I expect you to come to class ON TIME, prepared to discuss the day’s readings, and with any assignments due that day.Students are responsible for registering for classes and for verifying their class schedules on e-campus.The deadline for adding a Fall Semester class without instructor and academic unit head signatures is Monday, September 5, 2005. Between Monday, September 5, 2005 and Thursday, September 15, 2005, instructor and academic unit head signatures are required to add a class for Fall Semester 2005.No student will be allowed to register for a Fall Semester class after Thursday, September 15, 2005. No exceptions will be made to these deadlines.Academic HonestySpecial NeedsContacting MeCourse Schedule and Assigned ReadingWeek 1 – Introduction to the classWeek 2 – The ConstitutionWeek 3 - FederalismWeek 4 – The Structure of American GovernmentIntroduction to U.S. GovernmentGPOSC 225 Section 0001Professor: Dr. WilliamsClass Time: Tuesday and Thursday 8am-9:15amTuesday 6:30pm-9:00pm (see schedule)Classroom: Burruss 0044 (TTh)Health and Human Services 2301 (Tues.)Office: Maury Hall 214Office Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 1:00pm-2:00pm(and by appointment)Email: [email protected]: 568-6497Introduction: This course is a survey of issues and aspects of American Government. The primary focus is on government at the federal level. There are three interrelated aspects of government that we will examine: foundations of government, government institutions, and political behavior. The purpose of the course is to teach you the fundamentals of American government. I want you to be able to understand how current political issues fit within the larger political picture.Required Texts:Greenberg, Edward S. and Benjamin I. Page. 2005. The Struggle for Democracy, 7th Edition. New York: Pearson Longman Publishing.Rourke, John T. 2005. You Decide!: Current Debates in American Politics. New York: Pearson Education, Inc.The Washington Post (On-line edition or paper edition if you already subscribe)Course Expectations: Due Dates Percent of final gradeMidterm Exam I September 22nd20%Midterm Exam II October 20th20%Midterm Exam III November 17th 20 %Comprehensive Final Exam December 13th, 10:30am 30%Five Pop Quizzes (Drop lowest) unannounced 10%Up to 5% extra credit added to final exam grade for each evening session ticket SIGNED and TURNED IN to me the following Thursday, NO LATE TICKETS WILL BE ACCEPTED. 1You must take exams on the day they are given. If you are going to miss the exam, you must provide me with a note explaining why you wish to miss the exam and receive my permission PRIOR to the exam. You must contact me on the first day after the exam to schedule a make-up exam. If you miss the final exam you will receive an “I” in the course until a make-up is scheduled for the next semester. If an emergency prevents you from attending an exam, you must contact me as soon as possible. I will seek documentation of your excuse (for example, a doctor’s note). Please do not be offended when I ask you for this; I am only trying to treat everyone fairly. If you do not receive permission from me to miss an exam (either before or after) you will receive a 0 on the exam. ALL MAKE UP EXAMS ARE ENTIRELY ESSAY.You are REQUIRED to attend all the Tuesday night class meetings in addition to the regular classes on Tuesday and Thursday. There are only five evening sessions during the semester so pay attention to the schedule. The Tuesday night sessions will include movies and speakers on the topic of U.S. Government. Questions about the movies and speakers will be on the exams and quizzes. Anyone not present for the full 2 ½ hours Tuesday night session will not get the attendance ticket. You are not allowed to attend any evening session OTHER than the Tuesday night schedule to which you are assigned, no exceptions. At least 10% of the exam questions will come from the evening session, so showing up and paying attention are essential to your grade. It is also a good idea to take notes on the session, so when the exam comes you are prepared to answer questions. Simply because you get extra credit does not mean that these sessions are to be taken lightly. While your grade is not dependent on your participation, showing up and letting me know you have read the material cannot hurt your grade. I realize that not everyone is comfortable speaking in large groups, nor is it possible to attend every class. However, attending class regularly and paying attention are the best tools to help you do well in the class. You receive no grade for attendance and participation because these activities are your responsibility as a student. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to come to my office hours to discuss them. Also, feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions or concerns.Because a number of announcements will be last minute, you are responsible for checking your e-mail and Blackboard everyday.I expect you to come to class ON TIME, prepared to discuss the day’s readings, and with any assignments due that day.Students are responsible for registering for classes and for verifying their class schedules on e-campus. The deadline for adding a Fall Semester class without instructor and academic unit head signatures is Monday, September 5, 2005. Between Monday, September 5, 2005 and Thursday, September 15, 2005, instructor and academic unit head signatures are required to add a class for Fall Semester 2005.No student will be allowed to register for a Fall Semester class after Thursday, September 15, 2005. No exceptions will be made to these deadlines.2The last day to withdraw from a class for Fall 2005 is October 27th, 2005. It is the policy of the Department of Political Science to not give withdrawals after this deadline.GradesFinal grades will be assigned according to the following scale:A 93-100A- 90-92B+ 87-89B 83-86B- 80-82C+ 77-79C 73-76C- 70-72D+ 67-69D 60-66F Below 60Your grades are assigned based on your performance on the exams and the quizzes. The midterm exams will be multiple-choice with one essay question. We will discuss the format for the multiple-choice questions before each exam. The exams will include questions from the books, the lectures, the evening sessions, and the Washington Post articles. See the exam policy above for any other details related to the exams. Quizzes are unannounced and are multiple-choice. There will be