PSCI 216: AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Spring 2001 Dr. Leaman’s Office: CLS 2050

Tuesday and Thursday 10:50 AM - 12:05 PM Office Hours: T & R 12:15-1:30 PM;

Room: CLS 2081 W 6:00-7:00 PM; R 5:30-7:00 PM Website: www.neiu.edu/~dleaman or by appointment with instructor.

E-mail: d-leaman@neiu.edu Tel: 773-794-2687

DESCRIPTION: This course introduces you to the history and to the institutions, processes, actors, and social movements of American national government and politics. Following the lead of our main textbook authors, we will organize our exploration around the theme of democracy, especially the ongoing debate between elite democracy and popular democracy. What kind of “democracy” does the U.S. currently have? What kind of “democracy” would you like it to have? While we learn many important facts and concepts during this course, we will also have the opportunity to think about and form our own philosophy of government and politics.

Besides the main textbook, this course includes two other important texts. HARVEST OF EMPIRE examines the history and diversity of the fastest growing cultural group in the United States, Latinos, and shows how “American” politics and economics is inextricably linked with the history of all of the Americas. Also, the Crosstabs computer software exercises that we will use at several points in the course will expand our understanding of United States society and government through basic data analysis of public opinion and Congressional voting.

The goals of this course include, first, providing a broad foundation for understanding and participating in American politics and, second, strengthening your competencies in essay writing and data analysis. As we work our way through this course, I hope that we all will come to be more knowledgeable (rather than overwhelmed), more intellectually critical (rather than cynical), and more empowered (rather than apathetic). Good luck to all of us.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the readings and WebBoard assignments listed below, PSCI 216 features three written exams (the final exam will include some review questions), one essay, and several short computer data assignments. Due dates are listed on the course calendar. You should always expect to spend at least ten hours per week working on this class (including class time). Any changes in the course schedule will be announced in advance. The penalty for lateness on any assignment is one letter grade PER DAY of lateness. In addition, perfect class attendance is required; more than five absences or frequent tardiness will result in a failing grade for the participation portion of your course grade. If you have trouble keeping up with course work, please come and talk! I want to help you to succeed.

TEXTBOOKS: There are two texts to buy for this class. Please purchase them immediately.

Bruce Miroff, Raymond Seidelman, and Todd Swanstrom, THE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE: AN INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN POLITICS.

Juan Gonzalez, HARVEST OF EMPIRE: A HISTORY OF LATINOS IN AMERICA.

WRITTEN EXAMS: Each of the three exams, consisting of short answer and short essay questions, will cover five chapters of the main textbook (chs. 1-5, 6-10, and 11-14, 16). There will also be a few questions from the Gonzalez book. Exam dates are listed on the calendar.

ESSAY: Your essay in this class will focus on immigration and multiculturalism in the U.S. -- reflecting on and/or describing the experience of your own family or parts of your family; comparing your experience to Gonzalez’s descriptions and analyses of Latino immigrations; and presenting your ideas about desirable U.S. government immigration, language, and/or trade policies. Your paper will proceed in a series of steps: topic, outline, WebBoard writing, and the paper itself. The final paper must be 4-6 pages, carefully proofread, typed and double-spaced.

WEB BOARD AND E-MAILING LIST: One of the goals of this course is to give you lots of opportunities to write informally and to discuss course topics with each other. To make that possible, we will all be subscribed to an e-mail list and to a threaded discussion called WebBoard. You are expected to check your e-mail regularly for announcements and to participate in small group interactive discussions on the WebBoard that deal with course topics. You will generally receive your WebBoard question on Tuesday. Half of you will be expected to respond to the question by Thursday and the other half of you will respond to your classmates’ responses by the following Tuesday. The next week the discussion roles will be reversed. The WebBoard, your weekly computer “journal”, can be accessed through Professor Leaman’s home page: www.neiu.edu/~dleaman. Please go there and subscribe right away.

CROSSTABS EXERCISES: You will be expected to complete four computer data exercises to build your data analysis skills and to broaden your understanding of American politics. See the course calendar for specific assignments. More information will be provided early in the term.

GRADING: The various components of your grade have the “weights” listed below. Your final grade is calculated according to the standard percentages listed in the college catalogue (A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%; F = Below 60%).

Three exams 160 points (50/60 points each) 40%

Essay (four step process) 80 points 20%

Four Crosstabs exercises 60 points (15 points each) 15%

WebBoard writing 60 points 15%

Attendance/participation 40 points 10%

TOTAL 400 points 100%

POLITICS CLUB: Class members are invited to participate in Politics Club activities. Such activities generally take place every other Tuesday during the Activity Hour, 1:40-2:40 PM.

UNIVERSITY DAY 2001: Class members will have the chance to participate in a University Day 2001 event that will be held during class time on Thursday, March 1. Students are also strongly encouraged to participate in other events during University Day 2001.

COURSE CALENDAR

Week 1 The Declaration and the Constitution: Origins of the Democratic Debate

January 9 and 11

READ: Miroff, et al., chapters 1 and 2

Week 2 Public Opinion and Political Culture

January 16 and 18

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 3

Gonzalez, chapter 1

Computer Day on Tuesday, January 23: Learning WebBoard and Crosstabs

WebBoard Entries due on Thursday, January 25 and Responses due on Tuesday, January 30

Week 3 The American Political Economy

January 23 and 25

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 4

Gonzalez, chapter 2

WebBoard Entries due on Thursday, February 1 and Responses due on Tuesday, February 6

Week 4 Voting, Non-Voting, and Elections

January 30 and February 1

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 5

Gonzalez, chapter 3

Crosstabs Exercise #1

WebBoard Entries due on Thursday, February 8 and Responses due on Tuesday, February 13

Exam #1 on February 8

Week 5 The Politics of Corporate Mass Media -- and the Alternatives

February 6 and 8

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 6

Gonzalez, chapter 4

WebBoard Entries due on Thursday, February 15 and Responses due on Tuesday, February 20

Week 6 Political Parties and Political Party Systems

February 13 and 15

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 7

Gonzalez, chapter 5

Crosstabs Exercise #2

WebBoard Entries due on Thursday, February 22 and Responses due on Tuesday, February 27

Computer Day on Tuesday, February 20: WebBoard, Crosstabs, and Internet Sources

Week 7 Campaigns: Organized Money Versus Organized People

February 20 and 22

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 8

Gonzalez, choose ONE chapter to read among chs. 6-9

WebBoard Entries due on Thursday, March 1 and Responses due on Tuesday, March 6

Week 8 Interest Groups and the Interest Group System

February 27 and March 1

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 9

Gonzalez, chapter 10

Essay Topic and Outline due on March 8

Week 9 Popular Social Movements in American History

March 6 and 8

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 10

Gonzalez, chapter 11

Exam #2 on March 15

Week 10 Congress and Types of Representation

March 13 and 15

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 11

Gonzalez, chapter 12

SPRING BREAK

Week 11 The Presidency and Elite Democracy

March 27 and 29

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 12

Gonzalez, chapter 13

Crosstabs exercise #3

Computer Day on Thursday, March 29

WebBoard Entries due on Thursday, April 5 and Responses due on Tuesday, April 10

Week 12 Bureaucracy: Myths and Realities

April 3 and 5

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 13

Gonzalez, chapter 14

Crosstabs exercise #4

Essay due on April 12

WebBoard Entries due on Thursday, April 12 and Responses due on Tuesday, April 17

Week 13 The Supreme Court and the Judicial System

April 10 and 12

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 14

Week 14 Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

April 17 and 19

READ: Miroff, et al., chapter 16

Hand in revised essays by April 24

Week 15 Summing Up: Identity, Community, and the Struggle for Meaningful Democracy

April 24 and 26

READ: Finish up any missed readings and review for final exam

(Final) Exam #3: Tuesday, May 1, 10:00-11:50 AM