STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY GOVERNMENT 2306.008 M/W/F 9:00-9:50AM Ferguson 377 SPRING 2021

Professor Information Professor: Mrs. Rebecca J. McElyea Department of Government Office: Liberal Arts North #112 Office Hours: M/W/F 12-1PM & M 2-3PM in-person Email: [email protected] The best way to reach me is by using my SFASU email. During the week, I will return emails within 24 hours and on the weekend within 72 hours. Weekends begin at 5:00 pm on Fridays and conclude at 8:00 am on Mondays. SI Leader: Ms.Victoria Fortman SI Meeting Times: T/TH 6-7PM SI Location: TBD

Notice on Emails to Your Instructor:

There are very important things that you must do when you email me. • First, you need to check the syllabus to find out if your question has already been answered. Any emails sent with questions that have been answered in the syllabus will be responded with an attachment of the syllabus. • Second, you must include your name and class for the course in which you are enrolled. As an example, “Sally Mae Jones 2306.006” • Finally, I will only answer emails that originate from an official SFA email account. The university requires all communication between faculty members and students take place within university sponsored email servers.

CoVID-19 Mask Policy: You must wear a mask (cloth face coverings) must be worn over the nose and mouth at all times in this class and appropriate physical distancing must be observed. If you do not wear a mask and/or do not observe appropriate physical distancing, you will be asked to leave class. All incidents of not wearing a mask and/or not observing appropriate physical distancing will be reported to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Students who are reported for multiple infractions of not wearing a mask and/or not observing appropriate physical distancing may be subject to disciplinary actions. Information regarding face masks and other physical distancing may be found at:

1 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/social-distancing.html

Course Description: “This course introduces students to the origin and development of the Texas constitution, structure and powers of state and local government, federalism and intergovernmental relations, political participation, the election process, public policy, and the political culture of Texas..” General Bulletin, 2020-2021.

This three-credit hour face-to-face course requires approximate 150 minutes of classroom time/direct instruction as well as at least six hours of out-of-class reading and studying each week in preparation for exams and completion of writing assignments.

General Education Core Curriculum Objectives: In any given semester, one or more of the following Core Curriculum Objectives for the political science / government Foundational Component Area may be assessed.

Core Objective 1- Critical Thinking Skills – creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information Core Objective 2- Communication Skills – effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication Core Objective 3- Social Responsibility – intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to effectively engage in regional, national, and global communities Core Objective 4- Personal Responsibility – the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making

Program Learning Outcomes: This course is a general education core curriculum course and no specific program learning outcomes for a political science major are addressed in this course.

Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, you should be able to • Critically evaluate political science theories and approaches to institutional arrangements of Texas political system and to Texas public policy • Communicate your understanding and interpretation of institutional arrangements of the Texas political system, and well as key domestic and foreign policy issues • Understand social responsibility by examining Texas government policy choices as they effect various regional, national, and global communities • Understand, connect, and evaluate individual choices associated with Texas state public policy options and / or theories and approaches to institutional design of the Texas political system.

2 Purpose: This course is the first of two required political science courses designed to be an introduction to politics. The focus of this course is the inputs into the political process, and to some extent the political process itself. Although many of you are not majoring in political science, all of you will be affected by the political process. Hopefully by the end of this course you will not only be more informed about the political process, but also more interested and involved in it.

Required Reading:

Collier, Ken, Steven Galatas and Julie Harrelson-Stephens. 2020. Lone Star Politics (LSP) 6th edition.

Assessment:

Students are expected to read all content assigned as well as remain current regarding political events happening in both American and Texas politics throughout the duration of the course and should be able to comprehend and analyze both assigned text and current events.

You are expected to read the assigned material before class in order to participate actively and constructively in class.

Also, it is important that we keep up with contemporary events. Doing so will provide relevant examples for our in-class discussion and enhance your awareness of important issues. The following list are some of the news sources you may use BBC News, The Economist, The New York Times, The Texas Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Austin American-Statesman, and Reuters.

Grades for Texas Government 2306 Honors will be based on the completion of the following assignments:

There will be four exams given during the semester, each worth 50 points totaling 300 points of your course grade. Tests will cover material from the lecture and the reading. The exams we will be online in Brightspace. You will be given a span of three days and a time limit of 75 minutes per exam which will be strictly enforced. The final exam, worth 100 points will be cumulative. Each exam will combine short answer, matching, and multiple-choice questions. Each question will hold different point values. Missing an exam without the confirmation of an alternative test date, before the exam date, will result in a receiving the grade of a zero.

3 Another 50 points of your grade will come from your quiz grades. The quizzes are designed to help test your basic understanding of the chapter content. Be sure to complete the reading prior to taking the quiz for each module. All quizzes will close Wednesdays, at 11:59 PM.

Once during the semester, you will select a Friday to be the classes Legislative reporter and you’re reporting and the discussion following will account for 50 points of your course grade. As the Legislative reporter you will tell the class of the latest goings on in the Texas Legislature. Important events to keep up with include: the biennial budget, redistricting, newly introduced legislation, controversial legislation, and legislation that you yourself find interesting. I suggest you listen to the Texas Tribune’s podcast the Tribcast the week you are the class Legislative Reporter as well as read many news reports from the Texas Tribune, Austin-American Statesman, and other major Texas newspapers. Be prepared to discuss your legislative report with the class as well.

Once during the semester, you will select a Friday to give your self-selected book presentation. 50 points of your course grade will come from your book presentation and handout. Whereas the quizzes are designed to test basic knowledge, the book presentation is geared towards integrating the material in the lectures and readings with your own learning from your chosen book. Your book handout should be professional in nature and demonstrate your learning. At the end of the syllabus are suggested readings for this assignment—however, with instructor approval you may select your own reading for this assignment as well.

Your final 100 point will come from the Constitutional Convention exercise which will be ongoing throughout the semester. There will be multiple assignments associated with the constitutional convention. We will begin working on the constitutional convention after reading about the Texas constitution and its articles. You will continue to learn about how the constitution structures government as we proceed through the branches of the Texas government. As you become more familiar with the Texas constitution you will also become familiar with how it can be changed. As a class, as we progress through assignments related to the constitution you will either keep, revise, amend, the current Texas constitution. Finally, we will work on new clauses and identifying concepts the state has not yet included in the constitution. At the end of the semester, as a group, you will propose a new constitution for the state of Texas.

4 Assessment Weighting Information

The following are the weights given to your participation and discussions, exams, weekly assignments, and the date each assignment is due:

Assignment Date Grade Points Book Presentation and Handout Semester-Long 50 Legislative Reporter Semester-Long 50 Exam One 50 Exam Two (Midterm) 50 Exam Three 50 Exam Four (Final) 100 Quiz Grade Semester-Long 50 Constitutional Convention Semester-Long 100 Late Assignment Information

A detailed description of student expectations has been provided to you above. It is the student’s responsibility to turn in and complete fully all assignments by the deadlines listed above. Because dates have been provided to you in advance no late assignments will be accepted. This includes weekly assignments. Technical Support Statements

Technical Support Center

The Technical Support Center on campus provides technical support to the students, faculty, and staff of Stephen F. Austin State University. TSC provide telephone help desk support to most of the campus as well as provide free computer repair for computers belonging to students of the university. TSC hours are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday during the spring and fall semesters. TSC hours are the same during Maymester and summer sessions except we close at 5:00 p.m. on Fridays. TSC can be reached at (936) 468-HELP (4357) or at [email protected] TSC is located at 514 East Austin, north of the main SFA campus. Student E-mail

SFA Student e-mail is hosted by Microsoft Office 365. For help with e-mail passwords, please contact the Help Desk at (936) 468-HELP (4357). If students forget their mySFA password and have not set up their myPassword profile, they must contact the Office of the Registrar at (936) 468-2501.

5 University Policies and Additional Information

Academic Integrity (A-9.1)

Academic integrity is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of academic honesty, as well as abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and plagiarism.

Definition of Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one's own work when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one's paper without giving the author due credit.

Please read the complete policy at http://www.sfasu.edu/policies/academic_integrity.asp Withheld Grades Semester Grades Policy (A-54)

Ordinarily, at the discretion of the instructor of record and with the approval of the academic chair/director, a grade of WH will be assigned only if the student cannot complete the course work because of unavoidable circumstances. Students must complete the work within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms the WH will automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of computing the grade point average.

Students with Disabilities

To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building, and Room 325, 468-3004 / 468-1004 (TDD) as early as possible in the semester. Once verified, ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided. Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. For additional information, go to http://www.sfasu.edu/disabilityservices/.

6 Course Calendar Dates Chapter(s) Jan.8 First Day of Class/ Chapter 1 Jan. 11-15 Chapter 1- Texas Culture Jan. 18-22 Chapter 2- Texas Constitution Jan. 25-29 Chapter 3- Texas Legislature Feb. 1-5 Exam One Feb. 8-12 Chapters 4 & 5 Gov. & Plural Exec. Feb. 15-19 Chapters 5 & 6 TX Judiciary Feb. 22-26 Chapters 6 & 7 TX Judiciary / work on Constitutional Convention Mar. 1-5 Wrap up and exam 2 / Work on Constitutional Convention Mar. 6-14 SPRING BREAK Mar. 15-19 Chapter 8 Campaigns and Elections Mar. 22-26 Chapter 9 Political Parties Mar. 29- April 2 Chapter 10 Organized Interests April 6- 10 Wrap up and Exam 3 / Work on Constitutional Convention April 13-17 Chapter 12 Fiscal Policy April 19-23 Chapter 13 Energy, Trade, Environmental Policy April 26-30 Chapter 14 Social, Education, Health Policy May 3-7 FINAL EXAMS

7 Important Dates Event Date Class Begins January 8, 2021 Martin L. King Holiday January 18,2021 Last Day to drop/Withdraw March 17, 2021 Spring Break March 6-14, 2021 Last Day to withdraw from March 17, 2021 University Final Exams May 3-7, 2021

Other Relevant Course Information:

Bibliography Graves, J. (2002). Goodbye to a river: A narrative. Vintage Books. Morris, W. (2000). North toward home. Vintage Books. Dubose, L. & Ivins, M. (2002). Shrub: The short but happy political life of George W. Bush. Vintage Books. Minutaglio, B. & W. S., Michael (2009). Molly Ivins: A rebel life. Public Affairs. **good for a journalism major or feminist** Dallek, R. (2004). Lyndon B. Johnson: Portrait of a president. Oxford University Press. Dallek, R. (1991). Lone star rising Lyndon Johnson and his times1908-1960. Oxford University Press. Dallek, R. (1998). Flawed giant: Lyndon Johnson and his times, 1961-1973. Oxford University Press. **more about his time as president** Sterken Jr., R. E. (2016). Bill Ratliff: A profile of courage and Leadership in American politics. Lexington Books. Gwynne, S.C. (2010). Empire of the summer moon: Quanah Parker and rise and fall of the Comanches, the most powerful Indian tribe in American history. Scribner. Gwynne, S.C. (2014). Rebel yell: The violence, passion, and redemption of Stonewall Jackson. Scribner. Gwynne, S.C. (2019). Hymns of the republic: The story of the final year of the American Civil War. Scribner. Wright, L. (2019). God save Texas: A journey into the soul of the Lone Star State. Vintage Books. Michener, J. (1997). Texas: A novel. Random House. Briscoe, D. & Carleton, D. (2008). : My life in Texas ranching and politics. The University of Texas Press. Pettula, T. K. (1997). “The Caddo nation”: Archaeological and Ethnohistorical perspectives (T.R. Hestor, Ed.). The University of Texas Press. Donovan, J. (2012). The blood of heroes: The 13-day struggle for the Alamo—and the battle that forged a nation. Little, Brown and Company.

8 Kilmeade, B. (2019). and the Alamo avengers: The Texas victory that changed American history. Penguin Random House. Marquis, J. (1988). The Raven: A biography of Sam Houston. The University of Texas Press. Palmo, T. A., & Winegarten, R. (2003). Las Tejanas: 300 years of history. The University of Texas Press. Eckhardt, N. (2009). Duchess of palms: A memoir. The University of Texas Press. Keith, G. (2007). Eckhardt: There once was a Congressman from Texas. The University of Texas Press. Lavergne, G. M. (2010). Before Brown: Herman Marion Sweatt, Thurgood Marshall, and the long road to justice. The University of Texas Press. Pierce, P. J. (2003). “Let me tell you what I’ve learned”: Texas wise women speak. The University of Texas Press. Abrahams, R. D. & Bauman, R. (Eds.). (1981). “And other unneighborly names”: Social process and cultural images in Texas folklore. The University of Texas Press. Timmons, B. N. (1948). Garner of Texas: A personal history. Harper and Sons. Fisher, O.C. (1978). Cactus Jack: A biography of John Nance Garner’. Texian Press. Stroud, D. (1997). Flames and vengeance: The East Texas fires and the Presidential election of 1860. Pinecrest Publishing. Reid, J. (2013). Let the people in: The life and time of . The University of Texas Press. Reid, J. (2004). Rio Grande. University of Texas Press. Reid, J. & Sahm, S. (2010). Texas Tornado: The times and music of Doug Sahm. The University of Texas Press. Reid, J. (2004). The improbable rise of redneck rock: New edition. The University of Texas Press. ** Good for Music majors, music lovers, Austinites** Cannon, C. M., Dubose, L. & Reid, J. (2003). Boy genius: Karl Rove, the architect of George W. Bush’s remarkable political triumphs. Public Affairs. Dubose, L. & Reid, J. (2004). The Hammer: Tom DeLay, God, money, and the rise of the Republican Congress. Public Affairs. Johnson, B, H. (2003). Revolution in Texas: How a forgotten rebellion and its bloody suppression turned Mexicans in Americans. Yale University Press. **Mexican American Identity/ Hispanic American Demographic studies** Stephens, H. W. (1997). The Texas City disaster, 1947. The University of Texas Press. Galbraith, K. & Price, A. (2013). The great wind rush: How George Bush, Ann Richards, and a bunch of tinkerers helped the oil and gas state win the race to wind power. The University of Texas Press. ** Good for Forestry Major or Environmental/science focused major** Ainslie, R. C. (2004). Long dark road: Billy King and murder in Jasper, Texas. The University of Texas Press. ** Good for criminal justice majors** Wilson, C. (2014). In the governor’s shadow: The true story of Ma and Pa Ferguson. University of North Texas Press. Hardin, Stephen, L. (1996). Texian Iliad: A military history of the Texas Revolution. The University of Texas Press.

9 Ferguson, M. A., Paulissen, M. N., & McQueary, C. (1995). Miriam: The southern belle who became the first woman . Eakin Press. Alter, J. (2006). Miriam “Ma” Ferguson: First woman governor of Texas. State House Press. Douglas, C. L. & Miller, F. (1938). The life story of W. Lee O’ Daniel. Regional Press. Brands, H. W. (2005). Lone Star Nation: The Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence. Anchor. Books below are in the Steen library although I cannot guarantee they have not been checked out already (Additionally, books above have not been checked to be in the Steen library). Warren, B. (1996). Moses Austin and Stephen F. Austin: A gone to Texas dual biography. Hendrick-Long Publishing Company. Smithwick, N. (1983). The evolution of a state or recollections of old Texas days. The University of Texas Press. Holloman, R. (2010). Juan Seguin. Park East Press. Glasscock, S. (1951). Dreams of an empire; the story of Stephen Fuller Austin and his colony in Texas. Naylor Company. Prindle, D. F. (1981). Petroleum politics and the Texas Railroad Commission. The University of Texas Press. ** Good for anyone in oil, mining industry ** Helgesen, S. (1981). Wildcatters: A story of Texans, oil, and money. Beard Books. Bixel, P. B., & Turner, E. H. (2013). Galveston and the 1900 storm: castastrophe and catalyst. The University of Texas Press. **Reviews how a town rebuilds after destruction giving women larger roles, but Jim Crow laws still shut out African Americans ** Cox, M. (2009). Time of the Rangers: Texas Rangers, from 1900-present. Forge Books. Utley, R. M. (2002). Lone star justice: The first century of the Texas Rangers. Oxford University Press. Robinson, C. M. (2000). The men who wear the star: The story of the Texas Rangers. Random House. Montejano, D. (1987). Anglos and Mexicans in the making of Texas, 1836-1986 [eBook edition]. The University of Texas Press.

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