Class Materials for August 31

Some of you have requested that I circulate the Powerpoint outline before class. I have posted the outlines of both of this week's lectures in the "Class Documents" link.

One of the things we will be discussing tomorrow is the power of the federal government under the "commerce clause" of the U.S. Constitution. I've also put in the Class Documents excerpts from a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision (U.S. v. Morrison) addressing commerce clause issues. It is not a mandatory reading, but I think it will provide you with a much better feel for the commerce clause and its limitations.

Finally, I asked staff to call facilities to see if something can be done about the temperature in the classroom. Hopefully tomorrow it will be cooler.

See you all then.

Alternate Site for Federalist No. 78

If the link in the previous post isn't working, try:

http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa78.htm

Additional Readings for Tuesday, August 29

I am still hoping that the Patterson text will arrive in the bookstore on Monday. Below are additional readings for Tuesday. Clicking on the links will take you to the readings.

A brief overview of the concept of "Separation of Powers": http://www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/talking/tpseparation.html

Introduction to the Federalist Papers: http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/D/1776-1800/federalist/fed_I.htm

Federalist No. 10
http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/federalist/federalist-10-19/

Federalist No. 51
http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa51.htm

Federalist No. 78, on judicial review:
http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/D/1776-1800/federalist/fed78.htm

The U.S. Constitution -- Read Articles I, II, and III, paying particular attention to Article I, Sections 7 and 8 (powers of Congress), Article II, Section 2 (powers of the President), and Article III, Section 1 and 2 (powers of judicial branch). The constitution is available at this link:

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/usconst.htm

Class Presentation Guidelines

CLASS PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

For the class presentation, you must select a specific issue relating to government or politics that has been the subject of media coverage in the prior two to three weeks. You must research the issue by using at least three “traditional” media sources (newspapers, magazines, or radio or television networks, including their on-line versions) and at least two political “blogs” (ideally two blogs taking different positions on the issue). This is to make sure you have several sources of information on the issue.

The class presentation should be brief (3-5 minutes), and provide the following information:

(1) A general description of the issue (who, what, when, where, why, how)

(2) A summary of the opposing or different views on the issue … how do different political parties, interest groups, etc. line up on the issue?

(3) A brief discussion of ideas and principles from the textbooks or from our class discussions that relate to the issue.

(4) Your opinion on the issue – if you were the Supreme Lawmaker, how would you decide the issue?

(5) The reasons for your opinion.

You are free to add other information as well. The general idea is to share with the class what you’ve discovered about the issue, and your opinions on the issue. You should strive to make your presentation interesting, informative, and clear. Creativity is encouraged.

Along with the presentation, you will need to provide a written list of the sources you used, and, for each, an evaluation of whether you thought the source presented the issue in a neutral or biased manner, and why you came to that conclusion. Internet citations should follow the Columbia Guide to Online Style, available at:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos2006/basic.html.

The presentation will be graded based upon how well it conveys information about the issue in a clear, informative mannner.

RESEARCH HINTS

An excellent resource site that aggregates news stories by issue, and provides links to both on-line media and blogs covering that issue, is http://www.memeorandum.com/. It’s a good place to start for links. A site with a lot of links to opinion pieces is http://www.realclearpolitics.com. You can also find lists of “liberal/left” and “conservative/right” blogs at http://politics.blogniscient.com/.

There are a number of good “traditional media” sites on line, including

The New York Times
The Washington Post
The Economist (an excellent English magazine; unfortunately many of the articles are pay-per view, but some are free)
The Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal

The National Review Online (conservative)

The Nation (liberal)

The local paper (the Press Democrat) has excellent local coverage, and the Sacramento Bee has good coverage of state politics.

I also encourage you to be creative and do internet searches to find your own sites … there are a multitude of them easily locatable with a Google or Yahoo search.

Course Syllabus and Schedule

Professor Steven S. Shupe
Office Hours: TBD
Email: steven.shupe@gmail.com
Phone: 707.292.3281
Class Meets: Tues & Thurs, 5:25 p.m. – 6:40 p.m., Stevenson 1002
Course Web Site: http://www.pols200.blogspot.com/

Introduction and Objectives

This is a required course. Why? Because decisions resulting from the political process constantly affect your life. The amount of tuition you pay, the speed you can drive on the highway, the amount of chemicals allowed in your drinking water, whether you can download music from the Internet for free, your right to freely express your beliefs, whether you will be drafted and sent to fight in a war – all of these result from decisions made by the political system. This course is designed to give you an overview of how those decisions get made, and to give you insight into why your participation in the political system is important.

We will study the various institutional actors in the political system. We will study the fundamental principles and rules upon which our system is based, as set forth in the Constitution. We will learn about the formal and informal powers and procedures of the four main parts of government -- the legislature, the executive, the judiciary, and the bureaucracy. We will study the important roles played by non-governmental actors, such as political parties, the news media, and interest groups. We will investigate how people develop their political beliefs, and what causes people to participate in – or stay away from – the political process. We will also learn a little about American political history, and take a look at the workings of California state and local government and politics.

The scope of the subject matter we will be studying is far too large to be completely digested in one semester. In order to stress the most significant points, the class covers several major topics. We begin by examining the fundamental concepts and principles underlying our constitutional system. Next, we will study the constitutional limitations on power of the government, and individual civil rights, before turning to an examination of how political socialization occurs and the role of political parties, interest groups, the media, and public opinion. We will then spend time studying the peculiarities of California politics. A description of the workings of the executive and legislative branches follows, and we conclude with an examination of several national, state, and local policy issues.

Course Requirements

In order to understand and critique our political system, you must first know and understand the institutional actors, rules, and procedures that guide this system. This means that you must read all the course material. You should read the material before the class on the material, as this will make the classes more productive and allow you to ask any questions. You will also find it helpful to remain up-to-date on events in national, state, and local politics.

We will have four quizzes plus the final exam, which will be cumulative. The quizzes will be multiple choice and true/false, while the final exam will be a combination of those plus short answer questions. You will also write one paper and give one oral class presentation on a current political issue or controversy. The value of each of these to your final grade is given below.

Assignment Percentage of Final Grade

4 Quizzes (10% each): 30% of final grade
1 Paper (4-6 pages): 15% of final grade
1 Oral Presentation (3-5 minutes): 10% of final grade
Class Participation/Attendance : 15% of final grade
Final Exam : 30% of final grade

Please attend class and contribute to class discussions. I hope to make the classroom presentations and discussions interesting. Questions are always welcome. As an added incentive to attend class, there will be material discussed in class that will be on the quizzes/exams that is not in the textbooks or assigned reading materials.

Cheating or plagiarism will not be tolerated. I expect all of you to be familiar with SSU’s policies on cheating and plagiarism, which you can find on the SSU website at http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/cheatingpolicy.htm.

There are no make-up quizzes, exams, or extra credit assignments, and no late papers will be accepted. Generally, if you miss a quiz or are absent when you are scheduled to give a presentation, there will be no make-up. If you are going to miss a class for some unforeseen, legitimate reason, you should contact me in advance. I will be flexible about accounting for unforeseen circumstances requiring an absence from class.

Administrative Matters

The best way to get in touch with me is via e-mail, at steven.shupe@gmail.com. I check e-mail daily and will usually be able to respond to you within a day or so. You should also feel free arrange an appointment during office hours.

I have set up a website for this class, http://pols200.blogspot.com. Class materials, supplemental materials, and links will be posted on the site.

Required Texts (available at the SSU Bookstore)

1. Patterson, Thomas E. 2006. A Concise Introduction to American Politics. Sixth Edition. McGraw Hill.

2. Gerston, Larry N. and Christensen, Terry. California Politics and Government – A Practical Approach. Eighth Edition.

Supplementary Readings

You should read newspapers and magazines that report on political and economic issues. In particular, you might consider The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist (an excellent English magazine; unfortunately many of the articles are pay-per view, but some are free), The Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal, The National Review Online (conservative), or The Nation (liberal).

The local paper (the Press Democrat) has excellent local coverage, and the Sacramento Bee has good coverage of state politics.


My Philosophy on Grades, Effort, and Responsibility

Every student should be able to do well in this course by putting sufficient work and effort into the class. As university students, I expect each of you to be responsible and diligent: Read the assigned texts and readings ahead of time, attend and participate in class, treat me and your classmates with respect, and take the class seriously.

The Course Schedule is:

(Chapter references are to the Patterson text unless noted; quizzes will be held at the beginning of class on Thursday)

August 22/24: Overview and Core Principles (Chapter 1)

August 29/31: Core Principles and Federalism (Chapters 2 & 3)
[Class Presentation Group 1]

September 5/7: The Judicial Power; Civil Liberties (Chapter 14, Gerston Ch. 6) [Quiz 1]

September 12/14: Civil Liberties (Chapter 4)
[Class Presentation Group 2]

September 19/21: Civil Liberties and Equal Protection (Chapters 4 & 5)
[Class Presentation Group 3]

September 26/28: Political Socialization, Participation (Chapters 6 & 7)[Quiz 2]

October 3/5: Political Parties and Interest Groups (Chapters 8 & 9)
[Class Presentation Group 4]

October 10/12: The Media (Chapter 10)
[Class Presentation Group 5]

October 17/19: Intro to California Politics (Gerston, Chapters 1-4)[Quiz 3]

Oct 31/Nov 1: Legislative Power (Chapter 11, Gerston Ch. 5)
[Class Presentation Group 6]

November 7/9: The Legislative Power (Chapter 11, Gerston Ch. 5)
[Class Presentation Group 7]

November 14/16 The Executive Power (Chapter 12, Gerston Ch. 7)[Quiz 4]

November 21: The Bureaucracy (Chapter 13, Gerston Ch. ?])
[Class Presentation Group 8]

November 28/30: California Local Government and Budgetary Policy (Gerston Chapters 8 & 9)[Paper Due November 30]

December 5/7: National Policy Issues Overview (Chapters 15 – 17)
[Class Participation Group 9]

Week of Dec. 11: Final Exam