American Politics
Political Science 101
MWF 11-11:50 S105

Fall 2004

Instructor: Peter Watkins                                                                                                                                                  Office Hours: M-F
Office: C208                                                                                                                                                                           8-8:50 and by   
Office Phone: x6350                                                                                                                                                             Appointment
peterw@saintjoe.edu

Introduction 

Providing a broad overview of American politics, this class attempts to acquaint the student with some of the key developments in American political history, with the major institutions of American government, with the language of political science, and with issues of contemporary relevance. 

The text we will be using this semester is

It is available for purchase from the bookstore. If you are unable to get a copy for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please give yourself sufficient time to read and re-read the material.

While there are elements of continuity in the discipline, American politics makes and remakes itself with great frequency. Given this fact I urge you to supplement your reading of Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss by watching, reading, and listening to a variety of news sources.

If you are a student with a disability, please meet with me at your earliest opportunity to discuss any accommodations you will need during class activity, examinations, and out of class assignments in order to participate fully and demonstrate your abilities.

Class Schedule

The course calendar can be found below. On it you will find a weekly breakdown of reading assignments and due dates, noted in parentheses, for assigned work.  Please note: Additional readings may be assigned as the semester unfolds.

You will receive a zero if you absent yourself from quizzes and examinations. Half a letter grade (e.g. C= to C) Will be deducted for each day a writing assignment is handed in late. I will discuss exceptions to these rules at our first class meeting.

August 23-27: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss  Ch. 1 (8/25)
August 30-September 3: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 2 (8/30), Quiz 1 (9/3)
September 8-10:  Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 3 (9/8)
September 13-17: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 4 (9/13), Quiz 2 (9/17)
September 20-24: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 5 (9/20)
September 27-October 1: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 6 (9/27), Quiz 3 (10/1)
October 4-8: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 7 (10/4)
October 11-15: No Reading Assigned, Mid-term Examination (10/15)
October 18-22: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Chs. 8-9 (10/18 and 10/22)
October 25-29: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 10 (10/25), Quiz 4 (10/29)
November 1-5: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 11 (11/1)
November 8-12: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 12 (11/8), Quiz 5 (11/12)
November 15-19: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 13 (11/15)
November 29-December 3: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 14 (11/29), Quiz 6 (12/3)
December 6-10: Fiorina, Peterson, and Voss Ch. 15 (12/6)
December 13:Final Examination @ 8:00 

SIT FINIS LIBRI, NON QUAERENDI ("Let this be the end of the book, but not the end of seeking")-Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain.

Class Requirements

Quizzes will take place on a relatively frequent basis throughout the semester. The questions you will encounter on these quizzes will test your familiarity with the reading material, and occasionally with material from class discussion, completed during the two week period preceding the quiz.

In addition to the quizzes you are required to take two examinations. The mid-term examination will cover material assigned from August 25-October 8. The final examination will draw from material assigned from October 18-December 10. Questions on these examinations will also test your  familiarity with the reading material and occasionally with material considered during class discussion.

All quizzes and examinations are closed book.

You are also required to complete a short writing assignment during the course of the semester. As this is an election year your task is to write a brief report on the race for the U.S. House seat which will take place in your home district this fall. Additional details about this assignment will be given to you during the first few weeks of the semester. The completed assignment is to be five pages in length. It is due on November 19.

Papers must possess a cover page and must be stapled in the top left-hand corner. They must be typed and double-spaced. The font size used in the paper must be no larger than 12 pt. The right and bottom margins are to be 1 inch wide. The left margin is to be 1.25 inches wide. The top margin, with the exception of the first page, must be 1 inch wide. The top margin on the first page must be 2 inches in width. Papers must be handed in during class on the date the assignment is due. You are responsible for keeping an extra copy of your paper. Failure to follow these requirements will lead to penalties being assigned.

I strongly urge you to take your paper to the Writing Clinic. The Writing Clinic is located in Core 212. I also urge you to consult The Everyday Writer as you begin the writing process. If you do not have a copy of this text, please let me know.

Finally, a portion of your grade will be determined by the quality, and to a lesser extent the frequency, of your class participation. In order to effectively participate in class discussion you must keep up with the reading assignments.

I tend to enjoy lively argument and debate in my classroom. I will frequently call upon students by name to address an issue that we are considering. Please come prepared to express your views about the issues at hand.

Your grade will be computed in the following way:

                                                                        Quizzes @ 20 points each        120 points
                                                                        Mid-term Examination               110 points
                                                                        Final Examination                       110 points
                                                                        Class Participation                       50 points
                                                                        Election Paper                               50 points

                                                                        Total                                            440 points

No extra credit is available.

A=100%-94.5%, A-=94.4%-89.5%, B+=89.4%-86.5%, B=86.4%-83.5%, B-=83.4%-79.5%, C+=79.4%-76.5%, C=76.4%-73.5%, C-=73.4%-69.5%, D+= 69.4%-64.5%, D=64.4%-59.5%, F 59.4% and below.

Writing Portfolio

All political science majors are required to keep a portfolio of their written work. This portfolio will be reviewed by members of the political science faculty prior to your enrollment in the capstone course, Seminar in Political Science. Your portfolio should be kept on a computer disk. The department will supply disks. The type of assignments that can and should be placed in the portfolio will be discussed during the semester.

Office Hours and Contacting Your Professor

I will be available for conferences at the times noted above. If you would like to meet me at another time, please make an appointment to do so. Appointments can be made by calling the number listed at the top of the syllabus, by calling me at home (866-8768), or by sending me an e-mail message. 

In addition to discussing issues or concerns related to the class during office hours or during other scheduled appointments, you should also feel free to drop by to talk about other issues. If I am unable to help, I will probably know the name of an individual on campus who can help.

I will often contact the class via e-mail. Please check your e-mail on a daily basis.

Student Tutors

In addition to the help available to you in class and during office hours, a student tutor will also be available to discuss class materials with you.  I will provide you with details of the tutor's schedule during the first or second week of the semester.

Attendance Policy

A discussion of the college's attendance policy can be found in the Saint Joseph's College 2004-2005 Catalog. See pp. 47-48.

While your class participation grade is largely based on the quality of your participation, failure to attend class will have an adverse impact on your class participation grade. Failure to attend scheduled classes could also have an impact on your performance on quizzes and examinations given the fact that questions on these quizzes and examinations will occasionally be taken from class discussion.

In addition to the above, attendance at class will profit you because attention will be given during those sessions to the reading material assigned for each quiz/examination.

If you are a member of an athletic team, please identify yourself during the first class session. Professor Teresa Massoels, the Faculty Athletic Representative, has prepared an information sheet for members of the faculty, which addresses questions of athletic-related absences. I will distribute this sheet to those identified as members of athletic teams. You, not your coach, are responsible for informing me of any athletic related absences.

Academic Honesty

"Whenever you are to do a thing, though it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you, and act accordingly."-Thomas Jefferson

A discussion of academic honesty can be found in the college catalog. Please familiarize yourself with this policy. It can be found in the Saint Joseph's College 2004-2005 Catalog. Please reference pp. 52-54.