SGIS 201, SECTION 006

AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

COURSE SYLLABUS, FALL SEMESTER 2000

University of South Carolina--Spartanburg

Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.





TIME & LOCATION OF CLASS MEETINGS:


      12:30PM-1:20PM, Monday, Wednesday, & Friday
      Classroom:  Library 257


WHERE & HOW TO CONTACT THE PROFESSOR:


      Office:  Library 231
      Office Hours:  10:30AM-11:30AM, Monday, Wednesday, &
                     Friday
      Office Telephone:  503-5670
      Email:  alwayjr@bellsouth.net or leroyway2@juno.com


COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES:


This course is designed to provide the undergraduate college or university student with an opportunity to acquire a sound knowledge and understanding of the principal features of America's Constitutional Democratic Federal Republic, the division and distribution of po- litical power within the governmental system, and the major institutions and processes of American national government and politics. In addition to acquiring this basic knowledge and understanding of the American polity and the capacity to intelligently articulate the same, the student is expected to develop and utilize the ability to think critically and ana- lytically in his or her examination of and reaction to political phenomena.



REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:


      James MacGregor Burns, J.W. Peltason, Thomas E. Cronin and
            David B. Magleby, GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE, Brief
            Third Edition (Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Prentice
            Hall, 2000).


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING & STUDY MATERIAL:


      PSc 201B "Questions for Study & Review" and other desig-
      nated reading and study material on the professor's web-
      site.

      The "Questions for Study & Review" and other designated
      material should be very helpful to students wishing to
      make high scores on the examinations (tests).

      The professor's website address (URL) is as follows:

            http://www.geocities.com/way_leroy

      Directions for locating and navigating the professor's
      website and getting to the "Highly Recommended Reading
      & Study Material" will be found at the end of this sylla-
      bus.


EXAMINATIONS (TESTS):


The class will be given three examinations (tests), including a non-cumulative final exam- ination. The grade on each examination, including the final examination, will carry equal weight in determining a student's overall grade in the course. To receive credit for the course, the student must take all examinations given to the class. It is the student's re- sponsibility to take the initiative, as regards making arrangements with the professor to make up an examination the student has missed.

Make-up examinations are of the essay, or long-answer, type and are taken in the profes- sor's office (Library 231) during his office hours. Regularly scheduled examinations are of the multiple-choice and short-answer types and are taken in the classroom during the class periods scheduled for that purpose.



GRADING SYSTEM:


      90-100      A      Excellent; Superior
      80-89       B      Good; Above Average
      70-79       C      Average; Mediocre
      60-69       D      Poor but Passing; Barely Passing
      0-69        F      Extremely Poor; Failing


CLASS ATTENDANCE:


Every student is expected to attend all regularly scheduled class meetings held for instruc- tion or examination. A student's failure to attend class will be detrimental to his or her se- mester grade.

Remember: The student is responsible for all assigned work in the course, and absences, excused or unexcused, will not absolve him or her of this responsibility.

Moreover, a student who misses more than five class meetings is liable to be assigned a failing course grade.



CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE & PARTICIPATION:


The individual student will be held responsible for being attentive to lectures and class discussions, for taking notes, and for being aware of the content of the course syllabus and all class announcements. Constructive classroom participation is expected of each student.

This class is neither a dinner party nor a social club. There will be no eating or drinking in the classroom. And once the professor has called a class meeting to order, there will be no social conversation among students--no unauthorized talking while the professor is check- ing attendance, making announcements, lecturing, conducting recitations, or moderating class discussions. Disruptive behavior--conduct detrimental to the smooth and orderly operation of the class--will be grounds for permanent removal of a student from the class. Anything less than the behavior, attitudes, and level of maturity expected of a conscien- tious and responsible adult genuinely seeking to further his or her education are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

The individual student must meet the standards of classroom performance and participa- tion stipulated above. If a student is unwilling to live up to these standards, he or she should immediately make arrangements to drop the course. If a student tries to have it both ways--i.e., remains enrolled in the course, while demonstrating unsatisfactory class- room performance and participation--the professor will take the initiative and have him or her removed from the class roll.



COURSE OUTLINE & AGENDA:


      UNIT ONE.  THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM

            Reading & Study Assignments (Required Work):

                  Textbook, Chapters 1 & 2, pages 1-65 (includ-
                  ing the Constitution of the United States,
                  pages 37-43).

            Highly Recommended Reading & Study Material:

                  Unit One, Online Course PSc 201B, "American
                  National Government & Politics," Professor's
                  Website:

                        "Questions for Study & Review."
                        "Notes on Constitutional Democracy &
                              Other Governmental Systems."
                        "Notes on the Federal Constitutional
                              Convention of 1787 & the Consti-
                              tution of the United States."
                        "Notes on the Principal Characteristics
                              of the American Constitutional
                              System."
                        "Notes on Federalism & the American
                              Federal System."

            Lecture Topics:

                  a.  Constitutional Democracy & the American
                      Constitutional System
                  b.  Federalism & the American Constitutional
                      System

      EXAMINATION I

            Covers Unit One of the SGIS 201 course.
            Date of the Exam:  Friday, September 15

      UNIT TWO.  RIGHTS & LIBERTIES UNDER THE UNITED STATES
                 CONSTITUTION

            Reading & Study Assignments (Required Work):

                  Textbook, Chapters 3 & 4, pages 66-124.

            Highly Recommended Reading & Study Material:

                  Unit Two, Online Course PSc 201B, "American
                  National Government & Politics," Professor's
                  Website:

                        "Questions for Study & Review."

            Lecture Topics:

                  a.  Rights & Liberties under the First
                      Amendment
                  b.  Equal Justice under the Law

      UNIT THREE.  POLITICAL PROCESSES IN THE U.S.A.

            Reading & Study Assignments (Required Work):

                  Textbook, Chapters 5-9, pages 126-252.

            Highly Recommended Reading & Study Material:

                  Unit Three, Online Course PSc 201B, "American
                  National Government & Politics," Professor's
                  Website:

                        "Questions for Study & Review."

            Lecture Topics:

                  a.  Political Culture & Political Ideology
                  b.  America's Political Landscape
                  c.  Political Parties & Political Interest
                      Groups
                  d.  Public Opinion, Political Participation,
                      & Elections
                  e.  The Mass-Communications Media--Its Role
                      in American Politics & Governance

      EXAMINATION II:

            Covers Units Two and Three of the SGIS 201 course
            Date of the Exam:  Wednesday, October 25

      UNIT FOUR.  MAJOR POLICYMAKING INSTITUTIONS IN THE U.S.
                  NATIONAL GOVERNMENT--LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE,
                  & JUDICIAL

            Reading & Study Assignments (Required Work):

                  Textbook, Chapters 10-15, pages 254-422.

            Highly Recommended Reading & Study Material:

                  Unit Four, Online Course PSc 201B, "American
                  National Government & Politics," Professor's
                  Website:

                        "Questions for Study & Review."

            Lecture Topics:

                  a.  The U.S. Congress & National Legislation
                  b.  The American Presidency & National Leader-
                      ship
                  c.  The U.S. Courts--The Judicial Branch of
                      the National Government
                  d.  The Federal Bureaucracy--Executive & Ad-
                      ministrative Agencies of the National Gov-
                      ernment
                  e.  The Politics of National Public Policy-
                      making
                      (1)  Economic & Social Policy
                      (2)  Foreign & Defense Policy

      EXAMINATION III--THE FINAL EXAMINATION

            Covers Unit Four of the SGIS 201 course.

            Date & Time of the Final Exam:

                  Wednesday, December 13, 11:30AM-2:30PM


NOTE REGARDING THE DATES OF EXAMINATIONS I & II:


The dates of Examinations I and II are tentative and may be changed at the option of the professor. Changes will be announced in class. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of all changes and to be present in class at the time each examination is given.



DIRECTIONS FOR GETTING TO THE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING & STUDY MATERIAL:


In order to locate and navigate the professor's website and get to the "Highly Recom- mended Reading & Study Material," the student should take the following steps in the order indicated: 

      (1)  In the location box near the top of your browser's
           homepage, use the backspace key to erase the con-
           tents and then type the professor's website address
           (URL):

                 http://www.geocities.com/way_leroy

      (2)  Place the arrow on the location box and press the
           ENTER key.

      (3)  On the website's homepage, scroll down the links to
           "CYBERLAND UNIVERSITY OF NORTH AMERICA" and click
           on this particular link.

      (4)  On the Cyberland University homepage, scroll down
           to and click on "Political Science 201B:  American
           National Government & Politics."

      (5)  Scroll down the COURSE OUTLINE and click on the
           appropriate unit--Unit One, Unit Two, Unit Three,
           or Unit Four.





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