POS 2041, American Federal Government

American Federal Government

Fall 2011, POS 2041 Section 4251

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

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 Our discussions will include some historical references, comparisons and contrasts to other countries' political systems, and comment on current developments.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 Tuesdays (2nd and 3rd periods) and Thursdays (3rd period) in Turlington L007 Auditorium. The Teaching Assistants will hold office hours to answer questions, conduct review sessions, and assist in grading assignments. 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, occasional quizzes and in-class assignments, and other written assignments.

Readings

Greenberg, Edward and Benjamin Page. 2011. The Struggle for Democracy (Tenth 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. MyPolisciLab 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.

Rourke, John T. 2011. You Decide! 2011: 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.

Students may choose to buy Struggle for Democracy and You Decide! either as a bundle (ISBN: 0205231330) or separately.

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

Teaching Assistants

TA	email	hours
Lorna Bracewell	lbracewell@ufl.edu	W 11:30 to 1:30, 301 Anderson
Charles Dahan	cdahan@ufl.edu	T 10:45 to 12:45, 301 Anderson
Amanda Edmiston	aedmiston@ufl.edu	R 10:45 to 12:45, 301 Anderson

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
August 23 - 25 Introduction to Political Power	Struggle, Chapter 1
August 23 - 25 Introduction to Political Power	First Assignment due on Tuesday, August 30. 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 or the AP News Feed in MyPolisciLab (during the period from August 23-25) 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.)
September 1 No class!	American Political Science Association meetings
August 30 - September 8 Constitution	Read: Struggle, Chapter 2 Federalist No. 51 (available in MyPolisciLab My Polisci Library) John P. Roche. (1961). "The Founding Fathers: A Reform Caucus in Action." American Political Science Review 55 (4, December): 799-816. Bruce G. Kauffmann (1997). "James Madison: "Godfather of the Constitution." The Early America Review 2 (1, Summer).
August 30 - September 8 Constitution	2. 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?
September 13 - 15 Federalism	Struggle, Chapter 3 Federalist No. 39 (available in MyPolisciLab My Polisci Library) McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) (available in MyPolisciLab My Polisci Library) Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 2 "Arizona's Law Encouraging Citizen Identity Checks" "State Intrusion into National Policy" "Permissible State Action"
September 13 - 15 Federalism	1. Write an essay outlining the major arguments for and against the constitutionality of Arizona's identity check law. Regardless of your opinion about whether the law is good public policy, is it Constitutional?
September 20 - 22 Structural Foundations	Struggle, Chapter 4 William H. Frey. 2011. "Melting Pot Cities and Suburbs: Racial and Ethnic Change in Metro America in the 2000s." Brookings State of Metropolitan America 31. Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 5. * John Fonte, "The Cultural Assimilation of Immigrants: The Melting Pot is Broken" * Gary Gerstle, "The Cultural Assimilation of Immingrants: Blending Satisfactorily"
September 20 - 22 Structural Foundations	1. 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 webpage, and compare the U.S. to two other countries 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?
September 27	First Exam
September 29	First Exam Review
October 4 - 6 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.
October 11 - 13 Political Parties	Struggle, Chapter 9 Rourke. You Decide! 2006 Chapter 9. "The Forseeable Future of Party Politics" David Brady, "Dominant Democrats" Jay Cost, "Resurgent Republicans"
October 11 - 13 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.
October 18 - 20 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. "Allowing Non-citizens to Vote" Ron Hayduk, "Expanding Democracy" Stanley Renshon, "Undermining Citizenship"
October 25 - 27 Interest Groups	Struggle, Chapter 7 and 8 Federalist No. 10 (available in MyPolisciLab My Polisci Library) Confessore (2000). Lost Causes. The American Prospect 11 (21). Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 8. "Permitting Corporations to Participate in Election Campaigns" Monica Youn, "A Blow to Democracy" Todd Henderson, "Constitutionally Appropriate"
November 1	Second Exam
November 3	Second Exam Review
November 8 - 10 Congress	Struggle, Chapter 11 Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 11. "Senate Filibusters" Thomas Mann, "Blocking Majority Rule" Lee Rawls, "Preventing Majority Tyranny" Thomas Mann (2006) "Lobbying Reform: Accountability through Transparency".
November 8 - 10 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.
November 15 - 17 Presidency	Struggle, Chapter 12 Federalist 70 (available in MyPolisciLab My Polisci Library) Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 12. "The War Powers of the President" Jules Lobel, "Curb" Stephen Rademaker, "Leave As Is"
November 15 - 17 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 Obama 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.
November 22 Bureaucracy	Struggle, Chapter 13 Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 13. "Policy Positions of Federal Agencies" James L. Gattuso, "Reflect the President's Position" Peter L. Strauss, "Be Determined Independently"
November 24 No class!	Thanksgiving Holiday
November 29 - December 1 Judiciary	Struggle, Chapter 14 Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 1. "Deciding on the Constitution's Meaning" Keith E. Whittington, "Rely on the Original Authors" Erwin Chemerinsky, "Intepret in Light of Modern Circumstances" Marbury v Madison (1803) (available in MyPolisciLab My Polisci Library)
November 29 - December 1 Judiciary
December 6 Civil Liberties	Struggle, Chapter 15 Rourke. You Decide! Chapter 3. "The Phrase 'Under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance" Douglas Laycock, "Violation of the First Amendment" Jay Alan Sekulow, "Acceptable Traditional Expression"
(Wednesday, December 14, 7:30 am - 9:30 am Turlington L007)	Final Exam

Course Requirements and Grades

First Exam (Tuesday, September 27)	40
Second Exam (Tuesday, November 1)	40
Final Exam (Wednesday, December 14, 7:30 am - 9:30 am Turlington L007)	45
Written Assignments and Quizzes	40
Total	165

		B+	141-145	C+	125-129	D+	108-112
A	151-165	B	135-140	C	118-124	D	102-107
A-	146-150	B-	130-134	C-	113-117	D-	97-101

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.

All exams will cover lecture, readings, completed assignments, and 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.

Participation and Assignments

Written assignments will generally be due on Thursdays. Assignments may be based on assigned readings, students' personal experiences, and access to the internet sites linked to this page or MyPolisciLab. 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 begins. Recurrent rude behavior ina 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 September 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.

Office Hours

My office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 - 4:30 pm. I will not hold office hours on any day on which class is cancelled. You may also request an appointment to see me by contacting Pat (proot@ufl.edu, 273-2375). My office is in 234 Anderson Hall, which is a beautifully refurbished building on University Avenue just northeast of Smathers Library and across from Chipotle.

Students should also consult their TAs for their office hours. The TA office is in 301 Anderson Hall.

Other University of Florida Sites

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: 19 August 2011