POLS 2302-08  Introduction to American Government II

 

                                                                9:30-10:45 TR,  H 107,  Fall 2002

 

Dr. David Castle                       phone 880-8536          e-mail castleds@hal.lamar.edu  84 Maes (2^nd floor)

 

POLS 2302 is an introductory course on American national government and Texas state government, but is not

a freshman-level course.  Freshmen should take courses from the 1000 series offered by the university.

 

Required reading:          Benjamin Ginsberg, et al. 2001.  We the People: An Introduction to American Politics.

Richard F. Fenno, Jr. 1997.  Learning to Govern.

John W. Kingdon.  1999.  America the Unusual.

 

Recommended daily reading (read the politics section of one or more of the following newspapers):

 New York Times         www.nytimes.com                    Dallas Morning News    www.dallasnews.com

 Washington Post        www.washingtonpost.com        The London Times          www.thetimes.co.uk

 Los Angeles Times     www.latimes.com                     Manchester Guardian     www.guardian.co.uk

 

Each class meeting (other than exam days) will feature some or all of the following activities: lectures by the instructor, a five minute--ten point quiz, class discussion of assigned reading led by designated students and the instructor, discussion of newspaper stories led by the instructor.

 

Course grades will be based equally (25% each) on: (1) a series of quizzes (short answer and multiple choice questions) at the beginning of each new chapter or book, (2) three multiple-choice exams, (3) class attendance, and (4) a  term paper.  Students must turn in the paper and take the final exam to receive a passing grade for the course.  Dates for quizzes will be announced in class (the first quiz, on Chapter 20 - State Political Cultures, will be given during the first five minutes of the next class meeting).

 

exam on Texas politics and government (chapters 20, 24, 25, 26, and 28)BThurs., Sept. 26.

exam on national political institutions (chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16, plus Fenno)BTues., Oct. 29.

exam on national public policies (chapters 17, 18, and 19, plus Kingdon)BTues., Dec. 10, 8:00 a.m.

 

Class attendance: 0-2 absences = A, 3 absences = B, 4 absences = C, 5 absences = D, 6 absences = F.

 

Paper due Tues., Dec. 10, at 8:00 a..m. (late papers will receive a grade of F).  Papers are to be double-spaced, with one-inch margins, a 12-point font, and a maximum of 1,000 words (approximately four typed pages) excluding the title page and references page, in MLA, APA, or APSA style.

Choose one of the two paper topics below:

 

 (Topic1).  Richard Fenno describes the Alearning to govern@ problems faced by congressional Republicans when they became the majority party in the U.S. House of Representatives after 40 consecutive years in the minority.  In Texas, Republicans are poised to become the majority party in the state House of Representatives after more than a century in the minority.  Write an essay about whether Texas House Republicans will face the same or different problems in learning to govern.  Will Texas House Republicans be more or less successful in 2003 than were the ARepublican Revolutionaries@ in 1995?  Will Texas House Republicans have a similar or different relationship with the governor than U.S. House Republicans had with the president?  What are the key differences between the Texas Legislature and the United States Congress that will affect Texas House Republicans learning to govern?

 

(Topic 2).   John Kingdon compares AAmerica the unusual@ to other industrialized nations.  If America is unusual in terms of politics and government, then Texas is unique.  Write an essay that compares Texas to the industrialized nations which are the focus of Kingdon=s book.  Use Kingdon=s outline to compare institutions, political parties, and public policies.  Is there a Texas ideology?  Why do Texans think that way?  What are the implications for the differences between Texas and much of the rest of the world?

 

Students are strongly encouraged to seek assistance with their papers at the Writing Center (Maes 208).  Call 880-8571 for an appointment.  It is best to call at least two days in advance.

 

Other information:

 

The penalty-free drop period ends Weds., Oct. 2. 

The last day to drop or withdraw for the semester is      Fri., Nov. 8.

Course grades will be turned in no earlier than Thu., Dec. 12.

Parents are not to bring children to class.

Preferred individual meeting times are: 7:00-8:00 a.m. and 10:00-11:00 a.m. MWF, 12:05 p.m. MWF, and 10:45 a.m. TR. 

 

For first exam (155 pages of required reading, 48 practice quiz questions, 114 key terms):

Chapter 20.  The Political Culture, People, and Economy of Texas

Chapter 24.  The Texas Legislature

Chapter 25.  The Executive Branch in Texas

Chapter 26.  The Texas Judiciary

Chapter 28.  Public Policy in Texas

 

For second exam (226 pages of required reading, 38 practice quiz questions, 113 key terms):

Chapter 13.  Congress

Fenno.  Learning to Govern: An Institutional View of the 104^th Congress   

Chapter 14.  The Presidency

Chapter 15.  Bureaucracy in a Democracy

Chapter 16.  The Federal Courts

 

For third exam (227 pages of required reading, 30 practice quiz questions, 67 key terms):

Chapter 17.  Government and the Economy

Chapter 18.  Social Policy

Chapter 19.  Foreign Policy and Democracy

Kingdon.  America the Unusual

 

 

AI must study politics and war that my sons may have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy...@

John Adams.  April 26, 1779.

 

ANo America without democracy, no democracy without politics, and no politics without political parties.@

political scientist Clinton Rossiter.  1960.

 

ADream Texas with me.@

Texas State Representative Jim McReynolds.  April 13, 2002.