GOVT 2305-9M5

Syllabus Checklist Snapshot

GOVT 2305 – 9M5 CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online with asynchronous features 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: Levi Morris Email: lmorris3@lit.edu Office Phone: 409-257-0053 Office Hours: by appointment 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 Approved: TEST AND QUIZZES Lockdown Browser: This course will use the Respondus lockdown browser for all quizzes and tests. As such, you are required to have access to a computer that can support this software program. If you do not, tests and quizzes can be taken at the Eagles’ Nest in the computer lab. Extensions or special treatment will not be given if you fail to ensure you have an appropriate computer in advance of assignments’ due dates. ATTENDANCE POLICY It is in the student’s best interest to log on at least once a day to review lecture notes, complete course assignments, and take exams. I monitor the amount of time that students spend in Blackboard and the number of logins throughout the week. If a student stops logging in, I will reach out to ensure that nothing has happened which prevented the student from continuing in the course. However, if you are experiencing difficulties, please be proactive and let me know that you need an extension. 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 ALL assignments are due at 11:59 PM unless noted otherwise! DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS (Due on this Date) Week 1 Aug 25 - 31 Syllabus, The Roots of the Revolution Chapter 2 Syllabus Quiz  8/31 Revolution Discussion 1  Initial Post: 8/29  Reply Posts: 8/31 Week 2 Sept 1 - 7 The Constitution and its Origins Chapter 2 AOC Venn Diagram  9/7 Discussion 2  9/7 Week 3 Sept 8 - 14 Exam 1 Landmark Supreme Court Cases Class PowerPoints Exam 1  9/10 at 5:00 PM Discussion 3  Initial Post: 9/12  Reply Posts: 9/14 Week 4 Sept 15 - 21 Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Chapters 4 & 5 Discussion 4  Initial Post: 9/19  Reply Posts: 9/21 Week 5 Sept 22 -28 Federalism: Forging A Nation Chapter 3 Section 5 Quiz  Week 6 Sept 29 – Oct 5 The Legislative Branch Chapter 11 Discussion 5  Initial Post: 10/3  Reply Posts: 10/5 Week 7 Oct 6 - 12 Exam 2 The Executive Branch and The Presidency Chapter 12 Exam 2  10/8 at 5:00 PM Discussion 6  Initial Post: 10/10  Reply Posts: 10/12 Week 8 Oct 13 - 19 The Judicial Branch The Federal Judicial System Chapter 13 Discussion 7  Initial Post: 10/17  Reply Posts: 10/19 Week 9 Oct 20 - 26 Interest Groups Monopolies Patents Chapter 10 Discussion 8  Initial Post: 10/24  Reply Posts: 10/26 Week 10 Oct 27 – Nov 2 Exam 3 Political Socialization Public Opinion Public Polls Chapter 6 Exam 3  10/29 at 5:00 PM Discussion 9  Initial post: 10/31  Reply Posts: 11/2 Week 11 Nov 3 - 9 The Media Chapter 8 Quiz over The Media  11/9 Week 12 Nov 10 - 16 Political Parties Chapter 9 Political Parties Assignment  11/16 Week 13 Nov 17 - 23 Voting and Elections Chapter 7 Discussion 10  Initial Post: 11/21  Reply Posts: 11/23 Week 14 Nov 24 – 30 Core Assessment Week Thanksgiving Week No Reading Assignment Core Assessment (20% of Grade)  Due 11/30 Weeks 15 & 16 Dec 1 – 7 FINALS WEEK No Reading Assignments Exam 4  12/3 at 5:00 PM COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria:  Tests… ............................... 50%  Core Assessment… .............. 20%  Daily Grades/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). 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. Professor will use ZeroGPT on all written assignments to check for AI or plagiarism. Any student found to use AI may receive a 0 on the assignment. 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: All assignments, daily work, and major projects/tests due dates are indicated in the Blackboard course for this class and/or on the instructor-supplied course schedule. Due dates are subject to change. I will update you all via Blackboard if changes are made.  Late Work: Late work is not accepted in this class. However, I also know that there are sometimes unforeseen circumstance that may arrive. I have the discretion to determine whether exceptions should be made. You should contact me BEFORE the due date to make arrangements and submit any necessary documentation that may be needed. There is NO excuse for habitually turning in late assignments!  Work Submissions: All assignments must be submitted via Blackboard. Assignments submitted through any other method, such as email, will receive a “0”. Please submit assignments in a Word document and not PDF or Pages.  Grading Work: While I strive to grade quickly, please allow me up to 1 week to grade your assignment. I will always communicate with students if there is a reason for a grading extension. In addition, you may work at your own pace for this class and finish as quickly as you’d like. However, please know that I will still grade the assignment when the module is due and not before.  Communication Preference: I prefer you to email me on Blackboard under “messages.” Please wait up to 24 hours on a week day and 48 hours on the weekend for my response. Please note that you must start assignments early as I won’t always be available on the weekends!  Academic Dishonesty: All homework, papers, and tests must be the work of the student only. Do not use AI on your assignments, nor copy and paste from the internet or your friends. The first offense of plagiarism may result minimally in a 30-point deduction on the assignment. A second offense may result in a zero on the assignment. Continuous abuse will result in an F in the course.  Extra Credit/Bonus Points: Please do not ask me for individual consideration/favors, which includes asking for extra credit. Any opportunities will be given to the class as a whole and not on an individual basis. Lastly…I am here to mentor, support, and teach you this semester. Please do not be afraid to ask me any questions and/or seek advice. My door is always open, even if it is after my office hours.

Lecture and Discussion Topics

• GOVT 2305 – 9M5 CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online with asynchronous features 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: Levi Morris Email: lmorris3@lit.edu Office Phone: 409-257-0053 Office Hours: by appointment 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 Approved:
• TEST AND QUIZZES Lockdown Browser: This course will use the Respondus lockdown browser for all quizzes and tests. As such, you are required to have access to a computer that can support this software program. If you do not, tests and quizzes can be taken at the Eagles’ Nest in the computer lab. Extensions or special treatment will not be given if you fail to ensure you have an appropriate computer in advance of assignments’ due dates. ATTENDANCE POLICY It is in the student’s best interest to log on at least once a day to review lecture notes, complete course assignments, and take exams. I monitor the amount of time that students spend in Blackboard and the number of logins throughout the week. If a student stops logging in, I will reach out to ensure that nothing has happened which prevented the student from continuing in the course. However, if you are experiencing difficulties, please be proactive and let me know that you need an extension. 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 ALL assignments are due at 11:59 PM unless noted otherwise! DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS (Due on this Date) Week 1 Aug 25 - 31 Syllabus, The Roots of the Revolution Chapter 2 Syllabus Quiz  8/31 Revolution Discussion 1  Initial Post: 8/29  Reply Posts: 8/31 Week 2 Sept 1 - 7 The Constitution and its Origins Chapter 2 AOC Venn Diagram  9/7 Discussion 2  9/7 Week 3 Sept 8 - 14 Exam 1 Landmark Supreme Court Cases Class PowerPoints Exam 1  9/10 at 5:00 PM Discussion 3  Initial Post: 9/12  Reply Posts: 9/14 Week 4 Sept 15 - 21 Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Chapters 4 & 5 Discussion 4  Initial Post: 9/19  Reply Posts: 9/21 Week 5 Sept 22 -28 Federalism: Forging A Nation Chapter 3 Section 5 Quiz  Week 6 Sept 29 – Oct 5 The Legislative Branch Chapter 11 Discussion 5  Initial Post: 10/3  Reply Posts: 10/5
• Week 7 Oct 6 - 12 Exam 2 The Executive Branch and The Presidency Chapter 12 Exam 2  10/8 at 5:00 PM Discussion 6  Initial Post: 10/10  Reply Posts: 10/12 Week 8 Oct 13 - 19 The Judicial Branch The Federal Judicial System Chapter 13 Discussion 7  Initial Post: 10/17  Reply Posts: 10/19 Week 9 Oct 20 - 26 Interest Groups Monopolies Patents Chapter 10 Discussion 8  Initial Post: 10/24  Reply Posts: 10/26 Week 10 Oct 27 – Nov 2 Exam 3 Political Socialization Public Opinion Public Polls Chapter 6 Exam 3  10/29 at 5:00 PM Discussion 9  Initial post: 10/31  Reply Posts: 11/2 Week 11 Nov 3 - 9 The Media Chapter 8 Quiz over The Media  11/9 Week 12 Nov 10 - 16 Political Parties Chapter 9 Political Parties Assignment  11/16 Week 13 Nov 17 - 23 Voting and Elections Chapter 7 Discussion 10  Initial Post: 11/21  Reply Posts: 11/23 Week 14 Nov 24 – 30 Core Assessment Week Thanksgiving Week No Reading Assignment Core Assessment (20% of Grade)  Due 11/30 Weeks 15 & 16 Dec 1 – 7 FINALS WEEK No Reading Assignments Exam 4  12/3 at 5:00 PM COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria:  Tests… ............................... 50%  Core Assessment… .............. 20%  Daily Grades/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). 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. Professor will use ZeroGPT on all written assignments to check for AI or plagiarism. Any student found to use AI may receive a 0 on the assignment. 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: All assignments, daily work, and major projects/tests due dates are indicated in the Blackboard course for this class and/or on the instructor-supplied course schedule. Due dates are subject to change. I will update you all via Blackboard if changes are made.  Late Work: Late work is not accepted in this class. However, I also know that there are sometimes unforeseen circumstance that may arrive. I have the discretion to determine whether exceptions should be made. You should contact me BEFORE the due date to make arrangements and submit any necessary documentation that may be needed. There is NO excuse for habitually turning in late assignments!  Work Submissions: All assignments must be submitted via Blackboard. Assignments submitted through any other method, such as email, will receive a “0”. Please submit assignments in a Word document and not PDF or Pages.  Grading Work: While I strive to grade quickly, please allow me up to 1 week to grade your assignment. I will always communicate with students if there is a reason for a grading extension. In addition, you may work at your own pace for this class and finish as quickly as you’d like. However, please know that I will still grade the assignment when the module is due and not before.  Communication Preference: I prefer you to email me on Blackboard under “messages.” Please wait up to 24 hours on a week day and 48 hours on the weekend for my response. Please note that you must start assignments early as I won’t always be available on the weekends!  Academic Dishonesty: All homework, papers, and tests must be the work of the student only. Do not use AI on your assignments, nor copy and paste from the internet or your friends. The first offense of plagiarism may result minimally in a 30-point deduction on the assignment. A second offense may result in a zero on the assignment. Continuous abuse will result in an F in the course.  Extra Credit/Bonus Points: Please do not ask me for individual consideration/favors, which includes asking for extra credit. Any opportunities will be given to the class as a whole and not on an individual basis. Lastly…I am here to mentor, support, and teach you this semester. Please do not be afraid to ask me any questions and/or seek advice. My door is always open, even if it is after my office hours.