Fall 2025
Federal Government
Approved: Initials/date GOVT 2305 – 3A1 CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Face to Face PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: TSI Complete in Reading COURSE DESCRIPTION Origin and development of the U.S. Constitution; structure and powers of the national government including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches; federalism; political participation; the national election process; public policy; civil liberties and civil rights. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States 2. Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system 3. Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice 4. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government 5. Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system 6. Analyze the election process 7. Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens 8. Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Adan Arriaga Email: aarriaga@eagle.lit.edu Office Phone: (409) 247-5138 Office Location: Lonnie Howard Technology Center (Room 206) Office Hours: Monday – Thursday 11:30 a.m. – 02:00 p.m. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS American Government 3rd Edition Krutz, Waskiewicz; Free Web Version ISBN-13: 978-1-951693-38-1 https://openstax.org/details/books/american-government-3e 2 ATTENDANCE POLICY Consistent attendance and active participation are essential to your success in this course, whether it is conducted in person, online, or in a hybrid format. You are expected to attend all scheduled sessions, engage with course materials, contribute to discussions, and complete all assignments. For online and hybrid courses, this includes regular log-ins to Blackboard and participation in discussion boards. Attendance and participation will be monitored throughout the semester. If your in-class attendance or online engagement declines significantly or stops, the instructor will contact you to discuss your progress and offer support. An academic intervention will be initiated if a student accumulates three absences from in-person class or fails to access the Blackboard platform for a continuous period of seven days in online or hybrid classes. If you anticipate an absence or disruption in participation, notify the instructor in advance when possible. Ongoing lack of attendance may lead to additional academic intervention. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. COURSE CALENDAR (DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE) TOPIC/MODULE READINGS ASSIGNMENTS DUE DATE Introduction & Syllabus Syllabus None Aug 25 1.1 What is Government? Chapter 1.1 Syllabus Quiz Aug 27 1.1 What is Government? Discuss Core Assessment Chapter 1.2 None Aug 29 1.2 Political Socialization None Quiz 1.1 Sep 3 1.3 Roots of the Revolution Chapter 2.1 Appendix A: Declaration of Independence Quiz 1.2 Sep 5 1.3 Roots of the Revolution Chapter 2.2 In-class Discussion Sep 8 1.4 The Constitution Chapter 2.3 Appendix B: U.S. Constitution Appendix C: Federalist 10 Quiz 1.3 Sep 10 1.4 The Constitution Chapter 2.4 Appendix C: Federalist 51 None Sep 12 1.4 The Constitution Chapter 2.5 Making Rules Discussion Sep 15 Core Assessment Q&A None Quiz 1.4 In-class Q&A Discussion Sep 17 3 Unit 1 Exam None Unit 1 Exam Sep 19 2.1 Supreme Court Decisions Case Briefs: Engel v. Vitale (1962) Schenk v. United States (1919) Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) Texas v. Johnson (1989) Classroom Case Discussions Sep 22 2.1 Supreme Court Decisions Case Briefs: Miranda v. Arizona (1966) Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) Mapp v. Ohio (1961) Classroom Case Discussions Sep 24 2.2 Civil Liberties Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Quiz 2.1 Last Drop Date without academic penalty Sep 26 2.3 Civil Rights Chapter 5 Quiz 2.2 Oct 1 2.4 Federalism Chapter 3 Quiz 2.3 Oct 6 Core Assessment Q&A None Quiz 2.4 FIRST DRAFT OF CORE ASSESSMENT DUE Oct 8 Unit 2 Exam None Unit 2 Exam Oct 10 3.1 Legislative Branch Chapter 11 None Oct 13 3.1 Legislative Branch Chapter 11 (cont’d) Armstrong, M. (2023) Concerning United States Constitutional War Powers None Oct 15 3.2 Executive Branch Chapter 12 Quiz 3.1 Oct 17 3.2 Executive Branch Chapter 12 (cont’d) None Oct 20 3.3 Judicial Branch Chapter 13 Quiz 3.2 Oct 22 3.3 Judicial Branch Chapter 13 (cont’d) None Oct 24 Core Assessment Q&A None Quiz 3.3 SECOND DRAFT OF CORE ASSESSMENT DUE Oct 27 Unit 3 Recap Montesquieu – Separation of Powers Montesquieu Discussion Oct 29 Unit 3 Exam None Unit 3 Exam Last drop date with academic penalty Oct 31 4.1 Interest Groups, Monopolies, & Patents Chapter 10 None Nov 3 4.2 Public Opinion & Public Polling Chapter 6 Quiz 4.1 Nov 5 4.3 The Media Chapter 8 Quiz 4.2 Nov 7 4.4 Political Parties Chapter 9 Quiz 4.3 Nov 14 4.5 Political Participation Chapter 1.3 Quiz 4.4 Nov 17 4 Unit 4 Review Core Assessment Q&A None Q&A Nov 19 Unit 4 Exam None Unit 4 Exam Nov 21 Final Exam Review None Q&A Dec 1 Core Assessment Due None CORE ASSESSMENT DUE Dec 3 Final Exam None OPTIONAL FINAL EXAM TBA COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: Exams 50% Core Assessment 20% Quizzes/Assignments/Discussions 30% GRADE SCALE • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C • 60-69 D • 0-59 F TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). 5 STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION DUE DATES & LATE WORK All due dates for assignments, exams, and projects are listed in the course schedule. Please plan accordingly. Late work will not be accepted unless a documented emergency or extenuating circumstance arises. Extension requests must be submitted in writing within 48 hours of the original deadline, with appropriate documentation. Extensions are granted at the instructor’s discretion. WORK SUBMISSION Assignments must be submitted via Blackboard for online classes. In-person submissions occur during class. Hybrid courses will use both formats. This applies to all coursework, including exams and the core assessment. Students are required to report any technical difficulties encountered during the Blackboard submission process within 30 minutes of submitting their assignment. GRADING Grades and feedback will typically be returned within one week of the submission due date. Students will be notified if delays occur. 6 COMMUNICATION All course communication should be conducted through Blackboard for security and clarity. Expect responses within 24 hours on weekdays; messages received on weekends or holidays will be answered the next business day. For urgent matters or if Blackboard is unavailable, use your official LIT email. In-person office hours are held in Room 206 (Lonnie Howard Technology Center); virtual appointments are available for online students. Occasionally, Blackboard may display a zero for an assignment due to a system anomaly; students are advised not to be alarmed, as this does not necessarily reflect their actual grade. Assignments must never be submitted via email to the instructor and should be uploaded exclusively through the designated Blackboard portal. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Students must adhere to LIT’s Academic Integrity Policy. All submitted work must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, collusion, and fabrication are prohibited. Violations will result in failure of the assignment; repeated offenses may result in failure of the course. Support services, including tutoring and supplemental instruction, are available at no cost. All coursework must be completed individually unless collaborative work is explicitly authorized; failure to adhere to this guideline may constitute academic misconduct and will be addressed in accordance with LIT’s Academic Integrity Policy. EXAM POLICY Exams are open note. You may use your own handwritten or typed notes, but no other resources are allowed unless specified. This policy does not apply to quizzes which are closed to outside resources of any type. Proctors may review your notes during or after the exam. You may also be required to submit your notes for individual review. Notes must reflect your own work—shared, collaborative, copied, or AI-generated content is not permitted. Use of unauthorized materials during exams is a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy and will be addressed accordingly. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Generative AI tools may be used to support research, brainstorming, and drafting but must not replace your original thought or analysis. Any use of AI must be acknowledged and cited appropriately. Contact the instructor before using AI tools for assignments to ensure alignment with course expectations. CITATION POLICY All sources—human, print, digital, or AI—must be cited. If AI tools are used, clearly indicate how they contributed (e.g., brainstorming, summarizing, drafting). Use a consistent citation style (MLA, APA, or Chicago), and consult the instructor if unsure how to cite properly. Improper or missing citations may constitute academic misconduct. CLASS DECORUM While this course may evoke strong emotions and diverse opinions, students are expected to uphold decorum and contribute to a respectful, constructive learning environment at all times. Respectful, constructive behavior is always expected. Disruptive language or actions that interfere with the learning environment will be addressed per LIT Student Code of Conduct. 7 EXTRA CREDIT Extra credit is not built into this syllabus. However, students may take an optional final exam that can replace a student’s lowest exam score. Dropping lowest scores on other assignments is at the discretion of the instructor and will apply to all students in a section. MODIFICATION The instructor reserves the right to modify or change the course schedule or syllabus.