Fall 2025
Federal Government
GOVT_2305_9S2 INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Joshua N. Longmire, Ph.D. Email: jlongmire@eagle.lit.edu Office Location: Zoom Office Hours: By Appointment CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 hours lecture, 0 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: TSI Complete for 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 • Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States. • Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system. • Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice. • Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government. • Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system. • Analyze the election process. • Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens. • Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS • American Government, 3rd Edition o Krutz, Waskiewicz; Free Web Version o ISBN-13: 978-1-951693-38-1 o https://openstax.org/details/books/american-government-3e ATTENDANCE POLICY Class discussion board responses will serve as an attendance record for the course. Each student is required to make one entry on the class discussion board thread when one is in the week’s folder. Class discussion board participation is required but not graded, however, failure to participate on the class discussion boards will result in 2 points off your final grade for EACH discussion board topic that is missed. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified drop date as listed on the Academic Calendar. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. STUDENT EXPECTED TIME REQUIREMENT For every hour in class (or unit of credit), students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit-hour class, students should prepare to allocate approximately six to nine hours per week outside of class in a 16- week session OR approximately twelve to eighteen hours in an 8-week session. Online/Hybrid students should expect to spend at least as much time in this course as in the traditional, face- to-face class. Course Evaluation Final Grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: • Exams 50% • Daily Assignment 30% • Core Assessments: 20% o Below is the breakdown of the assignment: • Team Introduction: Worth 1% if submitted; failure to submit will result in a 10% penalty. • Selection of Topic: Worth 1% if submitted; failure to submit will result in a 10% penalty. • Rough Draft: Worth 8% if submitted; failure to submit will result in a 30% penalty. • Final Draft: 60% • Group Presentation: 30% GRADING SCALE (LIT does not use +/- grading scales) • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C • 60-69 D • 0-59 F ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Students found to be committing academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, or collusion) may receive disciplinary action. Students need to familiarize themselves with the institution’s Academic Dishonesty Policy available in the Student Catalog & Handbook at http://catalog.lit.edu/content.php?catoid=3&navoid=80#academic-dishonesty. Academic integrity is essential to the mission of this course and the broader academic community. All students are expected to adhere to the highest standards of honesty and ethical conduct in their academic work. Academic dishonesty, including but not limited to plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, unauthorized collaboration, or facilitating others in dishonest practices, will not be tolerated. Examples of academic dishonesty include: • Plagiarism: Presenting someone else’s ideas, words, or work as your own without proper attribution. • Cheating: Using unauthorized materials or devices during an exam, quiz, or assignment. • Fabrication: Falsifying or inventing information, data, or citations. • Unauthorized Collaboration: Working with others on assignments or exams when collaboration is not allowed. • Facilitation: Helping another student commit academic dishonesty. Consequences for Academic Dishonesty: Violations of this policy will result in academic and disciplinary consequences, which may include: 1. Receiving a zero on the assignment, quiz, or exam. 2. Failing the course. 3. Referral to the college’s disciplinary process, which may lead to probation, suspension, or expulsion. Avoiding Academic Dishonesty: To avoid academic integrity issues: • Cite all sources used in your work. • Follow instructions for collaboration and use of materials. • When in doubt, ask the instructor for clarification. By enrolling in this course, you agree to uphold the principles of academic integrity. 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. 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 Attendance Policy • Regular Blackboard interaction is expected of all students; in fact it is necessary if you want to pass. Conflicting work schedules, appointments, and other activities are not acceptable excuses for missing assignments; plan for these accordingly. • YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for completing the work assigned in Blackboard. I will not be giving regular reminders for your assignments. • This is a college class; you are expected to be able to keep up on your own. Class is independent of, but also connected to, Blackboard. • What is on Blackboard is working through the book, all of the activities and quizzes are based on the book. What happens in class is digging deeper with critical thinking discussions utilizing social and personal skills. We will discuss the same topics as are covered on Blackboard, but usually after the chapter on Blackboard is completed. This is to ensure a proper base of knowledge for the student before deeper discussion. • Depending on the depth we may not always be in sync with Blackboard. If we are too out of sync I may adjust the calendar as I deem necessary. CLASS DECORUM • Be respectful of your classmates. There are many different opinions, and rude or aggressive behavior will not be tolerated. We will be discussing different topics, and there are a few times when you are required to comment on others. There may come a point we discuss “touchy” topics. If you cannot handle the discussion, or someone else’s opinions/beliefs, then please walk away from your computer and come back later to comment on someone else’s. Personal attacks, broad generalizations and other such criticisms will not be allowed. • What is posted in Class discussions is for your class only. Sharing of other students’ discussions publicly, anywhere, will result in being reported to the department. Words of Advice 1. If you are having issues, communicate with Communication is key!!! 2. Please do not wait to the last minute to do the There is a due date for each module. 3. It is a DUE date not a DO Everything is available on Day 1, but locks closed after the Due date. 4. Please Do Not Wait Until The Last Minute To Do The Work 5. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO DO THE WORK – (I cannot stress this enough) 6. Engage in Class 7. A student found responsible for an act of academic dishonesty by the Dean of Students will receive an appropriate academic That penalty could range from a 0 on the assignment to an F for the course grade. 8. The best way to contact me is via email. 1. All email must be from the student’s LIT email account or through Blackboard. 2. During the week, I strive to respond to student emails within 24 - 48 hours; emails sent after noon on Fridays will be responded to by the following Monday afternoon. 9. If YOU Need Help: First, send me an email. Then, send me another if it’s an emergency and I haven’t answered. That’s what I am here for: professors are there to help and talk with you about the course. I urge you to take advantage of me. Late Work • Materials are due on the date specified on the syllabus and due in the format specified. Most assignments will close after the due date. Failure to submit an assignment on time will result in a zero, I will not reopen assignments because you failed to complete it. • Materials submitted late or incorrectly will be penalized 1 letter grade (10%) immediately, with an additional letter grade deduction every day they are late. This is to be fair to your classmates: why should you get more time to complete coursework than they do and not be penalized? • Computer problems are NOT a valid excuse for submitting materials late. You should have a back-up plan; a secondary place with Wi-Fi, or Blackboard on your phone, etc. You should be saving your data (to Google Drive, a flash drive, Dropbox or any sort of backup measure), so you do not lose your data. If you choose not to back-up your data daily / hourly, or to wait until the last minute, you are playing with fire and have only yourself to blame when you get burned. Email Communication • My email – jlongmire@eagle.lit.edu • You must put your full name and sections on all email correspondence. • Emails also MUST come from your LIT account, or through Blackboard. • Emails sent from gmail/Hotmail/ymail/etc, or sent without a name will only receive a reply reminding you to use your LIT email. Class Etiquette Policy Even though we are an online course, please be respectful at all times. Please be professional when interacting with me and other students. This includes being courteous when sending emails. There may be opportunities to discuss current governmental decisions. I will not tolerate being disrespectful to each other. We are here to learn, not to judge or show intolerance. We will respect each other’s opinions, even if we disagree. Please refrain from making race-, gender-, religious-, or sex-based discriminatory or harassing comments. The instructor has full discretion when deciding on punishment if disruptive and/or intolerant behavior occurs. This can range from a verbal warning to an administrative drop. A student who has been deemed “disruptive” will be reported to the department chair. Any student who displays extreme behavior or makes threatening comments will be immediately reported to administration and security personnel. Communication Policies You may email me at jlongmire@eagle.lit.edu, but please include your name and your course including your section. I may not check my email on weekends or after I leave the office each day. I will return your email as soon as possible after receiving it. Please allow up to one business day for a response due to my current student load. If you send an email on Friday after 4:00 PM, your email may not be returned until the following Monday. I promise that nothing in my class is an emergency, and I will get back to you in a timely manner. I will not respond to personal email accounts due to FERPA guidelines. Please uphold email etiquette. A "please" and "thank you" go a long way with me. I will not answer demanding or disrespectful emails. Voice messages left on my office phone may not be answered in a timely manner, so I strongly suggest you correspond with me via email when necessary. Email Communication Policy Effective and professional communication is essential in this course. Please follow these guidelines when contacting me via email: Response Time: • I will respond to emails within one business day (Monday–Friday) for messages sent during the weekday. • Emails received over the weekend may take up to two business days to receive a response. • If you do not receive a response within these time frames, feel free to send a polite follow-up. Email Requirements: • Use your institutional email account to contact me. Due to FERPA regulations, I will not respond to emails sent from personal accounts (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo). • Include the following in your email for clarity: o A clear subject line (e.g., "Question about Assignment 3"). o Your full name and course information (e.g., "ENG 101, Section A"). Additional Notes: • Review the syllabus or class announcements before emailing to ensure your question hasn’t already been addressed. • For urgent matters, consider speaking with me during office hours or before/after class. By following these guidelines, we can ensure clear and efficient communication. Final Notes on this Syllabus • Course Calendar: Readings, assignments, and exam dates can be found on the last pages of this syllabus. • Dr. Longmire reserves the right to make changes or modifications, if necessary, to this syllabus. Any major changes or modifications will be provided to the students in printed form and/or emailed to the class. Course Schedule Unit Section Topic/Title Assignment Due Date 1 1 Course Information and Political Socialization Political Socialization Assignment 8/31/25 Discussion Board 2 Roots of the Revolution Quiz 9/7/25 Discussion Board 3 The Constitution of the United States Articles of Confederation and Constitution Venn Assignment 9/14/25 Discussion Board Core Assessment Core Assessment Discussion #1 – Team Introductions and Correspondence 9/14/25 Unit Exam Covering Sections 1-3 Unit Exam 9/21/25 2 4 Landmark Supreme Court Cases Quiz 9/28/25 Discussion Board 5 Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Know Your Rights Assignment 10/5/25 Discussion Board 6 Federalism Quiz 10/12/25 Discussion Board Core Assessment Selection of Subject and Topics of Interest 10/12/25 Unit Exam Covering Sections 4–6 Unit Exam 10/19/25 3 7 The Legislative Branch Discussion Board 10/26/25 8 The Executive Branch Discussion Board Quiz 9 The Judicial Branch Discussion Board 11/2/25 10 Interest Groups, Monopolies, and Patents Discussion Board Unit Exam Covering Sections 7–10 Unit Exam 11/9/25 4 11 Public Opinion, Polls, and the Media Discussion Board 11/16/25 Media Assessment Core Assessment Rough Draft 11/16/25 12 Political Parties Assignment 11/23/25 13 Voting and Elections Discussion Board 14 Core Assessment and Presentations Final Draft 12/3/25 Group Presentation Peer Reviews Unit Exam Covering Sections 11–14 Unit Exam 12/7/25