Instructor: Dr. Daniel Skubik, PhD JD MDiv
Voice: 909.343.4288 / Fax: 909.343.4520
Web: http://www.calbaptist.edu/dskubik
E-Mail: dskubik@calbaptist.edu
American Government
POL 213 AE (San Bernardino)
California Baptist University
November/December Evening College term, 2003
This introductory course provides an overview of the American political system. It begins with the principles of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights and develops their impact on the Nation. It also covers the avenues and means of democratic citizenship and political influence in American politics. The course further examines the major political institutions in America: Congress, Presidency, Bureaucracy, Courts, and States. In order to assess the impact of government on society, the course concludes with an exploration of public policy.
By the conclusion of the course, students should be able to identify principal features of the federal system of government in the United States, critique the nation’s undergirding principles, and understand and explain government institutions’ operations.
This course meets the state requirement in United States Constitution and California Government.
Required Texts
William Lasser, American Politics: The Enduring Constitution (2nd edition, 1999)
The book is available in the CBU
Bookstore, and is also readily available from web shops such as Amazon, or Barnes
& Noble. Web pages will likewise be referenced throughout the term,
contents of which you also will be responsible.
Class Readings & Discussion Schedule
|
Week #1 |
Introduction to course:
scope, methods, procedures, expectations |
|
Week #2 |
Lasser, chapters 2-4 |
|
Week #3 |
Lasser, chapters 5-7 |
|
Week #4 |
Mid-Term
Exam |
|
Week #5 |
Lasser, chapters 8-10 |
|
Week #6 |
Lasser, chapters 11-13 |
|
Week #7 |
Lasser, chapters 14-17 |
|
Week #8 |
Final Exam |
Assessment & Grading Scale
|
Quizzes = 25% (5 x 5%/each) |
90 - 100 = A range (90-94 = A-) |
|
Mid-Term Examination = 25% |
80 - 89 = B range (80-83 = B- / 87-89 = B+) |
|
Final Examination = 25% |
70 - 79 = C range (70-73 = C- / 77-79 = C+) |
|
Participation in Class = 13% |
60 - 69 = D range (60-63 = D- / 67-69 = D+) |
|
Participation on Web = 12% |
0 - 59 = F |
Quizzes
Five (5) quizzes are to be taken throughout the term, as noted in our calendar. Go to the publisher’s website and select a quiz from any one of the chapters under discussion for that week. Complete the quiz, and have the results emailed to me at dskubik@calbaptist.edu no later than midnight of the Friday we read and discuss that chapter. Each quiz is worth 5%.
Mid-Term Examination
There will be a mid-term examination, as noted in the schedule. The exam constitutes 25% of your final grade for the course. It will cover chapters 1-7 of our text, along with our discussions and lectures. The exam will be posted on Blackboard on Friday, Nov. 28, at 12:00 noon, and your response is due to Turnitin.com no later than midnight that same day. You should set aside 2 hours to complete the exam. You are on your honor to complete the exam wholly on your own, but you are permitted to use your textbook and notes to write your answers.
Special note: CBU is now using Turnitin.com for processing written assignments. This replaces all hardcopy and Blackboard submissions for this class. To submit your exam to me, use your web browser and go to http://www.turnitin.com Create a user profile for yourself (click on the “create user profile” line in the top right corner of the screen and follow the wizard) and then register for this class: the class account ID is 1079997 (all numbers) and the password is amgov213ec (all lowercase letters). You can then submit your exam by uploading your essays via the web. The work you prepare can be in MS Word (.doc), Adobe PDF (.pdf), or RTF (.rtf) or standard Text (.txt) formats.
Final Examination
There will be a final examination, as noted in the schedule. The exam constitutes 25% of your final grade for the course. It will cover chapters 8-17 of our text, along with our discussions and lectures. The exam will be posted on Blackboard on Friday, Dec. 26, at 12:00 noon, and your response is due to Turnitin.com no later than midnight that same day. You should set aside 2 hours to complete the exam. You are on your honor to complete the exam wholly on your own, but you are permitted to use your textbook and notes to write your answers.
Participation in Class & on Web
Although speaking in class, publicly putting and defending a position, can be daunting, you are strongly encouraged to learn to think through your own and others’ experiences and insights within the context our discussions. In short, you are encouraged to demonstrate your internalization of our material for application in the real world. In this context, you are not being evaluated for reaching “right” conclusions, but for demonstrating your facility in forming arguments for any conclusions put, given the material we will cover in class.
To give direct incentive to so engage, 22% of your mark for the course will be comprised of my assessment of your overall participation during the term: 12% for regular in-class discussion participation; 10% for regular online participation. Web contributions should be made on a consistent basis: for example, read your classmates contributions and post a comment yourself at least once each week during the term. Don’t post 10 comments all at once when the term is coming to an end. Go to this class on the CBU Blackboard site for discussions, as well as course documents.
Caveat
This syllabus is composed in good faith, with a schedule of readings, assignments and discussions which will guide us throughout the term. Still, the instructor reserves the right to make adjustments to this schedule as deemed necessary for the overall enterprise of the course. Any changes will be communicated as far in advance as feasible, and you are responsible for knowing if and when any changes have been made.
Make-Ups
Quizzes — you must arrange a make-up with me before the quiz is given, not after. No exceptions.
Mid-Term Examination — no make-ups will be arranged for the mid-term exam. No exceptions
Final Examination — no make-ups will be arranged for the final exam. No exceptions.