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NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
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On-Line
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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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520
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Semester/Year:
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Sum II 2020
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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:
Mora, Sherri. The State of Texas: Government, Politics & Policy. 4th edition. McGraw Hill Publishing, with CONNECT Access code. ISBN 978-1264031993
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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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2:00 – 4:00
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2:00 – 4:00
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(on-line)
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(on-line)
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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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14
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Smart Books Chapter Reviews
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5 pts / 70 pts
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14
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Smart Books Chapter Quizzes
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5 pts / 70 pts
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10
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Bi-Weekly Participation Assignments
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10 pts / 100 pts
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5
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Discussions
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15 pts / 75 pts
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2
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Pre Test & Post Test
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5 pts / 10 pts
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2
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Video Quizzes
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10 pts / 20 pts
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2
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Research Papers
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50 pts / 100 pts
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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
Completed Smart Book Chapter Reviews will get full credit IF you spend the time to complete them by due date. Quiz grades will depend on how well you know the chapters. Combined, this is about 20% of your grade, so DON'T ignore it! There are no make-ups for Smart Books!
Participation Assignments are due every week and are pretty much all or nothing. If you are late, it is two points off every day.
Discussions will occur every week, and will work around exams, but there will be one EVERY week. Even though you will see Discussions on the Assignment Board, THAT is for the grade ONLY, you HAVE to go to the Discussion Board to complete the Discussion. Clicking on the Assignment will direct you to go to Discussion Boards. More info below.
Two short research papers will be due. More info below.
Exams will be 100 points each and count for just over one-third of your grade!
These are 45-minute multiple choice exams of 50 questions. You MUST complete them in ONE sitting. You cannot go back to a question, so answer everyone and move on. Any question left blank will be wrong, so make your best guess if you don’t know the answer.
You will get ONE Mulligan for TECHNICAL Reasons ONLY, if something happens during an exam, I can reset, but ONLY once for the ENTIRE course. If I see that you worked on the exam for 40+ minutes, you will NOT get a MULLIGAN. Be sure to find out why you lost your connection and fix it, or switch to a more secure location/computer/modem. 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.
July 15th – First Day of Class
July 24th – Smart Books Unit #1 - Due by 11:59pm
July 25th to 26th – First Midterm Exam - Module #1 – Introduction & Chapters 1-4
Opens July 25th at midnight. Closes at 11:59pm on July 26th.
July 28th – Research Paper #1 due through CANVAS by 11:59pm.
June 29th – Smart Books Unit #2 - Due by 11:59pm
August 6th – Last Day to Withdraw from Course.
August 6th to August 7th – Second Midterm Exam - Module #2 - Chapters 5-8
Opens August 6th at midnight. Closes at 11:59pm on August 7th.
August 14th – Research Paper #2 due through CANVAS by 11:59pm.
August 18th – Final Smart Books Unit #3 - Due by 11:59pm
August 19th to 20th – Final Exam - Module #3 - Chapters 9-14
Opens August 19th at midnight. Closes at 11:59pm on August 20th.
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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.
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 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 August 6, 2020.
Learn Smart is due by the Due Date and no late work is accepted, since it is hosted off site.
Discussion responses will NOT be accepted late after the second day, but there will be a late penalty. Participation Assignments can be accepted late through CANVAS, but there will be a 2-point penalty for every day that it is late.
Research papers can be accepted late through CANVAS, but there will be a loss of 5 pts per day.
Since Exams are open for 2 days, there will be no make-ups, except for some sort of technical malfunction, or serious medical problem, and even then, ONLY with a Doctor’s Note.
E-mail your instructor IMMEDIATELY if there are any problems with anything.
DO NOT send e-mails asking to turn in your work, attach it to your e-mail and send it ASAP. The longer you wait, the more points you will lose.
Grades will post within 3 days of assignment closing, except for research papers and surveys, which can take up to 7 days, assuming there is no intervening factor that occurs.
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
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)]”.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS
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Name of Division Chair:
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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 Campus
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Telephone Number:
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940-498-6464
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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
Discussions:
Every student is expected to participate in the weekly Discussions. We will have 5 Discussions in between exams, or roughly one a week. Dates are on the assignment board, and in the title of the Discussion. Discussions themselves will be on the Discussion Board, and ONLY the grade will go on the Assignment Board. You will need to go to the Discussion Board to complete the assignment. Due dates will show in the title of each discussion and should be listed in chronological order.
Your original response will be at least 400 words long, but it can be more if you wish. Make sure to reference your source material in some fashion, as you need facts to form opinions. Everyone should have at least 2 sources for your original response. Your original response is worth 10 pts. An additional 5 pts will be added for your response to another poster. Your response should be at least 150 words and be something more than agreement or disagreement. In other words, WHY do you agree, or disagree, with the person’s post?
Although there is no real wrong answer to these questions, you will NOT get points for fluff, opinions without facts, or extremely biased “just because” pieces. I will take off points for derogatory language, answers that are too short, poorly worded, or use little to no research.
Remember EVERYONE is entitled to their opinions, so there is no need to get nasty about them. We can always agree to disagree, but the best opinions are those you can defend.
GOVT 2305 – Research Paper – Summer II, 2020
Here is your chance to practice writing formal Research Papers, which will consist of two 1000 to 1200-word essays from the assigned topics listed below. Please choose your words carefully and make sure your paper is no longer than 1400 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. Here is a good place to find source material: https://www.nctc.edu/library/research-help/subject-guides/government.html 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 (about.com or wikipedia.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 or project is worth 50 points towards your final grade, and paper points are assigned as follows:
5 points – Is the length correct?
12 points – Covered subject matter w/o grammatical, spelling, or sentence errors?
10 points – Is there a conclusion? Was it a high-quality conclusion?
8 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.)
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 EVERY day that it is late. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure YOUR paper is submitted by the deadline.
Paper #1 Due July 28th – Governor Abbott has mandated that Elementary, Junior High and High Schools open as scheduled in a few weeks? Do you think public schools should open back up with face-to-face classes? What precautions are being taken? Do you think those precautions will be effective and keep students and teachers safe? What will they do if students or teachers come down with COVID-19?
Do you think opening up the schools again is a good idea? Why or why not?
Although your conclusion is your opinion, be careful NOT to use “I” or “we.” Personal pronouns are not to be used in a formal research paper, which this is, even though it is a bit short. Just say it like you mean it, and it is a fact.
Paper #2 Due August 14th – What are your thoughts about Mail-In Voting, and voting in general? President Trump says mail-in voting would lead to “massive voter fraud.” Do you think it can be done without massive voter fraud, or is he correct? Everyone agrees there is always some voter fraud. I guess the real question is how much fraud is acceptable? What is the definition of “massive voter fraud?”
Governor Abbott searched for Voter Fraud for 8 years as Attorney General, but found less than 10 cases of voter fraud, and only 2 of those cases would have been stopped by Voter ID. Yet he still contends that voter fraud is running rampant in Texas.
Should we tighten up restrictions to prevent 10 fraudulent votes, even if those tightened restrictions prevent thousands of legal Texas voters from voting? Is that the right way to do it? What are the current rates of voter fraud? Are they bad enough that we need more restrictions? What is an acceptable rate of voter fraud?
Texas Leaders have said NO to mail-in voting due to COVID concerns, so Texans will have to physically show up at the polls. Will this affect if you vote, or how you vote? Discuss…
Although your conclusion is your opinion, be careful NOT to use “I” or “we.” Personal pronouns are not to be used in a formal research paper, which this is, even though it is a bit short. Just say it like you mean it, and it is a fact.
If you have any questions, please ask!
Grading Scale: 745 total points possible
A = 664+ pts B = 663 – 590 pts C = 589 – 515 pts D = 514 – 441 pts F = 440 or less
Helpful Phone #’s for Flower Mound:
Admissions: 972-899-8430
Business Office: 972-899-8403
Counseling: 972-899-8412
Financial Aid: 972-899-8400
FM Director: 972-899-8408
Library: 972-899-8413
Testing: 972-899-8335
Technical Problems?
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- The Connect website address: http://connect.mheducation.com (shortcut: mhhm.com)
- The Customer Experience Group: The Customer Experience Group is your “just in time” contact for tech support and one-off questions that need immediate attention. This team can address questions such as how to extend a due date, how to view a student’s grade, how to change assignment policies, etc.
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- https://mhedu.force.com/CXG/s - You will find the Platform Status Center here, which lets you know if there is a Connect disruption and when/for how long it occurred.
- 800-331-5094
- Their hours of operation [Eastern]:
Sunday 12pm – 12am
Mon-Thurs 24 hours
Friday 12am - 9pm
Saturday 10am - 8pm
Kevin Davis: 972-899-8410
Email: kdavis@nctc.edu
Address:
NCTC – Flower Mound
Attn: Kevin Davis
1200 Parker Square
Flower Mound, Texas 75028