FULLERTON COLLEGE

Political Science 100

American Government

 

Instructor:  Dr. Naji J. Dahi                                              

Office: Physical Education 1252-02

Phone: (714) 992-7362

E-Mail: ndahi@fullcoll.edu

Web Site: http://www.oocities.org/ndahi

Ticket Number: M-T-W-TH 10:40-1:10, Room 515

                                                                       

I.        Text:

 

A.    Required:

Thomas Dye. Politics in America. Latest Edition. Prentice-Hall.

 

II.       Course Objectives:

 

This course is intended to introduce students to the national institutions and political processes of American government and to a lesser extent California government. This course is designed to teach you:

·         To assess critically the meaning and limitations of American democracy.

·         To critically understand the Constitutions of the United States and the operation of representative democracy under the Constitution.

·         To critically evaluate the institutions (Congress, the Presidency, judiciary) that make up the American political system and how the interaction between these institutions shapes public policy.

·         To critically examine the dominant role that the Presidency plays in foreign policy.

·         To compare and contrast the models of elitism and pluralism.

·         To critically examine and analyze the political culture of the United States and the impact of that culture on the individual and collective lives of Americans.

·         To evaluate the role of the mass media in the political and electoral process.

·         To evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups and political parties in American democracy.

·         To appreciate the differences of California government from the Federal government.

 

III.      Evaluation & Grading:

 

A.   Examinations (90 points out of a 100): 90 points of your final grade will be based on four exams. All exams are made up of multiple choice questions and/or short answer and essay questions. The exams will test your abilities in two ways:

·         The multiple-choice questions will test your factual and analytical knowledge.

·         The short answer/essay questions will test your analytical knowledge as well as your writing skills.

The exam dates are listed in the class schedule section below. Each of the first three exams will count as 20 points of your grade. The final exam will count as 30 points of your grade.

 

B.   Participation (10 points out of a 100): Your participation is based on your attendance in the classroom. As such, your absence will hurt your participation grade. Due to the size of this class attendance will not be taken regularly. However, a roll call will be taken occasionally based on my discretion. These attendance points will add valuable points to your final grade.

 

C.   Classroom Rules: The following classroom rules must be obeyed at all times:

 

  1. No late entry into the classroom. If you are more than 15 minutes late, then do not enter the classroom.
  2. No early exit from the classroom without my prior permission.
  3. Turn off all cell phones and beepers before you enter the classroom.
  4. No sleeping in the classroom.
  5. No private conversation in the classroom.
  6. You must take notes when attending class.

 

Failure to obey any or all of these rules will result in being asked to leave the class for one or two class sessions.

 

D.   Make-up Exams: No makeup exams will be administered. If you miss an exam, consult with your professor for available options.

 

E.   Extra Credit: There are no extra credit assignments in this course. However, the instructor reserves the right to assign extra credit should a valid topic arise.

 

F.    Exam Review Sheets: Each exam has a review sheet. The review sheets are meant to guide you in your study for the exam. They are not meant to replace studying and hard work. Relying solely on these review sheets would lead to failure. The review sheets are posted at the following web site: http://www.oocities.org/ndahi

 

G.   Grade Breakdown: As a general rule there is no curve in this class. Grade breakdown is as follows: 90-100 A; 80-89 B; 70-79 C; 60-69 D; 0-59 F. However, the instructor reserves the right to use a curve should the class average drop below a "certain" level.

         

IV.     Tips for Success

 

A.      Reading Assignments: You should complete reading assignments prior to attending the relevant lecture. Use the syllabus as a guide. Completing readings prior to lecture will enormously aid your understanding of the material being discussed. If you are not able to complete reading assignments before the class, then do the readings after the class. Use the lecture as a guide for reading and highlighting what is important in the book.

 

B.     Notetaking: It is important to take accurate and complete notes while attending lectures. Taking notes is a skill that you must learn for success in College and in any future career. As such bringing tape recorders to class with the intention of taping lectures without my oral or written consent is strictly prohibited. For students needing special accommodations please see me at the beginning of the semester.

 

C.     Communicating with the Instructor: If you have questions about the subject matter of this class or your progress in the class you should not hesitate to raise your concerns after the class is dismissed. The instructor is willing to stay after the class for a short period of time to discuss student problems. You can also visit my office during office hours.

 

D.     Academic Honesty: Students caught cheating on a test will fail both the test and the course. Books, notes, and dictionaries are not to be used for tests. If you have any questions on the meaning of words during an exam do not hesitate to ask.

 

V.      Notes in the Margin

 

A.  Critical Thinking Approach: This instructor utilizes the Critical Approach to the study of American politics. In that vein, research, data, and information will be presented in the classroom that contradicts what most students have acquired about politics and government while in high school. The information and data presented is sourced and it is replicable by any student who will take the time to do research.

 

While this approach to teaching government and politics is welcomed and appreciated by an overwhelming majority of the students, there are a few students that do not enjoy such an approach to teaching. It has been my experience that these few have very rigid belief systems and they refuse to critically assess their belief system. They refuse to go through the process of self-evaluation and self-criticism. They fear that critical thinking and research might undermine their firmly held beliefs. These few sometimes confuse criticizing government with lack of patriotism; they confuse love of government and its institutions for love of country. This is of course false. Love of country does not mean love of government. As President Theodore Roosevelt observed:

 

 Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official. It is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else. That we are to stand by the president, right or wrong is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”

 

B.  Structure of Classroom Sessions: Classes that meet twice per week during the Fall and Spring semesters are sometimes made up of two parts: the lecture and a story about a salient issue taken from a newspaper/magazine/Internet source. These stories are intended to stimulate critical thinking on the part of the student. Students are only tested on the lecture notes and the book used in this course. These stories are simply a tool to further enhance the ability of students to question their perception of reality as it is presented to them by television news.

 

C.   Your Ideology and Mine: Your beliefs and values about politics and society have absolutely no impact on your grade. Your grade is based on the exams, participation, and a paper (Summer classes have no paper assignment). Do not assume that agreeing with the instructor’s ideology will enhance your grade and do not assume that disagreeing with the instructor’s ideology will hurt your grade. Basically, there is no relationship between your beliefs and values and your grade.

 

VI. Class Schedule

 

DATE

READING

CLASS ACTIVITIES

M JULY 7

Dye, Chap 1 & pp 311-313

Basic Concepts: Politics, Government, Power, Democracy, Legitimacy, Authority, Public Goods

T JULY 8

Dye, Chap 3 & pp 270-271

Historical Context; Constitutional Convention and Contents

W JULY 9

Dye, Chap 4

Forms of Government; States v. Federal Government; The role of Grants in Federalism

FIRST IN CLASS CLOSED BOOK EXAM ON THURSDAY JULY 10

(Hour and Fifteen Minutes Exam Followed By Lecture)

TH JULY 10

M JULY 14

Dye, Chap 2 & 5

Political Culture and Political Socialization

M JULY 14

T JULY 15

 

Dye, Chap 5

Public Opinion and Political Ideologies; Similarities and Differences in American Policy Preferences; The Vanishing Electorate; Who Votes?

W JULY 16

 

Dye, Chap 6

 

Role of Media in Politics; Bias in the Media; Government Regulation

SECOND IN CLASS CLOSED BOOK EXAM ON THURSDAY, JULY 17

(Hour and Fifteen Minutes Exam Followed By Lecture)

TH JULY 17

M JULY 21

Dye, Chap 8 & 9

Money and Elections; Campaign Finance Rules; Deciding an Election

T JULY 22

Dye, Chap 7

Definition; The Two-Party System; Party Weakness; Party Decline

W JULY 23

 

Dye, Chap 9

Increase of Interest Groups; Types of Groups; Role of Interest Groups

THIRD IN CLASS CLOSED BOOK EXAM ON THURSDAY, JULY 24

(Hour and Fifteen Minutes Exam Followed By Lecture)

TH JULY 24

M JULY 28

Dye, Chap 10

Foundations of Congress; Who are Congress Members? How Congress Works; The Process of Making a Law

T JULY 29

W JULY 30

TH JULY 31

M AUG 4

T AUG 5

Dye, Chap 11

 

Founding and Growth of the Presidency; The President and US Foreign Policy; Job and Staff of the President; Presidential Success

W AUG 6

TH AUG 7

M AUG 11

Dye, Chap 13, 14, & 15

Judiciary in the Constitution; Judicial Review; Eras in the Supreme Court; Federal Court System; Judicial Activism and Restraint

FINAL EXAM IS ON TUESDAY AUGUST 12, 10:40-12:40 PM