POS 2041, American Federal Government

American Federal Government

Spring 2006

(Lectures MW 2nd period, discussion groups on R and F)

Michael D. Martinez, Department of Political Science, University of Florida

Click here for a pdf version of this syllabus.

Final Exam results and Final Grades are now posted here.

Course Description and Requirements

What is political power, and how concentrated is it in the United States? Where does the United States rank on the UN Human Development Index? How resistant to change is the United States Constitution, relative to other national constitutions? What influences some people to be political gladiators and others to be political spectators? Why are we still stuck with the Electoral College, which made George Bush our 43rd President, even though Al Gore got more votes from real people? If more people favor gun control than oppose it, why is the NRA so powerful? How influential can Chief Justice Roberts be in shaping the Supreme Court?

We will address these and other questions through a survey the structural foundations, political linkage institutions, and governmental institutions in the United States. Our discussions will include some historical references, comparisons and contrasts to other countries' political systems, and comment on current developments. By the end of the course, students should have a basic understanding of the U.S. political system that will enable them to understand the choices that are (and are not) offered to them as citizens and to be able to critically evaluate claims about the U.S. political system using empirical evidence.

This course satisfies a Social and Behavioral Science (S) General Education requirement, and is required of all Political Science and College of Journalism majors. It is also a prerequisite to many other courses in American politics in the Department of Political Science.

The class will meet Mondays and Wednesdays (2nd period) in Turlington L007 Auditorium. Discussion group sections for this class will meet on Thursdays and Fridays. The Teaching Assistants who will lead the discussion sections are Diana Cohen, Hans Schmeisser, Richard Yon, Kathryn Oates, and Jason Kassel. Students are expected to attend and participate in lectures and discussions on a regular basis. Students are also required to have access to a computer with basic email and browser capabilities, including Acrobat Reader. Grades will be assigned based on three exams, participation in discussion groups, and other written assignments.

Readings

Greenberg, Edward and Benjamin Page. 2005. The Struggle for Democracy (Seventh Edition; Longman). This text argues that policy results from a combination of structural, political, and governmental effects. Greenberg and Page also suggest that American democracy is evolutionary, and offer numerous comparisons to other political systems. The Struggle for Democracy Online is a companion website for this text. It provides links to websites associated with each topic, comparative links, student activities, and current analysis by the authors of the text. ISBN 0-321-21738-1

Rourke, John T. 2006. You Decide! 2006: Current Debates in American Politics. This reader features debates by political actors, observers, and political scientists on a number of current controversies. While no student will agree with all perspectives offered in the readings, it is important to understand the arguments that underlay various authors' positions on the issues, and to be able to properly attribute the positions and arguments to each author. (ISBN 9-780321-411082)

If you purchased You Decide! 2005, (ISBN 0-321-33343-8) you may either keep it or ask your bookstore for a refund so that you can purchase You Decide! 2006. Some of the debates that we will examine are not printed in You Decide! 2005, but online links to the original sources for those debates are provided on this webpage.

Students may choose to buy Struggle for Democracy and You Decide! either as a bundle (ISBN: 032143420X) or separately.

Some of our discussion will be interpretations of current developments in the American political process, so occasionally I will assign articles from The New York Times. Students have four options to obtain these readings:

Spring term campus subscriptions are available.
Subscription to the internet edition is free at present.
The Reserve Desk at the Smathers Library has copies of the Times.
Students may purchase individual newspapers when assignments are announced.

Other readings will be accessible online through links on this webpage or through links from Webluis.

Discussion Group leaders

The TA Office is in 214 Anderson.

Section	Day/Time	TA	email	hours
1778	R 3	Richard Yon	ryon@polisci.ufl.edu	Thursday 11:45 am -1:45 pm
3394	R 4
5515	R 5	Jason Kassel	kassel@ufl.edu	Monday and Thursday from 10:30-11:30 am
5563	F 5
5518	R 6	Diana Cohen	dtcohen@ufl.edu	Monday from 10 am -12noon
5521	R 7
5527	F 3	Hans Schmeisser	hans42@ufl.edu	Wednesday 10 am -12noon
5550	F 4
5554	F 6	Kathryn Oates	oates@ufl.edu	Friday 10:45 am - 12:45
5912	F 7

Calendar

The following is provided as a guideline to the course. I reserve the right to make adjustments to the calendar if needed, delay particular assignments, or to change them to optional. Assignments will generally be due at the beginning of your discussion section.

* Links readings marked with an asterisk will require access through a UF connection (using a UF networked computer, Gatorlink dialup, or a VPN dialer.)

Dates	Readings and Assignments
January 9 - 13 Introduction to Political Power	Struggle, Chapter 1
January 9 - 13 Introduction to Political Power	First Assignment due at the beginning of discussion section. 1. Write a short paragraph (or two) explaining what you think politics is, or what you think of when you hear the word "politics." Your paragraph should reference one article in The New York Times (during the week of January 9-13) that illustrates what you mean. Be sure to explain how the article illustrates your point. 2. Read the online version of the syllabus. Which Federalist Paper is required reading for the week in which we discuss the Presidency? (The answer should be a number.)
January 16 Martin Luther King holiday	(optional) Pay a virtual visit to the National Civil Rights Museum.
January 18-20 Structural Foundations	Struggle, Chapter 4 Kenneth Prewitt. 2002. "Demography, Diversity, and Democracy: The 2000 Census Story." Brookings Review 20 (1,Winter): 6-9. Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 5. John O’Sulllivan, "Who We Are" Jim Sleeper, "Review of 'Who Are We? The Challenges to America's National Identity'"
January 18-20 Structural Foundations	This assignment requires you to compare the United States to one other country that you have read about, visited, would like to visit, or which interests you. Go to the United Nations Human Development Report 2005 webpage, and compare the U.S. to one other country in terms of the gross domestic product per capita, life expectancy, education enrollment ratio, and the overall Human Development Index. On which of these indicators (if any) does the United States rank higher than the comparison country? On which (if any) does the United States rank lower? If the U.S. had a national goal of increasing its rank on the Human Development Index, what should our top priority be?
January 23-27 Constitution	Read: Struggle, Chapter 2 and Federalist No. 51 John P. Roche. (1961). "The Founding Fathers: A Reform Caucus in Action." American Political Science Review 55 (4, December): 799-816. (* This link requires a UF connection through Gatorlink or VPN.) Bruce G. Kauffmann (1997). "James Madison: "Godfather of the Constitution." The Early America Review 2 (1, Summer). Gonzales Invokes Actions of Other Presidents in Defense of U.S. Spying (NYT Jan 25)
January 23-27 Constitution	Compare the biographies of two delegates to the Constitution Convention. Were they among the political elite in their state before the Convention? What happened to them after the Convention? How would you characterize the average delegate to the Constitutional Convention?
January 30 - February 3 Federalism	Struggle, Chapter 3 Federalist No. 39 McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Rourke. You Decide! 2006 Chapter 2. John Paul Stevens, "Federal Regulation of Marijuana: Appropriate National Power" Sandra Day O'Connor, "Federal Regulation of Marijuana: Usurpation of State Authority" You Decide! 2005 does not have these opinions, but you can access the case from the US Supreme Court website by clicking here. Stevens's majority opinion is pp. 4-34 of the pdf file. O'Connor's dissent is pp 45-61 of the pdf file.
January 30 - February 3 Federalism
February 6 -17 Public Opinion and Media	Struggle, Chapter 5 and 6 Michael W. Traugott. 2003. "Can We Trust the Polls?" Brookings Review 21 (3, Summer): 8-11. E.J. Dionne. 2000. Why Americans Hate Politics: A Reprise. Brookings Review 18 (1, Winter): 8-11.
February 8	First Exam
February 20 - 24 Political Parties	Struggle, Chapter 9 Rourke. You Decide! 2006 Chapter 9. Carl Cannon, “She Can Win the White House” (or click here) Amy Sullivan, "Not So Fast" (or click here) Rourke. You Decide! 2006 Chapter 23 (available in the online supplement) . Theodore S. Arrington, "Proportional Representation: Advance of Democracy" Abigail Thernstrom, "Proportional Representation: Destabilizing Idea"
February 20 - 24 Political Parties	Compare or contrast two political parties' positions on an issue of your choice, and tell me which party comes closer to your own position on that issue. I expect that most people will contrast the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, but you also may contrast one of those parties with a third party (such as the Green Party, Reform Party, Libertarian Party, or another third party). Politics1.com has extensive links for sources on the two major parties, as well as other third parties. Good essays will include a short paragraph on each of the two parties' positions, and a concluding paragraph on why one of those positions is more in line with your own.
February 27 - March 3 Political Participation	Struggle, Chapter 10 Robert Putnam (2002). "Bowling Together." The American Prospect 13 (3). Kay Schlozman et al. (1997). "The Big Tilt: Participatory Inequality in America." The American Prospect 8 (32). Rourke. You Decide! 2006 Chapter 10. Becky Cain, "The Electoral College: Abolish" Judith A. Best, "The Electoral College: Preserve"
March 6 - 10 Interest Groups	Struggle, Chapter 7 and 8 Federalist No. 10 Confessore (2000). Lost Causes. The American Prospect 11 (21). Kay L. Schlozman (1984). What Accent the Heavenly Chorus? Journal of Politics 46 (4, November): 1006-1032. (* This link requires a UF connection through Gatorlink or VPN.)
March 8	Second Exam
March 20 - 24 Congress	Struggle, Chapter 11 Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 11. Paul Jacob, "Congressional Term Limits: Promoting Choice" John R. Hibbing, "Congressional Term Limits: Restricting Choice" Thomas Mann (2006) "Lobbying Reform: Accountability through Transparency".
March 20 - 24 Congress	Write a short essay (one page) which says where you live (city and state), who your Representative and Senators are, which committees they serve on, and whether you think that service on those committees is particularly important for your district and State. Does your Representative serve on more committees, or fewer committees, than your Senators? (Don't consider Republican or Democratic party committees, or caucuses, for this question.) You may use www.house.gov and www.senate.gov as sources for this assignment.
March 27 - 31 Presidency	Struggle, Chapter 12 Federalist 70 Rourke. You Decide! 2006 Chapter 12. Matthew Spalding, "Qualified to be President: Natural-Born Citizens Only" (or click here) John Yinger, "Qualified to be President: All Citizens" (or click here)
March 27 - 31 Presidency	Find a story or stories in the The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com or the paper edition) this week that illustrate at least two different roles that President Bush plays. Bring to discussion section a one page paper that includes the - article title(s) - date of the article(s) - short statement saying what role(s) the President played in the story(ies). The statement will include an intro sentence or paragraph, a short paragraph about each role, and a concluding sentence or paragraph. This paper may refer to any roles discussed in lecture or in Greenberg and Page, Chapter 12.
April 3 - 7 Bureaucracy	Struggle, Chapter 13 Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 13. Judith Sweet, "The Department of Education and Title IX: Champion of Equality" Amanda Ross-Edwards, "The Department of Education and Title IX: Overzealous Crusader" George C. Edwards III. 2001. "Why Not the Best? The Loyalty-Competence Trade-Off in Presidential Appointments" Brookings Review 19 (2, Spring): 12-16.
April 10 - 14 Judiciary	Struggle, Chapter 14 Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 14. Orrin Hatch, "Filibustering Federal Court Nominees: Frustrating The Majority" (or click here) Robert Byrd, "Filibustering Federal Court Nominees: Protecting The Minority? (or click here, only the remarks by Byrd are required) Marbury v Madison (1803)
April 10 - 14 Judiciary
April 17 - 21 Civil Liberties	Struggle, Chapter 15 Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 24 (available in the online supplement) . David Cole, "Threat to Civil Liberties" Alberto R. Gonzales, "Constitutional Shield"
April 24 - 26 Epilogue	Read: Immigrants Rally in Scores of Cities for Legal Status (NYT, April 11) Justices Hear Case on Right to Choose Defense Counsel (NYT, April 19) Senators to Reignite Debate on Immigration (NYT, April 24)
(Tuesday, May 2, 10 am - 12 noon Turlington L007)	Final Exam

Course Requirements and Grades

First Exam (Wednesday, February 8)	40
Second Exam (Wednesday, March 8)	40
Final Exam (Tuesday, May 2, 10 am - 12 noon Turlington L007)	45
Discussion Section Assignments	40
Total	165

A	148-165
B+	143-147	C+	127-131	D+	110-114
B	132-142	C	115-126	D	99-109

Exams

There will be three examinations. The first exam and the final exam will be multiple-choice machine-graded. I will offer sample examination questions as the course proceeds.

The second exam may be of the same format, or alternatively may consist of a series of true-false justify statements and a short essay to be graded by the T.A.s. The format of the second exam will be chosen by the class from these alternatives. On January 11, the class chose the multiple choice format for the second exam.

All exams will cover lecture, readings, completed assignments, and The New York Times articles discussed in class. The second exam and the final exam will emphasize material covered in the second and third parts of the course, respectively, but will build on material previously covered.

On exam days, students will be asked to remove hats, caps, and sunglasses. Initiating or receiving outside communication using a phone or other device during an exam constitutes receipt of outside information, and will result in an immediate failure on that examination. Please note that sending or receiving messages (including messages via electronic text or phone) during an exam is considered cheating. Do not forget to turn off your cellphone before a test. If you do forget and the cellphone rings, don't answer it. Surrender the phone to an exam proctor, and you can pick it up after the exam is over.

It is important that you show up on exam day. Absences from exams will only be excused if the student can provide written and verifiable documentation of illness, bereavement of an immediate family member, or a conflicting University or legal obligation.

Discussion Group Participation and Assignments

Discussion sections will meet at designated periods on Thursdays and Fridays, and will be led by the Teaching Assistants. These are important components to the course, as they provide an opportunity for students to discuss the assigned readings and exercises. T.A.s will assign 40 points toward the final grades for the course based on attendance and written assignments.

Written assignments will generally be due at the time your discussion section meets on Thursday or Friday. Assignments may be based on assigned readings, students' personal experiences, and access to the internet sites linked to this page or the Struggle for Democracy Online. I do assume that all students enrolled in this class have access to a computer that meets the UF minimum standards for students beginning this term, and that you can use email and access the internet. Some of these writing assignments will be turned in for a grade, some will be turned in for attendance only, and some will not be turned in but used as a basis for discussion.

Pet Peeves and other things

My first pet peeve and most important is cheating, including plagiarism. The University setting promotes the exchange of ideas, and that makes the University an exciting place to work and study. The theft of others' work violates the trust between all of us. If you cheat, abet cheating, or plagiarize in my class, I will seek the harshest academic remedies available.

My second pet peeve is rude behavior in class. Lectures and discussion sections are set aside for us to discuss, exchange, and refine ideas, and recurring side conversations, sending or receiving telephone calls or text messages, reading the newspaper, and other rude behavior indicate a lack of respect for other participants' contributions to the exchange of ideas. Please remember to turn off your cellphones and other electronic communications devices before lecture and discussion sections begin. Recurrent rude behavior in either lecture or discussion section will result in a grade penalty.

If you need to discuss anything about this class, you should bring the matter up with your TA first. In most cases, your TA will be able to help you with your concern. If your TA cannot provide the answers or help that you need, s/he may ask you to come talk to me.

Students requesting classroom accommodation for testing or completing assignments must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student, who must then provide this documentation to your TA when requesting accommodation. Please do so by February 15.

Please do not phone me or your TA to discuss a grade over the phone. You are welcome to call to schedule an appointment with your TA, but please refrain from asking about your grade directly over the phone. This helps the TAs and me protect your statutory rights to privacy, as we are generally unable to verify your identity over the phone.

Course Schedule and Office Hours

	Monday	Wednesday	Friday
8:30 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. (Period 2)	POS 2041 lecture (Turlington L007)	POS 2041 lecture (Turlington L007)	---
10:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.	Office Hours (Anderson 211)	Office Hours (Anderson 211)	Office Hours (Anderson 211)
1:55 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. (Period 7)	POS 4734 (Anderson 32)	POS 4734 (Anderson 32)	POS 4734 (Anderson 32)

I will not hold office hours on any day on which class is cancelled. My office is in Anderson Hall, which is a beautifully refurbished building on University Avenue just northeast of Smathers Library and across from Chipotle. Come by and see my digs during office office hours.

Students should also consult their TAs for their office hours. The TA office is in 214 Anderson Hall.

Students are welcome to send questions to my email address, martinez@ufl.edu, but in most cases, it's usually a good idea to check with your TA first.

Computer Resources

From time to time, I will make assignments which require you to use the internet links found on this homepage.
Political Science majors (or others interested in Political Science at UF) may also subscribe to an email list for undergraduate students. This is an easy way to keep up with announcements about new courses, guest speakers, and other programs of interest to Political Science majors.

Again, you will first need to subscribe to the list. Anyone with an email address may subscribe to this list by sending a message to majordomo@clas.ufl.edu. The content of the message should be SUBSCRIBE POLISCI-MAJORS

Other University of Florida Sites

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Thanks for visiting the homepage for this class! If you are enrolled in the class, and would like to introduce yourself electronically, feel free to drop me an email (martinez@ufl.edu)
Last updated: 12 April 2006