POS 101 American Government

Volkomer, Walter E. American Government, 14th Edition 2013, published by Pearson
ISBN-10: 0-205-25173-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-205-25173-5

Students can obtain this text book from the following source:

http://www.mypearsonstore.com/bookstore/american-government-9780205251735?xid=PSED
All reading and (optional) homework assignments referenced in this syllabus refer to this text

1) In addition, it is recommended that all students have access to MyAccountingLab®, by Pearson. This can be accessed here:

http://www.pearsonmylabandmastering.com/northamerica/mypoliscilab

2) The following study guides will be made available upon enrollment:
a. Volkomer, Walter E. PowerPoint Presentation for American Government 14th Edition 2013, published by Pearson

Lesson Overview

Lesson 1 Politics, Democracy, and the American People
Read Chapter 1

In this lesson the students define politics, political power, and government and assess the relationship among the three concepts. The students study the sources of a government’s legitimacy. The students compare and contrast direct and representative forms of democracy and define referendum, initiative, and recall. The students look at the contributions of John Locke, Baron Montesquieu, and James Madison to the philosophical principles of American government. The students outline the fundamental principles of American government and learn about the problems and contributions of diversity in a democratic society.

Lesson 2  From Colonialism to Constitutionalism
Read Chapter 2
In this lesson the students study the influence English legal and political traditions had upon the framers of the U.S. Constitution and describe the early attempts of the colonists to form a national government. The students study the symbolic and political significance of the Declaration of Independence and study common themes shared by the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. The students compare and contrast the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution and assess the issues that divided delegates to the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention and the mechanisms by which those differences were resolved. The students state the philosophical differences between the Federalists and the Antifederalists and outline the fundamental principles of the Constitution that emerged from the Constitutional Convention. The students look at and study the formal and informal methods of constitutional change.

Lesson 3 The Federal System
Read Chapter 3

In this lesson the students identify the three different models for organizing relations between a central government and constituent governments and study how powers are classified between the national and state governments. the students study the role of the Supreme Court in the evolution of American federalism and learn about the importance of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution in the context of American federalism. the students trace the evolution of the nation-state relationship under American federalism as it pertains to the sharing of governing power. The students identify the mechanisms by which the national government may exercise control over state governments in particular issue areas. The students define “full faith and credit” and study the concept’s importance to federal systems.

Lesson 4 Public Opinion and the Mass Media
Read Chapter 4
In this lesson the students define political socialization, outline the main factors that affect political socialization, and assess their relative influence in the socialization process. The students define political culture and study the relationship between political culture and political socialization and describe the factors that must be considered when conducting a scientific poll. the students state the differences between various types of polls, including the purpose and process of administering each. the students evaluate the criticisms of public opinion polling and outline the mechanisms by which such criticisms can be overcome. The students study the impact new media is likely to have on political campaigns and citizens’ political participation and explore the main forms of political participation.

 Lesson 5 Political Parties and Interest Groups
Read Chapter 5

In this lesson the students identify the primary characteristics and functions of political parties and identify the primary characteristics and functions of interest groups and compare and contrast the roles of interest groups and political parties in the American political system. The students study why the United States has a two-party system and outline the reasons why the United States has a two-party system, contrasting the U.S. model with other democratic political systems. The students compare and contrast the methods interest groups use to exert influence on the decision-making process. The students examine the decline in voter identification with political parties and predict the consequences for the American political process.

Lesson 6 Nominations and Elections
Read Chapter 6

In this lesson the students study the presidential election process and assess the arguments both in support of and against the Electoral College. The students compare and contrast the presidential primary and the caucus systems. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of each system and identify key features in the congressional election process. The students assess the successes and failures of campaign finance legislation and look at the differences between office-block and party-column balloting. The students learn why Americans do not vote and assess the implications of nonvoting for the American political system.  The students examine the relationships between demographic and ideological characteristics and voting.

Lesson 7 The Congress
Read Chapter 7
In this lesson the students describe the major legislative and representative functions of Congress and define the leadership offices, roles, and functions in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The students study the major types of congressional committees, and learn about how the committee system operates in each house. The students also describe the various steps in the legislative process.

Lesson 8 The Chief Executive
Read Chapter 8

In this lesson the students study the legal requirements for a person to serve as president of the United States and state differences between treaties and executive agreements, explaining how and why each is used. the students assess the changing nature of presidential power. The students evaluate the nature of the relationship between the president and Congress, including the role of checks and balances. The students study the basis of the War Powers Act and assess its effectiveness. The students learn about ways in which the presidency and vice presidency are both changing.

Lesson 9. The Federal Bureaucracy
Read Chapter 9

In this lesson the students describe the organization of the federal bureaucracy and assess the major functions of the cabinet secretaries, line agencies, and staff agencies. The students study the differences between the various ways bureaucrats get their jobs, including the spoils system, merit system, classification, and political executives and identify the sources of and restraints on bureaucratic power in the federal government.

Lesson 10  The Judiciary
Read Chapter 10
In this lesson the students study the significance of law in the American legal system and describe the basic structure of the dual court system used in the United States and study the functions of trial and appellate courts.  The students study how federal judges are selected and identify some of the factors that may influence the selection process. The students learn about the origins of judicial review and assess its role in the judicial process.  The students assess the role of the Senate in the confirmation process. The students compare and contrast the philosophies of judicial self-restraint, judicial activism, and textualism in constitutional interpretation. The students describe the main functions of the judiciary and identify restrictions on the courts and understand how the Supreme Court works.

Lesson  11. Civil Liberties
Read Chapter 11
In this lesson the students define civil liberties and study the Supreme Court’s role in determining the meaning of individual rights under the Constitution. the students study the process by which many of the protections of the Bill of Rights have been applied to the states. The students look at the guarantees provided under the First Amendment and outline their major exceptions and describe the major categories of speech under the First Amendment and identify some of the differences in regulation between the various forms of speech. The students define the exclusionary rule of evidence and study its importance in criminal law for civil liberties and identify some of the key rights that come into play when an individual is accused of a crime and at the trial and sentencing stages the students understand how civil liberties issues have been intertwined with the holding of detainees by the U.S. military during the war on terrorism.

Lesson 12 Civil Rights
Read Chapter 12
In this lesson the students describe the major provisions and requirements of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its impact on African Americans and women and learn about the main arguments for and against affirmative action and assess the program’s effectiveness. The students study the impact of the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education on school segregation from the mid-1950s to the present. The students look at the struggle for women’s rights during the past few decades and examine the major factors that have caused this evolution. The students outline the major provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The students look at the major provisions and requirements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Lesson 13  Public Policy—What Government Does
Read Chapter 13
In this lesson the students list and study the major policy areas on the current congressional agenda and analyze the different theoretical approaches to policy and study how they differ from each other. the students study and learn about the differences between fiscal and monetary policy and look at the major social-welfare policies in the United States.

Lesson 14  Foreign Policy
Read Chapter 14

In this lesson the students identify the differences between realism and liberalism and define and learn about the concept of balance of power. The students evaluate how realism and liberalism appear throughout the history of U.S. foreign policy. The students compare and contrast both Cold War and post–Cold War foreign policy and study some of the domestic determinants of foreign policy.

The student’s final grade will be based on a final examination. Examination questions will cover all topics covered in the readings. Students will have two hours to complete the final examination.  Students will be assigned a number grade from 0-100. A letter grade will also be issued in accordance with the following scale:

90-100 – A
80-89 – B
70-79 – C
0-69 – non passing