POS 2041-4167 American Government(3 Credits)

*COUSE SYLLABUS

ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE

Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences

POS 2041-4167—American Government(3 credits)

Spring 2018(01/08-05/04)

MondaysWednesdays 09:30a.m.—10:45a.m.

Classroom: SE-LI270

Instructor:Bledar Prifti, Ph.D.

Office:UP 240A

Office Hours:MW from 11:00a.m to 01:00p.m.

TR from 09:30a.m. to 11:30a.m.

Online only by appointment

Office Phone:727-394-6273

Contact:ONLY viamyCourses e-mail

Administration

Dr. Joseph Smiley, Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Office Location: Tarpon Springs Campus, PS 105

Office Phone: 727-712-5851

Dr. Douglas Rivero, Academic Department Chair

Office Location: Seminole Campus, UP 337-F

Office Phone: 727-394-6948

Welcome to American Government!

COURSE PREREQUISITES

ENC 0025 and REA 0017; or

EAP 1695; or

Appropriate score on the SPC placement test

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to give the student an understanding of the organization, structure and functions of the national government. You will gain knowledge of the historical events that led to the development of this unique form of government. You will gain an understanding of the interplay between the executive, legislative and judicial branches and the impact of their decisions on our daily lives.

In the process of gaining an understanding of the structure of your government, you will be introduced to your civil liberties and the ongoing struggle for civil rights. You will gain an appreciation of the need for government, the various forms of government that exist in the world and how their actions impact the global community.

MAJOR LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

Explain the purpose and types of government
Identify the importance of political ideologies
Describe foundations and main features of the American federal system
Identify the rights and responsibilities that all individuals are subject to in America
Explain the role of individuals and interest groups in American politics
Analyze the importance of campaign and elections
Describe the historic development of the two-party system in America
Explain the separation of powers and checks and balances system

COURSE OBJECTIVES IN PERFORMANCE TERMS

The students will explain the purpose and types of government by:
discussing various functions of government
identifying major goods and services provided by government
explaining the differences between republic, democracy, theocracy, anarchy, oligarchy, aristocracy, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism
The students will identify the importance of political ideologies by:
assessing the role of ideology in dictating our view of the government and its rights and responsibilities
explaining the main principles of liberalism, conservatism, libertarianism, and socialism
The students will describe foundations and main featuresof the American federal system by:
examining the impact of the Mayflower compact on American political theory
explaining the form of government under the Articles of Confederation and its major weaknesses
analyzing the process of creating, ratifying, and amending the U.S. Constitution
defining federalism and describing how it has evolved over the years.
The students will identify the rights and responsibilities that all individuals are subject to in America by:
analyzing the purpose of the Bill of Rights and the importance each of its amendments.
explaining how the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is used to selectively incorporate liberties in the Bill of Rights.
The students will explain the role of individuals and interest groups in American politics by:
describing individual participation in various movements to secure civil rights and liberties.
identifying various interest groups and their impact on American politics
describing the process of how interest groups impact politics and political decision-making process.
analyzing and critiquing lobbying
The students will analyze the importance of campaign and elections by:
explaining political socialization and listing the agents/factors of political socialization
identifying the main requirements to run for various offices
describing primary elections and general elections
analyzing the role of the media during election campaign
The students will describe the historic development of the two-party system in America by:
explaining the birth of federalist and anti-federalist parties
analyzing major events that led to the transformation of the two parties
identifying the structure of the two modern political parties
analyzing of ideological bases of the Republican Party and Democratic Party today
The students will explain the separation of powers and checks and balances system by:
identifying the structure of the Congress
analyzing the many functions and powers of the Congress
describing the many roles and powers of the President
defining the court system and the powers of the Court
analyzing how each branch of the government checks and balances the other two branches.

CRITERIA PERFORMANCE STANDARD

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom measures as described below.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK/RESOURCES

O’Connor, Karen, and J Sabato. 2018. American Government and Politics Today: Roots and Reform, 13th ed. New York, NY: Pearson. ISBN:ISBN-9780134648743
This course requires students to conduct additional research to complete particular assignments.
Given the subject matter of this course, I expect you to be familiar with current events related to the U.S. government. You should regularly read a quality national newspaper, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Tampa Bay Times, USA Today, or similar newspapers. They are available online, free of charge.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Students are expected to keep up with the reading and the corresponding assignments. This includes completing the assigned readings, reviewing the chapter notes, completing chapter and/or unit assignments, completing exams, and the research paper.

Writing Requirements

POS 2041 is a Gordon Rule class, so there is a substantial writing requirement of a minimum of 2000 words. To satisfy this requirement, you will write a research paper of at least 1200 words and complete unit assignments online.

Important

ALL assignments/exams completed through mycCourses must be submitted orcompleted within the assignment folder/dropbox.
See each assignment folder/dropbox for additional requirements.
Do NOT email your assignments or other files to the instructor! Emailed assignments will NOT be accepted or graded.
ONLY students with documented emergencies/accommodations will be allowed late submissions.

Technical Issues

If you experience a technical problem and it impedes your ability to submit the assignment/exam properly, it must be documented and verified by the SPC technology helpdesk 727-341-HELP (727-341-4357).
Make sure to save a copy of all your work outside of myCourses BEFORE you submit it. SAVE A COPY OF ALL WORK SUBMITTED IN THIS COURSE. It is a good idea to save while you are working in case of technical problems.

APA Writing Format/Style

You must use the APA citation style for all writing assignments in this course.
You can access APA citation style handouts online through the SPC library online Web site.
For information on the APA citation style, see the following link:

Turnitin Statement

All course assignment will go through Turnitin.com. This tool/softwareis used to promote learning and flag similarity and mechanical issues in written work that merit review. Use of the service enables students and faculty to identify areas that can be strengthened through improved paraphrasing, integration of sources, or proper citation. Submitted assignments remain as source documents in the Turnitin database solely for the purpose of detecting originality. Students retain full copyright to their works. The Turnitin Usage Agreement can be reviewed at

IMPORTANT DUE DATES

February 05, 2018Unit I Exam
March 18, 2018Unit II Exam
March 25, 2018Due Date for the Civic Engagement Activity
April 08, 2018Unit III Exam
April 22, 2018Due Date for the Civic Engagement Project
April 23, 2018Unit IV Exam
April 30, 2018 Final Exam

ASSESSMENT

Your course grade will be determined by a combination of points earned for attending class meetings, making a class presentation, and completing a civic engagement project, four unit exams, eight chapter assignments, and a final exam.

Class Attendance (80 points)

Class attendance and participation is crucial to your success in this course. You are expected to attend class in its entirety. A student who is late to class or leaves early by 15 minutes or moreis considered absent. Each student is permitted three (3) unexcused absences. Any additional absence that is not a documented emergency will be penalized by ten (10) points.Thus,missing more than two meetings will significantly affect your final grade. If you will need to miss class due to observance of a religious holiday, you must notify the instructor, in writing, by the second week of classes.

The relationship between number of classes missed and the number of points deducted from the 80 points for class attendance is as follows:

Missed Classes Points deducted

410

520

630

740

850

960

1070

11+80

Civic Engagement Project (100 points)

In this course, you are also required to perform a civic engagement/service learning project. This assignment is also listed in the main lessons section of the course site. Overall, the goal is for you, the student, to become more socially and civically connected to the needs of your community and to promote the importance of community engagement and community service.

The assignment is divided into two parts.

In Part 1, you are required to complete the civic engagement/service learning activity. In order to satisfy this requirement, you must submit the signed SPC Release of Liability form and a Log of Hours form. Both forms can be found in the assignment module. This part is worth up to 50 points toward your final grade

Options for Civic Engagement/Service Learning Activity

Choose one (1)of the followingthree options:

Complete five (5) hours of volunteer work at a not-for-profit organization that provides help to the people in need in your community. Contact the organization of your choice and set up a meeting with the administrator in charge of handling volunteer management. (This can be completed over the phone for convenience);
You are required to provide signed SPC Liability Release and Log of Hoursforms.
TheLog of Hours form must include the signature and official contact information of the official who supervised your volunteer work.
Both forms can be found in the Civic Engagement Project module.
You are required to upload both documents in the assignment dropbox together with the project in order to receive credits.
Failure to submit any of the aforementioned documents will result in no credit being given for the assignment.
Attend a meeting of a local government.
You are required to provide proof of attendance in order to receive credits. The document must include the signature and official contact information of the official who was in charge of organizing the meeting.
Failure to submit this document will result in no credit being given for the assignment.
Examples of Local Government Meetings
Pinellas County Government calendar:
Hillsborough County Government Calendar:
Interview an elected official (someone elected by the people at the local, state, or federal level) and discuss issues that you think are important to your community;
You are required to provide proof of the interview in order to receive credits. The document must include the signature and official contact information of the interviewee or his/her assistant.
Failure to submit this document will result in no credit being given for the assignment.

In Part 2, you are required to submit a reflection paper on the civic engagement/service learning activity. This part is worth up to 50 points toward your final grade. You must complete Part 1 of the assignment in order to receive credit for Part 2.

Reflection Paper

Your civic engagement/service learning reflection paper must be in at least 1200 words.
In your own words:
If completed volunteer work,
Describe the vision and mission of the organization you volunteered for.
Describe the presenting issue facing the community.
What did you learn about the specific community or societal concern?
What kinds of leadership and civic engagement did you witness?
Did you learn anything new about yourself after the experience?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this organization?
Note: Academic research may be needed to complete the assignment.
If interviewed an elected official,
Describe the position of the interview and the length of service.
Describe the issues discussed during the interview (Be specific.)
Describe how the elected official has dealt with the issues (Be specific.)
Note: Academic research may be needed to complete the assignment.
If attended a local government meeting,
Describe the issue(s) the meeting was about.
Describe how members of the government dealt with the issue(s)
Describe the process how the meeting was conducted.
Note: Academic research may be needed to complete the assignment.

Project Format

The length of your response paper must be of no less than 1000 words, excluding the title, abstract, and reference page(s).
Your project must be in double-spaced pages in a Microsoft Word Format, 12 font size, and 1(one) inch margins.
The project must be written in the APA Writing format. For more information about the APA writing format, see the following links:

Important Due Dates

March 25th, 2018Due Date to Complete Civic Engagement/Service Learning Activity
April 22nd, 2018Due Date to Complete Civic Engagement/Service Learning Reflection Paper
Do not email your documents and reflection paper! Emailed materials will not be considered for grading.

Unit Exams (400 points)

There will be four (4) unit exams in this course.
Unit 1 and Unit 4 exams are scheduled to be taken in class.
Unit 2 and Unit 3 exams will be completed online. You will have at least a week to complete all of the attempts on each exam.
Each exam will have 50 questions and will be worth up to 100 points.
See the Course Schedulebelow and each unit module on MyCourse for information on examsavailability and due dates.

Final Exam (100 points)

You are required to take the final exam, and it is worth 100 points toward your final grade.
The exam will incorporate fifty multiple-choice questions from Chapters 2-7 and 9-12.
The exam will be taken in class on April 30, 2018 in LI270.

Chapter Assignments (320 points)

Within each unit module, there are two chapters that contain graded assignments.
There are a total of eight of these assignments in the course, each worth 40 points.
Once complete, students must submit their assignment within the folder by the due date listed on the course calendar.
Do not email your assignments! Emailed assignments will not be considered for grading.

GRADING WEIGHT AND SCALE

The grading weight and scale for this class are as follow:

Grading Weight

Class Attendance80 points1 total = 80 points

Part 1 of Civic Engagement Project50 points1 total = 50 points

Part 2 of Civic Engagement Project50 points1 total = 50 points

Chapter Assignments 40 points each 8 total = 320 points

Unit Exams100 points each4 total = 400 points

Final Exam100 points1 total = 100 points

TOTAL 1000 points

Grading Scale

900 - 1000=A600- 699=D

800-899=B599 & below=F

700- 799=C

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

St. Petersburg College expects students to be honest in all of their academic work. By enrolling at the college, students agree to adhere to the high standards of academic honesty and integrity and understand that failure to comply with this pledge may result in academic and disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the college. Cheating and plagiarism are strictly prohibited and will be dealt with accordingly. Go to and read the policy on academic honesty.

Failure to follow the SPC Academic Honesty policy may lead to academic penalties, which may include failing the course and reporting the case to SPC authorities for further disciplinary actions.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDUCT POLICIES

Students are responsible for all assignments due and material covered during the semester. It is the responsibility of the student to remain in contact with the instructor if any problem of concern arises. If you are having trouble completing the obligations of this course, it is up to you to contact the instructor immediately. If a student neglects to contact the instructor and online activity by the student has ceased, the instructor may determine at any time that the student is NOT maintaining continuous active participation. Students are encouraged to remain in contact with the instructor via email, phone or by setting up an on campus appointment.

Since this course touches on various political subjects and the sometimes-controversial dynamics of American Government, it is essential for us to maintain a civil online environment. Whether on the course discussion board, exchanging emails or during online chats students are expected to show the utmost respect and courtesy for peers with similar AND differing viewpoints.

If you experience a problem with another student regarding discussion board postings – please contact your instructor immediately. Each student is expected to respect the views of others without attacking the individual. You are expected to be diplomatic in every on line exchange. Please proof read each of your messages before you decide to post them, making sure that you are saying what you would like to say in the manner in which you would like it read.

In addition, it is important to remember that on line discussion is quite different from face to face interaction. There are only the written words and the imagination of the reader as to what was “meant” by certain phrasings – so please be considerate of others to make sure that your messages seek to discuss why you have a certain opinion rather than personal attacks. Again, this is a course about politics, so there will be many viewpoints that will spark lively discussion in which academic exchange can take place.