*COUSE SYLLABUS

ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGEDepartment of Social and Behavioral Sciences

POS 2041-975-—American Government (3 credits)Spring 2019 (January 14—May 10)

Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:30a.m.—10:45a.m.Classroom: SE-LI 119

Instructor: Bledar Prifti, Ph.D.Office: UP 240AOffice Hours: MTWR from 11:00a.m to 01:30p.m.

Online at any time by appointment Office Phone: 727-394-6273Contact: ONLY via myCourses e-mail

Administration1. Dr. Joseph Smiley, Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Office Location: Tarpon Springs Campus, PS 105 Office Phone: 727-712-5851

2. Dr. Douglas Rivero, Academic Department ChairOffice Location: Seminole Campus, UP 337-FOffice Phone: 727-394-6948

Welcome to American Government!

COURSE PREREQUISITESENC 0025 and REA 0017; orEAP 1695; orAppropriate score on the SPC placement test

COURSE DESCRIPTIONThis course is designed to give the student an understanding of the organization, structure and func-tions of the national government. You will gain knowledge of the historical events that led to the de-velopment of this unique form of government. You will gain an understanding of the interplay between the executive, legislative and judicial branches and the impact of their decisions on our daily lives. In the process of gaining an understanding of the structure of your government, you will be introduced to your civil liberties and the ongoing struggle for civil rights. You will gain an appreciation of the

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need for government, the various forms of government that exist in the world and how their actions im-pact the global community.

MAJOR LEARNING OUTCOMESUpon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Explain the purpose and types of government 2. Identify the importance of political ideologies3. Describe foundations and main features of the American federal system 4. Identify the rights and responsibilities that all individuals are subject to in America5. Explain the role of individuals and interest groups in American politics 6. Analyze the importance of campaign and elections7. Describe the historic development of the two-party system in America8. Explain the separation of powers and checks and balances system

COURSE OBJECTIVES IN PERFORMANCE TERMS1. The students will explain the purpose and types of government by:

a. discussing various functions of governmentb. identifying major goods and services provided by governmentc. explaining the differences between republic, democracy, theocracy, anarchy, oligarchy,

aristocracy, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism2. The students will identify the importance of political ideologies by:

a. assessing the role of ideology in dictating our view of the government and its rights and responsibilities

b. explaining the main principles of liberalism, conservatism, libertarianism, and socialism 3. The students will describe foundations and main features of the American federal system by:

a. examining the impact of the Mayflower compact on American political theoryb. explaining the form of government under the Articles of Confederation and its major

weaknessesc. analyzing the process of creating, ratifying, and amending the U.S. Constitutiond. defining federalism and describing how it has evolved over the years.

4. The students will identify the rights and responsibilities that all individuals are subject to in America by:

a. analyzing the purpose of the Bill of Rights and the importance each of its amendments.b. explaining how the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is used to selec-

tively incorporate liberties in the Bill of Rights. 5. The students will explain the role of individuals and interest groups in American politics by:

a. describing individual participation in various movements to secure civil rights and liber-ties.

b. identifying various interest groups and their impact on American politicsc. describing the process of how interest groups impact politics and political decision-

making process.d. analyzing and critiquing lobbying

6. The students will analyze the importance of campaign and elections by:a. explaining political socialization and listing the agents/factors of political socializationb. identifying the main requirements to run for various offices c. describing primary elections and general electionsd. analyzing the role of the media during election campaign

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7. The students will describe the historic development of the two-party system in America by:a. explaining the birth of federalist and anti-federalist partiesb. analyzing major events that led to the transformation of the two partiesc. identifying the structure of the two modern political partiesd. analyzing of ideological bases of the Republican Party and Democratic Party today

8. The students will explain the separation of powers and checks and balances system by:1. identifying the structure of the Congress2. analyzing the many functions and powers of the Congress3. describing the many roles and powers of the President4. defining the court system and the powers of the Court5. analyzing how each branch of the government checks and balances the other two

branches.

CRITERIA PERFORMANCE STANDARDUpon successful completion of this course, the student will demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom measures as described below.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK/RESOURCES O’Connor, Karen, and J Sabato. 2018. American Government and Politics Today: Roots

and Reform, 13th ed. New York, NY: Pearson. ISBN: ISBN-9780134648743 This course requires students to conduct additional research to complete particular assignments. Given the subject matter of this course, I expect you to be familiar with current events related

to the U.S. government. You should regularly read a quality national newspaper, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Tampa Bay Times, USA To-day, or similar newspapers. They are available online, free of charge.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS Students are expected to keep up with the reading and the corresponding assignments. This includes completing the assigned readings, reviewing the chapter notes, completing chapter and/or unit assign-ments, completing exams, and the research paper.

Writing RequirementsPOS 2041 is a Gordon Rule class, so there is a substantial writing requirement of a minimum of 2000 words. To satisfy this requirement, you will write a research paper of at least 1200 words and complete unit assignments online.

Important ALL assignments/exams completed through mycCourses must be submitted or completed

within the assignment folder/dropbox. o See each assignment folder/dropbox for additional requirements.

Do NOT email your assignments or other files to the instructor! Emailed assignments will NOT be accepted or graded. 

ONLY students with documented emergencies/accommodations will be allowed late submis-sions.

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Technical Issues If you experience a technical problem and it impedes your ability to submit the assignment/

exam properly, it must be documented and verified by the SPC technology helpdesk 727-341-HELP (727-341-4357). http://web.spcollege.edu/helpdesk/

APA Writing Format/Style You must use the APA citation style for all writing assignments in this course. You can access APA citation style handouts online through the SPC library online Web site. For information on the APA citation style, see the following link: http://spcollege.libguides.-

com/c.php?g=254132&p=1694864

Turnitin StatementAll course assignment will go through Turnitin.com. This tool/software is used to promote learning and flag similarity and mechanical issues in written work that merit review. Use of the service enables stu-dents and faculty to identify areas that can be strengthened through improved paraphrasing, integration of sources, or proper citation. Submitted assignments remain as source documents in the Turnitin data-base solely for the purpose of detecting originality. Students retain full copyright to their works. The Turnitin Usage Agreement can be reviewed at https://turnitin.com/agreement.aspp?.

ASSESSMENTYour course grade will be determined by a combination of points earned for attending class meetings, making a class presentation, and completing a civic engagement project or research paper, four unit exams, eight chapter assignments, and a final exam.

Class Attendance (80 points)Class attendance and participation is crucial to your success in this course. You are expected to attend class in its entirety. Getting in and out of class for more than a total of ten minutes will be considered an absence. A student who is late to class or leaves early by 15 minutes or more is considered absent. Each student is permitted four (4) unexcused absences. Any additional absence that is not a docu-mented emergency will be penalized by ten (10) points. Thus, missing more than four meetings will significantly affect your final grade. If you will need to miss class due to observance of a religious hol-iday, you must notify the instructor, in writing, by the second week of classes.

The relationship between number of classes missed and the number of points deducted from the 80 points for class attendance is as follows:

Missed Classes Points deducted

5 106 207 308 409 5010 6011 70

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12+ 80

Civic Engagement Project (100 points)In this course, you are also required to perform a civic engagement project. This assignment is also listed in the main lessons section of the course site. Overall, the goal is for you, the student, to become more socially and civically connected to the needs of your community and to promote the importance of community engagement and community service.

Civic engagement leads to higher social capital, which is the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively. Scientific stud-ies show that civic participation affects not just individuals, but entire communities. Neighborhoods with higher levels of civic participation have a greater sense of community, lower levels of crime, and citizens who are healthier and happier. States and countries with greater proportions of civically en-gaged citizens have lower rates of disease, mental illness, and suicide. They, too, have lower crime rates, as well as having greater economic prosperity, better-educated children, and more effective gov-ernments.

NOTE: This assignment is divided into two parts. Each part is worth 50 points.

Part 1 (50 Points)—Due March 3, 2019 In Part 1, you are required to volunteer at a local non-profit organization or interest group that serves your community. Volunteer work at an animal shelter would not qualify for this assignment.

Part 1 Requirements: Volunteer at a non-profit organization that helps people in need in your community. Provide a summary paragraph of your volunteer work in at least 200 words.

o The paragraph should specifically describe the organization that you volunteered for. It should also discuss some reasons as to why civic engagement is important. Support this paragraph with one to two academic sources in proper APA citation format. 

Complete five hours of volunteer work at a non-profit organization or interest group that pro-vides help to the people in need in your community. 

o Contact the organization of your choice and set up a meeting with the administrator in charge of handling volunteer management. (This can be completed over the phone for convenience);

Provide signed SPC Release of Liability Form and the Log of Volunteer Hours form. Click on the hypertext links for each document.

o The Log of Hours form should include location, date/time, type of volunteer work, and name, official contact information and signature of the person who supervised your volunteer work.

o Scan and Upload both documents in the assignment dropbox together with the summary paragraph in order to receive credits.

Complete the Engage for Change Survey: https://web.spcollege.edu/survey/9589

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Failure to submit/complete any of the aforementioned documents will result in no credit being given for the assignment.

Part 2 (50 Points)—Due April 28, 2019You must complete Part 1 of the assignment in order to receive credit for Part 2.

In Part 2, you are required to submit a reflection paper on you civic engagement volunteer work. 

Part 2 Requirements:

Your civic engagement final paper should be in at least 1000 words.o The penalty for not following the length requirement will range from 20% to 50%.

Describe the vision and mission of the organization you volunteered for. Describe the presenting issue facing the community. What did you learn about the specific community or societal concern? What kinds of leadership and civic engagement did you witness? Did you learn anything new about yourself after the experience? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this organization? Find 2 reputable articles/sources that discuss the significance and/or impact of civic/commu-

nity engagement OR interest groups on the surrounding community Summarize the findings of the articles Answer the following question:

o In your view, what is the most important aspect of civic engagement & what would you do to promote civic engagement to your friends & family?

Project Format

The length of your response paper must be of no less than 1000 words, excluding the title, ab-stract, and reference page(s).

o Your project must be in double-spaced pages in a Microsoft Word Format, 12 font size, and 1(one) inch margins.

The project must be written in the APA Writing format.o Use the SPC Library APA Citation Assistance page for help with APA formatting.o The penalty for not following the APA writing format will range from 10% to 50%.

Research Project Support Links SPC Library APA Citation Assistance page SPC Writing Studio Information

Submission and Turnitin.com The Dropboxes utilize Turnitin.com to help detect plagiarism.

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If you experience a technical problem and it impedes your ability to submit the assignment/exam properly, it must be documented and verified by the SPC technology helpdesk (727) 341-HELP. In addition, you must contact me before the due date/time to let me know if you have a technical problem.

Make sure to save a copy of all your work outside of MyCourses. It is a good idea to fre-quently save your work in case of technical problems.

You must submit the paper in Word (.doc or .docx), .rtf or .pdf document format.

Substitute for the Civic Engagement Project—Write a Research PaperIf for some reasons you cannot volunteer, then you will have to write a research paper on one of the following five topics:

1. Write a paper in which you discuss the role interest groups play in the American political sys-tem and how they attempt to shape public policy. After that, select a specific national piece of legislation during the Obama administration and identify two groups in favor of the legislation and two groups opposed to the legislation. Explain how the groups attempted to influence the passage or defeat of the legislation.

2. Write a paper in which you discuss the role of the president as chief legislator. Why is there conflict between Congress and the president while the president is performing the role of chief legislator? Select a specific instance of public policy conflict between Congress and President Obama and explain the reasons for the conflict.

3. In the United States, we use the winner-take-all electoral system in electoral districts for Con-gress. Write a paper in which you discuss the winner-take-all system and the proportional sys-tem of representation. For the proportional system, you should select a country that use the pro-portional system and briefly explain how it works in that country. Should the American winner-take-all system be abolished and replaced with a proportional system of representation? If yes, why? If no, why not? Do not discuss the presidential election process. Do not discuss the Electoral College. Focus on congressional (U.S. House) districts.

4. Over the years the balance of power between the nation and the states has shifted. Write a paper in which you briefly discuss (in one or two paragraphs) how the Framers of the Constitution ar-ranged government power between that nation and the states. After that, discuss two periods in American history that impacted on the balance of power between the national government and the states. Within those two periods, specify what lead to the shift in power. Explain how power shifted between the national government and the states and identify the level of govern-ment that gained the power. Identify the power that was gained. Do not discuss the period of transition from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution. Discuss periods after ratification of the 1787 Constitution.

5. Compare and contrast the roles of the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches with regard to one of the following current issues: 1) Immigration; OR 2) Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans-gender (LGBT); OR 3) Digital Privacy.

Research Paper Part 1 (50 Points)—Due March 3, 2019

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Research Paper Part 1 Requirements Write an introductory paragraph in at least 200 words.

o Introduction should include a specific thesis statement in the end. Write a detailed outline in the APA writing format. Write an APA format annotated bibliography with at least five (5) peer-reviewed, academic

sources.o Each annotation should be in at least 100 words.

Research Paper Part 2 (50 Points)—Due April 28, 2019Research Paper Part 2 Requirements

Write a complete research paper in at least 1500 words, excluding the title page, the abstract page, and the reference page(s).

Follow the APA writing format throughout the paper, including for in-text citations and refer-ences.

Use at least ten (10) sources, o At least six (6) of the sources should be peer-reviewed, academic.

Late papers will not be accepted unless they involve documented emergencies.

See the dropboxes for both parts for additional information on their requirements.

Quizzes (80 points)There will be a total of eight quizzes throughout the semester, each worth ten (10) points. See the rele-vant modules and the schedule of assignments in MyCourses for information on due dates. All quizzes are scheduled to be taken online in MyCourses.

Unit Exams (300 points) There will be four (4) unit exams in this course. All exams will be taken online. You will have at least a week to complete all of the attempts on

each exam. Each exam will have 50 questions and will be worth up to 100 points. The exam with the lowest score will be dropped. See the Course Schedule below and each unit module in MyCourse for information on exams

due dates.

Final Exam (200 points)Page 8 of 15

You are required to take the final exam, and it is worth 200 points toward your final grade. The exam will incorporate fifty multiple-choice questions from Chapters 2-7 and 9-12. The exam will be taken in class on December 3 in LI 119 from 10 to 11:50a.m..

Chapter Assignments (240 points) Within each unit module, there are two chapters that contain graded assignments.

o There are a total of eight of these assignments in the course, each worth 30 points. Once complete, students must submit their assignment within the folder by the due date listed

on the course calendar. Do not email your assignments! Emailed assignments will not be considered for grading.

GRADING WEIGHT AND SCALEThe grading weight and scale for this class are as follow:

Grading WeightClass Attendance 80 points 1 total = 80 pointsPart 1 of Civic Engagement Project 50 points 1 total = 50 pointsOR of the Research PaperPart 2 of Civic Engagement Project 50 points 1 total = 50 pointsOR of the Research PaperChapter Assignments 30 points each 8 total = 240 points Quizzes 10 points each 8 total = 80 pointsUnit Exams 100 points each 4 total = 300 points Final Exam 100 points 1 total = 200 pointsTOTAL 1000 points

Grading Scale900 - 1000 = A 600 - 699 = D800 - 899 = B 599 & below = F700 - 799 = C

ACADEMIC INTEGRITYSt. Petersburg College expects students to be honest in all of their academic work. By enrolling at the college, students agree to adhere to the high standards of academic honesty and integrity and under-stand that failure to comply with this pledge may result in academic and disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the college. Cheating and plagiarism are strictly prohibited and will be dealt with accordingly. Go to http://www.spcollege.edu/webcentral/admit/honesty.htm and read the policy on academic honesty.

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Failure to follow the SPC Academic Honesty policy may lead to academic penalties, which may in-clude failing the course and reporting the case to SPC authorities for further disciplinary actions.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDUCT POLICIESStudents are responsible for all assignments due and material covered during the semester. It is the re-sponsibility of the student to remain in contact with the instructor if any problem of concern arises. If you are having trouble completing the obligations of this course, it is up to you to contact the instructor immediately. If a student neglects to contact the instructor and online activity by the student has ceased, the instructor may determine at any time that the student is NOT maintaining continuous active participation. Students are encouraged to remain in contact with the instructor via email, phone or by setting up an on campus appointment.

Since this course touches on various political subjects and the sometimes-controversial dynamics of American Government, it is essential for us to maintain a civil online environment. Whether on the course discussion board, exchanging emails or during online chats students are expected to show the utmost respect and courtesy for peers with similar AND differing viewpoints.

If you experience a problem with another student regarding discussion board postings – please contact your instructor immediately.  Each student is expected to respect the views of others without attacking the individual.  You are expected to be diplomatic in every on line exchange.  Please proof read each of your messages before you decide to post them, making sure that you are saying what you would like to say in the manner in which you would like it read. 

In addition, it is important to remember that on line discussion is quite different from face to face inter-action.  There are only the written words and the imagination of the reader as to what was “meant” by certain phrasings – so please be considerate of others to make sure that your messages seek to discuss why you have a certain opinion rather than personal attacks.  Again, this is a course about politics, so there will be many viewpoints that will spark lively discussion in which academic exchange can take place. 

SPC’S DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR POLICYIMPORTANT: Students are not allowed to use any electronic device without a documented ac-commodation or permission from the instructor.

Each student’s behavior in the classroom or Web course is expected to contribute to a positive learn-ing/teaching environment, respecting the rights of others and their opportunity to learn. No student has the right to interfere with the teaching/learning process, including the posting of inappropriate materi-als on the discussion boards or other spaces within the MyCourses platform.

The instructor has the authority to ask a disruptive student to leave the classroom, lab, or Web course and to file disciplinary charges if disruptive behavior continues.

STUDENT CONDUCTSPC students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that will reflect credit to the college, the community and themselves. Each student, by registering, assumes the responsibility to become famil-iar with and abide by these general regulations and rules of conduct. It is highly important to visit https://www.spcollege.edu/studentconduct/ for more information. If found guilty of violation of any of

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these rules, a student may be subject to the placing of a hold on their student record, the withholding of grades, credits, transcripts, or diplomas, disciplinary probation, suspension or dismissal, in accordance with prescribed rules for the handling of disciplinary cases. Visit https://www.spcollege.edu/student-conduct/ for more information on applicable procedures.

COURSE WITHDRAWALStudents should familiarize themselves with the policies and procedures contained in the student handbook. Students who simply discontinue attending class without officially withdrawing from the course will receive a grade based upon the total points they have accumulate in the course. Ordinarily, the result will be a grade of “F.” Please visit the following website for more information and useful links http://www.spcollege.edu/handbook/. PAYING BACK FINANCIAL AID MONEYStudents who have received financial aid this semester should not drop or withdrawal from this class without first talking with someone in the financial aid department.  Dropping or withdrawing may require you to repay the financial aid you received for this class, including all federal and state aid, both grants and loans.  This is especially true for Bright Futures and Pell Grant recipients. Visit http://www.spcollege.edu/withdrawal/ for more information.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICESMany support systems are available under the student support services. Visit http://www.spcollege.edu/sss/ for online assistance and contact information on Student Support Services programs.

STUDENT RESOURCES (Highly Important)College Calendar - www.spcollege.edu/calendar/ M.M. Bennett Libraries - www.spcollege.edu/libraries/ Career Services - www.spcollege.edu/careerservices/ International Student Services - www.spcollege.edu/internationalstudents/ Learning Support Commons (Tutorial Services) - www.spcollege.edu/tutoring/ SPC Veteran Affairs - www.spcollege.edu/veterans/  TECHNICAL SKILLS REQUIREDYou should be comfortable with the following:

using a word processor (changing font, spell check) using presentation software (i.e. PowerPoint) using email for communication sending an email attachment navigating the Internet using an Internet search engine

ACCESSIBILITY SERVICESThis course is designed to be welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by everyone, including students who are English-language learners, have a variety of learning styles, have disabilities, or are new to online learning. Be sure to let me know immediately if you encounter a required element or resource in the course that is not accessible to you. Also, let me know of changes I can make to the course so that it is more welcoming to, accessible to, or usable by students who take this course in the future.

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If you have documentation of a disability or feel you may have a disability:St. Petersburg College recognizes the importance of equal access to learning opportunities for all students. Accessibility Services (AS) is the campus office that works with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations. Students registered with AS, who are requesting accommodations, are encouraged to contact their instructor by the first week of the semester. Students who have, or think they may have, a disability (e.g. learning disability, ADD/ADHD, psychiatric, medical/orthopedic, vision, and/or hearing), are invited to contact the Accessibility Coordinator (AC) that serves your campus for a confidential discussion.

Any student whose disability falls within the American Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations should contact the Learning Specialist on campus. If you have a documented hearing loss, please contact the Program for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing at (727) 791-2628. If you expect to need assistance in the event of an emergency classroom evacuation, please contact your campus Learning Specialist immediately about arrangements for your safety. The Office of Accessibility Services can be reached at (727) 791-2628 or (727) 791-2710 (CL), (727) 341-4758 (SP/G), (727) 394-6108 (SE), (727) 712-5789 (TS) or (727) 341-4532 (AC). Accommodations will not be provided without documentation in writing from the appropriate St Petersburg College office. To find your AC for your specific campus, please go to the college-wide Accessibility Services website: https://www.spcollege.edu/accessibility

SEXUAL PREDATOR INFORMATIONFederal and State law requires a person designated as a “sexual predator or offender” to register with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The FDLE is then required to notify the local law enforcement agency where the registrant resides, attends, or is employed by an institution of higher learning. Information regarding sexual predators or offenders attending or employed by an insti-tution of higher learning may be obtained from the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction for the particular campus by calling the FDLE hotline (1-888-FL-PREDATOR) or (1-888-357-7332), or by visiting the FDLE website athttp://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/homepage.do  A list of sexual offenders or predators registered for classes at SPC is available here: http://www.spcol-lege.edu/CampusSafety/#tab=4 

CAMPUS SAFETY AND SECURITYFor information on campus safety and security policies please contact 727-791-2560. If there are ques-tions or concerns regarding personal safety, please contact the Provost, Associate Provost, Campus Se-curity Officer, or Site Administrator on your campus. www.spcollege.edu/CampusSafety/ 

EMERGENCY PROCEDURESPlease, familiarize yourself with the emergency procedures and evacuation routes located in the build-ings you use frequently. Located in each classroom is an Emergency Response Guide (flip-chart) that contains information for proper actions in response to emergencies. You should be prepared to assess situations quickly and use good judgment in determining a course of action. You should evacuate to assembly areas in an orderly manner when an alarm sounds or when directed to do so by college fac-ulty or staff or emergency personnel. You may access additional emergency information by going to www.spcollege.edu/security.

INSTRUCTIONAL CONTINUITY PLAN The College realizes that it is possible for a significant natural disaster to compromise SPC campus fa-cilities sufficiently to disrupt the delivery of classes on campus(es) for an extended period of time. In

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the event of such emergencies, online courses will continue as normal. For courses taught in the class-room, a standard copy of this course will be made available online in myCourses.

DUAL ENROLLEMENT, EARLY ADMISSIONS, AND EARLY COLLEGE STUDENTSA Dual Enrollment, Early Admissions, or Early College student may not withdraw from any college course without permission from the Early College/Dual Enrollment office. Withdrawal from a course may jeopardize the student's graduation from high school. The Dual Enrollment office can be reached at 727 712-5281 (TS), 727 791-5970 (CL) or 727 394-6164 (SE). www.spcollege.edu/central/de/in-dex.htm  

COMMUNICATIONWhen communicating, you should always:

treat everyone with respect in every communication use your professor’s proper title: Dr. or Prof., or if you are in doubt use Mr. or Ms. use clear and concise language use correct grammar, whether written or spoken. Avoid slang. use correct spelling and avoid texting abbreviations avoid using the caps lock feature as it can be interpreted as yelling online be cautious when using humor or sarcasm as tone is sometimes lost in an email or discussion

post and, even when spoken, your message might be misunderstood

When you send an email to your instructor, department chair, dean, or classmates, you should: use a subject line that describes what you are writing about avoid attachments unless you are sure your recipients can open them be clear, concise, and courteous and sign your message with your name use your SPC email account to ensure delivery.

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

01/15: Course Introduction

01/17: New students must enroll before 11:15a.m.

01/17: Unit 1 Begins –Foundations of Government, Constitution, and FederalismChapter 1: American Government: Roots, Context, and Culture

01/18: Last Day to Drop and Receive RefundSyllabus Quiz due online by 11:59p.m.

01/22: Chapter 1: American Government: Roots, Context, and Culture

01/24: Chapter 2: The ConstitutionChapter 1 Quiz due by 11:59p.m.

01/29: Chapter 2: The ConstitutionChapter 2 Quiz due by 11:59p.m.

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01/31: Chapter 3: FederalismChapter 2 online written assignment due by 11:59p.m.

02/05: Chapter 3: FederalismChapter 3 Quiz due by 11:59p.m.

02/07: Unit 2 Begins—Chapter 6: CongressChapter 3 online written assignment due by 11:59p.m.

02/10: Unit 1 Exam Due Online by 11:59p.m.

02/12: Chapter 6: CongressChapter 6 Quiz due online by 11:59p.m.

02/14: Chapter 7: The President

02/19: Chapter 7: The PresidentChapter 6 online written assignment due by 11: 59p.m.

02/21: Chapter 8: The Bureaucracy of the Executive BranchChapter 7 Quiz due online by 11:59p.m.

02/26: Chapter 8: The Bureaucracy of the Executive BranchChapter 7 online written assignment due by 11: 59p.m.

02/28: Unit III Begins – The Judiciary, Civil Liberties, Civil RightsChapter 9: The Judiciary

03/03: Part 1 of Civic Engagement or Research Paper Due by 11:59p.m.

03/05: Chapter 9: The JudiciaryChapter 9 Quiz due online by 11:59p.m.

03/07: Chapter 4: Civil LibertiesChapter 9 online written assignment due by 11: 59p.m.

03/09: Unit 2 Exam Due Online by 11:59p.m.

03/10—3/17: College Closed for Spring Break

03/19: Chapter 4: Civil Liberties

03/21: Chapter 5: Civil RightsChapter 4 Quiz due online by 11:59p.m.

03/26: Chapter 5: Civil RightsChapter 5 Quiz due online by 11:59p.m.

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03/28: Unit 4 Begins – Chapter 10—Public Opinion and Socialization Chapter 4 online written assignment due by 11:59p.m.

03/27: Last Day to Withdraw with Grade of “W”If you completely withdraw from the college anytime on or before the dates of your session, you may incur repayment of financial Assistance funds. See for financial aid withdraw deadlines. http://www.spcollege.edu/pages/dynamic.aspx?id=793

04/02: Chapter 10—Public Opinion and Political SocializationReview for Final Exam

04/04: Chapter 11: Political Parties

04/07: Unit 3 Exam Due Online by 11:59p.m.

04/09: Chapter 11: Political PartiesChapter 10 online assignment due by 11:59p.m.

04/11: Chapter 12: Campaigns, Voting, and Elections

04/16: Chapter 12: Campaigns, Voting, and ElectionsReview for Final Exam

04/18: Chapter 14 – Interest Groups

04/23: Unit 4 EndsChapter 14 – Interest Groups

04/25: Discussion on Civic Engagement and Review for Final ExamChapter 11 online assignment due by 11:59p.m.

04/28: Unit 4 Exam due Online by 11:59p.m.Civic Engagement Research Paper due online by 11:59p.m.

04/30: Review for Final Exam

05/02: Course Wrap-up

05/07: Final Exam (Chs. 2-7, 9-12) in LI 119 from 10:00a.m. to 11:50a.m.

*Course syllabus is subject to change.

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