GOVERNMENT 111

Introduction to American Government

Spring 2010

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Office: Diamond 267 
E-mail: gcmacken@colby.edu 
Phone: 859-5306 
Office hours: I am generally in my office all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will do my best to be there for certain on:
       Tuesday: 11:00 - 11:45am; 2:15 - 3:00pm 
       Wednesday: 9:00 – 10:30am 
       Thursday: 11:00 - 11:45am; 2:15 - 3:00pm

If you need to communicate with me at times other than these, please call or send an e-mail. Alternative office hours can also be arranged.

READINGS

     You should purchase the following books that are available at the College Bookstore:
       Kenneth Janda, Jeffrey M. Berry, and Jerry Goldman., The Challenge Of Democracy (Houghton Mifflin, 9th edition; this is referenced in the reading list below as "TEXT")
       William Flanigan and Nancy Zingale, Political Behavior of the American Electorate (CQ Press, latest edition)

New York Times. Everyone is expected to read the New York Times every day during this course. You may order a subscription from the bookstore. Some people may find it more convenient to read the on-line edition at http://www.nytimes.com/.

Assigned readings should be completed by the beginning of class on the day for which they are assigned. Here are some tips for making the most of the reading in this course.

 DISCUSSION SECTIONS

From time to time, as indicated in the schedule below, the class will be split into discussion sections. For each of the discussion dates, a list of propositions designed to frame the discussion will be provided. Everyone is expected to think about and be prepared to discuss these propositions during the discussions. The first part of each discussion section will be reserved for questions about the readings or lectures. Attendance at these discussion sections is mandatory.

WRITING ASSIGNMENT

The paper will provide an opportunity for you to analyze a complicated question about American politics and government. In carrying out this assignment, you should pay scrupulous attention to the proper use and citation of evidence. The appearance of your paper and the quality of your writing will be important factors in the evaluation of your work. A fuller discussion of the writing assignment and expectations is available on the class web page. Paper due dates are staggered over the last half of the semester. Each class member will be assigned to a particular due date, and each of the five paper groups will have a different topic. The topic will be assigned more than one week before the paper is due.

EXAMS

There will be a mid-term and final exam. The scheduled date of the mid-term exam is indicated on the Class Schedule below. The final exam is scheduled by the Registrar during the exam period. The class web page contains a description of the exams in this course and some suggestions for exam preparation.

CLASS POLICIES

Except in the most unusual circumstances, work submitted by students will be evaluated and returned at the following class.

All work in this course is due at the beginning of class on the date on which it is assigned unless otherwise indicated on the assignment. Work received after the assigned due date will be penalized at the rate of one-half letter grade per day. There will be no extensions of this deadline nor alterations of the penalty for late submission.

Everyone is expected to attend every class. Your participation in class is valued, and the quality of your participation will be a component of your grade for the course. Absence will lower that grade. Anyone who misses 3 class meetings risks being dropped from the course.

Successful completion of the course requires the submission of all written assignments and proper attention to attendance expectations.

Each class will begin promptly at the scheduled time. You should be in your seat and ready to begin at that time. Respect should be paid to anyone who is speaking to the class, whether student or instructor.

Everyone should remain in his or her seat during class meetings and refrain from leaving the room.

No audio, video, or photographs of the class may be recorded without the explicit consent of the instructor.

All telephones, pagers, or other electronic communication devices should be turned off during class time, and none may be brought into the room during exams. Laptop computers may not be used for note taking or any other purpose during class meetings without the permission of the instructor.

All college rules regarding originality of student work and plagiarism apply in this class and will be vigorously enforced.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING WEIGHTS

Mid-term examination = 30% 
The writing assignment = 35% 
The final examination = 35% 
Contributions to class discussions can raise the course grade as much as a full letter grade.

CLASS SCHEDULE AND READINGS

Feb 4 Introduction

TEXT: Preface, Chapters 1 and 2

Feb 9 Ideological and Constitutional Roots of the American Polity

TEXT: Chapter 3, Declaration of Independence, Constitution

Links:

Declaration of Independence

Constitution

Articles of Confederation

Feb 11 Old Ideas and New Problems

TEXT: Chapter 16, Federalist 10 and 51

Flanigan and Zingale, Political Behavior of the American Electorate, Chapter 1.