Course Professor Term Meetings

GOVT 2301.003 Constitutional Foundations and Political Behavior in the U.S. and Texas Dr. Gregory S. Combs Fall 2011 Mon, Wed, & Fri: 12:00pm - 12:50pm in HH 2.402

Professors Contact Information Email Address Office Location Office Hours Other Information gcombs@utdallas.edu GR 3.610 (Please email me before coming by) Mondays, 10:00am - 11:30am (or by appointment) Please do not send me electronic messages through eLearning (Blackboard).

Teaching Assistants Contact Information Name Email Address Office Location Office Hours Whitney Manzo wrm081000@utdallas.edu GR 3.516 Mondays & Wednesdays, 1:30pm - 3:30pm

General Course Information Course Description This course examines the evolution and current state of political behavior and public policy making in the U.S. and Texas. Topics discussed will include the constitutions, federalism, intergovernmental relations, voting, elections, political parties, public opinion, and interest groups. Upon completing GOVT 2301 & 2302 students will be able to: 1. Provide examples and apply important theoretical and scholarly approaches to explaining state and national institutional behavior, citizen involvement, and interaction between citizens and institutions of government; 2. Analyze and appreciate historical trends in the development of government institutions and their constitutional foundations; 3. Identify, describe, and analyze various mechanisms of citizen political involvement.

Learning Outcomes

General Course Information Required Texts & Materials Benjamin Ginsberg, Theodore Lowi, and Margaret Weir. We the People: An Introduction to American Politics, Eighth Texas Edition. ISBN 9780393149579. (The 7th edition is also acceptable). Note: The textbook has a website for the aid of students: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/polisci/we-the-people8/texas/ Here, you will find outlines, vocabulary exercises, and self-diagnostic multiple choice exam questions covering each chapter. This course will use Instructure for online quizzes, see below for details. In addition to the required readings, you should read the newspaper, listen to NPR, or even watch the Daily Show or the Colbert Report regularly. The intent of this directive is to keep you informed of current events in politics and government, for online discussions.

Course Policies You should carve out regular amounts of time each week to complete your reading, assignments, and quizzes. It is critical that you login to Instructure and complete each chapters tasks prior to the next exam date. Grade Allocation: 20 % -- Chapter Quizzes (dropping the lowest 2 quiz grades) 70 % -- Exams - (3 exams, dropping the lowest grade) 10 % -- Periodic Assignments Grading Scale: Grade percentages will be translated into the final letter grade for the course as follows: A+: 97-100 A: 94-96 A-: 90-93 B+: 87-89 B: 84-86 B-: 80-83 C+: 77-79 C: 74-76 C-: 70-73 D+: 67-69 D: 64-66 D-: 60-63 F: 59-less

Grading Criteria

Due to the fact that the university's eLearning/Blackboard system induces migraines when I merely pronounce the words, we will be using Canvas by Instructure for this course.

Canvas by Instructure

Canvas/Instructure is a technology based learning aid. Because of this, occasional, brief outages are possible. In general, it is strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last minute to take your quizzes. According to Murphys law, problems occur when least convenient. Procrastinate at your own risk. If you are unfamiliar with Canvas or need help, please contact us or visit the following website for specific assistance: http://support.instructure.com I may announce any opportunities for extra credit during the course of the semester. I will only offer extra credit opportunities at my discretion. Any opportunities that may arise will account for no more than 5% of your final grade.

Extra Credit

Course Policies Quizzes -- Each chapter has a related online quiz that you must complete in Instructure (not eLearning). Quizzes are available anytime before the next exam. Upon the respective exam day, any missed quizzes receive a zero. You will have two chances to successfully complete each chapter quiz, in order to allow for any network instability or computer-related issues. For each chapter quiz, you will have 25 minutes to complete it once you start it. Quizzes are open book / open notes, as such, you may refer to your book or other materials while you take the quizzes, however the maximum time limit will be a factor so you should only attempt a quiz once you are adequately prepared. It is your responsibility to take and complete the quiz before it expires, noting the date and time that the module closes. Missed quizzes cannot be made up or reviewed, although we will drop the two lowest quiz grades. You must complete the respective chapter quizzes before the day of the exam. Sharing your quiz answers or discussing the content of chapter quizzes with other students constitutes cheating and is subject to punishment as per University standards and practices. Exams There will be three primary in-class exams over the course of the semester, covering readings as well as in-class lectures. However, only your two highest grades on the exams will be included in your final grade, collectively accounting for 70%. If you bomb the first exam, your grades on the subsequent exams may remedy it. Therefore, if you are absent during an exam, you will not get a make-up; rather, you will receive a zero on that exam with the expectation that your performance on the other exams will be sufficiently stellar. You must bring your student ID along with any required testtaking materials (scantrons, pencils) on exam day. Possession and use of any electronic devices (cell phone, iPod, etc.) during exams is considered proof of cheating and subject to disciplinary action. Leave any such devices turned off in your sealed backpack underneath the desk. Periodic Assignments Occasionally, I will post additional short assignments and activities, to be completed and submitted within a given period of time. Attendance and Participation Active participation in class discussions is an important requirement for this course. Regular and prompt attendance is required. I expect each of you to read and be conversant for each days required materials BEFORE the day of the course meeting. Be prepared to speak fluently on topics relevant to the days discussion. Please remember the basic courtesies when disagreeing with others in the room. Speak clearly, concisely, and do not engage in shouting matches. At the same time, if you merely sit there and absorb without examining the issues critically, you are missing out. The college campus is truly one of the last places to voice your ideas in a public forum. I will not provide notes or outlines for any missed classes. However, since you are responsible for everything discussed in class, regardless of your personal attendance, you should obtain any missed notes from a trusted colleague.

Quizzes and Course Requirements

Student Citizenship

Civility and mutual respect not only with me, as the professor, but also with your fellow students is positively mandatory. If you cannot conduct yourself as a responsible, civil adult, you will be referred to the appropriate University administrative department and may suffer penalties as a result.

Course Schedule
Date Topic Readings

Aug 24 - Aug 26

Introduction to Course American Political Culture The Founding and the Constitution Federalism
University Closed for Labor Day

Syllabus Chapter 1 Chapter 2; Appdx pgs A7-A24 Chapter 3

Aug 29 - Sept 2 Sept 5 Sept 7 - Sept 9 Sept 12 - Sept 16 Sept 19 Sept 21 - Sept 23 Sept 26 - Sept 30

Civil Liberties Civil Rights Exam 1 Public Opinion The Media Political Participation and Voting

Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Ch. 1-5 quizzes now locked Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Take notes for exam questions Take notes for exam questions Chapter 11 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Take notes for exam questions Chapter 10 (Continued) Take notes for exam questions Ch. 6-11 quizzes now locked Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22

Oct 3 - Oct 7

Special Topic: Suffrage & Voting Special Topic: Political Behavior Models

Oct 10 - Oct 14

Interest Groups Political Parties Campaigns and Elections Film: Justice for Sale Campaigns and Elections (Continued) Special Topic: Redistricting Exam 2 Texas Political Culture, People, and Economy The Texas Constitution Parties and Elections in Texas Interest Groups, Lobbying, and Lobbyists in TX
University Closed for Thanksgiving

Oct 17 - Oct 21

Oct 24 - Oct 26 Oct 28 Oct 31 - Nov 4 Nov 7 - Nov 11 Nov 14 - Nov 18 Nov 21 - Nov 23 Nov 25 Nov 28 - Dec 2 December 5

The Texas Legislature Exam 3

Chapter 23 All remaining quizzes locked

Additional UTD policies regarding student conduct and discipline, academic integrity, email use, withdrawing from class, grievance procedures, incomplete grades, disability services, religious holy days, and resources to help you succeed can be found at: http://go.utdallas.edu/syllabus-policies