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GOVT 300 Spring 2017 Dr. Delton T. Daigle

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Table of Contents

COURSE SYLLABUS: FALL 2016 ............................................................................................................ 4 COURSE DESCRIPTION: ................................................................................................................................... 5 REQUIRED ATTENDANCE DATES (APPLIES TO DISTANCE-HYBRID STUDENTS ONLY): ................................................... 6

Optional Attendance Dates (all are welcome) ..................................................................................... 6 STUDENT GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES: .................................................................................................... 6 COURSE TEXTBOOKS, SPSS, READINGS, AND MATERIALS: ................................................................................... 6

Other readings: ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Selected textbook bibliography: ........................................................................................................... 7 Additional Materials: ............................................................................................................................ 8

GRADE BREAKDOWN: .................................................................................................................................... 8 Exam Policies: ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Midterms .............................................................................................................................................. 9 Finals .................................................................................................................................................... 9 You must bring to each exam (including midterms and finals): ........................................................... 9 Exam Re-writes (none!): ....................................................................................................................... 9 Student Improvement bonus points!!! ............................................................................................... 10 Opportunity to waive final exam!!! .................................................................................................... 10 Grade curves: ...................................................................................................................................... 10

PARTICIPATION: .......................................................................................................................................... 10 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICS MODULE: ................................................................................................ 11 SPSS ASSIGNMENTS (2 TOTAL FOR 30% OF GRADE): ........................................................................................ 11

Data Analysis Research Paper – (ONLY FOR ELIGIBLE STUDENTS; worth 30% of final grade): .......... 11 COURSE GRADING SCALE: ............................................................................................................................. 11 INSTRUCTOR-STUDENT COMMUNICATION: ...................................................................................................... 12

Mason EMAIL: .................................................................................................................................... 12 COURSE LOGISTICS: ..................................................................................................................................... 12

To Access Blackboard: ........................................................................................................................ 13 Technical Help: ................................................................................................................................... 13 Hardware: ........................................................................................................................................... 13 University Software Requirements: .................................................................................................... 14

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES: .......................................................................................................................... 14 Late Policy .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Academic Integrity: ............................................................................................................................ 14 Honor Code: ........................................................................................................................................ 14 MasonLive/Email (GMU Email): ......................................................................................................... 15 Patriot Pass: ....................................................................................................................................... 15 University Policies: .............................................................................................................................. 15 Responsible Use of Computing: .......................................................................................................... 15 University Calendar: ........................................................................................................................... 15

STUDENT SERVICES AND AID ......................................................................................................................... 16 Students with Disabilities: .................................................................................................................. 16 University Libraries ............................................................................................................................. 16 Writing Center .................................................................................................................................... 16 Counseling and Psychological Services ............................................................................................... 16 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) ........................................................................... 16

COURSE SCHEDULE: ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Important Dates for GOVT 300: ......................................................................................................... 17 Week 0 (before first day of classes): .................................................................................................. 18

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Week 1: ............................................................................................................................................... 19 Week 2: ............................................................................................................................................... 20 Week 3 ................................................................................................................................................ 21 Week 4: ............................................................................................................................................... 22 Week 5: ............................................................................................................................................... 23 Week 6: ............................................................................................................................................... 24 Week 7 - MIDTERM WEEK .................................................................................................................. 25 Week 8: ............................................................................................................................................... 26 Week 9: ............................................................................................................................................... 27 Week 10: ............................................................................................................................................. 28 Week 11: ............................................................................................................................................. 29 Week 12: ............................................................................................................................................. 30 Week 13: ............................................................................................................................................. 31 Week 14: ............................................................................................................................................. 32

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Course Syllabus: Fall 2016

Instructor: Delton T. Daigle, PhD (All Sections) ddaigle@gmu.edu Office: Robinson A230 Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm (or by a mutually agreed

upon appointment). Office phone: (703) 993-5610 Lecture: Lecture Hall 1 – Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00P to 1:15P TA Emails:

TA Name TA Email Jatia (Tia) Wrighten jwrigh22@gmu.edu Shahnoza Nozimov snozimov@gmu.edu Adam Bernbaum abernbau@gmu.edu

Labs: Face to Face Students (GOVT 300 – 001):

Attendance in labs for students in GOVT 300 – 001 is mandatory. There will be no meeting the first week of class, and then all meetings, topics, and readings will follow the course schedule below. You must attend your registrar scheduled lab section.

Distance-Hybrid Students (GOVT 300 – DL1 and DL2):

Open Lab: The location of the drop-in lab for GOVT 300 DL1 is Innovation 129. Lab Times: (GOVT 300 - 206) Lab will run on Wednesday from 4:30 to 5:20PM in INN 205

on a drop-in basis with the exception of the first lab (which is mandatory attendance for all registered students). You must attend the lab in which you registered during the first week of classes. Failure for a Distance-Hybrid student to attend their first lab may lead to the student being deregistered from GOVT 300.

Exams:

Exam Face to Face

(GOVT 300 – 001) Distance Hybrid

(GOVT 300 – DL1)

Midterm Thurs. March 9th 12:00 – 1:15PM Lecture Hall 1

TBA, a day and location to be scheduled from Wed. March 8th to Friday, March 10th. Exact time and location to be determined by the Registrar after the 2nd week of classes.

Final Thursday, May 11th 10:30 – 1:15PM Lecture Hall 1

TBA, a day and location to be scheduled from Wed. May 10th to Fri. May 12th, 2017. Time and Location to be determined by the Registrar after the 2nd week of classes.

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Course Description: Is economic development a pathway to government stability or effective governance? Why do people vote? Why do voters prefer one candidate over another? Are states with higher education levels more likely to legalize marijuana? Pundits argue one way or the other in trying to explain answers to these sorts of questions, but the scientific method provides the strongest evidence in support of any explanation. As a result, social scientists have adopted the methods of the natural sciences to support their knowledge claims. GOVT 300 is a course that teaches the basic methodology used by contemporary political scientists and the underlying logic of hypothesis testing. Students develop experience with contemporary statistical software, mathematical models of human behavior, and the ethics of conducting research on human subjects. This course also fulfills the general education requirement for information technology. This course is designed to do more than give you some rudimentary background on how to “crunch numbers”. While we will be doing significant work with data as well as using contemporary statistical software, there is so much more to empirical political science than the math. Where we do use math, often the computers will do much of the heavy lifting, and where calculations are required of you, there will be no problems so intractable they cannot be solved with any more aid than the use of a hand calculator, some paper, and a pencil. There will be math, but keep in mind – the math you will be responsible for will only occur on tests. Tests make up 60% of the course, and about 1/2 the questions on the tests will be directly calculation based. Thus only about 30% of your grade in this course is in fact derived from your ability to solve math problems. There is no way to sugar coat this – there will be math. Step-by-step explanations of how to solve problems will be clearly provided in lectures or in video lectures. What you do need to solve the math problems in this course are 1) patience, 2) a commitment to learn over the long haul with a pencil on paper and a calculator 3) a mind as open as you can make it to learning a new way to make an argument, and 4) no more mathematical background than a high school sophomore.

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Required Attendance Dates (applies to Distance-Hybrid students only):

Distance-Hybrid students must plan, in advance, to be on campus and in class on the following dates:

The First Lab – Mandatory attendance:

206 Weds. 4:30 in Innovation 129. The Midterm Exam – Time and location TBA, but a day and

location to be scheduled between Wed. Mar. 8th and Fri. Mar. 10th. The Final Exam – Time and location TBA, but a day and location

to be scheduled between Wed. May 10th and Fri. May 12th.

Optional Attendance Dates (all are welcome)

Distance hybrid students will also have the opportunity to attend weekly drop-in sessions. These weekly help sessions will be voluntary and meet on Monday from 4:30 to 5:20PM in Innovation 129. Please note these help sessions will not meet during the otherwise scheduled required meeting sessions noted above.

Student Goals and Learning Outcomes:

Explain the role that the scientific process plays in a good research design.

Demonstrate knowledge of ethical concerns that pertain to the conduct of research on human subjects.

Critically analyze academic papers. Evaluate data presented in academic sources. Generate research questions and develop investigative strategies to

explain political phenomenon. Create and analyze your own data. Construct tables and graphics that summarize aggregated data,

illustrate variation, and draw inferences from samples to populations.

Calculate and interpret basic statistics. Demonstrate proficiency with the basics of a statistical data

processing software program.

Course Textbooks, SPSS, Readings, and Materials:

Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). The Essentials of Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). An IBM SPSS Companion to Political

Analysis,5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

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Baglione, Lisa. (2016). Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods, (3rd Edition). (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

*** SPSS Software Note: One of the terrific benefits of GOVT 300 is that you will learn a software package for analyzing data that is widely used in both the public and the private sector (put it on your CV – I know SPSS!). Computer labs throughout campus have SPSS installed on them, and as a result, students can complete all their work without purchasing the SPSS software. I have heard it said that you are able to purchase a student version of the software. It is not recommended that you do so, as the student versions tend to be limited in what they can do, how large a file they can open, etc. It is possible to download a 2-week demo version of SPSS. I recommend you do this late in the semester, about 12 days before your paper is due, if you want to use SPSS from your home.

https://www-01.ibm.com/marketing/iwm/iwmdocs/tnd/data/web/en_US/trialprograms/W110742E06714B29.html

Other readings:

There will also be a number of readings for the course available online through Blackboard. Please check the course schedule for details on these materials that you will be responsible for.

Selected textbook bibliography:

Some students may find that consulting multiple sources helps them better conceptualize content, and, especially where math is involved, solve calculations. The books listed below are not required but some students looking for an alternative read on a topic may wish to look at one or several of these options. Often older editions are a cheaper option if a student wants a personal copy, and some of these are available at the Mason library or other consortium libraries.

Brians, Craig Leonard, Lars Willnat, Jarol B. Manheim, and Richard C.

Rich. (2011). Empirical Political Analysis (8th Edition). (Longman: New York).

Carlson, James M., and Mark S Hyde. (2003). Doing Empirical Political

Research. (Houghton Mifflin Company: New York). Fox, James, and Jack Levin. (2007). Elementary Statistics in Social

Research: The Essentials. 2nd Edition. Boston; New York: Pearson.

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Johnson, Janet Buttolph, and H. T. Reynolds. (2011). Political Science Research Methods (7th Edition). (CQ Press: Washington DC).

Levin, Jack, and Fox, James Allen. (2007). Elementary Statistics in Social

Research – The Essentials (2nd Edition). (Allyn and Bacon: Boston, MA).

Ritchey, Ferris J. (2008).The Statistical Imagination: Elementary

Statistics for the Social Sciences. (McGraw Hill: Boston, MA).

Additional Materials:

It is strongly recommended that you invest in a solar powered calculator for this course and bring it with you to lab sections and examination sessions (TI8x calculators are great, but require batteries). The calculator should, at minimum, allow you to use parentheses. A good benchmark on an appropriate calculator may be whether it can perform combinations and permutations (the buttons often have nCr and nPr stamped on them) and has a 2-line display for viewing both your equation and the solution. I personally use a Casio fx-115es available at Staples for less than $20: http://www.staples.com/Casio-FX-115ES-Scientific-Calculator/product_616965

Grade Breakdown:

1 Reminder – failure to complete the IT ethics module results in a final grade of F being awarded for the course. The deadline for completion is May 7th, 2017 at midnight. (Note: successful completion of all modules and tests will give students 100% of the 1 course credit, which is also awarded as 5% of the entire course).

Information Technology Ethics Module1 5%

Participation (Lab/online discussion Attendance)

5%

SPSS assignments (X 2) 30% Mid Term 30% Final Exam 30% Total 100%

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Exam Policies:

The midterm exams will be scheduled Thursday March 9th for face to face students (GOVT 300 – 001) and at some point from Wednesday March 8th through or March 10th for the distance hybrid students (TBA will be clarified at the end of the second week of classes), and will cover all material covered up to that point. The final exam will be held on Thursday May 11th from 10:30-1:15am for F2F students and at some point from Wednesday May 10th through Friday May 12th. It will focus on the content covered in the second half of the course, but as the knowledge in this course is cumulative, there will be a comprehensive flavor to the exam. Any exceptions on coverage will be mentioned on Blackboard.

Midterms

Regardless of whether you are registered in the in-class section or the distance-hybrid section, you must attend and write the midterm in person. The dates scheduled for the in classroom midterm are as follows: GOVT300 - 001 - (Face to Face) – March 9th, 2017 12:00PM (LH 1) GOVT300 - DL1 – TBA March 8th – 10th, 2017 (Time/Location TBA)

Finals

Regardless of whether you are registered in the in-class section or the distance-hybrid section, you must attend and write the midterm in person. The dates of the final are determined by the registrar and are as follows: GOVT300 - 001 - (Face to Face) – May 11th, 10:30PM – 1:15PM – LH 1 GOVT300 – DL1 - TBA May 10 – 12th, 2017 (Time/Location TBA)

You must bring to each exam (including midterms and finals):

A full size exam book (the big one, not the small one) A hand calculator (no tablets or phones are permitted) Pencils and/or pens A sheet of notes 8.5” X 11” double sided (no optical aids

permitted)

Exam Re-writes (none!):

The final exam in this course is cumulative, and cannot be missed under any circumstances (other than earning a waiver). If you have a legitimate emergency, accommodation MAY be made for that circumstance. No exams will be rescheduled due to travel plans or other such student preferences. The midterm may be attended or missed at your discretion. There will be no rewrite of the midterm. Students who skip the midterm will have the

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combined weight of the final and the midterm summed such that the final exam will be worth 60% of their grade.

Student Improvement bonus points!!!

Students who do write the midterm, but score better on the final exam will automatically have the score of the final applied as their recorded grade for the midterm. (i.e.: if you had a 75 on the midterm and an 85 on the final, your final grade will be calculated as an 85 on both midterm and final). If you do worse on the final, your earned grade on both exams will be used as the basis for calculating the final course grade.

Opportunity to waive final exam!!!

Students who have a cumulative average on both SPSS assignments and score a midterm grade higher than 85% will be allowed to write a final paper instead of writing the final exam. While we will accept a paper at any point after the return of the 2nd SPSS assignment, we will not tell you your final grade until after all finals have been graded and grades have been recorded. Only students who receive an email from me expressly allowing them to write a paper in lieu of writing the final will be permitted to do so. Failure to attend the final without authorization will result in a 0 on the final, regardless as to whether or not that student has submitted a final paper.

Grade curves:

With the exception of the final exam, we will not curve grades. The final exam will be curved if and only if the combined section average is lower than 79%. If such is the case, the curve will generally be adjusted to:

7 9 % , 9 %x s

Participation:

Participation is worth 5% of your grade. Participation will be awarded to students in the classroom section on the basis of attendance to labs and participation in classroom discussions. Participation will be awarded to students in the distance hybrid section on the basis of weekly posts to a Blackboard discussion thread. After each week’s readings, lecture videos, and lab videos, students will be responsible for posting a short response (150 words or less) to that week’s prompt. These posts will be due by Sunday at 11:59 pm every week of the course.

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Information Technology Ethics Module:

This course is a 4 credit course that also fulfills a university requirement in the responsible use of technology and information. Successful completion of all the self-directed online modules (on Blackboard) is a critical component of this course. Failure to do so will result in a grade of F being assigned to you for GOVT 300. The modules will be made available through the course Blackboard site and must be completed by midnight Sunday May 7th, 2017. The modules involve reading through and studying online materials and taking tests online, which can be completed multiple times.

SPSS Assignments (2 total for 30% of grade): You will be responsible for submitting 2 homework exercises (worth 15% each). The distance hybrid class will submit the assignments via the blackboard drop box (SafeAssign) as instructed on the assignments. The face to face section will submit their homework assignments in class.

The 2 exercises will be based on selections from your SPSS workbook, and will cover a variety of topics in using SPSS to examine interesting political research questions.

Data Analysis Research Paper – (ONLY FOR ELIGIBLE STUDENTS; worth 30% of final grade):

For students who score better than 85% on both SPSS assignments and the midterm will be eligible to write a capstone paper using techniques of statistical analysis that will be due the last week of classes. More details will be provided specific to the assignment, but in summary the research paper will examine an interesting political research question that can be answered from one of the datasets provided with your workbook. The paper will include:

1. An introduction (establish research question), 2. A literature review (typically this will be a short 2-page summary of

research done that examines how others may have examined a similar research question as yours)

3. A methods section (what techniques will you use, what is your hypothesis)

4. An analysis section 5. A discussion / conclusion.

The paper itself will be an 8 – 12 page paper that incorporates all 5 of the aforementioned components.

Course Grading Scale: Excellent Good/Competent Satisfactory Unsatisfactory A+ = 97 - 100 B+ = 87- 89.9 C+ = 77 - 79.9 D = 60 - 69.9 A = 93 - 96.9 B = 83 - 86.9 C = 70 - 76.9 F = 59.9 – 0 A- = 90 - 92.9 B- = 80 - 82.9

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Instructor-Student Communication: Your emails will typically be responded to within 48 hours (either by me personally,

or Erica Seng-White). Before sending an email, please check the following (available on your Blackboard course menu) unless the email is of a personal nature:

Syllabus Blackboard videos on how to use Blackboard features Blackboard Q&A, and Technology Requirements

Mason EMAIL:

Mason requires that Mason email be used for all courses. I will be sending

messages to your Mason email and you are responsible for making sure you have access to these messages.

You may forward your Mason email to other accounts but always use your Mason email when communicating with me to allow verification of your identity.

You are required to check your Mason email account regularly and to keep your mailbox maintained so that messages are not rejected for being over quota.

Email Subject Line: When you email me, be sure to include GOVT 300 – Online or GOVT 300 – F2F: at the beginning of the subject heading to alert me that I have received a message from one of my online students.

We will not disclose grades to you through email. You must come to Professor Daigle’s office hours to discuss your grade in person.

Course Logistics:

This course will be taught in two sections, a classroom section and a distance hybrid section. The classroom section will meet in class at the designated times. For the distance hybrid offering, the primary meeting space will be on Blackboard, and we will use other means of keeping in touch such as the blackboard discussion forum and email. The content and assignments are identical in both sections. What differs is the modality of the content delivery. In a typical week:

You will read about 20 to 50 pages and discuss the material with your

classmates. You will accomplish activities and respond to weekly requirements either

online (DL) or in class and labs (F2F). You will work on assignments to be submitted either in the Blackboard

assignment drop box (SafeAssign) or in class according to the assignment schedule.

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Though the delivery method is different, the amount of work is the same regardless of your section. A general word of note: GOVT 300 requires a lot of work… DON’T GET BEHIND!!! It is critical to keep up with weekly requirements. Talk with Professor Daigle and the TAs if you have questions prior to the due dates of each assignment. The weekly folder will be available each Monday morning by 9am. Click on ‘Course Content’ on the course menu in Blackboard to see all required activities and assignments for the week.

To Access Blackboard:

1. Go to http://mymason.gmu.edu. 2. Login using your NETID and password. 3. Click on the ‘Courses” tab. 4. Click on GOVT 300 under the “9.1 Course List” heading.

Technical Help:

If you have difficulty with accessing Blackboard or the Virtual Computing

Lab (VCL), please contact the ITU Support Center at 703.993.8870 or support@gmu.edu.

If you have trouble with using the features in Blackboard, email courses@gmu.edu. Technology Requirements:

Hardware:

You will need access to a Windows or Macintosh computer with at least 2 GB of RAM and access to a fast and reliable broadband internet connection (e.g., cable, DSL). A larger screen is recommended for better visibility of course material. Speakers or headphones to hear recorded content and a headset with a microphone are recommended for the best experience. For the amount of Hard Disk Space required to take a distance education course consider and allow for:

1. The storage amount needed to install any additional software and 2. Space to store work that you will do for the course.

If you are using a Macintosh computer and struggling with the VCL, it may be helpful to purchase a mouse (optional).

If you are considering the purchase of a new computer, please go to http://compstore.gmu.edu/pdfs/TechGuide.pdf to see recommendations.

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University Software Requirements:

In addition to SPSS (mentioned above), this course uses Blackboard as the learning management system. You will need a browser and operating system that are listed compatible or certified with the Blackboard version available on the myMason Portal. See supported browsers and operating systems. Log in to myMason to access your registered courses. Some courses may use other learning management systems. Check the syllabus or contact the instructor for details. Online courses typically use Acrobat Reader, Flash, Java (Windows), Windows Media Player, and QuickTime. Your computer should be capable of running current versions of those applications. Also, make sure your computer is protected from viruses by downloading the latest version of Symantec Endpoint Protection/Anti-Virus software for free at http://antivirus.gmu.edu. Note: If you are using an employer-provided computer or corporate office for class attendance, please verify with your systems administrators that you will be able to install the necessary applications and that system or corporate firewalls do not block access to any sites or media types.

Student Responsibilities:

Late Policy

Papers and homework assignments will only be accepted as late if accompanied with appropriate documentation. These may include: varsity athletic commitments (not club athletic commitments), letters from medical practitioners, accident reports, police reports, etc. There is no penalty for lateness with valid documentation, with the caveat that late work will not be accepted a week after it is due regardless. Work otherwise not submitted on time will receive a grade of 0.

Academic Integrity:

Students must be responsible for their own work, and students and faculty must take on the responsibility of dealing explicitly with violations. The tenet must be a foundation of our university culture. [See http://academicintegrity.gmu.edu/distance].

Honor Code:

Students must adhere to the guidelines of the George Mason University Honor Code. The George Mason University Honor Code states: “Cheating and attempted cheating, plagiarism, lying, and stealing of academic work and related materials constitute Honor Code violations. “

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To maintain an academic community according to these standards, students and faculty members must report all alleged violations to the Honor Committee.” Students are encouraged to read the full Honor Code http://academicintegrity.gmu.edu/honorcode and to remain vigilant against any violation of the Code in their own work. Any cases of academic dishonesty in this course will be pursued according to the guidelines detailed in the University Catalog.

MasonLive/Email (GMU Email):

Students are responsible for the content of university communications sent to their George Mason University email account and are required to activate their account and check it regularly. All communication from the university, college, school, and program will be sent to students solely through their Mason email account. [See https://thanatos.gmu.edu/masonlive/login].

Patriot Pass:

Once you sign up for your Patriot Pass, your passwords will be synchronized, and you will use your Patriot Pass username and password to log in to the following systems: Blackboard, University Libraries, MasonLive, myMason, Patriot Web, Virtual Computing Lab, and WEMS. [See https://thanatos.gmu.edu/passwordchange/index.jsp].

University Policies:

Students must follow the university policies. [See http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu].

Responsible Use of Computing:

Students must follow the university policy for Responsible Use of Computing. [See http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/1301gen.html].

University Calendar:

Details regarding the current Academic Calendar. [See http://registrar.gmu.edu/calendars/index.html]. University Catalog: The current university catalog. [See http://catalog.gmu.edu].

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Student Services and Aid

Students with Disabilities:

Please address any special needs or special accommodations with me at the beginning of the semester or as soon as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking accommodations based on disabilities should contact the Disability Resource Center (703) 993-2474, or the Equity Office (703) 993-8730. Students with disabilities who seek accommodations in a course must be registered with the George Mason University Office of Disability Services (ODS) and inform their instructor, in writing, at the beginning of the semester [See http://ods.gmu.edu].

University Libraries

University Libraries provides resources for distance learning students. [See http://library.gmu.edu/distance and http://infoguides.gmu.edu/distance_students].

Writing Center

The George Mason University Writing Center staff provides a variety of resources and services (e.g., tutoring, workshops, writing guides, handbooks) intended to support students as they work to construct and share knowledge through writing. [See http://writingcenter.gmu.edu]. You can now sign up for an Online Writing Lab (OWL) session just like you sign up for a face-to-face session in the Writing Center, which means YOU set the date and time of the appointment! Learn more about the Online Writing Lab (OWL).

Counseling and Psychological Services

The George Mason University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) staff consists of professional counseling and clinical psychologists, social workers, and counselors who offer a wide range of services (e.g., individual and group counseling, workshops and outreach programs) to enhance students' personal experience and academic performance [See http://caps.gmu.edu].

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), also known as the "Buckley Amendment," is a federal law that gives protection to student educational records and provides students with certain rights. [See http://registrar.gmu.edu/privacy].

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Course Schedule: This schedule is subject to change at any time including adding and removing material. Please watch the course blackboard site for the most recent updates and changes to the course schedule.

Important Dates for GOVT 300:

Assignment Due Date Face to Face Distance Hybrid

Univariate Analysis (SPSS 1) March 21st, 2017 Due at the beginning of Lecture

Due VIA SafeAssign at midnight

Midterm March 9th, 2017 LH 1 12:00PM – 1:15PM

March 8th – 10th (TBA)

Bivariate Analysis (SPSS 2) April 11th, 2017 Due at the beginning of Lecture

Due VIA SafeAssign at midnight

Term Paper (Eligible Students only)

May 4th, 2017 Due at the beginning of Lecture

Due VIA SafeAssign at midnight

IT Ethics May 7th, 2017 100% on all modules due by midnight

Final Examination May 11th, 2017 LH 1 10:30 – 1:15PM

May 10th – 12th (TBA)

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Week 0 (before first day of classes):

Learning Outcomes:

Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment. Learn to connect to the GMU VCL Familiarize yourself with the syllabus

Topics: Course introductions Evidence of Competencies:

Syllabus Quiz on Blackboard Readings:

Read syllabus and take the syllabus quiz on Blackboard Videos:

For course familiarization: Welcome video Navigating course video Connecting to the VCL video

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Week 1:

Learning Outcomes:

Explain the role that the scientific process plays in a good research design.

Topics:

The Scientific Method as a Knowledge Acquisition System Starting a Scientific Research Project

Evidence of Competencies:

Midterm knowledge questions. Structure of a research paper.

Readings:

For Lectures: Introduction from: Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). The Essentials of

Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA). Introduction “From Knowledge to Practice in Quantitative

Research” from: Rochefort, David, Editor. (2006). Quantitative Methods in Practice: Readings from PS. Washington DC: CQ Press.

Chapter 1 “Thinking Scientifically” from: Donovan, Todd, and Kenneth Hoover. (2014). The Elements of Social Scientific Thinking. 11th Edition. Boston: Wadsworth.

For Labs: No Readings – Only Distance Ed Students attend 1st week labs

Videos:

For Lectures: A Knowledge Exercise Knowledge The Scientific Method – Science!

For Labs: No Videos

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Week 2:

Learning Outcomes:

Demonstrate knowledge of ethical concerns that pertain to the conduct of research on human subjects.

Topics: Research Ethics

Evidence of Competencies:

Midterm knowledge questions. Readings:

For Lectures: Chapter 1 and 2 from: Baglione, Lisa. (2016). Writing a Research

Paper in Political Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods, (3rd Edition). (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

Chapter 15 “Ethical Issues in Behavioral Research” from: Leary, Mark. (2012). Introduction to Behavioral Research Methods. 6th Edition. Boston; New York: Pearson.

Khatchadourian, Raffi “Operation Delirium”. The New Yorker. December 17th, 2012. Available online at: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/12/17/121217fa_fact_khatchadourian, last accessed on 10/20/2013

History of research ethics: o http://www.unlv.edu/research/ORI-HSR/history-ethics

Nuremberg Code o http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/archive/nurcode.html

Belmont Report (through Part B): o http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/belm

ont.html And other HHS resources available at:

o http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/index.html

For Labs (Lab 1 – Introduction to SPSS): o Introduction and Chapter 1 from: Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). An

IBM SPSS Companion to Political Analysis,5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

Videos:

For Lectures: Research Ethics

For Labs: Introduction to SPSS

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Week 3

Learning Outcomes:

Understand the role of theory, conceptualization, and measurement in social science research.

Demonstrate knowledge of operationalizing variables, generating hypotheses.

Topics: Theory Building, Concept Formation, and Measurement. Operationalization of Variables Hypothesis Development.

Evidence of Competencies:

Midterm knowledge questions Generating a good hypothesis

Readings:

For Lectures: Chapter 2 and 3. Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). The Essentials of

Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA). Chapter 2 “Explaining the Political World” from: Brians, Craig, Lars

Willnat, Jarol Manheim, and Richard Rich. (2011). Empirical Political Analysis: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods. 8th Edition. Boston, New York: Pearson and Longman.

Chapter 4 “The Building Blocks of Social Scientific Research” from: Johnson, Janet, and H. T. Reynolds. Political Science Research Methods. 7th Edition. Los Angeles; London: Sage and CQ Press.

For Labs (Lab 2 – Creating a dataset in SPSS): No readings specific to labs this week.

Videos:

For Lectures: Concepts in Political Research Theories in Political Science Operationalization

For Labs: Intro to SPSS (again)

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Week 4:

Learning Outcomes: Conditional variables. Understanding how to write good hypotheses Demonstrate the basics of academic research using the library catalog

and online databases. Learn how to build an annotated bibliography and write a literature

review. Topics:

Hypothesis development continues from previous week. The Theory behind Control: Spuriousness, Intervening and Conditional

Relationships. Conducting a Literature Review and finding Data.

Evidence of Competencies:

Midterm knowledge questions Generating a good hypothesis

Readings:

For Lectures: Continue from previous week. Chapter 4. Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). The Essentials of Political

Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA). Chapter 3-5 from: Baglione, Lisa. (2016). Writing a Research Paper

in Political Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods, (3rd Edition). (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

DIGITAL RESOURCES: Library holdings, electronic resources, and data archives.

For Labs (Lab 3 – Library holdings, electronic resources, and data archives):

Chapter 2 from: Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). An IBM SPSS Companion to Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

Videos: For Lectures:

Hypothesis in Political Science Resolving common hypothesis errors Hypothesis Testing – Control Attributing Ideas

For Labs:

Library Searches

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Week 5:

Learning Outcomes:

Understand basic univariate measurements of central tendency and dispersion.

Topics: Univariate Statistics – Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion.

Evidence of Competencies:

Writing a scientific paper Univariate statistics assignment using SPSS Midterm questions and calculations

Readings:

For Lectures: Chapter 6. Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). The Essentials of Political

Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA). Chapter 20 “Univariate Analysis” from: Bernard, H. Russell. (2013).

Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. 2nd Edition. London: Sage.

For Labs (Lab 4 – Describing a single variable with statistics, tables and charts):

Chapters 2 and 3 from: Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). An IBM SPSS

Companion to Political Analysis,5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks,

CA).

Videos: For Lectures:

Measurement Display Univariate Data Central Location Univariate Dispersion or Variability

For Labs: Introduction to Univariate Analysis Univariate Graphics

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Week 6:

Learning Outcomes:

Understand basic univariate measurements of central tendency and dispersion. (cont.)

Demonstrate knowledge of theoretical probability, normal distribution, Z scores, standard error, and confidence intervals

Understand how to estimate proportions and sample sizes.

Topics: Basic Univariate Measurement. (Cont.) Univariate Statistics – Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion.

(Cont.) Theoretical Probability, The Normal Distribution, and Z Scores Sampling, Statistical Inference, and Standard Errors of Estimates Confidence Intervals for Estimates Proportion Estimation and Sample Sizes

Evidence of Competencies:

Midterm questions and calculations Univariate statistics assignment using SPSS

Readings: For Lectures:

Continued from Week 5 Chapter 6. Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). The Essentials of Political

Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA). Chapter 5 from: O’Sullivan, Elisabeth Ann, Gary R. Rassel, and

Maureen Berner. (2008). Research Methods for Public Administrators. Fifth Edition. New York: Pearson Longman.

For Labs (Lab 5 – Recoding and Graphics): Chapter 3 from: Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). An IBM SPSS

Companion to Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

Videos: For Lectures:

Z-Scores and Probability Sampling, Statistical Inference, Expected Value, and Standard

Errors of Estimates Confidence Intervals for Estimates Estimating Proportions

For Labs: Downloading an APA Style Template for SPSS Editing APA Style Frequency Tables Univariate Recoding in SPSS

Fun Fact: Laplace

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Week 7 - MIDTERM WEEK

Learning Outcomes:

Confidence Intervals of Point Estimates and Proportions (Cont.) Sample Size Estimation (Cont.).

Topics:

Confidence Intervals for Estimates (Cont.) Proportion Estimation (Cont.) Estimating Sample Sizes (Cont.)

Evidence of Competencies:

Midterm questions and calculations Univariate statistics assignment using SPSS

Readings:

For Lectures: Readings continue from previous week. No new readings.

For Labs (Lab 6 – Univariate Capstone): Readings continue from previous week. No new readings.

Videos:

For Lectures: No new videos

For Labs: No new videos

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Week 8:

Learning Outcomes:

Demonstrate knowledge of bivariate statistics and hypothesis testing. Know how to calculate the X2 statistic

Topics:

Intro to Bivariate Relationships and Hypothesis Testing Statistical Significance and the X2 Statistic

Evidence of Competencies:

Final exam questions and calculations Bivariate statistics assignment using SPSS Data analysis in final research paper

Readings:

For Lectures: Chapter 5 & 7. Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). The Essentials of Political

Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA). For Labs (Lab 7 – Bivariate Analysis: Crosstabs and Clustered Bar Charts):

Chapter 5, 6, and 7 from: Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). An IBM SPSS Companion to Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

Videos:

For Lectures: Cross Tabulation Introduction to Bivariate Hypothesis Testing X2 and Statistical Significance

For Labs:

Introduction to Bivariate Crosstabs X2 and Phi

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Week 9:

Learning Outcomes:

Demonstrate knowledge of bivariate statistics and hypothesis testing. Know how to calculate the X2 statistic. Calculate measures of association. Understand controlled relationships.

Topics:

Statistical Significance and the X2 Statistic Non-Parametric Measures of Statistical Association Statistical Control

Evidence of Competencies:

Final exam questions and calculations Bivariate statistics assignment using SPSS Data analysis in final research paper

Readings:

For Lectures: Chapter 7 from: Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). The Essentials of

Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA). For Labs (Lab 8 – Crosstabs, Control, and X2):

Chapter 4, 5, and 7 from: Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). An IBM SPSS Companion to Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

Videos: For Lectures:

Bivariate Correlation For Labs:

Bivariate Graphics Bivariate Relationships – Cross-tabulation with Control APA Crosstab Edits

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Week 10:

Learning Outcomes:

Demonstrate knowledge of testing differences of means using the T-test.

Know how to calculate and analyze the T-test statistic

Topics: Testing Differences in Means and Proportions using T-tests

Evidence of Competencies:

Final exam questions and calculations. Bivariate statistics assignment using SPSS Data analysis in final research paper

Readings:

For Lectures: Chapter 7 “Testing Differences between Means” from: Fox, James,

and Jack Levin. (2006). Elementary Statistics in Social Research. 10th Edition. Boston; New York: Pearson.

For Labs (Lab 9 – T-tests): Chapter 6 from: Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). An IBM SPSS

Companion to Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

Videos:

For Lectures: Testing Differences in Means and Proportions using t-tests

For Labs: T-tests lab T-tests and Control

Fun Fact: Gossett T

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Week 11:

Learning Outcomes:

Understand how to test mean differences using ANOVA Demonstrate knowledge of post hoc tests for ANOVA

Topics:

Testing Differences in Means using ANOVA

Evidence of Competencies: Final Exam questions and calculations Bivariate statistics assignment using SPSS Data analysis in final research paper

Readings:

For Lectures: Chapter 8 “Analysis of Variance” from: Fox, James, and Jack Levin.

(2007). Elementary Statistics in Social Research: The Essentials. 2nd Edition. Boston; New York: Pearson.

For Labs (Lab 10 – ANOVA and Tukey): Chapter 8 “Analysis of Variance” from: Fox, James, and Jack Levin.

(2007). Elementary Statistics in Social Research: The Essentials. 2nd Edition. Boston; New York: Pearson.

Videos:

For Lectures: Testing Differences in Means using ANOVA

For Labs: ANOVA Lab Graphics for T-tests and ANOVA

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Week 12:

Learning Outcomes:

Understand the principle of co-variation and correlation Demonstrate knowledge of bivariate regression Calculate Pearson’s R, R2, β (the slope coefficient), α (the line intercept) Demonstrate the ability to write and interpret the bivariate regression

model

Topics: Correlation Bivariate Regression

Evidence of Competencies:

Final exam questions and calculations Data analysis in final research paper

Readings: For Lectures:

Chapter 8 from: Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). The Essentials of Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

Chapter 14 “Bivariate Correlation and Regression” from: Ritchey, Ferris. (2008). The Statistical Imagination: Elementary Statistics for the Social Sciences. 2nd Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill.

For Labs: Chapter 8 and 9 from: Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). An IBM SPSS

Companion to Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

Videos:

For Lectures: Correlation Bivariate Regression

For Labs: Bivariate Regression Lab Regression Graphics

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Week 13:

Learning Outcomes:

Demonstrate Knowledge of Multivariate Regression Analysis. Demonstrate the ability to write and interpret the multiple regression

model. Demonstrate knowledge of the idea of “simultaneous control’ and

partial slopes.

Topics: Multivariate Regression

Evidence of Competencies:

Final exam questions and calculations Data analysis in final research paper

Readings:

For Lectures: Chapter 8. Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). The Essentials of Political

Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA). Chapter 14 “Bivariate Correlation and Regression” from: Ritchey,

Ferris. (2008). The Statistical Imagination: Elementary Statistics for the Social Sciences. 2nd Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill.

For Labs (Multiple Regression): Chapter 8. Pollock III, Philip H. (2016). An IBM SPSS Companion to

Political Analysis, 5th Edition. (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA). Videos:

For Lectures: Multiple Regression

For Labs: Multiple Regression in SPSS

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Week 14:

Learning Outcomes:

Putting it all together – the quantitative scientific research paper

Topics: Blending what we have learned

Evidence of Competencies:

Ability to read quantitative research papers Ability to write quantitative research papers

Readings:

For Lectures: Chapter 6-9 from: Baglione, Lisa. (2016). Writing a Research Paper

in Political Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods, (3rd Edition). (CQ Press: Thousand Oaks, CA).

For Labs (Labs TBA): No new readings

Videos: Capstone Lecture: Putting it all together – the social science research paper.