POLS -1101-American Government.

Office Hours:

My office is located in 221 Bowen Hall. The times you may find me there during Fall-09: MWF 1:00-3:00 pm. For T & Th: 10:00-11:00 am& 1:00-2:00pm . Or/and by appointment. You can reach me there or leave a message at 391-5083.  You can also reach me through e-mail at mhassouna@abac.edu

 

Required Text: American Government and Politics Today: 2009-2010 edition. wadsworth.

Get the study guide by visiting: www.cengage.com/wadsworth. Please Read the BOOK

 

**Extra Credit Book(s). . A People’s History of the United States 1492-Present. By Howard Zinn. Harper Collins. Latest edition.. Available at ABAC Bookstore . -

 

Course Description:

Learning support course in English 99 is pre request for this class. POLS-1101- is an introductory course covering the essential facts of federal, state, and local governments in the United States. The origin, development, organization, and practices of national and state governments will be examined. This course satisfies state law requiring examination on Georgia and United States Constitutions.

We will be  covering the essential themes and facts of the political system and governments in the United States.   POLS 1101:  is a beginning class divided into three sections:  The  Foundations, Peoples in politics, and Institutions.

 

Please keep in mind that we will probably not cover all of these topics in great details, but I would like to give you the universe from which we will draw from. Each issue is the focus of a chapter(s) in the text but note that I see the text as a starting point NOT the sole determinant of our class session. Therefore your explorations outside of class are paramount. . This means that the time spent on individual chapters may vary significantly. As we progress through the course, I will provide details of individual class sessions within these broad areas. Politics is known as an eclectic discipline and this is a survey class so there will be some "shifting of gears" in places. I will try to keep you posted on where we are going and where we have been. If you feel lost or would like a better preview of particular sections of the class, let me know.  I hope you will assess what you are learning here with a critical eye. For example, try to ask yourself if you agree with the logic and conclusions of the authors of the text or readings or, for that matter, those of the instructor. You should feel free to draw my attention to contradictions or misgivings you have about ideas expressed in class. I may call on you to express these feelings and engage me in discussion of your viewpoint. It is my responsibility to try to answer your questions and in return, I expect you to try to answer mine”!

 

From these three sections, we will generate the following lessons:

LESSON 1:  Tracing the events that led to the writing of the U.S. Constitution

a. Reviewing the compromises that were necessary for the Constitution to be ratified

b. Describe the process of "the nationalization of the Bill of Rights.

c. Distinguish between the establishment and free exercise clause of the first amendment.

d. Summarize how the Constitution and the Bill of Rights protect the rights of accused persons.

e. Describe how the Supreme Court has enforced the right to privacy.

f. Explain the role of media, interest groups, elections and voting, political parties and public opinion as an example of what people do in politics.

 

LESSON 2:  -a-Considering how the national government should relate to the states –b- exploring the role played by different branches of government in shaping that relationship –c- understanding the political implications of changes in the federal structure- d- Reviewing how congress is organized –e- tracing the law-making process –f- Understanding why representatives vote as they do. g -a-Distinguishing the president's formal and informal powers –h- recognizing the President’s formal and informal duties –i- considering the president's role in the larger executive branch

 

LESSON 3: -a-Laying out the structure of state and federal courts –b-.understanding judicial processes at the federal level –c-.reviewing the most important Supreme Court rulings.

 

 

 

 

Learning Objectives/Learning Outcomes: 

Learning Outcome:   Upon completion of POLS 1101, the student will be able to:

1: Identify the prominent political ideologies in United States politics and describe their respective beliefs, values and goals in written essay exams and in class discussion.

2: Explain to the instructor and other students in the class how the participants in the political arena put political ideas into action, and how these ideas affect them directly.

3: Write an essay and discuss how advertising and the mass media influence political behavior in US politics.

4: Compare and contrast the powers of the US Congress, the Presidency and the Supreme Court.  Students will be able to describe in written essay exams the roles and positions of each of the three branches of government on major political issues of the day.

5: Describe and interrelate some of the basic ideas in American politics which appeared in the Federalist Papers and in the US Constitution.

6: Analyze how leadership works and the role leadership takes in different areas of US politics.

Methods of Assessment:

1: Read, interpret, analyze, and evaluate written discourse.  We accomplish this outcome especially by having five reading summary assignments to  address the five lessons generated for this course. . 2: Write clearly and appropriately in a variety of contexts.  We do this by using a variety of writing assignments on videos or other sources that will be given to you, ranging from reading summaries, to analyses of reading material, to essay examinations. 3: Recognize and understand the choices and responsibilities of involved citizenship.  We accomplish this by examining the American government from the perspective of a citizen, so that students have a sympathetic understanding of the government and the values it seeks to promote. 4: Articulate the assumptions, factual information, and theoretical constructs at the basis of the government structure.  We will accomplish this through testing.

Objectives: 1. Students will be able to explain how participating in government put political ideas into action, and how these ideas affect students directly. 2. Students will be able to write a visual essay-to be explained in class- and discuss how advertising and the mass media influence Political behavior in US politics. 3. Students will compare and contrast the powers of the US Congress, the Presidency and the Supreme Court. Students will be able to describe in written essay exams the roles and positions of each of the three branches of government on major political issues of the day.

 

In addition to the above, a multiple choice pre-test/post-test format is used to assess accomplishment of learning outcomes  in POLS 1101. 

 

: ATTENDANCE POLICY. My policy is that YOU MUST attend all classes. NO EXCUESES!!- Read INSTITUTIONAL ABSENCE!! For detail.

 

COURSE CHANGES:
There may be times when the assignments listed in the printed course materials vary from this syllabus and/or from the materials distributed to the class.  However, despite changes to assignments, the learning objectives remain unchanged.  

PARTICIPATION:
You need to actively participate in class for this to be an enriching learning experience for everyone.   Participation is therefore a significant determinant in your final grade.  Please note that rants and raves will not be considered as participation. It may actually affect your grade negatively. NO EXCUESES

 

 

In addition to completing the assignments, you should read, analyze, and respond to questions and comments from your classmates and the instructor. In short, you are required to actively participate in our classroom discussions. While submitting your assignments will be taken into consideration when determining your level of participation, what I am really looking for is evidence that you will be an active participant in the learning experience. Try to relate "real world" experiences as much as possible to our activities and discussions. I will look for comments that explore the content of the course material and develop collaborative skills. Your comments should add significantly to the discussion by building on others' comments, suggesting alternative solutions, pointing out problems, and even at times, constructively disagreeing.  Please make sure you substantiate any comments you make with "good reasons."

 

INCOMPLETE/LATE ASSIGNMENTS: 

Both incomplete and late assignments are strongly discouraged. We have numerous objectives to cover in just a few weeks.  This makes it extremely difficult to catch up if you fall behind the class.  While I am reluctant to apply neither an absolute policy stipulating that late assignments will not be accepted nor incomplete grades awarded, please be advised that both incidents will be penalized harshly.  Additionally, unexcused absences/tardy submissions will only be accepted at my discretion.

Attendance Policy II: NO EXCUESES

 

I will be checking attendance at the beginning of the class period. Lecture materials will not necessarily coincide with the text and will often delve into particular topics in greater detail while reducing emphasis on others --if you miss even ONE class, you miss out and so do I! Habitual absence will not be tolerated and will be penalized severely. This penalty may extend above and beyond the participation grade and in extreme cases may lead to a failing grade for the class. You are responsible for attending all class meetings, completing assignments on time, and taking all quizzes and exams. Missing class's means missing essential material needed in order to maintain class and course continuity; as such, it is greatly discouraged.  When absences from the class (in hours) that exceed the number of class units-in this class-, 3 hours. You are expected to remain for the full class period; if you leave early, you will be marked absent. Medical appointments, work, job interviews, child care responsibilities, etc., should be arranged so as not to occur during class time. Please do not make requests for exceptions, none will be granted. Students are responsible for all materials and information given in class. Students absent when handouts and returned exams are distributed must arrange to pick up these materials during posted office hours.  I have Zero tolerance policy.   A student misses one class, his/hers grade will be degraded.  Absence from class for whatever reason does not excuse a student from full responsibility for class work or assignments missed. NO EXCUESES.  Attendance is calculated into your final grade as a part of class participation.  It is important that you attend class regularly as well as participate in an informed manner.  In short,  you will be assigned a participation grade based on my observations of your performance and periodic attendance checks.  It is not possible to complete this course with a minimum grade of “C” without regularly attending class. 

Withdrawal Policy: Those withdrawn before mid-term deadline Thu., October 8, 4:30 PM -, will receive the grade of (W), and those withdrawn after this date will receive the grade of F.

 

Student Evaluation

Please Note: You will not be evaluated for the course based on your opinions, As a matter of fact; I will never ask for an opinion and please do not volunteer yours unless we covered Chapter six. Only then I may ask you to give a perspective, a point of view, based on what we are teaching and learning from this course. 

1. Tests:  there will be total of (3 exams on line)  - given throughout the semester. Each exam is worth= 25% . Total 75% of the total course grade.

“Students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the readings and current events of the day. To inspire students to follow current events, each test will include "extra credit" questions relating to contemporary political issues we covered in the class room”.

2. Classroom Participation and weekly Homework Assignments and or Response papers, and quizzes (based on readings, Videos, lectures etc. = (25%).

“The number of assignments will depend on the level of classroom participation. If it becomes apparent that the class is not doing the assigned reading, the instructor will provide additional homework”.

You must get familiar with the following internet sources.

2.                  http://www.thenation.com. Discussions (Bring to class)

3.                  http://www.independent.co.uk. News Only

4.                  http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice. News Only

5.                  http://www.harpers.org. Discussions (Bring to class)

6.                  http://www.economist.com. Discussions (Bring to class)

7.                  http://www.pbs.org/

8.                  http://www.linktv.org

9.                  www.nationalpriorities.com

10.              www.thedailyshow.com

Since we are all exposed to the mass media in general, one should find other sources.

 

Students MUST turn in a print out of one article- from the discussions sources- The articles must be related to the issues we covered in the class for the day from these sites. Grade points will be given to students who turn in the article and either discussing it with class or make a side notes for the discussions while reading it at home (Bring to class only the articles from the discussion sites i.e. www.thenation.com site). I will explain this in the first day of classes. . . Those who fail to submit one will lose points from the Participation- value- of this weekly assignments -by the way- is  equal to the value of any exam. It’s 25% of your total grade.   Through out the course, I will keep updating and adding new sources.  NO EXCUESES

 

 

NOTE:  While driving around listen to National Public Radio (NPR) stations (91.7 FM or 91.1 FM State of Georgia radio stations) or (88.9FM State of Florida radio station, or wherever you have a good reception for any of NPR stations.  www.npr.org. )

 

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS -Tentative-

Please Note this course will use significant number of short and long documentaries and videos.

 

READ THE TEXT BOOK PLEASE

Part One:   The American System: Introduction to politics: Video,

Chapter 1, Chapter 2 & Chapter 3, & A review of the video.

FIRST TEST- Take home-on line

 

Part two: Civil Liberties & Civil- Liberties:

 Video, Chapters 4 & 5 & A review of the video.

SECOND TEST – Take home-on line

Part three: People & Politics:

Video, Chapters, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 & A review of the video.

THIRD TEST: Take home-on line

Part Four: Political Institutions: 

Video, Chapters 11, 12, 13 & 14 &  A review of the video.

Final A: Take home-on line

Part Five: Policy: Chapters 15, 16, & 17 & A review of the video.

Final B. (TBA)- Electronic Essay- Video- in class

Please Note that I will assign an extra readings for the chapters from different sources as we go forward in the course.

**Book Review Due: Mon., December 7. The paper must be no less than five (5) typed pages. It must be submitted electronically to my e mail. On Dec. 7^th.  All students must email it to me before class time that day. . 

 Book Review: Remember that things which may be clear with the book in front of you won't necessarily be obvious to a reader who has only the review to go on. Here are some questions which may help you formulate a non-fiction review:

Ask yourself questions like these:

What is the specific thesis, problem, or research question that my review helps to define? What am I looking at? what is the scope of my review? What types of publications am I using (e.g., journals, books, government documents, popular media)? What discipline am I working in (e.g., history, nursing, psychology, sociology, medicine, political science)? Have I critically analyzed the literature I use? Do I follow through a set of concepts and questions, comparing items to each other in the ways they deal with them? Instead of just listing and summarizing items, do I assess them, discussing strengths and weaknesses? Will the reader find my literature review relevant, appropriate, and useful? Has the author formulated a problem/issue? Is it clearly defined? Is its significance (scope, severity, relevance) clearly established? What is the relationship between the theoretical and research perspectives? Has the author evaluated the literature relevant to the problem/issue? Does the author include literature taking positions she or he does not agree with? In what ways does this book or article contribute to our understanding of the problem under study, and in what ways is it useful for practice? What are the strengths and limitations?  How does this book or article relate to the specific thesis or question I am developing?

Methodologies of Instruction and Learning/Assessment: Subject material for this class will be in the form of lecture, overhead/video presentations, reading from the assigned chapters, and discussion:

Students Will be" responsible for the material in the textbook whether it is or is not covered in class.  Lecture notes may, or may not, be covered in the text so it is important that students pay attention to all class lectures. Learning is an active process and students are expected to take an active part in the discussion. Students must be prepared to discuss the material covered in the text and be able to discuss any material covered in lectures. It’s your responsibility to READ THE BOOK PLEASE..

Grading Scale: A: 90-100 B: 80-89 C: 70-79 D: 60-69 F: 59 and below

Any grade review must be initiated with the faculty member first, then if no response from  me, you go to the department chair, within thirty days of the end of the grading period in which the grade was reported.

General Policies: Any student found cheating, plagiarizing, or engaging in any other form of academic dishonesty will be reported to the appropriate department for disciplinary action which may result in receiving a grade of “F” for the course. (See pages 15- 71, 2002-2004 ABAC Catalogs).

Turn off your Cell phones. No recordings allowed. No cameras allowed. No texting allowed. If you violate this rule, I will address this violation immediately in the class room.

Tardiness Policy: Students are expected to be prompt to all class meetings. The instructor will begin class on time with no interruptions. If you are more than five minutes late, the instructor will keep a record of it. Any more than five times late without a valid excuse, the instructor will subtract three points from the final grade point average.-(see Administrative Procedures below)

Administrative Procedures:

1. A student that misses even One lecture his/hers final grade will be lowered one full letter grade.

2. A student who withdraws from any or all courses after the drop/add period and prior to mid-term will receive the grade of "W" for each course he/she was enrolled in at the time of the withdrawal.

3. Tardies are equal to an absence.

4. There are no make-ups for written assignments.

5. Accommodation will be made for student with special needs through the Disabilities Office.

Students with disabilities of any type must notify the instructor the first day of classes.

6. Turn off your cell phone before you come to class and keep it in your book back or do not bring them to class at all.  No talking or chatting with your classmates while the lectures/videos are in progress. No work is allowed for other classes while you are my class.

7. You cannot leave the classroom at your convenience, mainly during a video time. Students are expected to stay in the classroom unless the instructor gave a permission to leave.

8. No sleeping in my classes. This is a learning institution and it's not a Hotel.

9. Courtesy and respect to other opinions are expected at the highest level, all views are welcomed; that is when you are asked to give an opinion.

10. cheating on Exams or assignments will result in dismissal from this institution.-read College Policy on Academic Dishonesty.

 

11. Lectures are comprehensive and therefore, instructor will not give a study guide for any exam.

OTHER IMPORTANT HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS:*****
- The professor reserves the right to alter examination and assignment schedules.

- Examinations may not be completed prior to their schedules.

- Students are responsible for lecture notes and assignments that can be made up only when they result from illness, verified by a physician’s statement, participation in a institution sponsored, verified by a statement from a faculty sponsor, or emergencies approved by the appropriate departments or divisions. -Begin the grievance process at the level of the Professor.

- Under no circumstances should papers be left under the Professor’s door.
- Plagiarized papers will be severely penalized or rejected at the discretion of the faculty member.

-Cellular telephone rings, leaving the classroom to answer calls, excessive talking and other DISSRAPTIVE behavior that interferes with the teaching/learning environment will result in penalties to your overall grade. I do expect students to respect the academy.

 

*****

 

 

 

Critical Thinking:

Teaching Philosophy:

My philosophy of teaching revolves around the conviction that the task of education in general and teachers in particular is to encourage and enable students to escape self-tutelage and be able to critique themselves and society; in a healthy way. I subscribe to' Immanuel Kant's definition: “Tutelage is our inability to make use of our understanding without direction from another. And that self-tutelages, this tutelage when its cause lies not in lack of reason but in lack of resolution and courage without direction from another”. Kant went on to admonish us to "Know! To have courage to use our own reason!.

My educational philosophy informs my observation that by the time college/university -students reach the university/college curriculum they have created a form of self-tutelage by believing, that they must not appear to others as if they are learning anything: Which is another way of saying- cannot appear ignorant, or stupid.   It is like the feeling one gets when in a large city for the first time. One can not, by any means stare at the tall buildings, else the natives will know right away that you are a tourist. A stupid tourist of course. The reluctance to appear ignorant, or touristy if you will, is the most glaring obstacle to an otherwise excellent educational opportunity. The ultimate consequence is that students want a system that allows them to succeed without exposing their shortcomings; on the heels of which follows a teaching strategy calculated to teach without offense: students are afraid to confess ignorance. Teachers are afraid to expose ignorance-even in the name of eradicating ignorance. In short, the academy is feigning standards it simply does not actually aspire to reach in a very real sense.  My main teaching goal is to disabuse students of the notion that they should somehow know everything. Students can and must experience the fact that confessing ignorance is the first step in gaining knowledge. If college is a new experience, it by definition must be strange, even-unknown to a degree. Indeed, an educational experience-something experienced anew or for the first time-must by definition be somewhat uncomfortable. For if it is not. Then it is a redundancy, a waste of time. I firmly believe that most students are full of ideas and opinions that are suppressed-many for years-out of a simple fear of being wrong. This belief coupled with the corollary belief that others do not feel likewise, becomes the single most debilitating aspect of a student’s university career.  The teaching methods and strategies I have developed and employ are calculated to counter this pervasive difference. In order to learn, students must get past the anxiety of becoming vulnerable to the learning experience. My primary concern as a teacher is to coax, nudge, and assist students in this effort.

 

I hope you will assess what you are learning here with a critical eye. For example, try to ask yourself if you agree with the logic and conclusions of the authors of the text or readings or, for that matter, those of the instructor. You should feel free to draw my attention to contradictions or misgivings you have about ideas expressed in class. I may call on you to express these feelings and engage me in discussion of your viewpoint. It is my responsibility to try to answer your questions and in return, I expect you to try to answer mine!

 

Grade Tracking Sheet:

Please enter all your grades on this sheet, so you’ll know where you stand in this class all the time.-Grades will NOT be discussed by e mails or by phones. If you are concerned about your grade, Please stop by my office during office hours or have an appointment.

 

Exam  # 1. Grade__                 Or           test A;                   Test B:                

 

Exam # 2. Grade__                  Or           test A;                   Test B:                            

 

Exam # 3.  Grade_                   Or           test A;                   Test B:                

 

Final Grade                                         

 

Important dates and deadlines.  Fall-09

 

 

 

 

STUDENT CONTRACT:

 

I have read and understand the terms of the course syllabus for

M. Hassouna POLS-1101.  I agree to adhere to and abide by the requirements of this class as stated therein.

 

NAME (print) ________________________________________

 

STUDENT ID NUMBER _______________________________

 

SIGNATURE ________________________________________

 

DATE _______________________________

 

Disclaimer: I reserve the right to modify this syllabus as conditions warrant.