PS 101 Summer (Four-Week) 2009

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
MTWRF 10AM-12PM C226 OHR
http://ukps101.pbworks.com/

INTRODUCTION:
This is an introductory course in American government, and as such, is designed to present students with
a broad overview of the American political system. However, this course is NOT simply a college-level
civics course. We will be learning to study American government and politics as political scientists do,
with attention given to both empirical and critical theoretical approaches. By the end of the course we will
have examined the following questions/issues:
• What are the bases of the American republic in political & democratic theory and in political
culture? How is the Constitution of 1787 a reflection of these elements and the tensions between
them? How have the continued evolution of American political culture and our interpretation of the
Constitution resulted in our current understanding of civil liberties and civil rights? How might the
st
Constitution be amended to better reflect the political needs and realities of 21 century America?
• What are the constitutional powers and responsibilities of all three branches of the federal
government? How do they relate to each other in the constitutional system of checks and
balances and shared powers? How do they function together to translate the will of the people
into policy and law?
• What are political parties, and what crucial roles do they play in the American political system?
How are they related to interest groups? What is the current status of both the Democratic and
Republican parties? Why have third parties so rarely been successful in the U.S.? How are
elections supposed to result in democratic outcomes? What are the roles of political parties,
interest groups, the media and money in American elections?
• What is the role of the media in American politics? What should their role be? Why is high quality
information and debate so important to the functioning of our republic? Is there a bias to the
media, and if so, what kind and to what extent? What is the role of the emerging Internet media in
contemporary politics?

This course is structured for five 2-hour lecture classes per week. Although class time will largely be spent
in lectures, I will always allow room for questions and discussions, such activities being necessary to
achieve the best possible learning environment. We will also occasionally engage in small-group activities
in class as time allows. This course is part of the University Studies Program and can be taken to fulfill
one of the Social Science requirements in University Studies.

INSTRUCTOR & COURSE INFORMATION:

Instructor: Dr. Christopher S. Rice Email: Christopher.Rice@uky.edu

Office: 1649 POT Twitter: @ricetopher
Office Hours: By Appointment Only Telephone: 257-7030

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Grade Determination: Your final course grade will be based on four (4) components:
• Exam I – May 19 (25%)
• Exam II – June 1 (30%)
• Final Exam – June 9 (35%)
• Quizzes (10%)

Course Readings: The following two (2) books are required reading for this course:
• AmGov 2009 by Losco and Baker. ISBN: 978-0-07-724025-7
• Annual Editions: American Government 09/10, ed. Stinebrickner. ISBN: 978-0-07-812769-4

All of the reading in this syllabus is required. You should read all of the assigned material on the dates of
the learning unit for which it is assigned, be prepared to discuss it or be quizzed over it in class, and also
be prepared to be examined on it EVEN IF IT IS NOT DISCUSSED IN CLASS. Our class time will not
be spent simply “going over” the assigned readings. Rather, the readings will serve as our point of
departure for the lectures and class discussion. Indeed, most lectures will involve information not
contained in the readings. So do the readings for each class on a timely basis! We will have a total of
five (5) short unannounced multiple-choice quizzes (worth 10% of your total grade) over the assigned
readings to test your completion and comprehension of the assigned readings.

Exams: There will be two exams given during the course of the semester and a cumulative final exam
given on Final Exam Day (June 9). Exams will consist of Multiple-Choice questions only. I will provide the
examination paper, but you are REQUIRED to bring a PENCIL to each exam. Review questions for each
exam, as well as PowerPoints for lectures covered by each exam, may be found on the course website a
few days prior to each exam.

Makeup exams will be given only for university-excused absences (See “Excused Absences” below) or if
you have obtained approval prior to the absence. If you miss an exam with an unexcused absence you
will receive a zero for the exam. If the absence is due to a foreseen reason, written verification will be
required at least one week before the scheduled exam. Permission to miss an exam must be secured
BEFORE the scheduled exam time unless the cause of the absence is unforeseen. If the exam must be
missed due to an unforeseen reason, it is your responsibility to contact me ASAP following the exam (by
phone, email or in person). Make-up exams must be scheduled as soon as possible following your
absence.

Exam grades will be returned in class, usually about one week following the exam period. If you have
questions regarding your exam grades you should speak with me before class or during office hours. I will
not provide exam grades by phone or by email. If you miss class on the day exam grades are returned,
you must come to my office during office hours to receive them.

COURSE POLICIES:

Email Policy: You may always feel free to contact me via email. However, I do have a few general
guidelines you must follow when doing so. First, always begin the subject line of an email to me with “PS
101:”. Be certain to use EXACTLY this subject line start (i.e., include spaces and the colon, capitalize
“PS”, etc.). This will put your email into the appropriate inbox, allowing us to respond to your email in a
timely fashion. Emails that do not have “PS 101:” at the beginning of the subject line may not receive a

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response. Also, emails are NOT text messages/IM communications. When emailing me you should open
the email by addressing me as Dr. Rice, identifying yourself, concisely providing the nature of your
problem/request, and then signing off with your name. If you have followed these directions, you may
expect a response within 48 hours of its receipt. If you have a pressing emergency, you should speak to
me before or after class, or by phone. As a final note, I will NOT provide your grades (nor discuss any
personally-identifiable grade information) over the phone or by email.

Classroom Standards: I expect all students to behave in a professional manner during class
time. This means coming to class on time and being ready to start class at 10am. It is disrespectful
to me and to your fellow students to come late and disrupt class, so be on time. I will not tolerate chronic
tardiness, and if you arrive to class more than 5 minutes late, you may be asked to turn around and leave.
Also, unless you have obtained prior approval from me, you may not leave class early. Furthermore, I do
not tolerate rude and disruptive classroom behavior. During class, refrain from talking during the lecture
(unless it is to ask me a question!), reading a newspaper, doing crosswords, sudoku or other
puzzles/games, sleeping, text messaging or other cellphone use, or listening to your iPod or other .mp3
players. When in class, turn off your cell phones – silencing will not suffice when many of your phones
have a “vibrate” function that could crack a walnut. Finally, due to their potential for distracting you and
your fellow classmates, laptop computers or other devices that may be used to access the Internet are
NOT permitted in class. I reserve the right to dismiss from class any student in violation of these policies.

Disputing Exam Grades: Should you wish to dispute the grading of an exam, you may
submit a written grievance. Your grievance should identify the question(s)/answer(s) in dispute and
provide arguments supporting your position. The appeal must be submitted IN WRITING (attached to the
corresponding exam) to me within two class periods following the exam in question. I will provide a written
response to your grievance within one week of its receipt.

Excused Absences: The University defines the following as acceptable reasons for excused
absences: illness of the student or serious illness of a member of the studentʼs immediate family; death of
a member of the studentʼs immediate family; trips for members of student organizations sponsored by an
academic unit, trips for university classes and trips for participation in intercollegiate athletic events; major
religious holidays; any other circumstances which the instructor finds reasonable cause for
nonattendance. I reserve the right to require documentation for any excused absence. It is the studentʼs
responsibility to notify me before any absence if possible, but no later than one week following the
absence in any case. It is the studentʼs responsibility to provide proper documentation and notification in
all cases.

A Brief Note on Cheating & Plagiarism: Plagiarism or cheating will NOT be

tolerated. If cheating or plagiarism is found to occur, it will be dealt with according to University Senate
Rule 6.4 DISPOSITION OF CASES OF ACADEMIC OFFENSES.

Classroom and Learning Accommodations: Any student with a disability who is

taking this course and needs classroom or exam accommodations should contact the Disability Resource
Center, 257-2754, room 2 Alumni Gym, jkarnes@uky.edu.

One Last Thing – Dropping the Course: Not that I hope you choose to leave our
little soiree, but there are a couple of dates you should keep in mind should the need arise. The last day
to drop this course without it appearing on your transcript is May 18, 2009. The last day to withdraw from
the course is May 27, 2009.

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COURSE SCHEDULE:
NOTE: All items in the Course Schedule are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. These
changes will be announced in class and/or on the course website. You are responsible for all announced
changes, so come to class and check the course website regularly.

Foundations of American Political Culture (May 12,13)

Read AmGov, Ch.1, Annual #5,6

The Constitution (May 14,15)

Read AmGov, Ch.2, Annual #2,4

Civil Liberties & Civil Rights (May 18)

Read AmGov, Ch. 4,5, Annual #12

May 19 – EXAM I

Congress (May 20,21,22)

Read AmGov, Ch.11, Annual #21,22,24,33

May 25 – Memorial Day Holiday – No Class

The Presidency (May 26,27)

Read AmGov, Ch.12, Annual #16,17,19,20

The Federal Judiciary (May 28)

Read AmGov, Ch.14, Annual #13,26

Polling, Public Opinion and Political Socialization (May 29)

Read AmGov, Ch.6, Annual #31

June 1 – EXAM II

Interest Groups (June 2)

Read AmGov, Ch.8, Annual #37

The Media and American Politics (June 3,4)

Read AmGov, Ch.10, Annual #39,40

Political Parties & Elections (June 5,8)

Read AmGov, Ch.9, Annual #30,32,41,42,44,45

June 9 – FINAL EXAM