Syllabus, readings, announcements, and course information for:
Introduction to American Government and Politics

Overview.

Political Science 101 introduces the freshman student to the ideas that influenced the founding fathers and explores the American implementation of the democratic form of governance.  Throughout the semester you will learn the theories behind democratic practices and look their implementation in the American setting.  Along the way, by reading philosophy, history, and modern critics from the left and right, we will see that sometimes we have exceeded the founders' most optimistic dreams, and at other times we have fallen short.  As you read and think about each topic, you should consider what democracy is for and about, what the founders thought they were creating (and why) Consider and how the modern American form lives up to democratic ideals (generally) and to those of our founders (especially).  Where have we exceeded their hopes?  Where do we need to improve? 

A second focus of the class is to help students understand the difference between political science and practical politics. Politicians use terms like liberal or conservative, socialist or fascist in ways that may have little or no bearing on the true (political scientific or historical) meanings of these terms; they use them to play into American images or for public relations, and not for their real meanings. The rhetoric of all political actors is expedient and meant for maximum impact on a particular audience, and it may have nothing to do with the figures or concepts whose names they invoke. American politicians are perhaps the masters of this, but it occurs everywhere.  In lecture and discussion, and in your work for this class, we will use the true (academic) meanings of words. As such we tend to differentiate candidates by calling them Republicans or Democrats (rather than conservative or liberal) especially when their actions contradict their claimed ideology. In this class, if we use terms like fascist, communist, socialist, etc., we are referring to the real meanings of those terms, not whatever baggage is often associated with the term in current media or use by politicians (which is typically inaccurate). As scholars we need to separate our feelings about politics and politicians from our analyses of their actions and appeals.

Class Syllabus and Information.

A current and continually updated version of the syllabus, plus assignments, class information, announcements and the links for web readings will be placed on the web. The on-line edition of the syllabus includes questions you should consider as you read, exercises that will assist you in thinking about the reading materials, and additional commentary on each topic. The online syllabus contains corrections, and updates to any printed version and is the “official” syllabus for this class; always refer to the online syllabus for the correct information. The online syllabus is available through Illinois-online at illinois-online.org/krassa/ps101 (and note that these urls are case sensitive). You also should refer to the online syllabus study hints, links to assignments and handouts, and the most recent information on the class (including announcements).

Problems? Falling Behind?

Students in need of clarification or assistance should contact the teaching assistant assigned to their section or the professor at the earliest possible time.  Early assistance is always most helpful since problems will snowball over time because some concepts and ideas build on earlier ones.  Your TA and your professor are here to assist you and to help you learn the material. However, in a large class like this one it is important that you seek assistance when problems begin (while the problems still are small) rather than waiting until you are so far behind that we cannot help. Many professors complain that they never see students until it is too late; please don't fall into that trap!

For this class, you are free to use any resource posted on the class web site. While there may be some group exercises that require collaboration among students, and although students are encouraged to study together and discuss material in groups, all graded work must be done individually (without collaboration). Please see the various University of Illinois websites and publications if you have any questions about the academic integrity rules (including plagiarism) at the University of Illinois. Violations of Academic Integrity include collaborating on assignments, plagiarism, and other forms of cheating on assignments and exercises. This is a serious infraction that is taken very seriously at the University; every semester one or two students are expelled for plagiarism or cheating (with a notice on their transcript indicating they are expelled for cheating or plagiarism). In an academic setting, violations of academic integrity are the most serious "crime" one can commit. If you are in doubt, include a citation; there is no penalty for too many footnotes!

Blanket Trigger Warning.

It is highly recommended that today's professors issue Trigger Warnings because the current generation of students does not like to read or otherwise encounter ideas that may be disagreeable, offensive, or challenging to their belief systems or prejudices, Therefore, this course comes with a blanket Trigger Warning.

In this class you will learn about the history and ideologies that underlie the American experiment. Some students, particularly critics of America, may find it uncomfortable to learn that at times the USA has set the standard for freedom and democracy and encouraged its spread throughout the world.. At other times the American exceptionalists may find it uncomfortable when we learn that the USA has overthrown democracies in order to further our own economic interests. Liberals may be offended to learn that liberalism was a failed ideology in many implementations while Democrats might not agree that the party no longer can be called truly liberal. Confederates and sympathizers will be offended to read the Constitution of the Confederate States and other documents showing that their effort to overthrow the American democracy were largely founded slavery and racism. Conservatives and Republicans will be disappointed to learn that few Republicans today are actually conservative.

In short, this is not the class for you if you have beliefs which cannot tolerate being challenged. Every belief system has strengths and flaws. Our second Constitution created a system that is a great experiment and which still has flaws we might correct. Liberalism is a founding ideology that has often failed and is partially abandoned. Conservatism seeks to make democracy enduring by offering a balance between tradition and classic liberalism, often via the perpetuation of racism, classism. Our parties both have noble and ignoble practices, periods, and beliefs. If you cannot stand to learn that your preferred positions contain flaws or that opposing views have virtues, you should drop this class immediately and enroll in something else.

Requirements.

The requirements for this course are that you always do the readings (preferably in advance of the lectures), commit to regular and thoughtful participation in discussion sections, participation in classroom exercises, written work, examinations, and discussion section quizzes.

Discussion sections.

Discussion sections constitute a significant component of the course, and this fact is reflected in the grades. The discussion sections include important exercises and class components. Moreover, in the large lecture format the discussion section is your most "personal" contact with an instructor and your best chance to ask questions and seek clarification. Your TA will know you better than I will; you should use that to your advantage. It is essential, that you attend the discussion section for which you are registered, and you must register in both the discussion section and the lecture section in order to receive credit.  Students who do not attend the discussion section in which they are enrolled will fail the class. There can be no exceptions to this rule due to the way that computerized grade entry is set up at the University of Illinois. If you wish to change discussion sections, please just re-enroll for the section you will attend.

Attendance.

University policy holds that attendance at discussion sections and lectures is not optional.  In a class of this size, however, full daily roll call is not practical. Nevertheless, TA's will, from time to time, check attendance during lectures (without advance notice); they also will take attendance for the discussion sections they teach.  Even in an absence, you are responsible for any material presented during lecture or discussion. University of Illinois instructors are allowed to drop students (without their permission) from a class if they find that a student's attendance has become irregular. 

Students who must miss a class should make an effort to get lecture notes from a friend who attended. In addition, a course podcast may be available for lectures that were attended by at least 50% of the students enrolled (see the Class Podcast and Course App section, below).

Turnining in your written work.

Papers and assignments shall be turned in during class on the due date. In general, late assignments will not be accepted without an excuse. Students who must be absent may turn their written work in to their TA early in order to avoid late penalties with the sole exception of exercises where no due date was set in advance. In all other cases the grade will be computed from the date. Papers received after class on the due date will be reduced by one full letter grade; grades will be reduced one additional letter grade for each additional day late. A paper is considered received when it is in your TA's hands regardless of when you say it was turned in, whether or not you or somebody put a date-stamp on it, or what date you put at the top of the paper. Yes, this means that if you put it in a mailbox and your TA doesn't check mail for a week it is considered one week late! Therefore it is essential that you do not place papers in their mailboxes without making prior arrangements. TA's (and professors) may have multiple mail boxes and do not check all of their mailboxes each day. (And, it is not that hard to make arrangements to turn it in late. A telephone call or conversation is all it takes! All we are asking is that you make arrangements to turn in a paper late; that way everybody knows what is going on with it and when and where it will be turned in. That way there will be no misunderstandings and no disappointments.)

Similarly, an email is received at the time listed in the recipient mailbox, not your mailbox, and only when we can open it. Even if sent on time, an email in which you forget to attach a document or that contains an attachment that cannot be opened or read is the same as not submitting the work and does earn an extension of time to submit your work. Your TA's will tell you if there are special requirements for file types or formatting for electronic submissions. All in all, I strongly recommend submissions on paper, in class.

Hourly examinations.

Examinations in this class will focus on the material in the sections of the syllabus leading up to the exam and will not, strictly speaking, be "cumulative." However, since many concepts build over time you may safely assume that some knowledge of earlier material is required. One cannot, for example, write even a short essay on political parties or presidential politics (second half of semester) without referring to ideologies (first half of semester) and philosophies. Exams will test your understanding of the readings, lecture, and your ability to integrate and apply the concepts to new situations or circumstances.

Hourly exams will occur approximately every five or six weeks. Dates for the hourly exams will be announced in lecture, posted on this syllabus (immediately below and in the assignment section). Makeup exams will be administered BEFORE the time scheduled for the in-class exam in order to avoid creating non-comparable exams. We cannot re-administer an exam once it has been given to the class the questions and answers are publicly available. Thus we give makeup exams before but not after the class has taken it.

The Student Code allows students with six consecutive hours of final examinations in a single day to have the option of a conflict exam. No similar policy exists for hourly and midterm exams. However, should you have more than six hours of exams scheduled on the same date as an hourly in this class you will be eligible to request an earlier administration of our hourly. (Documentation may be required.)

Additional exam and class information.

The University guidelines provide for the reasonable accommodation of students' religious beliefs, observances, and practices in regard to the scheduling of examinations. Students with religious conflicts will have the option of taking the hourly in question prior to its administration to the class. The University requires students with religious conflicts to inform their instructors within one week after being informed of the examination schedule of a need for religious accommodation. Please check for religious and other conflicts well in advance.

Students who require special accommodations for examinations and/or assignments are encouraged to contact DRES early in the term. Faculty are permitted to give such accommodations only on the advice of and in cooperation with the campus' Disability and Resources and Educational Services office. Since most faculty are not skilled in the diagnosis and evaluation of such needs, are not given equipment necessary to make adjustments in the texts or exams, and cannot provide accessible testing conditions, only DRES certification is accepted; letters from parents, personal physicians, etc., may be taken to DRES but need not be offered to the instructor. DRES will determine what accommodations are necessary and you should present your DRES letter to your instructor and TA. It is the responsibility of the student to have DRES request materials from the professor at the appropriate times.

Extra Credit. 
Since the both the University and simple fairness dictate that every student have exactly the same options for extra credit, extra credit opportunities may be offered to the entire class from time to time. These will be the only opportunities for extra credit points this semester. We cannot give extra credit assignments to individual students as that places other students at a disadvantage.

One form of extra credit, open to all, will come if you participate in the Political Science Subject Pool. Around exam time you will receive an email about how to participate. You can receive up to two additional points added to your lowest exam score for participating in the subject pool. Other extra credit opportunities may be announced in class at other times.

Class Podcast.

Once again this semester I will post a podcast of the lectures for this class on an conditional and delayed basis. If you miss a class or need to review the lecture you will find the notes and audio from the class here.

These are offered on an conditional basis and if, as sometimes happens, they result in declining attendance they will be discontinued without notice.  I therefore do not recommend you become dependent upon them as a substitute for regular attendance. In addition, and to further encourage regular attendance, you may reasonably expect an increase in the number of exam questions coming exclusively from lectures when 50% or more of the class is absent as a way of rewarding those giving their full effort by attending the class. Large lectures may not be fun for either student or professor, but important material is covered and your instructors all truly appreciate your attendance. Teaching in an empty room is not fun for either student or instructor.

Course App and Twitter feed.

In addition, this semester we are offering a free html5 app for students with smart phones (Android, Windows, and iPhones) and tablets. The app is not required and everything in the app also is on this website. The app repeats listings of exam dates, access to the podcasts, the syllabus, reminders of assignments, and announcements (matching those at the top of this syllabus page), and contact information. It is offered merely as a convenience and gives no advantage to students who download them; please do not feel that you need to purchase a smart phone to take (or do well in) this class! That would conflict with our goal of keeping the course affordable.

To obtain the app, open the browser on your smart phone or tablet and go to http://myapp.is/ps101. Once it has loaded, bookmark the app and save the bookmark to your home screen. (These instructions will appear again as a popup on most phones once the site has loaded.) It is written in html5 so that it won't require special permissions and to assure that it works on iphones, Android phones, and Windows phones. While this also means it is not very slick or showy, it should work on most platforms.

The course twitter feed is at tweets2class. As with the app, it is not required that you subscribe to the twitter feed. All tweeted information will also appear on this page (and in the app, above). Once again, it is just another format through which you can obtain the announcements that will be on this page. Both the app and the twitter feed are merely for your convenience. Use them if you wish, but do not feel obligated to use either one.

 Required Textbooks

The required books for this class include both a general textbook and a workbook. Both are necessary to pass this class. Any readings and materials not in the workbook or text will be found on the web through links from this web edition of the syllabus. To keep prices down we have made these books available in the most economical formats possible. The workbook uses a loose-leaf, black and white format and is available at the bookstore. The textbook also is required and is online. Access is included in the when you buy the workbook in the bookstore. Although not as "pretty" or perfect as many textbooks, this format cuts the total cost by over 50% compared to the price of these same two books printed in color and by over 75% compared to other texts we have considered. Finally, if you are curious, none of the authors of these books receive any royalties or payments from the sale of the books, further minimizing cost.

Bresler, et al. Workbook for American Democracy: From founding theories to modern practices. 6^th Edition, 2013.  (B&W loose-leaf.) 

This workbook book is required and must be purchased at the bookstore. It contains chapter summaries and review questions as well as exercises that will be turned in to your teaching assistant throughout the semester. (To minimize printing and binding costs we use black and white printing on loose leaf pages. Inasmuch as it is unbound we recommend you use a binder or staple chapters together.)  The cost of this workbook also includes access to the electronic textbook noted below.

Bresler, et al, American Democracy: From founding theories to modern practices,  6^th Edition, 2013. (e-Book.) 

This book is a required e-text.  Information on accessing it is included inside the Workbook that you purchased at the bookstore. This publisher usually responds quickly if you have problems downloading or gaining access, so do not hesitate to call them at their toll-free number (1-800-646-7782) should you encounter any difficulties. (Unfortunately, neither your professor or nor TA can resolve technical issues downloading or viewing the text. However, one reason we like this publisher is that they have the best and most responsive help desk we have found among textbook publishers.) 

A note of caution: if you purchase the books from a source other than the bookstore, please be sure you are buying the correct one.  These authors have other books with sounding similar titles and it is easy to make a mistake. Look for ISBN 9781627510103 and you will be sure you have the right material for this class.

All additional reading materials (listed below) are given as handouts or are on the web with links from this page. This too helps keep your costs at a minimum.

Tentative Schedule of Readings and Exercises.
(Subject to change; check online often. Due dates will be added in red when assignments are made and deleted after they have appeared on an hourly.)

I.   Political Theory: The ideological foundations of democracy in America.

Our form of governance was not created out of whole cloth. Our founders were influenced greatly by the enlightenment philosophers, events on the world stage, and a domestic politics that included bargaining, power plays, and the practical politics of the time.  This section of the class helps the student understand the intellectual and historical reasons that our constitution took the form it did.  Students will need a solid foundation in this material in order to see the great continuity and occasional discontinuities in our governmental practice into the current day.

a.  Weeks 1-3: Constitutionalism and Constitutional government: The American theory of central governments.  

Note: Chapter 1 is largely about the Constitutions, and of those, mostly about the second US constitution. Lectures will focus, however, mostly on the ideological underpinnings of the constitution and our founding (because most of you will have learned about the constitution and its history in high school). Read Ch. 1 for gaps in your knowledge. More importantly, as you read this material try to find the ideological components embodied in our Constitution. Locke particularly, but others as well can be found almost wholesale in the Constitution.)

Text, Introduction, Chs 1,  
                               Ch  2.  
Workbook, Chs 1, 
                    Ch 2. 

Exercise-  Complete Workbook, Ch 1, True/False Q's 1-7, Multiple Choice Q's 1-16.  

Exercise- Workbook Ch 2. Come to discussion prepared to answer Compare and Contrast, #2, 3, 7, and 10; Essay #3, 4. (Need not be written, but be sure you can answer. 

Since those enrolled in this class are freshmen and therefore new to college, you may be looking for advice on how to succeed in college. If so, you might find Andrew Pegoda's advice on college useful. He offers 15 tips that he says guarantee success in college. Not required, but worth a read!

WEB: Associated Press,  At the Statehouse: the Ag-Gag bill and a push to shut you up. March 29, 2013.

WEB:Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, 1790. (Introductory Note and paragraphs 1-99; click on "Book Contents" and follow the "Paras" links or keep hitting "next").  

WEB: Grazian, David, Neoliberalism and the realities of reality television, Contexts, 2010.    

b.  Weeks 3-4: Federalism: the rights and powers of state and local governments.  

Text, Ch 3  
Workbook, Ch 3   

Written Assignment- Essays on ideologies. 

Web, Charlie Savage, Commanding Heights, Atlantic, 2007   
Web, Kenneth Walsh, Obama, like Bush, uses crisis to expand presidential powers, US News and World Report, 2009.  

Web, Brown v. The Board of Education. 
Web, New York Times article on Prop. 8, and Judge Reinhart's opinion (read pp 4-8). 
Web, Bullying versus Freedom of Speech in Illinois. 
Web, Freedom of Religion vs. Separation of Church and State.    

c.  Weeks 4-5:    The (civil) rights, (civil) liberties, and powers of individuals and citizens in democracies.  

Text Ch 4          
Workbook, Ch 4       

Web: Charles Duhigg, "How Companies Learn Your Secrets," New York Times, 2/16/12.     

Web: Nuzzo, Regina, "Brain scans predict which criminals are more likely to reoffend," Nature, 25 March 2013.

Web: McCullagh, Declan, "Homeland Security moves forward with Pre-Crime Detection," CNET, Oct 7, 2011   

II. The roles and behaviors of citizens and the masses.  (Political Psychology; Political Behavior; Mass Behavior.)   

a.  Week 6-7:    Public opinion and socialization. 

Text, Ch 5  .
Workbook, Ch 5       

Web:  Mike Alberti. Citizens without obligations? Remapping Debate, June 12, 2013. .

Web: Bartels, Larry.  Is "Popular Rule" Possible? Polls, Political Psychology, and Democracy.  The Brookings Review, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Summer, 2003)  pp. 12-15  

Web: Robert Putnam, Tuning In, Tuning Out: The Strange Disappearance of Social Capital in America. PS: Political Science and Politics, Vol. 28, No. 4. (Dec., 1995), pp. 664-683. 

Web: Robert Putnam, The Strange Disappearance of Civic America American Prospect, Volume 7, Issue 24. December 1, 1996. 

 b.   Week 8-9:   Voting, elections, and political behavior. 

Text, Ch 6    .
Workbook, Ch 6        

Written Assignment:  Short paper on Social Capital.    

Web: Thomas Edsall, Keeping Black Voters in their Place, NY Times, Nov 5, 2013

Web: Victoria Stoklasa, To Divide and Not Conquer: Preventing Partisan Gerrymandering with Independent Nonpartisan Commissions, 2013.

Web: Norman Ornstein, "The US Should Require All Citizens to Vote," The Atlantic, 2012.    

Web: John Wagner, "Campaign stunt launches a corporate candidate for Congress," Washington Post, 3/12/10;   See also Murray-Hill, Inc. for Congress.  

c.  Week 10: The media.

Text, Ch 7      
Workbook, Ch 7      

Web: Kull, Ramsay, and Lewis. Misperceptions, the Media, and the Iraq War. Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 118, No. 4 (Winter, 2003/2004), pp. 569-598       

The second hourly is on Monday, 10/27.

III.    The roles of governmental institutions in theory and practice.   (Political Institutions.)  

a.   Week 11: Presidents and executives.

Text, Ch 8 
Workbook, Ch 8  

Exercise - Do the multiple choice questions in the Workbook for Chapter 8. 

b.   Week 12: The bureaucracy and unelected governmental actors.   

Text, Ch 9    
Workbook, Ch 9     

Iron triangles.

c.  Week 13: Congress and legislatures.    

Text, Ch 10    
Workbook, Ch 10      

Web: Sinclair, Barbara, Question: What's Wrong With Congress? Answer: It's a Democratic Legislature.  Boston University Law Review 89 (2009): 386-397.  

d.  Week 14: The Judiciary and the Court System.   

Text, Ch 11   
Workbook, Ch 11  

Web: An Introduction to Original Intent: Originalism v. Moderate Interpretivism.  

e.   Week 15:  Political Parties and Interest groups.   

Text, Ch 13    
Workbook, Ch 13  

Web: Gilens, Martin and Ben Page. Testing theories of American politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens, Forthcoming in Perspectives on Politics, 2014