GOVT-2305 United States Government
Yolanda Chapa
Credit Spring 2024
Section(s)
GOVT-2305-035 (75725)
LEC TuTh 10:30am - 11:50am HYS HYS1 01209.00
GOVT-2305-095 (75765)
LEC DIL ONL DIL
Course Requirements
Courses Requiements
- Take 4 regular exams
- Take final exam (Required)
- Complete MIndtap Activties
- Post/discuss current events
- Attendance
Exams: You will be responsible for completing all exams. The tests may be comprised of either multiple choice, true or false, short essay, or a combination of the two (I reserve the right to choose the format). The lowest grade on one of the regular exams will be dropped. Final exam is required.
Mindtap Activities: You are responsible for completing ebook mindtap activities for each chapter. Activities consist of videos and quizzes.
Discussion/current event: Post and discuss current events
Attendance
Course Subjects
CHAPTER 1 Dilemmas of Democracy
Understand the traditional definition of government and discuss why globalization makes that definition less compelling than it once was. Discuss the three major purposes of government and explain their differences.
Distinguish between the two theories of democratic governmentused in political science: substantive or procedural. Compare and Contrast majoritarian and pluralist models.
Chapter 2: The Constitution
The Constitution: Explain how the colonial and revolutionary experiences shaped America’s first try at self-government under the Articles of Confederation, including the importance of Shays’ Rebellion; Account for the failure of the Articles of Confederation; Explain the four basic principles underlying the Constitution and show how they reflected Americans’ revolutionary values; Describe the formal and informal processes of constitutional change.
CHAPTER 3
Federalism: Explain why the founders adopted a federal system: Contrast two competing views of federalism (dual and cooperative), identifying their essential parts and the metaphors used to explain them: Identify the forces prompting relationship changes between the federal and state governments.
CHAPTER 4 Public Opinion, Political Socialization and the Media
List the agents of both early and continuing political socialization and describe their impact: Show how social or demographic characteristics (such as education, income, ethnicity, region, religion, and so forth) are linked to political values.
CHAPTER 5 Participation and Voting
Distinguish between conventional and unconventional participation, indicating the categories of each and citing specific examples: Explain the nature of the direct primary, recall, initiative, and the referendum; Account for the low voter turnout in the United States and identify successful methods for improvement, being sure to define the standard socioeconomic model and the unsolved paradox concerning voting behavior.
CHAPTER 6 Poltical Parties, Campaigns and Elections
Describe the four most important functions of political parties; Trace the history of major political parties in America: summarize the ideological and organizational differences between Republicans and Democrats.
Describe differences between primaries and caucuses, identifying the various types of primaries and the effects they have on political parties.
CHAPTER 7 Interest Groups
Outline the positive and negative roles played by interest groups in American politics; Explain how interest groups may form, including disturbance theory and the role of interest group entrepreneurs; Describe the major resources interest groups use in their efforts to influence policy, including lobbying tactics; List the tactics used by interest groups to win the support of policymakers, including PACs and 527s.
CHAPTER 8 Congress
Congress Outline the constitutional duties of the House and Senate; Explain the importance of the committee system in the legislative process. Define leadership positions in both the House and Senate.
CHAPTER 9 The Presidency
List the powers and duties of the president as set forth in the Constitution; Describe the sources of power outside the Constitution that presidents have used to expand the authority of the office, including congressional delegation of powers. Discuss the changes that are now occurring in the president’s role as a world leader; Identify three objectives of the president in international relations and foreign policy; Describe the special skills a president needs for crisis management.
CHAPTER 11
The Courts: Explain the concept of judicial review and how it was established in the case of Marbury v. Madisonand other cases, including applications to state governments; Sketch the basic organization of the federal court system and identify the type of jurisdiction of each level of the courts; Explain the role of the federal district courts and federal appeals courts; Define and explain differences between criminal and civil law cases, statutory interpretation and common law; Describe two ways in which judges exercise a policymaking role; Outline the routes by which cases come to the Supreme Court or the federal courts
Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives
Units:
1 Constitutional Foundations
2 Linkage Institutions
3 Political Learning
4 Institutions of Government
5 Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
6 Public Policy
1. Constitutional Foundations
1.1. Analyze the purposes, functions and roles of government and politics
1.1.1. Differentiate between government and politics
1.1.2. Describe various forms and functions of government
1.1.3. Define democracy
1.1.4. Describe the various theories and forms of democracy
1.1.5. Describe how politics influences policy making
1.2. Evaluate the foundations, features, and development of the Constitution of the
United States as it applies to the political system today
1.2.1. Examine the nature and impact of the Declaration of Independence and the
Articles of Confederation
1.2.2. Describe the Constitutional Convention of 1787 including the delegates
and compromises
1.2.3. Describe the principles of the constitution; popular sovereignty, limited
government, separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism
1.2.4. Describe judicial review and its development
1.2.5. Describe the ratification process of the U.S. Constitution
1.2.6. Describe the formal and informal methods for amending the U.S.
Constitution, and the changes that resulted.
1.2.7. Distinguish among enumerated (delegated, express), inherent, implied,
concurrent, and reserved powers
1.2.8. Trace the evolution of federalism.
2. Linkage Institutions
2.1.Analyze the political and policy making impact of media today
2.1.1. Describe how the government regulates the media
2.1.2. Describe the influence of the media on the political system today
2.2.Analyze the political and policy making impact of interest groups today
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2.2.1. Define and describe the types of interest groups in the United States today
and their goals
2.2.2. Describe the resources and tactics used by interest groups to influence
public policy
2.2.3. Describe the impact of interest groups on politics and government in the
United States
2.3. Analyze the political and policy making impact of political parties
2.3.1. Define and describe the evolution, functions, and organization of political
parties in the US political system
2.3.2. Compare and contrast the issue positions of the two major parties today
2.3.3. Describe the reasons for the two-party system in the United States
2.3.4. Describe minor parties and their impact
2.4. Analyze the conduct of elections and campaigns
2.4.1 Evaluate the process and impact of elections today
2.4.2 Describe the expansion of the right to vote in the United States
2.4.3 Distinguish among the various types of candidate selection processes
2.4.4 Describe the differences between primary and general elections
2.4.5 Describe the factors that influence both voter turnout and voting behavior
2.4.6 Describe current campaign finance regulations and their impact.
3. Political Learning
3.1. Evaluate the elements and impact of political culture on politics and policy
making today.
3.1.1. Define and describe the US political culture
3.1.2. Describe the impact of political culture on politics and policy
3.2. Assess the formation and impact of public opinion on politics and policy making
today
3.2.1. Describe methods for measuring public opinion
3.2.2. Describe the impact of public opinion on politics and policy making
4. Institutions of Government
4.1. Analyze the functions and operations of the legislative branch and its role in
policy making today
4.1.1. Describe the bicameral structure and its impact
4.1.2. Describe the leadership structure, the committee systems and the
legislative process
4.1.3. Describe the powers and functions of Congress
4.2. Analyze the functions and operations of the executive branch and its role in
policy making today
4.2.1. Describe the process by which a president is elected
4.2.2. Describe the constitutional powers of the president
ACC Government Department
Faculty Handbook
2009-10
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4.2.3. Describe the formal and informal roles of the president today
4.2.4. Describe the organization of the executive branch bureaucracy
4.3 Analyze the functions and operations of the judicial branch and its role in policy
making today
4.3.1 Describe the structure, jurisdiction, and operations of the federal courts
4.3.2 Describe the process by which federal judges are selected
4.3.3 Describe the judicial decision making process and its impact
5. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
5.1.Evaluate the origin, development and impact of civil liberties on individuals and
groups
5.1.1. Describe the civil liberties granted in the Constitution.
5.1.2. Analyze the impact of major legislation dealing with civil liberties.
5.1.3. Analyze the impact of major Supreme Court cases dealing with civil
liberties.
5.2 Evaluate origin, development, and impact of civil rights on individuals and
groups
5.2.1 Describe the civil rights granted in the Constitution
5.2.2 Analyze the impact of major civil rights legislation
5.2.3 Analyze the impact of social movements on the expansion of civil rights
5.2.4 Analyze the impact of major Supreme Court cases dealing with civil rights
5.2.5 Discuss the impact of the civil rights movement on American society
5.2.6 Discuss the role of the states with respect to the history of civil rights
6. Public Policy
6.1 Examine the domestic policy making process and the interrelationship between
policy and politics
6.1.1 Examine the politics and political actors involved in the budgetary and
monetary process
6.1.2 Describe domestic policymaking and the major issues in the U.S. political
system
6.1.3 Describe the political disputes that arise with domestic policymaking in
the U.S. political system
6.1.4 Describe the impact of those disputes on policymaking.
6.2 Analyze the development and implementation of U.S. foreign policy both
domestically and internationally
6.3.1 Describe the role of the US government in foreign policy making
6.3.2 Describe the major foreign and defense issues facing the U.S.
Office Hours
T Th 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM HYS 1204.38
NOTE Email professor to schedule a virtual appointment on Zoom.M W 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM HYS 1204.38
NOTE Email professor to schedule a virtual appointment using Zoom.Published: 12/10/2023 18:00:35