Curtis L. Frazier

PGH 371

Office Hours M-W 5-6

743,3936 (office)

This course examines the actions and interactions of American political institutions. More importantly, we will be focusing on why institutions and institutional arrangements are relevant. We will also be discussing important contemporary political issues.

REQUIRED BOOKS:

Ginsberg, Lowi and Weir - We the People: An Introduction to Americans Politics: Shorter Edition.

Levine, Herbert - Point-Counterpoint Readings in American Government: 6^th Edition.

Tedin, Lutz, & Fuchs - Perspectives on American and Texas Politics: 5^th Edition.

GRADES & POLICIES:

There will be three cumulative examinations. Make-up examinations will be given ONLY with a medical excuse from a doctor and prior notice. NO examinations will be given on the day of the examination after the first person has finished. In other words, do not arrive late. The first two examinations will be worth 15% each. The final exam counts 30%. The exam will test your knowledge and comprehension of material from the lectures and readings.

You will also be expected to write 3 short papers (3-5 pages). These papers will cover material from class discussions (and the accompanying book - Point-Counterpoint). [See the attached sheet for paper guidelines.] Each paper will be due at the beginning of class and will count towards 10% of your final grade.

In addition, there will be a number of pop quizzes. The pop quizzes will count for 10% of your final grade. There will be no make-up pop quizzes given - for obvious reasons. Quizzes may come at the beginning or end of class (so, don't show up late or leave early!).

Class participation, although not formally part of the grading, is nonetheless important to your grade. Participation will be considered for students on the borderline between grades. You will be called on in class - so be prepared.

Finally, you will be given a chance to substantially raise your final grade through reading and class preparation. Students who turn in (at the beginning of class) a one to two page outline of the previous night's reading will be given extra credit. You will receive ½ point onto your exam grade for each complete outline on the following examination (This can be worth up to 7 bonus points!). These outlines should be 1-2 pages, single spaced, typed and with standard margins. Note: all outlines will be examined. Any found to be copied, plagiarized, or suspicious will not be counted.

Cheating on assignments or tests will be dealt with harshly. This is an intro class - if you have to cheat in this class you are in serious trouble.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
	Introduction: Review Syllabus	Formal and Informal Powers of President	Organization and Character of the Presidency	Presidential Elections
	Powers of the Congress	Organization Congressional Decision-making	Congressional Elections / Electoral systems	Exam
	Judiciary	Bureaucracy	Interest Groups	Political Parties - Creation, change, why 2
	Elections - Participation	Elections - Sophistication	Elections - Voting Behavior	Exam
	Media	Public Opinion	Public Opinion	Representation
	Review	No Class	Final Exam 5-8pm

You will be expected to write 3 short (3-5 pages) papers dealing with current political controversies. Papers are due at the beginning of class on the Monday before an examination (as marked on the schedule). You will select one controversy from the set of readings since the previous paper's due date (see table below).

Your papers should include a short summary of the arguments presented in the book. You should also reference at least one of the suggested readings at the back of each controversy. I also encourage you to present ideas presented during class discussions of your topic [note: class discussions often get off topic - don't let your paper stray from the topic]. Finally, I want you to take a position on the issue and support it. I expect you to critically analyze the arguments presented in the book and discussions (at least the relevant ones) and discuss why you believe that your position is best. [Note: your papers will not be graded on which position you adopt. Rather, they will be graded on the accuracy of your summaries, clarity of arguments, interest, and style/grammar.]

Paper	Controversies
	Chapter 20 Should Drugs be Decriminalized? Chapter 10 Is Campaign Finance Reform Needed? Chapter 11 Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?
	Chapter 15 Is the Federal Government Trying to Do Too Much, Too Often, for Too Many? Chapter 16 Is the Confirmation Process a Mess? Chapter 13 Should the Number of Congressional Terms be Limited? Chapter 17 Should the Supreme Court Abide by a Strict Constructionist Philosophy? Chapter 19 Will Gun Control Reduce Violence? Chapter 6 Have the Constitutional Protections for Accused Criminals Become So Weakened As to Deny the Accused Fundamental Rights? Chapter 5 Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished?
	Chapter 4 Should Government Impose Stricter Regulations on Pornography? Chapter 8 Would the Adoption of English As the Official Language of the United States Strengthen National Unity? Chapter 7 Is Affirmative Action a Desirable Policy to Remedy Discrimination? Chapter 12 Do the Mass Media Have a Liberal Bias? Chapter 3 Should a School Prayer Amendment Be Adopted? Chapter 21 Is Human-Made Global Warming a Proven Environmental Threat? Chapter 9, Do Voting and Elections Mean Very Much?