POS 2041 - American National Government -
Online
Professor: Heather Roberson, LY 136
Tarpon Springs Campus
(727) 712-5840
Email: roberson.heather@spcollege.edu
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. Your online contacts are included as part of your
participation grade. The completion of your online tasks is vital to success in
this course.
Course
Requirements
A large
volume of material is covered in this course. Students are expected to keep up
with the reading and the corresponding assignments. This includes completing
the assigned readings, reviewing the chapter notes, completing your chapter and
unit assignments, participating in online chats, downloading exams for
independent completion, posting essays and assignments and completing any
additional online tasks.
Exams
There will be
four unit exams in this course. Each will be a timed test that you will take
online during the scheduled days. Each exam will have 50 questions and will be
worth up to 100 points. See the calendar for exam dates.
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 reply to the discussion posts and unit assignments. Take
care to organize your thoughts before you post. Check your spelling, sentence
and paragraph structure before you post. After you post you cannot delete
what you posted. There will be a length requirement for each post and it
will be specified with the topic post. All assignments completed through ANGEL
must be submitted within the allotted time and by the posted due date.
ALL
assignments/exams completed through ANGEL must be submitted or completed within
the assignment or exam folder. Emailed
assignments will NOT be graded. Again, assignments or
other files that are emailed will not be accepted and the student will receive
a zero for the task.
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. In addition, you must contact me BEFORE the due date/time
to let me know your technical problem. Remember, your phone works well if
your internet is out. You will know all due dates and deadlines well in
advance, so make sure to plan ample time for completion well in advance of the
due dates.
Make sure to save
a copy of all your work outside of Angel 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.
You must use the
APA citation style for all writing assignments in this course.
Refer to The Little Brown Handbook for examples of the APA style. You can
access APA citation style handouts online through the SPC library online Web
site. To access a page of links and information on the APA citation style, go
to the SPC library online Web site at http://www.spcollege.edu/central/libonline/.
Click on the Citation Help link under “I Need to Find” on the left
side of the page then click APA style at the top of the page. Additional resources for APA format are found within
the course ANGEL site.
Grading Scale
1000 total
points possible
To receive
credit in a Gordon course you must receive a grade of C or higher. Due to the
nature of the testing in this course, MAKE-UP EXAMS ARE NOT ALLOWED.
ALL
assignments/exams completed through ANGEL must be submitted or completed within
the assignment or exam folder. Emailed
assignments will NOT be graded. Again, assignments or
other files that are emailed will not be accepted and the student will receive
a zero for the task. 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. In addition, you
must contact me before the due date/time to let me know your technical
problem. Remember, your phone works well if your internet is out.
You will know all due dates and deadlines well in advance, so you should make
sure to plan ample time, well in advance of the due dates, to be online via
your computer or the college’s computers in order to complete coursework
for this class. Only one technical difficulty “mulligan” is
permitted if you contact me by the due/closing date/time AND with proper
documentation and verification of the problem.
Attendance
Policy
All course
work will be done online. 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 or concern arises.
If a student
ceases to complete the scheduled assignments and essays in a timely manner, he
or she will be considered non-participating and therefore eligible for a
“WF” at the 60% point in the semester. If a student status changes
to non-participating after the 60% drop date, the student will be awarded a
failing grade for the course. If for some reason you cannot continue attending
the course, it is your responsibility to withdraw through the proper channels.
You may
withdraw yourself with a “W” on or before October 27, 2011. Students will
receive a “WF” for withdrawals after the voluntary withdrawal
deadline.
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 http://www.spcollege.edu/webcentral/admit/honesty.htm
and read the policy on
academic honesty.
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 drop a student at any time without notice. Students are
encouraged to remain in contact with me 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 me 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. Remember to have fun J
Tentative Schedule
Order in which chapters will be covered
Course Objectives
- The student will acquire understanding of the purpose
of government.
- The student will acquire understanding of the American
federal system
- The student will acquire understanding of the various
cultural and political experiences that impacted the creation and
evolution of principles and values of the American political system.
- Define interest group and explain the various
techniques groups use to influence the government.
- Explain the concept of judicial review and the major
court cases that have defined it.
- Explain the basic steps involved as a case proceeds
to the Supreme Court
- Show a causal link between the status of civil rights
and the courts.
- The student will demonstrate knowledge of various
movements to secure civil rights protections.
- Define political socialization and list the
agents/factors of political socialization
- Explain the difference between civil law and common
law.
- Explain the differences between civil rights and
civil liberties.
- Explain why we have a two party system in America.
- Explain how and why voters vote the way they do.
- Explain the role of elections in America.
- Explain how the due process clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment is used to selectively incorporate liberties in the Bill of
Rights.
- Distinguishing between legislative and constitutional
courts.
- Summarizing the weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation.
- Examining the impact of the Mayflower compact on
American political theory.
- Define Federalism and describe how it as evolved over
the years.
- The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of
political parties and interest groups, and the impact of public opinion
and political participation by diverse groups on the American political
system.
Read the Syllabus Addendum
http://www.spcollege.edu/central/asa/addendum.htm