Course Syllabus

Course Description

Students technically do not need to be "introduced" to politics and government, since these affect almost every aspect of their lives, from what they earn (e.g., taxes) to what they eat (food safety laws) to where they go (public roads) and how they get there (oil policies). Yet students, like many Americans, may feel bewildered, shut out, overwhelmed, or even disgusted by the political process. To overcome these obstacles to understanding, this course offers a systematic approach to politics and government. Students will address broad political questions like the following:

• Is liberal democracy the best form of government?
• How does power affect the distribution of resources?
• What is a political ideology?
• How do political institutions like Congress and the courts operate?
• What drives nations to go to war?

By engaging with questions like these, the course should help students clearly identify the ways in which politics affects their lives, and the lives of others, and to critically evaluate claims made by political actors. We will also work together towards developing skills that transcend the classroom. Through the study of politics and government, students should begin to develop powers of analysis and argumentation that will improve their thinking, writing, and speaking, both on and off campus.

Finally, this course also serves as an introduction to the discipline of political science. Those students considering this field as a major or minor will come away from the course with an understanding of the main sub-fields of political science, as well as some of the dominant theoretical approaches within the discipline.

Required Texts

Students are encouraged to purchase the following book:

Power & Choice
W. Phillips Shively
10th Edition (2007)
ISBN: 9780073278902

This book is available from Shakespeare and Company (939 Lexington Avenue, at 69th Street). In addition, a number of less expensive used copies may be available online. If you purchase online or elsewhere, however, make sure that you obtain the correct edition and that you can get the book in a timely fashion. I will attempt to make a copy of the book available on reserve in the MMC library.

Additional readings will be assigned throughout the semester; these will be available through online links at the course website. Readings will be assigned at the end of each class, and also will be posted on the class website.

Course Requirements

• Come to class prepared. Complete all required readings beforehand, and bring your textbook/readings to class.
• Participate. Attend class regularly and on time--you cannot participate if you are not present--and join your colleagues in critical analysis of the assigned readings. In order to encourage participation, you will be asked to complete the following assignment:
• Summaries. Write seven (7) one-page summaries of assigned readings throughout the course of the semester. Guidelines for summary writing will be distributed early in the semester. In general, you can submit summaries whenever you would like, with the following restriction: one summary must be completed in September, with an additional one (two in total) due by the mid-term exam. Still, I encourage you to WRITE YOUR SUMMARIES EARLY – do not wait until the end of the semester, or you may run out of time to complete your required seven.
• Complete all other written assignments:
• Exams. You will be given two examinations during the course, a mid-term and a final. The final exam focuses primarily on material covered in the second half of the course, but may build upon and refer to material discussed earlier. Exams will consist of brief essay questions, with the questions distributed in advance. Questions will be based on the required readings and on classroom discussions.
• Paper. A 5-7 page research paper will be due towards the end of the semester; you will be required to submit a first draft a few weeks earlier. Details for the assignment, including deadlines and instructions, will be distributed in class later in the semester.
  

Grading

Your grade will be based on your written work and your class participation. Course requirements will be weighted as follows when calculating your grade:

• Paper: 25%. The research paper will be worth one-fourth (25%) of your grade. Grading criteria will be included when the paper assignments are distributed. A one letter grade penalty will be imposed upon late papers without valid documentation (e.g., medical emergency).
• Exams: 50%. Of the two exams, your lowest grade will be worth 20%, while your highest will be worth 30%. Make-up exams will be given only when proper documentation for the absence is provided.
• Participation: 25%. Submission of all required summaries establishes a base participation grade of B. Failure to submit a summary will lower this grade by one-third of a letter (e.g., B to B-). Excessive lateness or absences may lead to further reductions, while frequent and thoughtful contributions to class discussion will have the opposite effect.

Incomplete grades will be assigned only for a valid and documented cause, for a length of time specified by the instructor when the documentation is accepted.

Academic Integrity

Students should be aware of the college’s policies regarding cheating, plagiarism and any other kind of academic misconduct as outlined in the MMC Academic Honesty Policy. These policies will be discussed briefly during the first class, and are available here and in the links section on the side of this site. Students who have questions or concerns about their written work should discuss these with the instructor before submitting any assignments.

Special Needs

Any student who is learning disabled, whose primary language is other than English, or who has other special needs and may thus require special accommodations should notify me immediately.

Course Schedule (subject to change)

Wednesday, September 3
Course Overview
Politics (and Government) Defined

Monday, September 8
Introduction to Politics (and Political Science)

Wednesday, September 10
Introduction to Government

Monday, September 15
Concepts: Power

Wednesday, September 17
Concepts: Authority and Legitimacy

Monday, September 22
Concepts: Democracy and Autocracy

Wednesday, September 24
Concepts: Democracy continued (FILM: “No Logo”)

Monday, September29
Ideologies: Liberalism

Wednesday, October 1
Ideologies: Critics of Liberalism

Monday, October 6
Ideologies: Fascism and Totalitarianism

Wednesday, October 8
Exam Review

Monday, October 13
NO CLASS – COLUMBUS DAY

Wednesday, October 15
MID-TERM EXAMINATION

Monday, October 20
FILM – T.B.D.

Wednesday, October 22
FILM – T.B.D.

Monday, October 27
Constitutions

Wednesday, October 29
NO CLASS – ADVISEMENT DAY

Monday, November 3
Political Participation: Elections

Wednesday, November 5
Election Wrap-Up

Monday, November 10
Political Participation: Parties

Wednesday, November 12
Political Participation: Interest Groups

Monday, November 17
Political Participation: Social Movements

Wednesday, November 19
Institutions: Parliamentary vs. Presidential Systems

Monday, November 24
Institutions: Law and the Courts

Wednesday, November 26
NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING

Monday, December 1
Institutions: The Bureaucracy

Wednesday, December 3
International/Global Politics

Monday, December 8
International/Global Politics: War and Peace (FILM: “Why We Fight”)

Wednesday, December 10
International/Global Politics: War and Peace (FILM: “Why We Fight”)

Monday, December 15
Course Review
Exam Review

Wednesday, December 17
FINAL EXAM