APLS 121--001,300 Introduction to Politics Bob Botsch (bobb@usca.edu), C-7 HSS Building

Home Syllabus Course Schedule and Assignments- Text Blackboard Link

Course Schedule and Assignments  Fall 2011 (Check this frequently as I will be updating it many times throughout the semester!) UNDER CONSTRUCTION--Last updated 10-25-2011 Monday Aug 22. Course Introduction and Overview--course goal: building political competence Wednesday Aug 24. The Money Game: A Simulation              After experiencing this simulation in class today, write a 1 to 2 page paper (typed, 12 point font, one inch margins, double spaced) for the next class explaining why you think the game turned out the way it did. Consider how you might have done better in the game and what this tells you about your and your class mates' political skills. In organizing your essay, you should have an introductory paragraph telling me what you are going to talk about, a main paragraph(s) giving me the details on what you are explaining, and a summary paragraph in which you summarize your main conclusions. What I do not want is just a description of the what happened and the rules of the game. I want to know why you think things happened or did not happen. Monday Aug 29.  Discussion of "Money Game" Simulation. WRITING ASSIGNMENT ON MONEY GAME SIMULATION DUE TODAY AT BEGINNING OF CLASS. Link to Key Questions (to be added after the simulation) Sample Money Game Paper (link to be added later) Wednesday, Aug 31. The History of Political Science and Major Concepts Assignment: Read Chapter 1 in online text and complete the Reading Mastery Questions on Blackboard for Chapter 1. To do this, you must log on to Blackboard. This MUST be completed by the beginning of class to get credit for the work! The test will no longer be available at class time! Monday Sept 5. Labor Day--no class! Wednesday Sept 7.  Introduction to Political Theory: Normative and Empirical (or "Is" and "Ought" Theory). Start reading Chapter 2 in the text. Blackboard questions are due next class!         * ASSIGNMENT TO REGIONS (Alpha, Beta, Epsilon, Gamma, or Kappa) FOR THE SIMULATION IN NEXT CLASS * Monday, Sept 12. Political Theory: Normative and Empirical (or "Is" and "Ought" Theory).      Assignment: Read Chapter 2 in online text and complete the Reading Mastery Questions on Blackboard for Chapter 2. To do this, you must log on to Blackboard. This MUST be completed by the beginning of class to get credit for the work! A Simulated Constitutional Convention: Creating Baltakia WRITTEN HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT DUE (counts as 10 Blackboard questions answered correctly): draw up at least 2 concrete proposals dealing with the distribution of power for today's opening session of the Baltakian Constitutional Convention in the form of motions that you feel should become part of the Constitution. In drawing them up take into account the self-interest of the region you represent. For example, how many representatives should each region have? How will the chief executive be chosen? What will her powers be? What things will the central government be able to do and be prohibited from doing? HINT: the key issue in this simulation is representation and voting powers. That affects ALL other issues. Remember that you represent the people of your district. They sent you and they expect you to protect their interests. If you do not, they will most certainly reject any Constitution you draft and not be very happy when you return home! Wednesday, Sept 14. Constitutional Convention -- continued Friday, Sept 16. EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: Constitution Day Lecture from 12 noon to 1 pm in H&SS 116. Attend and write a one page typed summary on how ideas in this lecture relates to specific things in our course for up to 5 points extra credit on the first test. This should be really relevant in that you will just have completed the simulated constitutional convention. the paper is due by the day of the first test (see below). .Monday, Sept 19.  Discussion of simulation and WRITING ASSIGNMENT ON CONVENTION SIMULATION            DUE TODAY AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS-- Pick THREE ideas/concepts/advice from Machiavelli and explain how the Baltakian Convention illustrates these ideas. This means you need at least 5 paragraphs, an intro, one for each idea/concept/advice, and a concluding paragraph. I will grade you, much as I did in the last paper, on grammar, organization, clarity, and completeness of each explanation so that you clearly show how the idea/concept/advice. Again as last time, about 2 pages, double spaced, and 12 point font. Wednesday, Sept 21. Review for Test 1 Monday, Sept 26. TEST 1 This test covers the lessons of the Money Game, Chapters 1 and 2, and the lessons from the Constitutional Convention simulation. The test will have a mixed format: about 25 Multiple Choice, about 40 True/False, and a 10 point essay. You will need a long SCANTRON sheet (the one that has space for an essay), a #2 pencil, and a pen for the essay. BONUS EXTRA CREDIT: You may attend up to THREE local government meetings, such as a city council, county council, or school board meeting, and write a description of the meeting for up to 5 points extra credit for each one you attend. The typed description for each should include time, place and name of body that met, who was there, what they did, and what this meeting illustrates about something we have studied, such as political power, nature of or definitions of politics, political skills of average citizens, Machiavelli’s rules, political socialization, and so on, policy making process (see Chapter 9) and so on. Wednesday, Sept 28. Scientific Methodology and Statistics Assignment: Read Chapter 3 in online text and complete the Reading Mastery Questions on Blackboard for Chapter 3. To do this, you must log on to Blackboard. This MUST be completed by the beginning of class to get credit for the work! Monday, Oct 3. Voting Behavior and Survey Research Assignment: Read Chapter 4 in online text and complete the Reading Mastery Questions on Blackboard for Chapter 4. To do this, you must log on to Blackboard. This MUST be completed by the beginning of class to get credit for the work! ALSO: PRINT AND FILL OUT QUESTIONNAIRE AT END OF THE CHAPTER—           BRING TO CLASS—We will share the data so that we have the “coding sheet” all filled in. Wednesday, Oct 5. Simulated Research Project in Chapter 4 Fill in the cells in the table in chapter 4 for the first hypothesis, H1, using the data we gathered on the class last time. That is the table with party identification on top and vote choice down the left side. Also set up table for H2 and fill that one in if you can—it will be similar to the table of H1, but uses ideology rather than party identification. If you have trouble doing this before class, do not worry as we will go over it in class. But trying to do it first on your own will really really help you understand what we are doing in class! We will take a look at a model research paper that I have had classes write in the past—see link below—but you will not have to write one because of the tight schedule this semester—lucky you! This will be a good way to review the research process. In-class research exercise.  We will use the data we gathered to test some other hypotheses. Model sample research paper. Thursday, Oct 6.   EXTRA CREDIT: The World Ten years After 9-11. H&SS 116, 3:30-5:00 pm. Find at least one idea in the presentations that can be related to something we have studied and write that up in a paragraph for up to 5 points extra credit. Monday, Oct 10. Review for Test 2 Wednesday, Oct 12. TEST 2.             This is also the last day to withdraw or drop without receiving a "WF" Monday, Oct 17. Bilateral Negotiations: War and Peace Game SIMULATION. You MUST print this document BEFORE coming to class in order to play the game in class. It runs about 12 pages. Wednesday, Oct 19. Discussion of the War and Peace Game WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE: While this game can be used to illustrate many things about defense policy and negotiations, it also raises questions about the morality of lying in political situations. So rather than have you use the game to illustrate something out of chapters 5 or 6, our next two chapters, I want you to write an essay about lying in politics. Hopefully you learned in the first game of the semester that lying can be self-defeating as well as immoral. Was this game somehow different? Consider the following questions as you write your essay. Was lying necessary in this game? Why or why not? If you did lie, what were the justifications for lying? Can you make a moral argument to support what you did, or is that not possible? Same parameters for paper is in earlier papers (1-2 pages).  Discussion Group Questions (link to be added later) October 20-21 Fall Break -- which does not affect our classes! Monday, Oct 24. International Relations Assignment: Read Chapter 5 in online text and complete the Reading Mastery Questions on Blackboard for Chapter 5. To do this, you must log on to Blackboard. This MUST be completed by the beginning of class to get credit for the work! Wednesday, Oct 26. American Defense Policy Assignment: Read Chapter 6 in online text and complete the Reading Mastery Questions on Blackboard for Chapter 6. To do this, you must log on to Blackboard. This MUST be completed by the beginning of class to get credit for the work! Thursday, Oct 27.   EXTRA CREDIT: Amnesty International USCA will be hosting the documentary “The Empty Chair”, from 6-7 pm in H&SS 103. This film follows four different perspectives on the death penalty, one of the most controversial issues currently facing our society. The movie follows the families of victims fighting for and against the death penalty. The event will conclude with a discussion lead by Sociology Professor Dr. Michelle Petrie. For more information contact Vaneesha Brewton (vabrewton@usca.edu), USCA Amnesty International Coordinator, Junior Political Science Major (C/O 2013). Find at least one idea in the presentation that can be related to something we have studied and write that up in a paragraph for up to 5 points extra credit. Monday, Oct 31. American foreign/defense policy through a novel approach Read Graham Green, The Quiet American -- Answer the following questions and hand them in for homework . In class today we will discuss the book in terms of how to (and how not to) militarily intervene in another nation. I will also give you a mini-history of the Vietnam War. Note that the book can be read on two separate levels -- as a love story and as an allegory warning about the US involvement in nations about which it knows little. WRITTEN HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT Questions (counts as 10 Blackboard questions answered correctly):                 1) Describe the major characters in the story and the roles that they play.                 2) What factors led to Pyle's death?  Map of Vietnam Time Line of Vietnam History Wednesday, Nov 2. Discussion of The Quiet American, continued. WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE. There are many lessons in this book about military intervention into another nation. Most of the lessons are in the form of mistakes to avoid. We are now involved in military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. We will talk about these lessons, based in part on the book and in part from our experience in Vietnam and other places (Samolia, Lebanon, Bosnia, Haiti, Kosovo, and Lybia,to name a few of the more prominent ones.) Suppose you found yourself in Pyles's situation. Specifically, what would you have done differently and why. Same parameters as in past papers (1-2 pages). Lessons from the Vietnam War -- click here (I will activate this after the papers are completed) "Goodnight Saigon" -- Billy Joel Friday, Nov 4.  EXTRA CREDIT: Partisanship and the Tea Party in Aiken County--A lecture by Bob Botsch. H&SS 116 for November 04 Friday from 1-2 pm.  Find at least one idea in the presentation that can be related to something we have studied and write that up in a paragraph for up to 5 points extra credit. Monday, Nov 7. Comparative Politics Assignment: Read Chapter 7 in online text and complete the Reading Mastery Questions on Blackboard for Chapter 7. To do this, you must log on to Blackboard. This MUST be completed by the beginning of class to get credit for the work! Wednesday, Nov 9. Review for Test 3 Thursday, Nov 10. EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY The USCA Political Science Club and Amnesty International USCA Present A Showing of the Documentary Through the Looking Glass: The Andijan Massacre Admission Free Event Approved for ICE Credit H&SS Room 203, 4 pm Thursday November 10 (Please note a room change: not H&SS Room 109 as in the ICE Events Calendar) In 2005 anti-government protests in the city of Andijan, Uzbekistan were brutally repressed. Hundreds died and thousands fled into exile internationally as refugees. The documentary follows the fate of resettled refugees from Andijan several years on and asks what caused this crisis and investigates its wider aftermath. The usual requirments for up to 5 points extra credit. Attend and write a one page paper that relates something in the movie to the material in the course.  Monday, Nov 14. TEST 3 Wednesday, Nov 16. American Politics and Culture: Individualism versus Community Assignment: Read Chapter 8 in online text and complete the Reading Mastery Questions on Blackboard for Chapter 8. To do this, you must log on to Blackboard. This MUST be completed by the beginning of class to get credit for the work!      "Eve of Destruction" -- are we at the end of the American Century or are we "Chicken Little?" Gini Index of income equality (0 is equal and 1 is unequal) Growing wealth of the wealthy in US--equality of outcome Growing Concern over Income Inequality--have we reached a tipping point? Equality of Opportunity in the US--is it mostly about luck of birth? Growing National Debt--our party paid for by credit and the legacy for our children Bipartisan Deficit Reduction Commission Preliminary Proposals--will we sacrifice?        Individualism vs Community as protrayed in It's A Wonderful Life Potter and George Bailey scene Turning the movie into an anti-bank ad Monday, Nov 21. No Class, but you have an out of class assignment: Public Policy      Read Chapter 9 in online text and complete the Reading Mastery Questions on Blackboard for Chapter 9. To do this, you must log on to Blackboard. This MUST be completed by the beginning time of when class would have begun! November 23-27. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  My favorite holiday! Monday, Nov 28.   No Class -- get started on the Public Administration Chapter Wednesday, Nov 30. Public Administration Assignment: Read Chapter 10 in online text and complete the Reading Mastery Questions on Blackboard for Chapter 10. To do this, you must log on to Blackboard. This MUST be completed by the beginning of class to get credit for the work! SIMULATION: An exercise in Equal Employment Hiring—read and bring handout to class. WRITTEN HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT (counts as 10 Blackboard questions answered correctly): Create a chart comparing the qualifications of all the job candidates. Monday, December 5.  3 pm -- meet at my office (C-7 in the HSS building) and I will find a room that is empty to use for the Review Session for last test. Review Guide for Test 4. Test 4 will be given in the final exam periods. For the 2:30 class, the exam is Wednesday, December 7 at 2 pm.  . For the 4:30 class, the exam is Wednesday, December 7 at 5 pm.