Government 141

United States Government

Fall 2006
Mon., Wed.: 2:10-3:30

Professor: Johnathan C. Gay, Esquire

Office: 151 University Drive, West Liberty, KY 41472
Phone: 606-743-4005 (O) 859-797-5759 (C)
Email: jgay@kyinnovation.com
Office hours: Following class, each day, upon request of student(s).

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the political science that underpins
American government. At the end of this course students should be familiar with the major
institutions in America that play a driving role in American government. We will pay special
attention to: the role of the courts; public opinion in a multimedia era; foreign policy, the two
major political parties, and Congress.

Required Readings:

Struggle for Democracy (9th Edition) (Paperback) by Edward S. Greenberg, Benjamin I.

Page.

Additionally, students should stay up to date with current events. It is highly recommended that
students read the following, when possible, several times each week:

1. The Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/public/us

2. The New York Times: www.nytimes.com
3. The Lexington Herald Leader: www.kentucky.com

When possible, students should watch evening news programs, particularly CNN and/or Fox
News.

Course Requirements:
1) Four exams TBA 10 points each (40%)*
2) Comprehensive final exam 20 points (20%)
3) Create a political blog on a federal issue 15 points (15%)**
4) Essay on a Federal Issue 15 points (15%)***
5) Class participation and attendance 10 points (10%)****

* All Exams will be short answer and essay questions.

 ** A “blog” is shorthand for a web log. “Blogs” have become extremely important and
effective tools for driving public opinion and this assignment will give you an opportunity to not
only develop your own opinions and understanding of federal issues, but to communicate them
with others. (Most specifically, for the purposes of this assignment, you’ll learn how to
communicate these opinions to others.)

For this assignment, the instructor will cover the mechanics of “blogging” in class. Students will
be shown a variety of “blogs” from the “blogosphere”. Each student will create his or her own
blog, concentrating on a on a federal political issue(s) of his or her choosing. It will be created
on a public blog web site (note: we will cover confidentiality). Once the blog is established,
students will be required to make a set number of posts with a certain length requirement. We
will discuss this assignment in greater detail in class.

For examples of active web logs please see: www.pageonekentucky.com and

www.kyprograss.blogspot.com, the former a left of center/liberal/Democrat blog, the latter a
right of center/conservative/Republican blog.

***The purpose of this essay is to allow you to learn in greater detail a federal political issue of
your choice and to write about it in an introductory fashion. We will discuss this assignment in
greater detail in class.

****Instructor will teach using a combination of lectures and the “Socratic method.” This means
the instructor will ask questions and call on students, at random, for the answers. Students
should read the assignments in order to be in a position to sufficiently answer the questions.
Students who participate actively in these dialogues and who attend classes regularly will be
given the full 10 points for participation.

Grading Scale:
The final grade for the course will be based on the following distribution:
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = 59 and below

Attendance and Participation:

Attendance is mandatory unless excused. Excuses will be granted for sickness (with Doctor’s
excuse) and death in the family. Other excused absences are the prerogative of the instructor.
More than three unexcused absences may result in student being given a failing grade.

Academic Honesty:

Students must complete their own work. All university policies will be followed regarding
issues of plagiarism or cheating.
Plagiarism is using someone else’s words, ideas, or written work and presenting it as one’s own.
It may be intentional or unintentional, but the bottom line is the same: it is dishonest. It
will not be tolerated in this class. Any student who plagiarizes will face the strongest
disciplinary action the university allows. Examples of plagiarism include going to a website like
“Termpapers R Us” and buying a paper and pasting in your name, downloading or copying
information straight from a website and pretending it is your own work, or “borrowing” a
friend’s web assignment and changing a few words and thinking I won’t
notice. THESE ARE MISTAKES YOU DO NOT WANT TO MAKE IN THIS CLASS OR ANY
OTHER. If I suspect plagiarism, I will use detection software.

CLASS DISRUPTION:

Disrupting class is a violation of University policy. Electronic communication devices (such as

cell phones) must be turned off during class time. Violation of this policy may result in the
student being asked to leave the class. Similarly, other types of disruption, such as conversation,
music, or reading materials unrelated to the class will not be tolerated.

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS:

Help for students with physical or learning disabilities is provided through the Center for
Academic Success in 214 Allie Young Hall, 783-2005. If your disability necessitates special
classroom considerations, please discuss them with me at the beginning of the semester and I
will do all I can to accommodate your needs.

Note for Potential Future Teachers:

This course is closely aligned with Kentucky's New Teacher Standards and core content for
assessment. Its content is particularly helpful for students who are required to pass the
PRAXIS examination for teacher certification.

Evacuation Plan and Rally Point:

We’ll discuss in class.