| West Valley College | Winter 2010 |
| Tim Kelly, Ph.D. Office Hours: To Be Announced |
Office SSH1 Ph: (408) 741-2546 Tim Kelly's E-mail Address |
WELCOME!!!!!
Why do a majority of Americans not vote? Why is it that the winner of the popular vote for President can also be the loser? Is there really a difference between Democrats and Republicans? Do we really need 50 state governments if we have a Federal Government? Why was there a recall election in California? Don't know much about American politics? Then welcome to Poli Sci 1!
Poli Sci 1 covers the structure and functions of the American national state and local governments. Emphasis is placed on the development of democratic institutions through historical and contemporary studies. Students will have an opportunity to understand what has shaped the United States Constitution, its amendments, major court interpretations, the operation of and one's role in democratic government. This course may be used to meet the Social Science I or II requirement in the General Education Pattern for transfer to the California State University system.
Additional topics this course will explore are the following:
| Significant events in political, economic, and social American history that have shaped our political system since its founding; |
| The
role of race, ethnicity, gender, and significant social/economic groups in influencing public policy; |
| The role of the media; |
| The relevance of foreign policy in shaping American politics (and vice-versa); |
| Alternative paths towards political reform in the Information Age. |
| Barbara Bardes, et. al., American Government and Politics Today: The Essentials (2009-10) (This is referred to as Text in the reading assignments) |
| Robert DiClerico, Points of View: Readings in American Government and Politics (11th Ed.) |
Students wishing to take this class with the Pass/No Pass grade option must inform the instructor in writing no later than the end of the SECOND WEEK. Requests for this option WILL NOT be accepted after that time. See the WVC Catalog under "Academic Regulations and Standards" for more information about this option.
In addition, students who wish to be dropped from the course are responsible for doing this on their own. I will not do this for you. If you stop logging on to Angel but your name is on my roster at the end of the semester, you will receive an "F" in the class with no opportunities to change this to a "W."
You are required to take 14 quizzes (2 of which will be counted as Extra Credit), a midterm, and a final. ALL QUIZZES AND EXAMS ARE CONDUCTED ONLINE.
You may take the QUIZZES whenever you wish provided that you complete chapters 1-6 by SATURDAY, January 16 by 11:55 pm, and chapters 7-13 and 15 by FRIDAY, January 29 by 11:55 pm. You MAY NOT make-up a missed quiz after the due dates. Quiz questions will be drawn from the assigned textbook readings for the week.
You may take the MIDTERM any time between FRIDAY, January 15 and SUNDAY, January 17 by 11:55 pm. You may take the FINAL EXAM anytime on or between THURSDAY, January 28 and SATURDAY, January 30 by 11:55 pm (the semester officially ends on Thursday, but I'll give you until Saturday to take the Final).
Each quiz is based on the corresponding chapter that is assigned in the Bardes textbook for that week. You will have 20 minutes to complete 15 questions (once you begin the quiz, you must complete it within 20 minutes). You MAY NOT make-up a missed quiz. You can (and SHOULD) take practice quizzes at the publisher's web page for the assigned chapters at http://www.wadsworth.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&flag=student&product_isbn_issn=9780495571704&discipline_number=20.
Once you take the quiz, the system will give you an immediate score; however, you can only fully review your quiz for the correct answers once the quiz period is complete (i.e., at the end of the week).
Your Midterm and Final exams are essay format and will be explained in Study Guides that are currently posted on the lecture web page.
Every week at least two threaded discussions will be posted based on the DiClerico readings or something in the textbook. Click on the Discussions icon on the Angel page and read the topic statement and then post your comments. You may respond to the instructor's statement or any other comment made by other students. You MUST participate in each of these discussions in order to receive credit for your participation. More instructions are posted on Angel.
| Complete the assigned readings first. I have written these lectures with the assumption that you already understand the topics from the assigned readings. |
| Read the outlines provided on each Week's page to get familiar with the general themes of the lecture. |
| Don't wait until the last minute to read the lectures, and give yourself plenty of time to digest them. These lectures take one hour and 25 minutes to give in class. You should allow yourself at least the same amount of time reading them online. |
| The lectures are full of links highlighted in BLUE that will give you more information about the topics I discuss. You are encouraged to follow these blue links. |
| You ARE required to follow any RED links and read the material provided. |
You are required to turn in two short papers analyzing the debates presented in the DiClerico book. These papers are 110 points each and are explained in more detail HERE.
Course Requirements |
Grading Policy: Grades are awarded on a Standard Scale: |
| 1.
Two short papers 2. 12 Quizzes 3. Midterm Exam 4. Final examination 5. List-Serve Participation |
(220
pts) (180 pts) (250 pts) (300 pts) (50 pts) |
A B C D F |
1000
- 900 899 - 800 799 - 700 699 - 600 599 and below |
Dates to Remember |
| JANUARY
6: JANUARY 7: JANUARY 15: JANUARY 15-17: |
First Day of Class Last Day to Drop w/out a "W" 1st Paper Due MIDTERM |
JANUARY 22: JANUARY 27: JANUARY 28-30: |
Last Day to Drop w/ a "W" Second Paper Due FINAL EXAM |
Course Outline
WEEKS I and II (January 6 - 16)
| What is American Politics? Total Recall: California's Political Circus |
Text, Ch 1, DiClerico, Ch 1
(pp 1-26) |
| The
U.S.
Constitution: Rules of the Political
Game American Federalism: Eighty-Seven Thousand Governments |
Text, Ch 2; DiClerico, Ch 2 Text, Ch 3; DiClerico, Ch 3 (pp. 52-57) |
| Civil Liberties in
America Civil Liberties and the War on Terrorism |
Text,
Ch 4; DiClerico, Ch 14 (pp.
257-273) |
| The Politics of Civil Rights "If the Election Were Held Today": Understanding Public Opinion |
Text, Ch 5;
DiClerico, Ch 15 (pp. 274-284) Text, Ch 6; DiClerico, Ch 4 |
SHORT PAPER #1 DUE: Friday, January 15 by 11:59 pm
QUIZZES: Chapters 1-6 must be completed by Saturday, January 16 at 11:55 pm.
MIDTERM: January 15-17 (availability ends 1/17 at 11:55 pm)
WEEKS III and IV (January 17 - 30)
|
Political Parties in Interest Group Politics |
Text, Ch 8;
DiClerico, Ch 8 Text, Ch 7 |
|
Campaigns
and Elections in Political Communication in the Media Age |
Text, Ch 9; DiClerico Ch 6, 7 (pp. 111-118) |
| Congressional Politics Presidential Politics The Federal Judiciary Bureaucratic Politics Politics and American Foreign Policy |
Text,
Ch 10, DiClerico, Ch 10 (pp. 155-166) Text, Ch 11; DiClerico, Ch 11; SJ Mercury News Article Text, Ch 13; DiClerico, Ch 13 (pp. 206-218) Text, Ch 12; DiClerico, Ch 12 Text, Ch 15 |
SHORT PAPER #2 DUE: Thursday, January 28 by 11:59 pm
QUIZZES: Chapters 7-13, and 15 must be completed by Friday, January 29 at 11:55 pm.
FINAL EXAM: January 28-30 (availability ends Saturday, 1/30 at 11:55 pm)