°Student List - Section 03, Summer 2000
°GradeA gradebook (labeled PS103, Section 03; it works just fine)
°Ultimate Bulletin Board
    °Posting on the Board - instructions
°Political Science Links
°Papers:
        °The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Polling
        °The 2000 Primaries

    Government is a nearly universal way human beings regulate themselves and their fellows.  This course introduces the fundamentals of American politics and government in a university studies context.  There are no formal course prerequisites, although I assume nearly all of you have some background in civics and U.S. history courses. But this is not old-fashioned civics, emphasizing formalities of government structure and function such as “how a bill becomes a law.”  Instead, I emphasize why a particular bill becomes law; for example, the Republican U.S. Congress recently passed a minimum wage increase despite the ardent hostility of many Members of Congress toward it.  It takes some understanding of politics to see how that could happen.  Many young citizens deeply dislike politics and politicians (especially those in Congress), yet effective and knowledgeable citizenship in any country resembling a democracy requires some real understanding of how politics works.

    This course is taught at several levels.  Some material is simple description; you will learn basics such as what the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment says.  Some is analytic; once you know that, you can interpret whether freedom of speech applies to a topic such as public tobacco advertising.  And some is evaluative and judgmental; you can decide what ought or ought not to be covered by freedom of speech.  All have the objective of enabling you to understand what you read or hear in the public realm, and to react as an informed consumer and citizen.  Essay portions of exams are designed to let you show knowledge at each of these levels.

    As a university studies course, we put considerable emphasis upon the university studies objective to master the locating and gathering of information.  This entails familiarity with computer usage and the internet.  Several assignments are designed to ensure that you become conversant with web uses beyond simple applications such as putting search terms in your favorite search engine.  These will be specified in more detail on later occasions.  On the following page two, these are incorporated into the 100 points of credit listed for “other assignments; class participation.”   

PS103 Course Requirements               PS103, Summer 2000 - Renka            Top   

    There are three weeks in this rapid-fire class, and each ends with an in-class multiple choice examination worth 100 points each.  These cover all readings plus classroom commentary, including both lecture and points raised in discussions.  The last of the three is a non-comprehensive exam on material shown below in Week 3 of the Itinerary.  Class presentation does not precisely follow reading, and I often introduce arguments or illustrations from outside.

    Outside assignments and classroom participation are worth 100 points in addition to the 300 points from the examinations shown above.  Total points:  400.

PS103 Books and Readings                PS103, Summer 2000, Renka            Top

    "Text" -  Locale:  Textbook Service under PS103.  The text is:  Edwards, George C. III, Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry.  1999.  Government in America:  People, Politics and Policy, 8th ed., Election Update ( New York:  Addison Wesley Longman).  Textbook website is Government in America, Eighth Edition Election Update Online (http://occ.awlonline.com/bookbind/pubbooks/edwards8e/ ) .  From there, click on Student Resources--Online Course Companion for chapter-by-chapter review including sample exam questions, website links, web source citation guide, and glossary.

    Other materials - I assign some materials available in Kent Library or on the web.  These are shown in the Itinerary, to follow.

Getting in touch with me                    PS103, Summer 2000, Renka            Top

    I have an open door policy, and can very often be found at or near my office computer.  My office is located in the Carnahan (Social Science) Building, Room 211-L, very close to the classroom (Carnahan Science 210).  The Department of Political Science is also located at SS211; you can leave messages for me there if I am absent.  In general, I can be reached as follows:  a) leave a message at my Department mailbox or with the department office; b) leave a message at the drop slot outside my door at 211-L; c) place a voice mail message at 651-2692; d) email me at rdrenka@semovm.semo.edu; or e) if you’re out of town and cannot send a paper by email, then FAX it to 573/651-2695.  You can also consult my website at http://cstl -cla.semo.edu/renka for various details about myself and my courses, including this syllabus.

Lab usage, and paper policy                    PS103, Summer 2000, Renka             Top

    An unfortunate necessity is to remind everyone that the university, and I, strictly prohibit the pernicious and too-common practice known as plagiarism.  Plagiarism is taking someone else’s work and representing it as your own.  This is strictly unacceptable in any papers you write; but I recognize from experience that confusion sometimes exists on what is and what isn’t covered by that. You can consult me directly or look in the Student Handbook for further information on what plagiarism is.  I’ll discuss this further in class when assignments come up.

    On a better note, you’ll quickly find that I use the internet quite a bit and expect you to be conversant in finding and using materials located there.  I can personally help anyone seeking assistance on this either directly on my own machine, or in the Political Science Lab located down the hall from the classroom in SS205.  This Lab is not open with an attendant, but you have only to ask me, or the Department Secretary, to obtain access to the computers there.  But please note that we have only three machines, so these are for brief use and for instructional purposes, not for routine lab use to write papers or travel the net.

PS103 Itinerary For Summer 2000                                  PS103, Summer 2000, Renka            Top

 Week 1 - Monday, May 22     Politics, Collective Problems, and the Place of Government

           Readings:  Text chapter 1 (Conflict, Rules, and Change)

            The Declaration of Independence (1776)

Week 1 - Tuesday, May 23      Constitutional Foundations and the Problems of Democracy

            Readings: Text Chapter 1; Chapter 2 (The Constitution)

            Appendix - James Madison’s Federalist No. 10

            Appendix - Madison’s Federalist No. 51

Week 1 - Wednesday, May 24        Federalism in the United States

            Readings:  Text 3 (Federalism), Text 21 (State Government)

            handout in class:  George Will, Macks Creek

 Week 1 - Thursday, May 25       Diversity, Democracy and Civil Liberties

            Readings:  Text 4 (Civil Liberties and Public Policy)

Week 1 - Friday, May 26         Civil Rights

            Readings:  Text 5 (Civil Rights and Public Policy)

            *Exam No. 1 - Friday, May 26

Week 2 - Monday, May 29 - Memorial Day, no class

 Week 2 - Tuesday, May 30        Public Opinion

            Readings:  Text 6 (Public Opinion and Political Action)

            website reading - "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Public Opinion Polling"

Week 2- Wednesday, May 31         Interest Groups and Mass Media

            Readings:  Text 7 (The Mass Media and the Political Agenda)

            Readings:  Text 11 (Interest Groups)

Week 2 - Thursday, June 1        Political Parties

            Readings:  Text 8 (Political Parties)

            websites - platforms of the two major parties, 1996

Week 2 - Friday, June 2        Nominations and Elections

        Readings:  Text 9 (Nominations and Elections)

            *Exam no. 2 - Friday, June 2

Week 3 - Monday, June 5        Voting and Participation; Nonvoting and Nonparticipation

            Readings:  Text 10 (Elections and Voting Behavior)

           Website reading - Voter turnout and non-turnout, U.S. Bureau of the Census, The Atlantic

Week 3 - Tuesday, June 6        The U.S. Congress

        Readings:  Text 12 (Congress)

        Appendix - Party Control of the Presidency, Senate and House of Representatives in the Twentieth Century

        class handouts - gerrymandering illustrated; reelection rate of incumbents through 1998

 Week 3 - Wednesday, June 7        The Presidency

        Readings:  Text 13 (The Presidency)

        Appendix p. 577ff - The Presidents of the United States

 Week 3 - Thursday, June 8        The Federal Judiciary

        Readings: Text 16 (The Federal Courts)

Week 3 - Friday, June 9         The National Budget and Taxes

    Readings:  Text 14 (The Congress, the Presidency, and the Budget ..)

    *Exam no. 3 - Friday, June 9

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