GOVT-2306 Texas State and Local Government

David Albert

Credit Fall 2024

Section(s)

GOVT-2306-015 (90697)
LEC TuTh 12:00pm - 1:20pm RVS RVSG 9113

Readings

Required Textbook:  Texas Politics Today (Enhanced 19th edition, 2024) Mark P. Jones and Ernest Crain (available on Blackboard).  Unless you opt out, you have already paid for the book at a discounted rate through your tuition as part of ACC’s First Day program. 

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

Course Content/Description/Goal: This course is designed to provide students with critical understanding and insight into the structure, nature and operations of Texas government, democracy, politics and some current public policy debates.  The goal of the course is to prepare students to become well-informed, knowledgeable, and engaged citizens.  This course is designed to improve students’ critical thinking, reading and writing skills.  The course will include in-person lectures and discussions, an online textbook, online materials as well as the use of supplemental audio-visual materials.

Course Requirements

 Course Requirements

10% - Attendance                               10% - Blackboard postings

70% - 3 tests (23.33% each)               10% - Class Participation 

 

Evaluation Methods/Exams/Grading:  The standard grading scale will apply for A to F grading.  Incomplete grades will only be given under special circumstances with certified medical or otherwise documented excuses. The instructor reserves the right to round final grades. Last Day to withdraw: Thursday, November 21

Grading Scale:    A – 90% to 100%              B – 80% to 90%                  C – 70% to 80%                               

                              D – 60% to 70%                F – Below 60%

 

Participation/Attendance (20%): You are expected to attend class – every day.  Lateness will not be tolerated and will be penalized.  Attendance will be taken every day.  Sleeping in class or doing work for other classes is not acceptable.  You are expected to be familiar with the news of the day for each class, because it may come up in class.  You are expected to have read the day’s reading assignment and view the day’s lectures BEFORE class.  Under the current circumstances, a more flexible attendance policy will be applied.  Contact the instructor if you have difficulties make the discussion sections.  Attendance is 10% of your grade.    

Class Participation is 10% of your grade.  Students are required to actively participate in class by being engaged in class discussions, taking notes, asking questions, and keeping up with assigned reading and current events.  Non-participation will be penalized at the instructor’s discretion. Cell phones and text messaging are not allowed in class. Texting in class is strictly prohibited and will be penalized.  Please turn off all phones and mobile devices before class starts.  Try to be mentally present, not just physically.   

Exams (70%): There will be three in-class exams (23.33% each) will be given.  The exams will be divided roughly on each test into 10% current event questions, 50% objective fill-in-blank questions covering the material in the chapters, and 40% essays discussing the materials in the chapters. Bonus questions will be included so that the total number of points will exceed 100, but the grade will be taken from a 100-point scale The current events and objective portions will be done as an in-class exam and the essay portions will be done as a take-home exam which will be submitted online.  More details on current events follows later on in the syllabus.

Late exams: If you are going to miss an exam, contact the instructor BEFORE the exam by email.  Feel free to use the emergency number on the syllabus to call or send a text. Failing to show-up to take an exam will be penalized.  Non-penalized makeup exams will be given only with a certified medical excuse for yourself or a family member, documented work-related absence, or other documented excuse.  “I overslept” is not an excused absence.  “I had to do an assignment for another class” is not an excused absence.   As a general rule, makeup exams will be given only with a verified medical excuse and will not be given after exams have been returned.

ESL Students:  English as Second Language students who are still in the process of acquiring basic English skills should consult with the instructor about testing accommodations including the use of a dictionary or translator during testing.  Issues will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

 

 

 

 
 

Blackboard discussion (10%): You will comment substantially on 5 Blackboard posts on public policy issues covered in the documentaries that are shown in class.  You must complete 1 Blackboard during first part of the course and 2 each during the second part and third parts of the course.  In this class, the some documentaries will be shown in class as part of the class curriculum.  Others will be accessible either via Blackboard or the ACC Library Catalog.  Each post will be due a week after the film is shown in class on the date specified on Blackboard and on the syllabus (unless otherwise specified).  You will NOT receive credit for more than 5 of these posts each of which is worth 2% of your grade.  When discussing a question, you must respond using material from the film in a substantive and detailed way.  You should express a clear and thoughtful opinions or ideas.  This means you must write several paragraphs – about 300 words - that shows a substantive effort.  That does not mean a summary.  You should be addressing the questions asked about the film.  Blackboard posts will be due at the time specified on the Blackboard post and will not be accepted late.  A bonus assignment that involves watching several feature films and commenting on Blackboard is explained later in the syllabus and will be worth up to 3% extra credit on your final grade.  See supplemental instructions later in this syllabus.

Course Subjects

Course Calendar – Texas Government

Week

Dates

Course Activities
  1.  

Tue 8/27

Introduction to course & syllabus

Thu 8/29

Finish Introduction; Start Prologue: Texas’s Political Roots
  1.  

Tue 9/3

Finish Prologue: Texas’s Political Roots

Thu 9/5

Start Chapter 1 – Texas Culture and Diversity                 

  1.  

Tue 9//10

Finish Chapter 1; Film: The Longoria Affair (on an incident of discrimination in South Texas in late 1940s) (BB post due 9/17)

Thu 9/12

Chapter 2 – Texas in the Federal System
  1.  

Tue 9/17

Chapter 3 – Texas Constitution in Perspective

Thu 9/19

Start Chapter 4 – Voting and Elections

  1.  

Tue 9/24

Finish Chapter 4 – Voting and Elections

Thu 9/26

Film:  Last Man Standing (on a State legislative race in 2002) (BB post due 10/3)
  1.  

Tue 10/1

Test 1 (Prologue, Chapters 1-4); Take-home portion of Test 1 due 2/27

Thu 10/3

Chapter 5 – Political Parties [Complete 1of2 BB posts for part 1]
  1.  

Tue 10/8

Chapter 6 - Interest Groups Take-home portion due

Thu 10/10

Films: Enron: Deep in the Pockets of Texas (on the influence of two billionaires on Texas politics & Jesus Camp (on the socialization of religious right) (BB posts due 10/17)
  1.  

Tue 10/15

Start Chapter 7 – The Legislature (focused on Organization and Structure)

Thu 10/17

Finish Chapter 7 - The Legislature (focused on the Legislative Process) / Film: Beyond the Wall (on undocumented immigration) (BB Post 10/24)

9.

Tue 10/22

Start Chapter 8 - The Executive Branch (on Governors)

Thu 10/24

Film: Tower (on 1966 UT Tower Shooting) (BB post due on 10/31)

10.

 

Tue 10/29

Finish Chapter 8 - The Executive Branch (on other Executive Branch officials)

Thu 10/31

Films: Revisionaries (on State Board of Education) and Code of the West (on medical marijuana) (BB posts due 11/7)

11.

 

Tue 11/5

Test 2 (Chapters 5-8); Take-home portion of Test 2 due 4/9 (Election Day – Go Vote!)

Thu 11/7

Start Chapter 9 - Texas Judiciary [Complete 2 of 6 BB posts for Part 2]  (November 11 - Honor our Veterans on Veterans’ Day)

12.

Tue 11/12

Start Chapter 10 – Law and Due Process – Civil

Thu 11/14

Film: Tulia, TX (on racial profiling in North Texas in 1990s) / Also Evidence of Innocence (on mistaken conviction of Michael Morton) (BB posts due 11/21)

13.

Tue 11/19

Chapter 10 – Law and Due Process – criminal

Thu 11/21

Chapter 10 – Law and Due Process - Death penalty / Film: Death by Fire (on a controversial execution), (BB post due 11/28)

14.

Tue 11/26

Start Chapter 11 – Local Government

Thu 11/28

Thanksgiving - Eat lots of Turkey, Watch Football – No Class

15.

Tue 12/3

Finish Chapter 11 – Local Government / Film: Building the American Dream (on workers’ rights in Texas) (BB posts due 12/10)

Thu 12/5

Start Chapter 12 – Public Policy in Texas

16.

Tue 12/10

Finish Chapter 12 – Public Policy in Texas / Film: The Forgotten Americans (on the Colonias in South Texas) (BB post due 12/16); Take-home part of Test 3 available

Thu 12/12

Test 3 (Chapters 9-12); Take-Home portion of the Test 3 due 12/13

Fri 12/13

Take-Home portion of the Test 3 due by 5pm

 

Mon 12/16

Bonus Blackboard posts due, 10:00am [Complete 2 of 8 BB posts for Part 3]

Wed 12/18

Final grades will be posted and submitted to ACC by 5:00pm

Office Hours

M T W Th 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM RVSG 9139

NOTE

Office Hours

M T W Th 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM RVSG 9139

NOTE

Published: 08/25/2024 10:22:21