POLITICAL SCIENCE 250

American Government

Trinity College

Fall Semester 2007

Tuesdays / Thursdays  1:40 - 2:55 p.m.   MCL 152

Dr. Rob Krapohl, Instructor

Office: LIB 131  (x 4004)            E-Mail: rkrapohl@tiu.edu

I.  COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course surveys the structure, function, and principles of the American federal government.  Special attention is paid to the historical development of governmental institutions in America.

II.  COURSE OBJECTIVES

A. You will analyze the historical roots of American federal government, particularly the conceptualization
and drafting of the U. S. Constitution.

B. You will comprehend both the language of the "founding documents" and the philosophical perspectives contained therein.

C. You will analyze the conflicting perspectives of significant contemporary political problems and synthesize possible solutions to these problems.

D. You will comprehend how the three branches of the federal government operate and interact.

E. You will evaluate how much your own Christian convictions affect your view of the American governmental system. 

III.  COURSE EXPECTATIONS

A. You are expected to spend two hours outside of class in preparation for course assignments and class discussion for every hour the class meets.

B. You are expected to have all written assignments completed in a timely fashion as noted by the "Course Requirements" in this syllabus. Note: Access to a computer and to the Internet is required for this course; also you must have an email account (preferably Groupwise) that you check on a daily basis.  All class assignments should be typed.  No exceptions!!

The class syllabus and all written assignments and study aids (but not the textbooks) will be available through the web-based class page.  I will avoid the distribution of printed materials as much as possible, although you are free to print out as many web-based materials for the class as you need.

C. You are expected to be punctual and regular in class attendance.  You are responsible for all course content whether present or absent from the class meetings.  Attendance will be taken at every class meeting and habitual absences will affect your grade in a negative way.  Excessive absences will be reported to the Dean of Students. 

I recognize that some students may have unavoidable commitments to athletic events and school-sponsored events or trips (for band, chorus, etc.) that will cause you to miss this class.  If you fall into this category, please let me know about any anticipated absences of this nature as early as possible –certainly within a week of the absence.  A valid, confirmable absence of this nature will be considered excused although you are still responsible for any material covered or work missed during your absence. 

Absences due to illness, accident, or personal trauma will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If you are absent for one of these reasons, please let me know as soon as possible, either by email or by telephone.

If you have special learning needs, please let me know as soon as possible.

We live in a society that is increasingly unmindful of mutual respect and basic civility.  In order to nurture those virtues and provide an optimum learning environment, please avoid in-class behaviors that may distract from learning, such as talking, eating, sleeping, leaving one's seat, etc. (water bottles are permissible).  Early departures from class should be cleared with me ahead of time and any departure from the classroom during class is discouraged (unless the situation is a personal emergency). Likewise, punctuality is important.  We have a lot of material to cover in this class, so we need to begin as soon as the tardy bell rings.  Please try to avoid tardiness if at all possible.

IV.  COURSE REQUIREMENTS

A. Fill-in Sheets

At least 24 hours before every non-issue debate class period (see below), I will post a fill-in sheet with twelve blanks on the class website.  Before our meeting on the next class, you should read the assigned section from the Wilson book and complete the answers on the fill-in sheet that correspond to the reading.  Most of the items on each fill-in sheet will come verbatim from the text (with some slight alteration to compensate for taking the quotes out of the context of the book).  Upon completion of the sheet, bring it to the next class.  I will then, at random, draw the names of two people in the class.  The person whose name is drawn first will be primarily responsible for answering the questions associated with the first half of the fill-in sheet, then, after a brief break (about 5 minutes), the person whose name is drawn second will be responsible for answering the questions associated with the second half of that day’s fill-in sheet.  Everyone else will have handed their fill-in sheets to me before the day’s discussion begins.  The fill-in sheets are designed to touch on the major topics for that class period and should serve as a prompt for my lecture and our (class) discussion.  All those who handed in a fill-in sheet at the beginning of the class will have those sheets checked by me and returned at the beginning of the next class period.  As the class schedule shows, there are 19 class meetings (other than the first session) when we will not be conducting issue debates.  On each of those days, a fill-in sheet will be due.  There will be NO make-ups for fill-in sheets not completed at the beginning of their due dates.  Late fill-in sheets will not be accepted under ANY circumstances.  You will be able to drop your three lowest grades on the fill-in sheets, but any fill-in sheet not handed in on time will automatically count as one of the drops.

In addition, if your name is drawn to lead the discussion on a given day, you will be permitted two passes.  If you pass, your name will go back in the hat, and another name will be drawn.  If you are absent on the day that your name is drawn, that absence will count as a pass.  Passing will cost you two points off your final grade and not more than two people may pass during any class session.  The total number of points amassed between successfully completing the fill-in sheets and adequately leading the class discussion on the day that your name is called will count for the majority of your grade in POL 250.

The purpose of the fill-in sheets is to:

1) Ensure that you read the Wilson text carefully, with understanding;

2) Keep you caught up and current in the class;

3) Prompt discussion among the class members and myself; and

4) Keep the class more interesting than if I lectured for the full 75 minutes that we are together almost every Tuesday and Thursday in the fall.

B. Issue Debate Participation

During the semester, we will have fourteen in-class debates based on selected issues from the Rourke book.  Each debate will last for one-half of the 75 minute class period (with a 5 minute break between debates).  By the second class session, I will distribute a sign-up list relating to the seven debates.  Each student in the class must commit to one debate group.  You may not get the topic that most interests you, however, I have attempted to choose fourteen topics that are "in the news" and are of general contemporary interest to all.  There should be 3 students in most debate groups.  Once the debate groups have been established, I will assign one person in each group to be the group's moderator (a senior or junior, if possible).  The moderator should take responsibility for contacting the other members of his/her group in order to arrange a meeting time to discuss and prepare the group's debate topic.  Each side of a debate should be represented by the discussion.  Debaters will prepare their arguments and questions to the other side before the class based on the assigned chapter of You Decide and other sources. Prior to the preparatory meeting, every member of the debate group should carefully read his/her assigned debate - both the "pro" and "con" arguments.  In their meeting, the group members should discuss and formulate a plan to lead the class in a debate of the topic on the date set by the syllabus.  Due to the rather rigid time constraints on each debate group (35 minutes maximum), careful preparation should lead to the debate topic being presented succinctly, yet thoroughly.

The group should organize the in-class debate into four sections: 1) introduction; 2) presentation of arguments; 3) cross-questioning and answering; 4) and conclusion. Based on his/her reading/research, outside class preparation, and in-class debate, each student in the group should write a 2-3 page, double-spaced paper describing her/his debate experience and the personal conclusion that is reached on the topic of the debate. The paper should be written in MS Word or Corel WordPerfect, Times New Roman font with 12 point letter size.  Each personal reflection paper is due in electronic format within one week of the completion of the group’s in-class debate.  The one week period is set in stone and merciless.  If I do not receive your paper within one week, you will receive a “zero” for the reflection paper.  The paper should be sent as an attachment to an e-mail at address rkrapohl@tiu.edu.

Each student's debate grade will be determined by the following:

1. In-class participation within the group's presentation of the debate topic.

2. Out-of-class participation in the group's preparation for its presentation.  I will ask each group moderator to submit to me a brief, written summary that lists any and all group planning meetings.  Every moderator should report absences and/or lack of participation of group members to scheduled meetings.

3. The written debate reflection paper, which is described above.

The total debate experience is worth a maximum of 50 points.  Points will be deducted from the total for lack of preparation/participation in the assigned debate and/or a sub-standard debate reflection paper.

My expectation is that all members of the class will read every assigned debate in the Rourke book.  To that end, I'm requiring that all students write out their own responses to each Points to Ponder section at the end of each debate (the exception to this is that the students responsible for a particular debate do not have to answer the Points to Ponder questions for that debate only.  Answers may be short, but should give some evidence of thought and interaction with the debate. Responses should be word processed and sent to me as an attachment to an e-mail (the same as with the debate reflection paper) before the debate.  The Points to Ponder responses will not be graded, but every student must submit all the responses before the end of the semester in order to receive credit for the course.

Finally, please make every effort to respond and engage constructively and orally to the group that is presenting the debate topic.  These topics are provocative and, at times, controversial.  In this class, your informed opinion is welcome, even if it departs from what one might consider the expected "conservative, evangelical, Trinity" position.  As long as your opinion is well-thought out and presented in a respectful manner, it is welcome during the debate sessions.  Additionally, you will never be graded downward for disagreeing with my perspective or what appears to be the majority perspective of the class.

C. U.S. Representative Paper

Using the website http://www.house.gov/ you should determine the person who represents your home district in the United States House of Representatives (enter your home zip code on the opening page at the http://www.house.gov/ site).  By the mid-point of the semester, you should organize and write a paper (typed, double spaced, about 3 pages) that tells the following information about your representative: name; party affiliation; years served in the U.S. Congress; contact information (snail mail and email addresses); URL address for personal webpage; and political stands taken on these issues: 1) the Economy (local and national); 2) Taxation and Government Spending; 3) Capital Punishment; 4) Abortion; 5) Church and State Issues (example; prayer in schools); 6) The Environment; 7) Immigration Policy; 8) Healthcare; 9) National Defense and International Terrorism (particularly, the war in Iraq); 10) any unique characteristic of your representative that distinguishes her or him from other U.S. Representatives.  As you write the political stands of your representative, note how his or her views are similar or different from your own on the various issues and why.  Finally, when you hand in your paper, include the copy of an email that you wrote to the office of your representative either complimenting or taking issue with her or him on a particular issue.  Please be courteous and civil in your discourse and include a copy of the response that you received from the representative or his/her office (as incredible as it seems, not every U.S. Representative responds personally and directly to every written communication from constituents; often the response is a form reply or written by a staff member in the representative’s name).

An excellent resource to get information on present U.S. Representatives is Jackie Koszczuk and Martha Angle, eds. CQ’s Politics in America 2008: The 110th Congress, 14th ed. (Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 2007).  This can be found in the Reference section of Rolfing Library.  Almost every representative has a personal website and this and many other good resources can be found by Googling the person’s name.  Please include a list of resources consulted at the end of your paper.

D. Presidential Candidate Paper

By the last class period of the semester, you should organize, write, and hand-in a paper (typed, double spaced, about 3 pages) that tells the following information about a person who is currently a candidate for the 2008 Presidential election: 1) name; 2) party affiliation; 3)home state; 4) political experience to date; 5) URL address for personal webpage; and political stands taken on these issues: 1) the Economy; 2) Taxation and Government Spending; 3) Capital Punishment; 4) Abortion; 5) Church and State Issues (example; prayer in schools); 6) The Environment; 7) Immigration Policy; 8) Healthcare; 9) National Defense and International Terrorism (particularly, the war in Iraq); 10) any unique characteristic of your candidate that distinguishes her or him from other candidates for the Presidency.  As you write the political stands of your representative, note how his or her views are similar or different from your own on the various issues and why (thus, the person you examine does not have to be someone whose views you agree with or someone that you plan to vote for in 2008).

In concluding your paper, make some informed assessment of the strengths and liabilities of your chosen candidate: Does he/she have a real chance to win the Presidency and why?  The best way to get this information is to consult the candidate’s website – all serious candidates have them.

E. Final Exam

There will be a final exam in this class.  It will be 100 fill-in the blank questions drawn completely from the fill-in sheets that you are working with throughout the semester.  If you have kept up with the fill-in sheets and done a good job with them, you should have no problem with the final exam.  Note: This will be the only written, formal exam that we have during the semester.

F. Keeping in Touch. . .

Although I don’t demand this as part of your grade, this class will be much more enjoyable (tolerable?) for you if you keep up with current political affairs.  In order to be a responsible citizen, not to mention a good student, you need to monitor the activities of the national government.  Most young Americans are commendably idealistic, but lack real information on which to build their political convictions.  These are the people who are most prone to be won over by slogans, demagoguery, and a “follow the pack” mentality.  Just as with your Christian convictions, it takes both knowledge and determination to stand up for what is right when most people around you express perspectives that differ from yours.

With the advent of the Internet, there are many, many ways to keep up with American politics on a daily basis.  All the major television news networks (NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, PBS, and Fox) have websites that purport to report political happenings. Take some time to explore different network perspectives on the same issue and note how they differ (for example, CBS has a current reputation to lean toward the more liberal side, while Fox has a persistent reputation of taking a conservative point-of-view).  Besides Internet sites and television news, there are the major weekly news magazines that try to maintain a neutrality in there political stance: Time and Newsweek, as well as those that have an obvious and usually unapologetic political tilt such as The Nation (liberal or progressive) and the National Review (conservative).  Editorial pages also cover the political spectrum. The New York Times has a long (and well-earned) reputation for liberalism while the Wall Street Journal is usually quite conservative.

Personally, I have mixed opinions about blogs.  However, one of the best and fairest that I have found is at www.realclearpolitics.com.  Although its editors are on the conservative side of the political spectrum, their site includes links from a myriad of political views.  I encourage you to consult it daily for one of the best compendiums of political news writing in America.

V.  COURSE GRADE

Your final grade will be determined by the total number of points that you accumulate during the semester.  Points for the fill-in sheets, the debate experience, the Representative paper, the Presidential candidate paper, and the final exam are apportioned in the following manner:

                        Fill-in Sheets (16 out of 19)                 192 points

                        Debate                                                 50 points

                        Representative Paper                          50 points

                        Presidential Candidate Paper              50 points

                        Discussion (Leading & Participating)    10 points

                        Final Exam                                            100 points

                        Total possible                                       452 points

                        Final Grading Scale:     A+       =          452 – 437 points

                                                            A         =          436 – 419 points

                                                            A-        =          418 – 404 points

                                                            B+       =          403 – 391 points

                                                            B          =          390 – 378 points

                                                            B-        =          377 – 360 points

                                                            C+       =          359 – 346 points

                                                            C         =          345 – 328 points

                                                            C-        =          327 – 314 points

                                                            D+       =          313 – 301 points

                                                            D         =          300 – 282 points

                                                            D-        =          281 – 269 points

                                                            F          =          268 points or below.

Please note that consistent attendance can help your final grade.  If your final point total is within two points of the next higher grade and you have missed two classes or fewer throughout the semester, you will receive the higher final grade.  Example: If your final point total was either 403 or 402 and you had missed two classes or fewer for the semester, you would receive an “A-” for the course instead of a “B+.”

VI. COURSE TEXTS

Rourke, John T. You Decide! 2007: Current Debates in American Politics. New York:

          Pearson Longman, 2007.

Wilson, James Q. American Government. Brief Version. 8th edition. Boston: Houghton

        Mifflin Company, 2008.

Both of these texts are available at the Trinity Bookstore and various online vendors.

VII.  OUT-OF-CLASS ASSISTANCE

I want you both to learn from this class and also to enjoy it.  Since Trinity does not have a political science major (or minor), this will be an elective for all of you.  Hence, you may not judge it to be as significant as most of your other classes.  I completely understand that attitude.  Still, we will be dealing with information and issues with which all American citizens (especially those who call themselves evangelical Christians) should be familiar.  Additionally, you will probably get as much out of this class as you put into it, so I challenge you to take it seriously and work hard to master the material contained therein.  If you need outside assistance, or would like to meet with me privately to discuss any aspect of the class, I would be happy to do that.  Since my “real” job here at Trinity is to direct the Rolfing Library, I have a lot of commitments outside this class that will demand my time and attention.  Consequently, although, I would very much like to meet with you, I must insist that you contact me ahead of time to set up an appointment for a meeting.  Due to time constraints, I cannot honor unscheduled, drop-in visits.  However, I pledge to respond in a timely fashion to any communication via email or telephone.

VIII.  COURSE SCHEDULE:

FINAL EXAM - Tuesday, December 11th, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

06/07