GVPT170 American Government 2009 Summer Session I MW 9 00am 12 15pm Tydings 1101 Lecturer Anne Cizmar Department of Government Politics 2126 Tydings Hall Office phone 301 405 6350 Email acizmar gvpt umd edu Office Hours MW 1 30 3 30pm and by aptmt Course Description This course is designed to acquaint students with the institutions of American government The first part of the course is dedicated to exploring the foundations of our American system of government looking at the founding of our democracy the Constitution and the way these impact us today In the second and third parts of this course we will examine the formal and informal institutions of American government We will explore the roles of each branch of government and highlight the specific responsibilities of each as well as the tension between these branches In the final part of the course we will turn to the role of the American electorate We will analyze how they participate in the system by looking at both how their preferences can influence government and how the institutions laws and political process can influence them Requirements Grading Students will be evaluated via presentations a short paper several in class assignments and midterms and a cumulative final exam Please note that the exams will draw on lectures videos class discussions as well as required readings that may not be covered in class Assignments 40 4 mini midterms 10 each 30 Final examination 20 Presentation with Paper 10 each 10 In class Writing Assignments Grade Appeals In the event students feel that their work has been graded unfairly students will be allowed to appeal grades by providing a written memo detailing specifically where they believe more points are deserved In doing so students are expected to review their graded assignment with comments as well as the book and lecture materials Cizmar GVPT170 1 Academic Dishonesty Cheating plagiarism or any other form of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated Those students caught violating the standards by which University of Maryland students are expected to conduct themselves will be dealt with according to the rules of the University and could result in a student receiving a failing grade for the course suspension or expulsion from the University of Maryland For more information please see http www bsos umd edu for students advising academic integrity honor pledge and legal aid aspx Books American Government Roots and Reform 2009 alternate edition Karen O Connor and Larry J Sabato ISBN 13 978 0 205 65220 4 Supplemental readings These readings or information for accessing them online will be made available by me Disabilities I will make every effort to accommodate students who are registered with the Disability Support Services DSS Office and who provide me with a University of Maryland DSS Accommodation form Course Policies 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 as it is disruptive to the other students 2 Electronic Communication You will be required to provide me with an email address on the first day of class Whatever address you give me 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 sign your email 3 Electronic Devices Students should refrain from using laptops ipods cell phones or any other electronic devices for outside of class purposes during the class 4 Personal Responsibility 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 5 Absences There are no attendance participation points awarded for this class However we will from time to time do in class assignments and mini midterms that will be graded and counted toward the final class grade Therefore missing classes is ill advised No late work will be accepted and no make up exams will be given except under exigent circumstances illness warranting a missed exam family emergency etc In these cases the Campus Senate policy requires students who are absent due to illness injury furnish documentary support to the instructor I require students to Cizmar GVPT170 2 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 Please note I do not as a general rule give incompletes 6 Emailed Assignments No assignments will be accepted via email under any circumstances All must be turned in as a hardcopy 7 Grade Discussion Grades will not be discussed over email Accordingly grade appeals must be submitted as a hardcopy 8 Extra Credit There will be no extra credit assignments for the class However on each of the midterms there will be some bonus points available Presentations and Papers 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 from a list on the first day of class If a student fails to sign up for a presentation during the first class s he has until Wednesday June 3 at 5 00pm to sign up for one this can be done via email Since you sign up for the presentation in advance you are responsible for delivering the presentation on that day If you miss your presentation without an excused absence see above for