Syllabus
Course Description
Political Science 21, "The
American Political System," is an introductory class that surveys the vast arena of
American politics from the 1780s to the present—a formidable task to be sure, but one guided by several specific goals:
GOAL #1. Mastery
of the subject matter
First and foremost, the successful
completion of this course will lead to your mastery of the subject matter. Important
topics include (among others) the constitutional foundations of American government, the
basic structure and operation of government institutions, and the relationship between
average citizens and their elected officials.
GOAL #2.
The development of critical thinking skills
In addition to mastering the material
matter at hand, this course will also help you to develop broader skills, such as critical
thinking and problem solving strategies. Our goal is to use a solid foundation of factual
knowledge to probe deeper questions about the American political system, including the
nature of democracy, representation, liberty, and equality.
GOAL #3.
Civic engagement and responsibility
Finally, this class encourages an
active and informed interest in politics by demonstrating the relevance of the topics we
study to contemporary political events, ranging from health care reform to the ongoing war
on terror.
Course Requirements
Our emphasis throughout the term will be on
the development of strong analytical thinking and writing skills. Graded assignments are
designed to evaluate your growth in these areas. Assignments are also designed to give you
many opportunities, using different skills, to build a strong grade in this course.
- The bulk of your grade will be determined by two
essay examinations, the first given in class on Thursday, March
12, and the second on Tuesday, May 5 from 10:30-11:45 AM.
Each of these exams are weighted as 35% of your final grade.
The content of these exams will be drawn from class
lectures, discussions, and reading assignments, and will consist of a combination of
fill-in-the-blank, true/false, matching, and short essay questions.
- Five brief multiple-choice quizzes will be administered this
term. The dates for these quizzes are:
- Thursday, January 22
- Thursday, February 5
- Tuesday,
March 10
- Tuesday, April 7
- Thursday, April 23
The single lowest score you receive on these quizzes will
be dropped, while the four remaining scores will be averaged to determine 20% of your
final grade.
- Finally, your active attendance is essential to the
effectiveness of this class. It will account for the remaining 10% of your grade.
The following rules regarding assigned work
are important. Please study this syllabus carefully before deciding to enroll in class.
All students are expected to read, understand, and abide by these policies:
In fairness to others, students are not permitted to do “extra credit,” either
to compensate for a poor grade or a missed class. Since a total of eight grades cumulate
to determine your final grade (and no one assignment dominates), there are plenty of
opportunities to improve your standing.
A score of “0” will be given for any quiz that is not taken on the scheduled day
in class and no make-ups will be offered. In most cases, a missed quiz will simply become
the score that is dropped at the end of term, as described above.
If a student misses the midterm exam for reasons that are both serious and outside of
their control, they may make up that work, but only on a set day and time. During the
Spring
2015 term, the make-up exam is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28 between
1:00-2:15 PM.
Dates for final exams are set by the Registrar’s Office and cannot be rescheduled,
except under the limited conditions described in the course catalog. Written documentation
of need must be provided.
Required Reading
The following textbook is required reading
for this course:
- David B. Magleby, Paul C. Light, and Christine L. Nemacheck
(2014). Government by the People, 2012 election edition, national version. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
ISBN# 0-205-86578-X
A number
of short articles are also required in this class. The full-text of each is provided
on our class website at:
http://www.uvm.edu/~dguber/POLS21/Spring_2015/
To view each article, direct your web browser
to the URL above, use the menu to select “Calendar,” then click the title any
article. A new window will open, from which you may either print or read online.
Class Attendance
Attendance accounts for 10% of your final grade in this class. It is
recorded by your signature on the attendance sheets passed around in class each day.
All students receive two “free” absences to use as they see fit
(without need for excuse), but these absences are intended for illnesses and family
emergencies and should be saved for such. Once they are gone, they are gone.
Note that 10 points will be deducted from your attendance grade for every class you
miss after the first two. In other words, if you miss class frequently it is
possible for your score to fall into negative numbers.
You should also to be aware of the following:
I reserve the right to
disqualify any signature that appears suspicious. Students involved in the forgery of
signatures—either on the “giving” or “receiving” end—will
receive an automatic zero for that entire portion of their grade, and may in addition be
subject to the university’s policy on academic honesty.
Beyond the two “free” absences described above, I do not grant excused
absences unless you travel out of town as a member of an official UVM club or sports
team. If you are a member of a university team, please be sure to forward a copy of
your schedule to me in writing as soon as it becomes available so that attendance sheets
can be marked accordingly on those days when your team travels out of town.
Religious Holidays
Students
have the right to practice the religion of their choice. Please submit your documented
religious holiday schedule for the semester to me by the end of the second full week of
classes. Students who miss work for the purpose of religious observance will be
permitted either a make-up exam or a penalty-free extension, and will not be marked as
absent from class.
Accommodations for Students with
Disabilities
In keeping with University policy, any student with a
documented disability interested in utilizing accommodations should
contact ACCESS, the office of Disability Services on campus. ACCESS
works with students and faculty in an interactive process to explore
reasonable and appropriate accommodations via an accommodation letter to
faculty with recommended accommodations as early as possible each
semester.
Classroom Protocol
In coordination with the
Department of Political Science, I have adopted the following protocol for classroom
behavior:
- Students are expected to
attend and be prepared for all regularly scheduled classes.
- Students are expected to
arrive on time and stay in class until the class period ends. If a students knows in
advance that he or she will need to leave early, he or she must notify the instructor
before the class period begins.
- Students are expected to
treat faculty and fellow students with respect. For example, students must not disrupt
class by leaving and reentering during class, must not distract class by making noise, and
must be attentive to comments being made by the instructors and by peers.
- Students must silence and
stow all electronic devices (e.g., laptops, iPads, cell phones, etc.) before class
begins. Why don't I allow such devices for taking notes? This post
from Buzzfeed says it all: "11
Things You're Actually Doing on Your Laptop During a Lecture."
Students in serious
violation of any of these rules may be subject to whatever grade penalty
I deem
appropriate.
Asking for Help
Be sure to ask questions whenever you
need to. Here is how:
- I am generally available to answer quick
questions after class.
- I hold office hours on a first-come,
first-serve basis every Tuesdays and Thursday from 10:15-11:15 and again from
1:15-2:15
PM. If those hours are not compatible with your schedule, please do not hesitate to ask
for an appointment. My office is located on the 5th floor of Old Mill, room 519.
- While you can reach me by telephone at
(802) 656-4062, e-mail is generally faster. I check e-mail on a regular basis, but please
understand that I may not be able to respond immediately to messages sent in the evening
or on weekends. My e-mail address is: Deborah.Guber@uvm.edu.
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