GPVT 170 Introduction to American Government Winter Term 2002 Tydings 0102 9 00 12 00 M F J Celeste Lay Office 2126 Tydings Hall Office Phone 405 6350 Office Hours Monday Wednesday 2 4 and by appointment Email clay gvpt umd edu This course is an introduction to the principles and processes of American government We will look at the theories that underlie our system the institutions of government the governmental process and electoral system as well as trends in American politics We will discuss the important concepts in American government such as pluralism liberty equality and power through looking at some of the fundamental questions in American politics such as Who has power in our system and Is there a tension between liberty and equality or justice The primary objective of this course is to stimulate thinking and discussion about American government and politics In order to stimulate critical thinking and interest in government and politics we will discuss political and social issues each day in class Students are expected to do the assigned readings each day to participate in class and to turn in the assignments on time Required Materials O Connor Karen and Larry J Sabato 2002 Essentials of American Government Continuity and Change New York Addison Wesley Longman Publishers Reader Packet from the BSOS Copy Center In addition each student needs access to the web regular use of an email account and will need to read a national daily paper preferably the Washington Post or the NYTimes in order to discuss current events in class each day On line editions of newspapers are acceptable Attendance and Participation Class attendance is mandatory For every two unexcused absences your grade will be dropped by one letter grade Because the quizzes and assignments are at the beginning of class this means that you must come to class on time If you know you must miss class more than once you should speak with me on the first day of class Special Circumstances If you have any kind of special circumstances that I should be aware of let me know as soon as possible All students attending the University of Maryland with documented disabilities are eligible and encouraged to register for services with Disability Support Services If you need information on this see me Also if you are an athlete or member of a club that travels frequently notify me on the first day of class Assignments and Exams 1 Tests and Quizzes There is a midterm and a final The midterm will last 1 hours and then we will have a lecture after a short break Jan 11 The final is cumulative and will take the entire three hours Jan 23 In addition each day there will be a quiz or a short writing assignment These will take no longer than 5 10 minutes to complete and will be given at the beginning of class They will average into the participation proportion of your grade Students may drop the lowest grade on one quiz from their quiz average Writing Assignments and Presentations Current Issue Paper and Presentation Each student will choose a current political or social issue and will a write a one page memo as either a proponent or an opponent of the issue and b make an oral presentation to the class on this issue Issue Presentation Oral presentations should be short and concise around 5 minutes per person Two students will be assigned to one issue as opponents to each other Dates of presentations will be randomly assigned by me Class discussion will follow the presentations Issue Paper Papers are due on the same day as your presentation Papers should be in the form of ONE PAGE memos single spaced and should detail a position on the issue see example attached to syllabus These memos should be of the type given to elected representatives to persuade them to your position Thus they should be well written and concise and should give persuasive details and facts that an official can use to explain his her position to his her constituents You should read opinions on both or all sides of the issue because good memos address the opposition You may choose to represent a particular organization or simply represent your own views The memo MUST be original work but you should use outside references and you MUST cite them appropriately We will go over some general rules on citations and if you need help on gathering information see me See the note below on plagiarism Final Paper The final paper is due after the final exam on January 25 This paper should be between 5 7 pages double spaced and should be based on one of the following novels or nonfiction works Please follow instructions on the assignment sheet attached to the syllabus in writing the paper Shadow Play Charles Baxter An assistant city manager of a small town sees his life fall apart when a chemical plant turns out to be a cancer causing disaster Herland Charlotte Perkins Gilman Three men stumble upon an all female society Black Like Me John Howard Griffin A white man travels through the South as a black man in 1959 The Mole People Life in the Tunnels beneath New York City Jennifer Toth Tells the stories of homeless men and women in New York 2 WORD OF WARNING Do NOT wait until the last minute to think about this assignment There are limited copies of these books available in McKeldin library and thus you must look at other libraries in the Maryland system or in local areas or buy your preferred book in order to complete the assignment Late papers will be penalized by one letter grade per day and IT IS NOT A VALID EXCUSE TO SAY YOU DIDN T GET THE BOOK Missed Exams Snow Policy There will be no make up quizzes for any reason If you miss a quiz or short writing assignment it will count as a zero If you miss the midterm or the final you will need an official universitysigned excuse in order to make it up There are NO exceptions WARNING Make up exams are more difficult than the original and are given at my convenience There is one holiday on which we will not have class January 21 Martin Luther King Day If school is canceled due to inclement weather you are still responsible for the reading for that day and we will catch up the next day If we are out for more than one day watch your email for directions from me If class is canceled on the day of an exam plan to take the exam the next day that class is in session Important Dates and Grade Calculation Class Begins January 3 Midterm January 11 20 No Class Holiday January 21 Final Exam January 23 30 Final Paper Due January 25 20 Issue