Georgia Institute of Technology - Ivan Allen College School of Public Policy

POL 1101 DM - GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES Fall 2011

Class time: T/R.: 12:05pm 1:25pm Classroom: DM Smith 105 Professor: Daniel Matisoff E-mail: matisoff@gatech.edu Phone: 404.385.2623 Cell: 404.219.7127 Mailbox: DM Smith 110 Grader: Kathryn Jones E-mail: Kathryn.jones@gatech.edu Office hours: DM Smith 308, T/R 2-3pm or by appointment Lunch Sessions: DM Smith 108, Times TBD

Course Description & Objectives This course provides an introduction to American government. Specifically, your goal in this course is to be able to interpret government processes and decisions critically, systematically, and accurately. You should focus on learning how the institutions and processes of government relate to each other and to the fundamental design principles, and why simple political statements or ideological positions are almost always inadequate or misleading. The course strives to introduce you to theories related to American government and be able to apply them to current policy debates. Given the current major policy debates and the theme of policy change in the past election, there will be a particular emphasis on policy change how it happens, what makes it more or less likely, and the relationship between U.S. government institutions and policy change. In addition to basic course objectives, I hope to develop your individual study and group work skills. College courses (at least in the social sciences & humanities) require large reading loads that may not be customary for those in the sciences. I hope to help you learn how to comprehend and digest large amounts of information by reading quickly while comprehending the main arguments. In addition, you will have a group project that will help aid group facilitation, which is an important skill while you are in college and afterwards, whether you work for a non-profit, government, or business. Finally, you will have individual assignments as well, which will aid your personal study skills development. Please come see me early if you have any apprehensions or are having difficulties with course materials. Required Materials and Readings I will attempt to have all of the required and recommended books placed on reserve at the library. I am seeking to reduce the amount of books you have to buy and put as much as possible online. These books are also available at the Engineers Bookstore. In addition, you can probably get them cheaper at amazon.com, half.com, abebooks.com, betterworldbooks.com, or
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other used online sources. Some are available used for quite cheap. Abebooks.com & Betterworldbooks.com are excellent resources for used books! Device compatible with Georgia Techs New Turning Point Clicker System http://www.cetl.gatech.edu/it/clicker.htm* (Note you can purchase a turning point clicker, or can download ResponseWare software to work with your laptop, iPod, or iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile or other wifi device) Janda, Berry, & Goldman. The Challenge of Democracy. 11th edition. (10th edition is sufficient, but please do not attempt to use earlier editions). The Bill: How Legislation Really Becomes Law: A Case Study of the National Service Bill Steven Waldman Penguin Books (Note: this book is out of print, however, Engineers has been able to secure enough copies in the past. In addition, I will place copies on reserve at the Library) Showdown at Gucci Gulch: Lawmakers, Lobbyists, and The Unlikely Triumph of Tax Reform Jeffrey Birnbaum and Alan Murray Vintage Books Additional Required Materials will be placed on T-Square Additional Materials on Reserve For Group Projects: Understanding Public Policy 12th ed., Dye, Thomas Public Policy Cochran & Malone American Public Policy Problems Bonser & McGregor Economics of the Public Sector, Stiglitz, Joseph; WW Norton Communications: By far the easiest way to get a hold of me is through email at matisoff@gatech.edu. I will check my email regularly and will respond as soon as I am able. I will also be maintaining regular office hours, and am happy to meet with you in my office outside of established hours if I am available and if an appointment is arranged in advance. My cell phone # is listed at the top in case of an urgent matter (such as not being able to find me for a previously scheduled appointment). I will also be frequently using T-Square for posting course announcements and readings. When a new material is posted, you will also receive an e-mail via T-Square. Grading & Attendance: Your course grade is composed of six parts: Policy Memo Group Grade Policy Memo Individual Grade Midterms (2) Final Exam Individual Essay Assignment 70 points (8.75%) 80 points (10%) 100 points ea (200 pts total) (25%) 150 points (18.75%) 210 points (26.25%)
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Participation / pop quizzes Total = 800 points (100%) Grading Scale: 90 100 = A 80 89.9 = B 70 79.9 = C 60 69.9 = D

90 points (11.25%)

< 59.9 = F

Attendance & Participation Policy: Attendance is mandatory and roll will be taken through the TurningPoint response system software. I will periodically offer pop quizzes (conducted through TurningPoint), based on the reading for class, that will comprise your participation score. If you are not present, you will not be able to make them up. Each pop quiz will be 15 points 5 points for being in class, and 10 points assigned for correct answers. There will be 8 of these, randomly assigned, throughout the semester. Points awarded in excess of the 75 points allocated in the syllabus will allow you to drop your lowest scores, and will also contribute to extra credit. Because there are up to 3 extra pop quizzes (plus some other extra credit opportunities) this essentially allows you to have 3 unexcused absences (on non-group project days) without penalty. In addition, consistent attendance and good participation may increase your course grade by up to three percentage points. Attendance during the Policy Memo is absolutely mandatory. Your grade on the Policy memo will be reduced by 20 points for unexcused absences during class scheduled activities. Georgia Tech has procedures and staff to help students with disabilities; contact the ADAPTS unit in the Dean of Students office. Readings: You are expected to complete all book and additional article readings for this class by the due date listed on the syllabus. Discussion in class will depend heavily on readings you have completed for that days class. There will be additional short articles posted to T-Square in addition to the book chapters listed below. Please pay attention to T-Square. Classroom Etiquette: Disrespectful behaviors include: use of a cell phone, pager, or personal music player, reading a newspaper, or disrupting the lecture by making noise. Please be respectful of your professor and your classmates. In the past, this has not been a major problem. Book Review / Individual Essay: Part of this class will be learning to read and appreciate literature that is written for the general, educated, public. In keeping I have selected several books for these projects. Both books deal with policy change and how a bill becomes a law. The Bill deals with Americorps and Student Loan reform. Showdown at Gucci Gulch deals with

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comprehensive Tax Reform under Reagan. You will receive a memo that describes the expectations for the essay. Policy Memo: Details about this exercise will be discussed at the beginning of the course. Your grade for this project will be based on both the quality of the groups effort and your individual contribution. Midterms & Final: The midterms will cover material from class readings and lectures. The final will do the same, emphasizing the last portion of the course, but will be cumulative. These will be multiple choice. HONOR CODE: By accepting admission to the Institute you have agreed to abide by the Honor Code, which was initiated and designed by the student government. Students are expected to avoid any instances of academic misconduct including, but not limited to: 1) possessing, using, or exchanging improperly acquired written or oral information in the preparation of an exam or paper; 2) substitution of material that is wholly or substantially identical to that created or published by others; 3) false claims of performance or work. If you have a question about what is permissible, ask. THE POL 1101 WEB PAGE: A T-Square site will provide this syllabus, required readings, and lecture outlines.

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Georgia Institute of Technology - Ivan Allen College School of Public Policy

Class Schedule and Readings

Week 1 - What does the Government Do? 8/23 Readings: Syllabus ; Janda 1; TaxPolicyCenter

8/25 Models of Democracy: Janda 2; (Models of Democracy Folder) Switzerland Article; Prop 8 Article; Visitor Logs to White house; Democracy Index

8/26 ***(Drop Deadline without W)

Week 2: 8/30 - Constitution: Janda 3; US Constitution & Amendments (A-3); Federalist 10, Federalist 51 (find them freely available online, not in Appendix); Republicans Hot, Cold on Constitution 9/1 - Federalism: Janda 4; Recession & State Budgets article Week 3: 9/6 - Public Opinion & Socialization: Janda 5; Hispanic Voters article; Politics and Genes

9/8 - The Media: Janda 6; Media Bias article; Media bias 2; Media bias 3; Paul Supporters decry media neglect

Week 4: 9/13 Participation & Voting: Janda 7; Why Vote; Tea Party Vow; Final Gallup Poll; 2008 election data

9/15 Catch-up and Review

Week 5: 9/20: EXAM 1 9/22: Political Parties: Janda 8; Tea Party CQ (42pp); Tea Party WSJ; Tea Party Popularity; Week 6 9/27: Elections and Campaigns: Janda 9; Supreme Court Campaign Finance Article; Open Secrets Campaign Finance Article **Policy Memo Group Meeting I

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9/29: Interest Groups: Janda 10; ATF oversight limited in face of gun lobby; New Push to Strengthen Mine Safety; Lobbying Database Week 7: 10/4: Congress: Janda 11; (Congress Articles) Pressures on for deficit panel; Speech and Debate Clause; Senate Democrats support filibuster reform; How to Govern in a Deeply Divided Congress; GOP House Majority at risk; Biden, McConnell and the Making of a Deal 10/6: The Presidency: Janda 12; Obamas Vision Problem; Obama Approval Polarization; Obama Executive Power; The Polarizing President ** Policy Memo Group Meeting II (15 minutes)

Week 8: 10/11 Janda 13 Bureaucracy; (Bureaucracy Articles) Minerals Management Service Article; Egg farms violated safety rules; BPA Plastic; 5 Myths about Federal Workers 10/14 ***Drop w/W Deadline 4pm Week 9: 10/18 - Fall Break 10/20 Janda 14 Courts; Judicial Spending; Courts overturn same-sex marriage ban; Iowa Judges Defeated after ruling on Same Sex Marriage; 15 Minutes Group Meeting Time

Week 10: 10/25: Policy Memo Group Meeting Time 10/27: Policy Memo Group Meeting Time Week 11: 11/01: Review; Policy Memo Due 11/03: EXAM II Week 12: 11/08: Civil Liberties: Janda 15, Janda 16: Monitoring America; State appeals courts decision on Immigration Law; Did U.S. trade freedom for security after 9/11?

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11/10: Policy-making & Policy Change: Janda 17; Health Care Reform Bill Passed; Congress passes financial reform bill

Week 13: 11/15: Economic Policy: Theories of Economic Growth; Budgets, Deficits, and Taxes: Janda 18; (Economic Policy Readings) The Saving Mentality; Why We Need a Second Stimulus; Lost Decade for American Family Income; Debt, Deficit, & Taxes; GOP Myth of Job Killing Spending; Running in the Red; How surplus became a deficit

11/17: Economic Policy Continued (Finish those readings) Week 14: 11/22: Health Care Policy (Health Care Folder) U.S. Healthcare costs background brief; Controlling Health Care Spending; Health Care Debt Analysis; Health Care Waste; Politics of Health Care; PLUS read the book section in domestic policy on Health care

11/24 Thanksgiving Week 15: 11/29: Social Security Janda 19; Social Security Orszag & Diamond; ***Individual Essay Due***

12/01: Education Policy Education Policy Chapter; Study rethinks importance of kindergarten teachers; challenges replicating success in charter schools Week 16: 12/06: Energy Policy & Climate Change (Articles in Energy Policy & Climate Change): American Energy Policy; Building a Green Economy; Climate Change Science; Climate Change Science2; Energy Policy is too far complicated; How to Win the Energy War; Global Warming Skepticism in Tea party

12/08: Catchup / Review

Final Exam: December 15: 11:30 2:20

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