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Course: Government (GOVT) 2302 Section 001: Political Institutions of the U.S.

and Texas
Spring 2008
UTD
EPPS

Instructor: R. Christopher Rodgers, MPA, MSAE, Certificate in Quantitative Analysis of


Social and Economic Data, Ph. D. Candidate in Public Policy and Political Economy

Class Time: Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 9:30 – 10:20 a.m.


Class Location: SOM 1.102

Office: Green Hall 3.808


Office phone: 972-883-4895 or 4896
Office Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. or by appointment
e-mail: crodg@utdallas.edu

Description:

This class covers the main political institutions of the US federal government (Congress,
president, courts, and bureaucracy) as well as the companion institutions in the state of Texas.
The course also covers the major policy areas (social, economic, and foreign). Highway and
transportation policy serve as a case study to illustrate the real world workings and interactions of
government at the national, state, and local levels. It affords students the opportunity both to
realize the pervasive nature of government in their daily lives and to apply knowledge of said
institutions in making informed arguments.

Objectives:

1. Provide examples and apply important theoretical and scholarly approaches to explaining state
and national institutional behavior, citizen involvement, and interaction between citizens and
institutions of government.

2. Analyze and appreciate historical trends in the development of government institutions and
their constitutional foundations.

3. Identify, describe, and analyze various mechanisms of citizen political


involvement.

The instructor neither expects nor assumes any prior government (or political science) courses or
knowledge.
The instructor neither expects nor assumes any prior public policy courses or knowledge.
No pre-requisites or co-requisites are required.

Required Course Materials:

(1) AND ‘America's New Democracy (Penguin Academics Series),' Morris P. Fiorina, Paul E.
Peterson, Stephen D. Voss, Bertram Johnson, Penguin Academics Series, 4th Edition,
paperback,
August 3, 2007, isbn 0205572480

Course Syllabus Page 1


(2) TPGLSS 'Texas Politics: Governing the Lone Star State,' Cal Jillson, McGraw-Hill Primis
Custom Publishing; 1st edition, paperback, 12 December 2006, isbn 0073387312

(3) 'Getting There: The Epic Struggle between Road and Rail in the American Century,' Stephen
B. Goddard, University Of Chicago Press, paperback, 15 November 1996, isbn 0226300439

(4) 'Road, River, And Ol'boy Politics: A Texas County's Path from Farm to Supersuburb,' Linda
Scarbrough, Texas State Historical Association, Hardcover, 30 September 2005, isbn
0876112025

(5) ‘Texas Almanac 2008-2009,’ by Elizabeth Cruce Alvarez (Editor), Robert Plocheck (Editor),
Dallas Morning News, September 30, 2007, isbn 0914511416

Suggested Course Materials:

1 RECOMMENDED book:

(1) ‘Divided Highways: Building the Interstate Highways, Transforming American Life’
(Paperback), Tom Lewis, Penguin, March 1, 1999, isbn 0140267719

(2) Daily reading of a respected newspaper (Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Dallas
Morning News, Austin American Statesman, etc.) and/or weekly reading of a worthy periodical
(The Economist, Time, Newsweek, etc.) to keep up with current events. All are available at the
UTD library.

Requirements, Grading, & Participation

• The following determines grades for each student:

50%: Exams
Three in-class exams will be given. The lowest score of the three will be dropped. Each
counted exam is thus 25% of your final grade.
Exam 1, 15 February 2008
Exam 2, 21 March 2008
*** Exam 3, 8:00 a.m., Wednesday, 7 May 2008, non-comprehensive final,
note the time change for finals week! ***
The exams are closed book and closed note. The exams consist of True/False,
matching, and short answer/essay sections.

15%: Two page précis (short review) for 'Getting There: The Epic Struggle between Road
and Rail in the American Century'
Précis due 22 February 2008 at the beginning of class. It will help organize your
participation in the class discussion of the book. It will be two typed, double-
spaced pages of one-inch margins using 12 point standard fonts. This does not
include references or title pages.

15%: Two page précis (short review) for 'Road, River, And Ol'boy Politics: A Texas
County's Path from Farm to Supersuburb'
Précis due 4 April 2008 at the beginning of class. It will help organize your
participation in the class discussion of the book. It will be two typed, double-
spaced pages of one-inch margins using 12 point standard fonts. This does not
include references or title pages.

10%: In-Class Quizzes

Course Syllabus Page 2


6 unannounced, random quizzes will be given the first five minutes of class over
previously covered material. Each quiz requires answers to True/False,
matching, and short answer questions that will appear on exams. If you are
absent (miss class) or arrive after the quiz (tardy), then you will receive a score of
0. The single, lowest quiz score gets dropped. The 5 highest quiz scores
comprise 10% of your final grade, or 2% per quiz.

10%: In-Class Participation in Civil Society, Book, and Movie Discussions


You will have numerous opportunities for citizen participation in our class
community. Each week we will have class discussion, i.e. Civil Society, about
current or important topics that are relevant to the course. We will also have in-
class discussion of both books ‘Getting There...’ and ‘Road, River...’ after you
have written your short reviews. There will also be in-class discussion of video
presentations immediately after viewing ‘Alexander Hamilton’ and ‘Divided
Highways.’ Your presence and subsequent participation are expected.

100%: Total of graded assignments equals final grade

• The In-Class Quizzes are specifically designed to help students. In-Class Quizzes offer
previews of questions that will appear on the Exams. They afford students the opportunity to
get feedback and evaluation from the instructor throughout the semester.

• No make-up exams or quizzes will be given and late précis will receive a one-time, full letter
grade reduction as penalty, except for cases of official UTD absences (representing the
university) or UTD defined circumstances. In order to receive an excused absence or
exception, students need to notify the instructor in advance via phone, e-mail, or both. I must
receive any late précis by 7 May 2008.

• Missed episodes of videos must be watched on the student(s)’ time.


• No extra credit assignments will be given.

• Attendance is expected and indicative of your effort to do well in the course.

• Final grades are scaled as follows:

A+ (97-100) B+ (87-89) C+ (77-79) D+ (67-69) F (59 & below)


A (93-96) B (83-86) C (73-76) D (63-66)
A- (90-92) B- (80-82) C- (70-72) D- (60-62)

• Grades are not negotiations. If a student wishes to challenge a grade, then upon re-grading
it is possible that the grade may go up (i.e. I erroneously deducted too many points) or go
down (i.e. I erroneously didn’t deduct enough points) or stay the same (i.e. no grading errors).

• Cell phones and pagers must be turned off during class, unless you are an emergency
professional (i.e. doctor, EMT, firefighter, police officer). In this case, please switch them to
silent/buzz.

• All hand held electronic devices (ex. palm pilots) and laptop computers should be on silent.

• The class is early in the day, so in the likely event that you are tired, please bring your
caffeinated beverage of choice (mine is coffee) to help you stay awake. Sleeping in class will
be noted negatively by the instructor, as being awake is a pre-requisite for participation.

• Please raise your hand to speak and respect your classmates as fellow human beings worthy
of esteem.

Course Syllabus Page 3


Assignments & Academic Calendar
Readings should be completed before the date listed. At worst, they should be finished no later
than the completion of the topic.
Supplemental readings from sources like ‘The Federalist’ may be assigned by the instructor.
Each week listed will have announced, Civil Society class discussion relevant to the assigned
readings.

7 Jan 2008
Course introduction and preliminaries
You should start reading 'Getting There: The Epic Struggle between Road and Rail in the
American Century'

9 - 11 Jan 2008 Constitutions and Context


AND Chps. 1 & 2
TPGLSS Chps. 1 & 2

14 – 18 Jan 2008 Federalism


AND Chp. 3
TPGLSS Chp. 9

21 Jan 2008 MLK Holiday

23 - 25 Jan 2008 ‘The American Experience: Alexander Hamilton’ DVD

28 Jan 2008 finish ‘The American Experience: Alexander Hamilton’ DVD conclusion
Class Discussion of video

30 Jan - 8 Feb 2008 Legislatures


AND Chp. 9
TPGLSS Chp. 6

11– 13 Feb 2008 Executives


AND Chp. 10
TPGLSS Chp. 7

15 Feb 2008 Exam 1

18 – 20 Feb 2008 Executives


AND Chp. 10
TPGLSS Chp. 7

22 Feb 2008 Précis due and Book discussion for:


'Getting There: The Epic Struggle between Road and Rail in the American Century'

25 – 27 Feb 2008 Executives


AND Chp. 10
TPGLSS Chp. 7
You should start reading 'Road, River, And Ol'boy Politics: A Texas County's Path from
Farm to Supersuburb'

29 Feb 2008 Midterm Grades Due

Course Syllabus Page 4


29 Feb – 7 March 2008 Bureaucracy
AND Chp. 11

10 March – 15 March 2008 Spring Break

17 - 19 March 2008 Judiciary


AND Chp. 12
TPGLSS Chp. 8

21 March 2008 Exam 2

24 - 28 March 2008 Judiciary


AND Chp. 12
TPGLSS Chp. 8

31 March 2008 start ‘Divided Highways’ DVD

2 April 2008 finish ‘Divided Highways’ DVD’


Discuss video

4 April 2008 Précis due and Book discussion for:


'Road, River, And Ol'boy Politics: A Texas County's Path from Farm to Supersuburb'

7 – 9 April 2008 Civil Liberties


AND Chp. 13

11- 14 April 2008 Civil Rights


AND Chp. 14

16 – 18 April 2008 Public Policy


AND Chp. 15
TPGLSS Chp. 10

21 April 2008 Political Parties & Interest Groups


AND Chp. 8
TPGLSS Chps. 4 & 5

23 April 2008 Political Culture & Public Opinion & Media


AND Chp. 4
AND Chp. 5

25 April 2008 Individual Participation


AND Chp. 6
TPGLSS Chp. 3

28 April 2008 Elections & Course Conclusion: Last Day of Class


AND Chp. 7

7 May 2008 Exam 3 at 8:00 a.m.


*** Please note the time change for our non-comprehensive final exam ***

Course Syllabus Page 5


Technical Support

If you experience any problems with your UTD account you may send an email to: assist@utdallas.edu or call
the UTD Computer Helpdesk at 972-883-2911.

Field Trip Policies


Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and University policies
and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding these rules and regulations
may be found at the website address http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm.
Additional information is available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or
risk-related activity associated with this course.

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The Academic Integrity


University of Texas at Dallas have rules and
regulations for the orderly and efficient The faculty expects from its students a high
conduct of their business. It is the level of responsibility and academic honesty.
responsibility of each student and each Because the value of an academic degree
student organization to be knowledgeable depends upon the absolute integrity of the
about the rules and regulations which govern work done by the student for that degree, it is
student conduct and activities. General imperative that a student demonstrate a high
information on student conduct and discipline standard of individual honor in his or her
is contained in the UTD printed publication, A scholastic work.
to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered
students each academic year. Scholastic Dishonesty, any student who
commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is
The University of Texas at Dallas administers subject to discipline. Scholastic dishonesty
student discipline within the procedures of includes but is not limited to cheating,
recognized and established due process. plagiarism, collusion, the submission for
Procedures are defined and described in the credit of any work or materials that are
Rules and Regulations, Series 50000, Board attributable in whole or in part to another
of Regents, The University of Texas System, person, taking an examination for another
and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and person, any act designed to give unfair
Activities of the university’s Handbook of advantage to a student or the attempt to
Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules commit such acts.
and regulations are available to students in
the Office of the Dean of Students, where Plagiarism, especially from the web, from
staff members are available to assist portions of papers for other classes, and from
students in interpreting the rules and any other source is unacceptable and will be
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391) and dealt with under the university’s policy on
online at plagiarism (see general catalog for details).
http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJu This course will use the resources of
dicialAffairs-HOPV.html turnitin.com, which searches the web for
possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.
A student at the university neither loses the
rights nor escapes the responsibilities of Copyright Notice
citizenship. He or she is expected to obey
federal, state, and local laws as well as the The copyright law of the United States (Title
Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and 17, United States Code) governs the making
administrative rules. Students are subject to of photocopies or other reproductions of
discipline for violating the standards of copyrighted materials, including music and
conduct whether such conduct takes place on software. Copying, displaying, reproducing,
or off campus, or whether civil or criminal or distributing copyrighted works may infringe
penalties are also imposed for such conduct. the copyright owner’s rights and such
infringement is subject to appropriate
disciplinary action as well as criminal
penalties provided by federal law. Usage of

Course Syllabus Page 6


such material is only appropriate when that Individual faculty members retain primary
usage constitutes “fair use” under the responsibility for assigning grades and
Copyright Act. As a UT Dallas student, you evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved
are required to follow the institution’s at that level, the grievance must be submitted
copyright policy (Policy Memorandum 84-I.3- in writing to the respondent with a copy of the
46). For more information about the fair use respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is
exemption, see not resolved by the written response provided
http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualprop by the respondent, the student may submit a
erty/copypol2.htm written appeal to the School Dean. If the
grievance is not resolved by the School
Email Use Dean’s decision, the student may make a
written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or
Undergraduate Education, and the deal will
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes
appoint and convene an Academic Appeals
the value and efficiency of communication
Panel. The decision of the Academic
between faculty/staff and students through
Appeals Panel is final. The results of the
electronic mail. At the same time, email
academic appeals process will be distributed
raises some issues concerning security and
to all involved parties.
the identity of each individual in an email
exchange. The university encourages all
Copies of these rules and regulations are
official student email correspondence be sent
available to students in the Office of the Dean
only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address
of Students, where staff members are
and that faculty and staff consider email from
available to assist students in interpreting the
students official only if it originates from a
rules and regulations.
UTD student account. This allows the
university to maintain a high degree of
Incomplete Grade Policy
confidence in the identity of all individual
corresponding and the security of the
As per university policy, incomplete grades
transmitted information. UTD furnishes each
will be granted only for work unavoidably
student with a free email account that is to be
missed at the semester’s end and only if 70%
used in all communication with university
of the course work has been completed. An
personnel. The Department of Information
incomplete grade must be resolved within
Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
eight (8) weeks from the first day of the
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail
subsequent long semester. If the required
forwarded to other accounts.
work to complete the course and to remove
the incomplete grade is not submitted by the
Withdrawal from Class specified deadline, the incomplete grade is
changed automatically to a grade of F.
The administration of this institution has set
deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level Disability Services
courses. These dates and times are
published in that semester's course catalog. The goal of Disability Services is to provide
Administration procedures must be followed. students with disabilities educational
It is the student's responsibility to handle opportunities equal to those of their non-
withdrawal requirements from any class. In disabled peers. Disability Services is located
other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office
student. You must do the proper paperwork hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m.
to ensure that you will not receive a final to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30
grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to
attend the class once you are enrolled. 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of


Disability Services is:
The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Student Grievance Procedures Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)
Procedures for student grievances are found disabilityservice@utdallas.edu
in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
Activities, of the university’s Handbook of If you anticipate issues related to the format
Operating Procedures. or requirements of this course, please meet
with the Coordinator of Disability Services.
In attempting to resolve any student The Coordinator is available to discuss ways
grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or to ensure your full participation in the course.
other fulfillments of academic responsibility, it If you determine that formal, disability-related
is the obligation of the student first to make a accommodations are necessary, it is very
serious effort to resolve the matter with the important that you be registered with
instructor, supervisor, administrator, or Disability Services to notify them of your
committee with whom the grievance eligibility for reasonable accommodations.
originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).

Course Syllabus Page 7


Disability Services can then plan how best to
coordinate your accommodations.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or


her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides
students with letters to present to faculty
members to verify that the student has a
disability and needs accommodations.
Individuals requiring special accommodation
should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse


a student from class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a
religious holy day for a religion whose places
of worship are exempt from property tax
under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code
Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the


instructor or activity sponsor as soon as
possible regarding the absence, preferably in
advance of the assignment. The student, so
excused, will be allowed to take the exam or
complete the assignment within a reasonable
time after the absence: a period equal to the
length of the absence, up to a maximum of
one week. A student who notifies the
instructor and completes any missed exam or
assignment may not be penalized for the
absence. A student who fails to complete the
exam or assignment within the prescribed
period may receive a failing grade for that
exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about


the nature of the absence [i.e., for the
purpose of observing a religious holy day] or
if there is similar disagreement about whether
the student has been given a reasonable time
to complete any missed assignments or
examinations, either the student or the
instructor may request a ruling from the chief
executive officer of the institution, or his or
her designee. The chief executive officer or
designee must take into account the
legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the
student and instructor will abide by the
decision of the chief executive officer or
designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to


change at the discretion of the Professor.

Course Syllabus Page 8

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