Instructor Ms Melissa A Bell Mon Thur 3 30 6 45 p m Tydings 1111 classroom Office Hours Tuesday 12 2pm or by appointment Tydings 2126 Office location mbell gvpt umd edu GVPT 170 Introduction to American Government Department of Government and Politics University of Maryland Winter 2009 This course is an introductory course to the study of the American political system We will examine the American concepts of equality and liberty and the inherent tension between the two the Constitution the way people can influence government through political parties elections interest groups and the media Congress the presidency and the courts Course Requirements 20 Participation Class Preparedness 15 Cross fire 15 Presentation 25 Midterm 25 Final Exam Participation and Class Preparedness Students will be expected to come to class prepared and contribute to class discussion Students will be expected to have done the assigned reading for each class and come prepared with thoughtful comments and questions and engage with one another in class discussion Remember participation is worth 20 of your final grade This is a small class and our collective success in the classroom will depend on everyone coming prepared with comments and questions Due to the time constraints of a Winter term course students on average will be expected to read a lot per day I highly advise students to keep up with the assigned readings so as to not fall behind It would be very difficult to catch up if one begins to fall behind in the readings for some reason Therefore my simple advice is this don t fall behind in the readings Cross Fires Throughout the semester students will sign up to participate in a cross fire The cross fire is an in class debate that will fall under the rubric of the topic of the day The cross fire may be a debate based on historical arguments such as the Federalists vs the Anti federalists or a debate on a contemporary political issue One student will be assigned the affirmative position and the other the negative Students will be expected to draw on the readings from class as well as some light outside research for support Students will then need to submit a one page outline of their argument the day of the cross fire in class please remember to include citations on the outline if appropriate 1 Presentation The textbook provides a broad approach to the introduction of American Politics however supplemental reading will be needed to appropriately cover each topic Because students are asked to read a lot per day I have decided it would be more efficient to ask each student to read and report on one supplemental reading as opposed to assigning a bunch of the supplemental readings to everyone Students will be allowed to choose an article or book chapter to report on to the class The article or book chapter must be relevant to the day s topic This assignment shall be approached as a mini book report Students will also be asked to submit a 2 3 page summary The summary and presentation will provide the reader with background summarize the main points of the reading as well as include an assessment of the argument made in the reading The paper will be due on the day of the presentation in class Please see me for suggestions if you are unsure what to choose to report on Exams Students will take two exams throughout the semester a midterm and a final exam Both of the exams will consist of multiple choice questions and an essay question The final exam will be cumulative Students will be expected to bring a pencil with a working eraser to class for the exam since we will be utilizing scantrons for a portion of the test It is not the responsibility of the instructor to provide you with a pencil and or eraser Required Texts O Conner Karen and Larry Sabato Continuity and Change American Government Pearson 2009 edition Expectations of Students While the following section is not an exhaustive list of expectations for student conduct experience has taught me that there are some common mistakes that should be addressed at the beginning of the semester 1 Punctuality Students are expected to arrive for class on time While it is understood that sometimes events happen beyond our control that may cause tardiness chronic lateness is inexcusable Class begins at 3 30 p m which means I begin exactly at 3 30p m and expect you to be in your seats prepared to take notes 2 Electronic Communication The University has supplied you with an official email address You are responsible for checking that e mail regularly When you email me please make it a point to always address the e mail provide a proper subject and ALWAYS sign your email I would also advise against using slang that may be common text language or instant message language This is something you should always keep in mind when communicating electronically with a professor 3 Personal Responsibility Remember you are in charge of your education If you are unclear about something it is up to you to a seek out the answer for yourself in a timely manner and then b follow up with me during office hours or through e mail if you are still unclear In addition directions are to be taken seriously For 2 example if I ask you to bring a pencil to an exam then you should come prepared with a pencil for the exam 4 Academic Dishonesty All work must be done in strictest accordance with the letter of the honor code of the University of Maryland All violations will be prosecuted If you have any doubts or questions whatsoever as to what constitutes a violation feel free to speak to me ahead of time It is always better to be safe than sorry if you are unsure For more information please see http www bsos umd edu for students advising academic integrity honor pledgeand legal aid aspx 5 Absences Campus Senate policy requires students who are absent due to illness injury to furnish documentary support to the instructor I require students to contact me by email or by phone prior to class time in which you indicate that you have an illness or an injury You must provide written documentation verifying your illness injury immediately upon your return to class You will not be allowed to turn in missed assignments or make up quizzes tests papers etc if you have not provided this documentation Documentation not presented to me in a timely manner will not be accepted In addition if it is found that you have falsified the documentation provided I will refer you to the University s Student Conduct Office