Fall 2012 POLS 207 State and Local Government Section 506 MWF BLOC 102 10 20 11 10 a m Section 507 MWF BLOC 102 11 30 12 20 p m Section 509 MWF BLOC 102 1 50 2 40 p m Instructor P See Lim Office Allen Building Room 2053 Phone 979 845 3083 Office hours MW 12 35 1 35 p m After class and by appointment See me in class to make appointments Email pseelim pols tamu edu Email Protocol Please state your name and section number in the subject line when you email me I will not respond if you email me without your profile Read the syllabus first before emailing me Do not email me about information available here Web Page http www polisci tamu edu faculty byname id 81 I Course Description This course examines the functions of state and local government State and local government provide important services to the public and yet the elections of local officials are largely ignored We will trace the history of government from the county up to the federal level We will compare the states in terms of political participation and examine the role of political parties interest groups public opinion and voters in the states We will also compare the political environment in Texas with other states and with other parts of the world II Required Textbook Harvey J Tucker and Norman R Luttbeg Comparing the States and Communities 8th edition Available for purchase at the MSC Bookstore in G Rollie White only III Exams and Grades There will be four 4 exams in the course There is NO final exam All exams are multiple choice each worth 25 of the final grade Each exam will cover all assigned chapters and lectures to that date The exams are non cumulative No one will be allowed to take an exam after the first exam has been turned in All exams are held in the same classroom Please bring a clean crisp grey scantron A penalty of 4 points will be deducted from your score if the grading machine rejects your scantron Fill in your information accurately before coming to the exam hall A penalty of 4 points will be deducted from your score if an error s is made Note Fill in your UIN and not SSN You can check your grades and announcements from elearning tamu edu See me in class if you do not have your grade Do not email me I cannot email grades Please come and look at your exams after EACH exam Do not come after the fourth exam to look at multiple exams I will not change grades unless I made an error in computation A 90 100 B 80 89 C 70 79 D 60 69 F Below 59 1 IV Make up Exams Only students with documented University excuse s for missing a regularly scheduled exam will be allowed to take the make up Students who are requesting an excused absence are expected to uphold the Aggie Honor Code and Student Conduct Code TAMU student rules Students who cannot take an exam must notify the instructor at least 24 hours before the scheduled examination in accordance with University policy http student rules tamu edu rule07 You must provide your official documentation if you want to schedule your makeup at an earlier date Medical Absences Complete the Explanatory Statement for Absence from Class form provided on TAMU website http shs tamu edu forms Explanatory 20Statement 20for 20Absence 20from 20Class pdf Provide confirmation of visit to a health care professional affirming date and time of visit o This must be the original document not a photocopy Absences for other reasons Check TAMU student rules http student rules tamu edu rule07 for a full list of university excused absences website Complete the Explanatory Statement for Absence from Class form provided on TAMU http shs tamu edu forms Explanatory 20Statement 20for 20Absence 20from 20Class pdf o Where it asked for name of someone who can vouch for your illness give name of someone who can vouch for reason for absence and their contact information Provide appropriate original documentation to explain your absence Make up exam date is Monday December 3rd It is held at regular class time and place Make up exams could be essay exams Students can take a maximum of two make ups only and they have to be taken on the same day and the allocated time for class 50 minutes Please drop the course if you have to miss 3 exams V Withdrawal Policy Should you decide to drop this course at any time you must do so by yourself Failure to drop a course because of not passing or excessive absences will result in an F grade at the end of the semester The Q drop date is Friday November 2nd VI Academic Dishonesty Students must obey the University policy on academic dishonesty The penalty for any type of plagiarism or cheating will be an F on the exam As commonly defined plagiarism consists of passing off as one s own the ideas words writings etc which belong to another In accordance with the definition you are committing plagiarism if you copy the work of another person and turn it in as your own even if you should have the permission of the person Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins for the plagiarist destroys the trust among colleagues without which research cannot be safely communicated If you have any questions regarding plagiarism please consult the Aggie Honor System Office website http www tamu edu aggiehonor or the latest version of the Texas A M University Dishonesty http rules tamu edu urules 100 159903m1 htm Scholastic Student section Rules under the 2 The handouts used in this course are copyrighted By handouts I mean all materials generated for this class which include but are not limited to syllabi quizzes exams lab problems in class materials review sheets and additional problem sets Because these are copyrighted you do not have the right to copy the handouts unless I expressly grant permission VII Class Attendance and Conduct Students are expected to be punctual and to attend all lectures It is assumed that you have read the assigned materials before coming to class Participation and questions relevant to the lectures are welcome If you should miss a class it is your responsibility to obtain lecture notes from your classmate Students should avoid any form of class disturbance You will be asked to leave the class if you disrupt class proceedings All cell phones or pagers must be on the off mode during class meetings and failure to comply will result in a five point penalty Please take a seat near the door if you intend to leave the class early You will determine your own fate in this course your grade is your responsibility Attendance in class is not mandatory but if you do not
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