Write and Submit a Third Paper – What is happening in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey? Is the State Government helping enough? Is the Federal Government/FEMA helping enough? Has anyone “fallen through the cracks?” What do you see as the goal of the state and federal governments in this situation? Are they succeeding? Why or why not?
Input 50 or more Surveys into the Excel Spreadsheet provided. Since you have completed gathering your surveys, now it is time to input your surveys into an Excel Spreadsheet. Look at the example of how to input the answers you got, and complete them for all 50+ surveys. We need to create numerical equivalents for your answers, so a “Yes” answer will be a 1 in the spreadsheet, and a “No” is a 2, etc… (see example). Once finished, submit them into a drop box in Canvas. Return the survey cards during your next class period. Grades will NOT be awarded until the survey cards are returned.
If you have any questions, please ask!
For those who would like 10 points of extra credit, input an additional 50 survey cards from a past semester. Talk with me about getting those cards for you…
Grading Scale: 550 total points possible
A = 490+ pts B = 489 – 435 pts C = 434 – 380 pts D = 379 – 325 pts F = 324 or less
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
Kevin Davis: 972-899-8410
Email: kdavis@nctc.edu
Address:
1200 Parker Square
Flower Mound, Texas 75028