APLS 201 on the Internet

Assignments for Registered Students

Spring 2012

(Always under construction!)

Last updated 4/23/2012

All assignments MUST be completed in the time period noted – see the individual exercises for the precise due dates, which are found on the left hand side of the page. If you have computer problems, you should fax, snail mail, or hand carry your assignments to me. Unless the USCA website or email server or Blackboard are down, you are expected to complete your assignment on time. We will ignore holidays and weekends, since we are a virtual class, and so that you can have about a week to complete each set of assignments.

Remember to read the chapter in your text first, then do the Blackboard questions (go to the Blackboard web site at https://blackboard.sc.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp and log in there with your Blackboard user name and password, then click on the assignments link – always submit your responses to the Test Mastery Questions on Blackboard), then do the internet or newspaper assignment, and finally, complete your discussion assignment on the Blackboard Discussion Forum. Internet and newspaper assignments only should be sent to me at carolb@usca.edu and MUST be labeled in the subject line with the topic of your email (assignment one or Political Parties assignment, etc).

Assignments will be updated regularly. Please check back each week rather than relying on the schedule that is posted now.

Note: You may request a tutor from the Academic Support Center by completing the form found at this link:

http://web.usca.edu/asc/tutoring/request-a-tutor.dot or go to the Academic Support Center in the Penland Building.

Remember that Blackboard Test Mastery Questions are worth 1 point each, and there are 20 points for each of the 11 chapters. That is a total of 220 points. Web and newspaper assignments are worth 3 points each and an initial discussion response on the Blackboard Discussion Forum is worth 2 points. While I cannot give you an exact percentage for each portion of the grade at this writing, since we may add or delete an occasional assignment, I can give you an approximation. These are: TBA

Be sure you use your own words for any assignment – many students think it is fine to copy words and ideas off the internet without any attribution. This is plagiarism and is stealing someone else’s work. Closely paraphrasing by changing just a few words is not acceptable and also violates academic integrity.

Be sure you use quote marks and attribute anyone’s work to that source! More information is available in the Student Handbook under Violation of Academic Integrity. I will give you an automatic F on any plagiarized assignment and follow the University Judicial Proceedings policy. It’s dishonest and morally wrong to plagiarize! Don’t take these kinds of shortcuts. If I ask you to read and comment on something I want your ideas, not someone else’s.

Extra credit events are posted on the extra credit link as they occur (link is found on your home page). Events will be updated whenever possible.

Questions? Check back with me at 641-3227 or via email or stop by my office, H and SS C-5. I’m on campus every week day!

Assignments

January 9-15 (Mon-Sun): Introduction to our class! Please do not post to Blackboard prior to the first day of class, as I will be updating assignments! We’ll get started by posting a little information about ourselves on Blackboard’s Discussion Forum, and by reading and commenting on a couple of newspaper articles (send your responses on those articles directly to your professor via email, and be sure to fill in the subject line and sign your name!)

a. Getting to Know You- Due by Fri. Jan. 13 at midnight. This will count as your first assignment for this class. Post your response on the Blackboard Discussion Forum entitled “Getting to Know You” for our class, responding to my initial post on the forum. Introduce yourself to everyone in the class and read what everyone else has posted. State your name, your class in school and major, where you are from, and tell us something about yourself that you would like to share. What do you like to do, how do you like to spend your free time, what are your hopes and dreams? Note: I’ll generally copy the Discussion Forum question here on your webpage but you should go to the Blackboard Discussion Forum to post your response(s).

b. Newspaper assignment: Read the following articles from the NY Times (copy and paste each link or go to the newspaper’s website and type the name of the article into the search feature):

“Can Congress Force You to be Healthy?” by Jason Mazzone, December 16, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/opinion/17mazzone.html?_r=1&hp

“Wage Protection for Home Care Workers” by Steven Greenhouse, December 15, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/business/wage-protection-planned-for-home-care-workers.html?ref=politics

The first article, in particular, addresses one of the key questions we pose in this course, How much should government do? Think about what is the role of government – you will address this when you look at ideology after reading unit 1 – this question addresses the health care issue primarily. So, what are your thoughts here? How do you feel about the whole issue? Do you like some of the features from the new health care plan, like being able to stay on your parents’ plan until you turn 26 if you don’t have your own insurance, or an insurance company not being able to drop you if you get sick, are injured, or have a pre-existing condition (sometimes even young people get cancer or are in a serious accident)? Should government be able to force you to buy health insurance if you can afford to do so? If we got rid of the mandate (this is one of the key questions the Supreme Court will decide during the current term!), how would the insurance companies be able to afford to cover people with expensive illnesses if they are not allowed to drop them, without going bust themselves? Or should people be left on their own to find ways to pay for medical care when they get sick or hurt? Think about what will happen if Medicare and Medicaid do get cut in the end, as a result of the new budget deal! What obligations, if any, do we have as a society to those who need our help, whether young or old, and how should we resolve this important problem?

The second article puts a human face on government regulation, with a discussion of whether government should require businesses to pay certain wages and salary- these workers are now exempt from federal requirements. You can see here the pros and cons in the positions taken by Democrats and Republicans. It also shows us how every issue has at least two sides! So, what do you think? What are the major arguments for and against? Who makes the better case, and why? Address this in a couple of paragraphs.

Email me at carolb@usca.edu with your response by Sun. Jan. 15 at midnight, and be sure to answer in several thoughtful paragraphs that show you read the article and thought about it. Do not use attachments and fill in the subject line. Check your spelling and grammar. I will respond within a couple of days at the latest. Always save a copy of your work in case it is lost in cyberspace!

Mon. Jan. 16: MLK holiday – no face to face classes – university closed.

Tues. Jan. 18: Governor Haley’s State of the State address, 7 pm on SCETV. Watch the program and do a short write up where you describe, in five separate paragraphs, the five things about the speech that "jumped out" at you, and why (be sure to evaluate her proposals there!) you will earn up to five extra credit points towards your first test grade! Your report is due via email by 10 am tomorrow.

Unit 1: Introduction—Jan. 16-22 (Mon-Sun): Read Chapter 1 in online text.

a. Complete the Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for unit 1 by going to the Blackboard website. These are due by Thurs. Jan. 19 at midnight. Be sure to read Chapter 1 before you answer the questions. Do these on the Blackboard website. Do NOT send them to me! I will access your grades on Blackboard. You should be able to click on “assignments” there to get to the questions. Check it out in advance to make sure your user id and password work, and that you understand what to do. If you have problems, contact the Blackboard people in Columbia during normal weekday business hours. No one is available at night or on the weekends. Try resetting your password if you have trouble logging in, and if it still doesn’t work, send out a call for help. If you do the questions early you can save them to review and then submit later, but they will not be available after midnight on Jan. 19. You can also print them out by hand if you want, but you still need to submit them electronically to get credited for your work.

b. Wed assignment: Due Fri. Jan. 20 at midnight. Political scientists have developed much more complex ideological schemes than the one found in this chapter. Here’s a new ideology quiz for you to try. Remember the two key dimensions we used in the text, of how much government should do in regulating the economy and regulating people’s private lives. Some political scientists add other dimensions as well, such as views on government protecting civil rights, or military.

Take the Where Do You Fit? Quiz at http://people-press.org/typology/quiz/ (copy and paste url)

Then write a paragraph indicating whether you fit where you thought you would fit, and why. Were you surprised at the results? The quiz is oversimplified, of course, so let me know what types of questions you think would be helpful in determining people’s attitudes about politics and government. You do not have to identify your ideology if you prefer not to do so. Email your results to me at carolb@usca.edu by midnight on Jan. 20 in the body of an email.

c. Discussion question: Due by midnight Sun. Jan. 22. Post your response on the Blackboard Discussion entitled “Unit 1” for our class, responding to my initial post on the forum. During the past year, many airports began to add body scanners that allow TSA officials to see all there is to see of you, and pat down searches that can sometimes be intrusive. Some people find this very intrusive, while other people think that it is worth the added inconvenience and loss of privacy in order to keep us safe. One of the questions people have to grapple with in a democratic nation is finding the right balance between security and privacy. So, what is the right balance? How can we fend off the terrorists and still protect our privacy? Or can we? What about that assumption of innocent until proven guilty? Have you experienced a body scan or pat down search while traveling? Would you mind being searched or scanned? Is it worth the inconvenience and intrusion in order to be safer?

Tues. Jan. 24 – President Obama’s State of the Union address – 9 pm - extra credit. After watching this (it will no doubt also be streamed on the White House website), list and describe in five separate paragraphs five points or proposals the President made that will affect you and yours, and explain. Due Thurs. Jan. 26 at 10 am via email. 5 extra credit points.

Unit 2: The Constitution—Jan. 23-29 (Mon-Sun): Read Chapter 2 in online text.

A fun look at the Constitution and the concept of original intent, from comedian Steven Colbert:

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/360495/september-29-2010/the-word---original-spin

a. Complete the Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for unit 2 by going to the Blackboard website. These are due by Thurs. Jan. 26 at midnight. Be sure to read Chapter 2 before you answer the questions.

b. Web assignment: Due Fri. Jan. 27 at midnight. Read the following two articles about the Tea Party and the one article about the Occupy movement, then respond to me at carolb@usca.edu in the body of an email (and note also that Time Magazine selected the protest movements as its “Person” of the Year for 2011! This included not just the movements in the US, but also those found in other parts of the world, like the Middle East):

“Poll Finds Tea Party Backers Wealthier and More Educated,” by Kate Zernike and Megan Thee-Brenan, New York Times, April 14, 2010. Copy and paste url: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/us/politics/15poll.html?_r=1&emc=eta1 – describe the typical member or supporter of the Tea Party, at least as this movement existed in its early days – are these people very much like people you know? Why were they so angry? How did they want to change government? Do you see any contradictions in their goals? Answer in a couple of paragraphs.

“That Monolithic Tea Party Just Wasn’t There,” by Kate Zernike, New York Times, August 1, 2011. Copy and paste url: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/us/politics/02teaparty.html?scp=3&sq=tea%20party&st=cse – After reading this subsequent article, describe how the Tea Party seems to have changed over time, and how its members and supporters seem to feel about the budget debate and the debt limit battle. Do you agree with the author’s analysis of how much strength and power it holds? Why or why not? And what lessons are there here for members of Congress of both parties? Answer in a couple of paragraphs.

“Elements of Style as Occupy Movement Evolves,” by Alice Rawsthorne, New York Times, November 21, 2011. Copy and paste url: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/arts/design/elements-of-style-as-occupy-movement-evolves.html?scp=10&sq=what%20is%20occupy&st=cse - describe the Occupy movement in a paragraph. What kind of people are part of this? What are their goals? What similarities and differences do you see with the Tea Party movement?

c. Discussion question: Due Sun. Jan. 29 at midnight. Post your response on the Blackboard Discussion Forum entitled “Unit 2” for our class, responding to my initial post on the forum. Many people, including some of the Tea Party supporters as well as Occupy protestors, think that changes are warranted in our governmental system. Be sure to read through the various comments that others make and that I make). Many others disagree with these groups, but also think there are ways to improve on the model developed by the Founders in the late 1700s. Suppose you could make one change in the Constitution? What would it be? And why? Caution: Before responding, remember why the Founders gave us a short and sometimes vague document! Be careful what you wish for! Also, remember when you respond to be respectful of your classmates and their diversity and beliefs. Be sure to read the comments of others before you make yours, and do not parrot their responses. Each of you must make a well thought out, individual response! You will not get credit for a response that just agrees with someone else or duplicates what they said. Early bird gets the worm! And this is true for all of your discussion responses this semester.

Unit 3: The Legislative Branch—Jan. 30-Feb. 5 (Mon-Sun): Read Chapter 3 in online text.

a. Complete the Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for unit 3 by going to the Blackboard website. These are due by Thurs. Feb. 2 (Groundhog Day!) at midnight. Be sure to read Chapter 3 before you answer the questions.

b. Wed assignment: Due Fri. Feb. 3 at midnight. Go to the websites for each house of Congress, at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov - Find the name and political party of both of your senators and of your representative in the House. Also take a look at the committees and subcommittees on which they serve. Today, members have a lot of choice there, unlike the old days when junior members were simply given an assignment by the leaders in Congress (the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House are the two top leaders). Why do you think these individuals would want to serve on these particular committees and subcommittees (remember the reasons your text cites as to why people want to serve on various committees – I can think of at least three different reasons)? Explain. If you were serving in the House or Senate, would you make different choices? Why or why not? Email your response to me at carolb@usca.edu in the body of an email. Be sure to fill in the subject line of your email, too!

c. Discussion question: Due Sun. Feb. 5 at midnight. In December of 2010, the Gallup Organization reported that its most recent poll showed Americans' approval rating of Congress at a historic low, at 13%, with a disapproval rating of 83%, the lowest in more than 30 years. For the year overall, the job approval rating for Congress was 19%, tied with that of some other years in the past when the economy was poor. Congress’s job approval increased slightly in early 2011, but dropped back to 13% again in August of 2011. Its disapproval rating was 84%, one point higher than in December of 2010. This was shortly after the debt debacle where Congress went down to the wire and the nation almost defaulted on its debt. In December of 2011, Gallup reported that ¾ of registered voters felt that incumbent members of Congress should not be re-elected, the highest percent to say that in the 19 years that Gallup had asked that question. While there are certainly a number of specific factors that may be responsible for how Americans feel right now, people are often frustrated by the failure of Congress to act and solve problems, regardless of which party is in charge. Note also that President Obama's approval ratings, while not high, remain fairly steady in the mid-40s in 2010. They seemed to have hovered there for much of 2011 and were about 42% as 2011 drew to a close, not especially promising for a president engaged in a re-election campaign. There seems little doubt that the poor economy is the major factor for him. As we move into early 2012, our focus is on the coming election, but the problems we face are the same as in 2011. Now read on for your question!

What I'm going to ask you to do here is to refer back to a specific area addressed near the end of your chapter, energy policy. As I write this, gasoline is running around $3. 26 per gallon nationally (December 2011 figures), although not for a very good reason – the global economy is not in very good shape! It is possible that by the time you read this, they will have dropped even further. They were a little cheaper in Aiken, with the cheapest gas about $3.00. Gas is considerably higher in some areas, like NY state, where my son lives! Most of their gas comes from Canada (yes, it is a big supplier of gas to the US! And you may have read about the controversy over building a 1000 mile pipeline from Alberta down through Nebraska and well into the US). There is little doubt that we will remain dependent for oil and gasoline on sometimes unfriendly countries in the Middle East and elsewhere for the foreseeable future. No president or Congress has been able to take the steps to shift us away from this dependence on a finite resource, whether towards significantly more fuel efficient cars like hybrids or towards solar power. Other alternative energy sources have garnered only limited support and there are always interests that support and oppose them. Obviously we need reliable sources of energy to prosper as a nation, whether it's wind power, or wave power from the oceans, or nuclear, or coal, or gas gained from underground "fracking" (perhaps you have seen the commercials from the oil companies, which are trying to assure us now that the gas cannot possibly get into the groundwater supply! But there is some question about whether fracking is responsible for earthquakes that have occurred in Ohio, now!). So why is Congress unable to act and accomplish anything here? Is it just the structure of Congress, designed to act slowly, is it the politics, is it the pressure from interests, or what? How can Congress address this? What would you tell your members of Congress to do? Remember that any action they take may affect you, whether in paying higher taxes for gas, having a nuclear plant next door, or being required to install solar panels when you build a new house!

First Test: Feb. 6-8 (Mon-Wed)--All tests must be received by midnight on Wed. Feb. 8! This will be an essay exam. Remember to send your test in the body of an email (no attachments) and to sign the honor pledge electronically. The test covers units 1, 2, and 3. Copy and paste this link:

http://www.usca.edu/polisci/apls201/apls201webc/test1spring2012.htm

Unit 4: The Executive—Feb. 9-15 (Thurs-Wed): Read Chapter 4 in online text.

a. Complete the Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for unit 4 by going to the Blackboard website. These are due by Mon. Feb. 13 at midnight. Be sure to read Chapter 4 before you answer the questions.

b. Web assignment: Due Tues. Feb. 14 at midnight. Go to the White House website at www.whitehouse.gov and find two separate things there that illustrate something you read in the chapter. Write a separate paragraph for each. Explain and be very specific. Email it to me at carolb@usca.edu in the body of an email.

c. Discussion question: Due Wed. Feb. 15 at midnight. Post your response on the Blackboard Discussion Forum. Although most texts will refer at least briefly to the roles played by the vice president and others appointed to the offices known as the “institutional presidency,” we hear very little about the First Lady’s role. This is an informal role since she has no official standing or salary, although she is assigned an office and a staff. First Ladies are also expected to be not only helpmates but to have some policy area they pursue – for Lady Bird Johnson, for example, it was beautification, and for Laura Bush, it was literacy. Michelle Obama has focused on childhood obesity. But the First Lady does far more, serving as an informal advisor to the president, and as a “surrogate” who represents him at home and abroad at many official events. So, what qualifications do you think are needed for a successful First Lady, however you define success? Suppose this was an elective office, instead of one that just occurs by happenstance? Think about her education, her work experience, and even her ability to bake cookies! What qualifications do you think are needed to do a good job as First or Second Lady and how would you define that job? Should she focus on being “just” a wife and mother, a helpmate? Or should she be able to take an outside job (Dr. Jill Biden, our current Second Lady, works part-time, as did her predecessor, Lynn Cheney)? What do these women actually do all day? Take a look and cite one specific thing in your discussion. You don’t have to respond to each and every one of these questions, but you should answer some of them. If you are not familiar with what any of these ladies have been doing, refer to some news sources for more information!

Unit 5: The Bureaucracy—Feb. 16-22 (Thurs-Wed): Read Chapter 5 in online text.

a. Complete the Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for unit 5 by going to the Blackboard website. These are due by Mon. Feb. 20 at midnight. Be sure to read Chapter 5 before you answer the questions.

b. Web assignment: Due Tues. Feb. 21 at midnight. We are going to take a look at e-gov, or electronic government today. Most states, cities, and counties now have websites with lots of information and where you often can take advantage of needed services, all from the comfort of your own home or office (or I guess, almost anywhere, since most of you now access the internet on your smart phones!). The federal government also has an excellent website, which you can find at www.usa.gov – a web portal to all kinds of resources, information, and services (I go directly to the post office’s website now when I travel and fill out a “hold mail” form there, and I downloaded the form to renew my passport from the passport office’s website last year). Here is what I want you to do. Go to the website for your local government, the city or county where you live, and see what kind of services are offered entirely over the web, or what kind of information is provided. Cite at least two things, in a separate and detailed paragraph for each. You will have to do more than just look at the governmental entity’s home page for this! You can find the website by Googling it or going into your web browser – type in the name of the entity, like “city of San Jose” or “Lexington County, SC” – you will come up with a list of links – then click on the one for your local government’s web site. Email the information to me at carolb@usca.edu in the body of an email.

c. Discussion question: Due. Wed. Feb. 22 at midnight. Post your response on the Blackboard Discussion Forum. For this assignment, I am going to ask you to read the following newspaper article (this is a couple of years old, but it’s still a good one!), take a look at the FDA food safety website, which has a lot of current information, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website, and then comment – but don’t read these right before you eat a meal! You should think about what government does and what role it should play here (if you read Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” then you know that things used to be a lot worse – this newspaper series by the muckraking journalists led to such an outcry that Congress created the first federal regulatory agency, the FDA). How much should it do? Should government regulate business? Or is that interfering with the individual rights of that business or corporation? Is there a happy medium? Remember that everything we do costs money, too! In your discussion, refer back to the “Maggots” article and to something that the USDA does that you read about, as well as something the CDC does that you read about.

1. “The Maggots in Your Mushrooms, New York Times, by E.J. Levy, Feb. 12, 2009 – copy and paste the following url: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/opinion/13levy.html?emc=eta1

2. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website: copy and paste url at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

3. CDC Food Safety website: copy and paste url at http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/

Extra credit assignments worth up to 30 points on your first test grade! There are three essays and you can do all or none of them. Due by 9 am on Tues. March 13. For more information, copy and paste extra credit link at

http://www.usca.edu/polisci/apls201/apls201webc/extra.htm

Unit 6: The Judicial Branch—Feb. 23-29 (Thurs-Wed): Read Chapter 6 in online text.

a. Complete the Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for unit 6 by going to the Blackboard website. These are due by Mon. Feb. 27 at midnight. Be sure to read Chapter 6 before you answer the questions.

b. Web assignment: Due Tues. Feb. 28 at midnight. Find out how judges are chosen in your home state – in many states, judges are appointed by the governor, elected by the public, or there may be an entirely different procedure. It is not at all like the approach used by the federal government – remember that we have 51 separate judicial systems, one for the federal government and separate ones for each of the 50 states. Then find out how long they serve and the qualifications to serve (Age? Residency? Education? Any other legal requirements?). We have this mental images of judges in their black robes, impartially dispensing justice. Which of the many ways that judges get their jobs is the best, and will be most likely to meet that goal of impartial justice, in your view? Why? You will have to either find the link for your state’s judiciary on your state government’s home page, or through your web browser. You may have to hunt through the web site or do a search on it to find some of the information. Email it to me in the body of an email at carolb@usca.edu .

c. Discussion question: Due Wed. Feb. 29 at midnight. Post your response on the Blackboard Discussion Forum. From what you have read in Chapter 6, you have seen the highly political nature of the courts. The US Supreme Court's current term is well underway now (it always starts on the first Monday in October). Take a look at some of the cases they are considering this term and pick just one. How might politics play a role in the ultimate decision? What other factors may be involved? You should review the chapter in your text before answering this and read this NY Times editorial, which gives you the “liberal” perspective on a conservative-majority Supreme Court. “Politics and the Supreme Court,” NY Times (Feb. 4, 2012)

Copy and paste url: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/opinion/sunday/politics-and-the-supreme-court.html?_r=1&src=rechp

Feb. 27 (Mon): Midpoint of semester.

Mar. 2 (Fri): Last day to drop a course or withdraw without receiving a WF for fall classes.

Mar. 5-9 (Mon-Fri): Spring break – no face to face classes!

Unit 7: Federalism—Mar. 1-11 (Thurs- Sun the last day of break): Read Chapter 7 in online text. This unit overlaps spring break, so I am giving you a few extra days to get it done. (Note that our second test is scheduled after we return from the break – I will try to post that early for you, since some of you may want to work on it during the break) If you will be away over the break, go ahead and do your assignments early! Then enjoy!

a. Complete the Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for unit 7 by going to the Blackboard website. These are due by Sun. Mar. 11 at midnight. Be sure to read Chapter 7 before you answer the questions.

b. Web assignment: Due Sun. Mar. 11 at midnight. Copy and paste the link for the American states at http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/State_and_Territories.shtml or look up state governments individually by typing a search term like “Maine state government” into your browser. Pick any two states other than the one that you reside in. Explore these two states and pick any one topic or service, like elections or health care or tourism or corrections or recreation or lotteries or mass transit or education – you choose, but it must be a distinct and comparable service or activity – and compare. In what respects are these states similar and in what respects are they different, or unique, in terms of this one area or service? Be very specific. Think about what this illustrates about federalism and comment. Remember the concept of states as “laboratories of democracy?” Email your findings and comments to me at carolb@usca.edu in the body of an email.

c. Discussion question: Due Sun. Mar. 11 at midnight. Post your response on the Blackboard Discussion Forum. As your text notes, the big federalism question with regards to the various levels of government is “Who is responsible for what?” So I am going to ask you to address this. Many people think we need to make changes in who handles what – libertarians like Ron Paul would really like to downsize government, both federal and state, and even local (I heard a news story on NPR where the analysts said a Ron Paul federal government would be about 80% smaller) and have the private sector handle most things – if you get food poisoning, for example, you can sue the private companies responsible for the tainted food, and if the demand is there, we will pay for a private service to handle this. Some developments that are gated do have their own private security folks instead of depending on the police, I should add. Many people wouldn’t go that far, but Republican efforts to downsize the national government do have some libertarian elements to them, and some politicians like Governor Rick Perry would like to turn over more services to the states, seeing them as more responsive. Of course, we would lose any uniformity between what services were provided in different states, but maybe that is ok, since states are all different. Well, in the news we have been hearing a lot lately about how we have spent very little on our infrastructure for a long time – that’s our roads and bridges and so on. They are in disrepair, and many of the bridges are falling apart and cannot handle the current weight limits of cars and trucks. There have been a couple of well publicized bridge disasters in the last couple of years, too. The interstates are overcrowded in many areas and these roads, as well as many local ones around the country, are not in very good condition. Citizens often find big potholes that provide business for car repair shops but don’t make owners very happy. So, here’s my question: who should have the primary responsibility for fixing our infrastructure, the bridges and roads and tunnels we use to travel and to receive the goods and the food we use? Should it be the state, the cities, the counties, or the national government? Or should we simply privatize these roads, something that has happened in some areas? And how should we pay for whatever we decide to do? Tolls? Gas taxes? Taxes on goods and services we receive? Or through some other method? We’re a good way from having a Star Trek type transporter available yet! But you decide!

Second Test: Mar. 12-14 (Mon-Wed)—All tests must be received by midnight on Mar. 14! This will be an essay exam. Remember to send your test in the body of an email (no attachments) and to sign the honor pledge electronically. The test covers units 4, 5, 6, and 7. Note: This will overlap with part of fall break, so you can have some additional time to work on the test if you wish. If you are going away or just want to take some time off, get your test done before the break!

Copy and paste the following url: http://www.usca.edu/polisci/apls201/apls201webc/test2spring2012.htm

Reminder: Extra credit due on Tues. Mar. 13!!!

Unit 8: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights—Mar. 15-21 (Thurs-Wed): Read Chapter 8 in online text.

a. Complete the Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for unit 8 by going to the Blackboard website. These are due by Mon. Mar. 19 at midnight. Be sure to read Chapter 8 before you answer the questions.

b. Web/newspaper assignment: Due Tues. Mar. 20 at midnight. For this assignment we are going to focus on civil rights. Read the following short article, and also take the 1965 Alabama Literacy Test (I am giving you two links here, and you can use either one). Let me know how you did on that test! How did you score? Would you have been able to vote before 1965, when the Voting Rights Act became law, if you were an African-American citizen of Alabama? How about SC’s approach? You have been looking at the Constitution all semester – before you took this course, how would you have done on that test, reading and interpreting some part of the Constitution?

SC info from Sciway: copy and paste url - http://www.sciway.net/afam/reconstruction/literacytests.html

Alabama Literacy Test: copy and paste url:

(interactive version) - http://kpearson.project.tcnj.edu/interactive/imm_files/test.html

(pdf) - http://www.civicallyspeaking.org/literacy.pdf

c. Discussion question: Due Wed. Mar. 21 at midnight. Post your response on the Blackboard Discussion Forum. For this assignment we are going to focus on civil liberties. Controversy has long swirled around the meaning of the Second Amendment, and this was a big issue during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayer in the summer of 2009. In June of 2008, in a narrowly written decision that overturned Washington, DC’s strict gun control law (the Heller case), the Supreme Court recognized an individual right to bear arms – for at least the past one hundred years, it was understood to refer to a collective right – but because DC is not a state, the Court chose at that time not to incorporate the right, or apply it to the states at that time. In March of 2010, the Supreme Court heard a very similar case (the McDonald case) concerning Chicago’s very strict gun control law. This time the Court chose to incorporate the right to bear arms, applying the same limitations placed on the federal government by the Constitution to states (and thus local governments). In both instances, the Court stated that governments may place some restrictions on gun ownership and use, such as prohibiting felons from using guns, but it is expected that there will be many cases in the years that follow that address such questions as whether governments can prohibit individuals from bringing guns on a high school or college campus or may pass laws prohibiting individuals from bringing guns into privately owned facilities like a bar, or requiring parents to have child safety locks on guns if there is a toddler in the house. Of course, states and local communities can allow greater rather than lesser access to guns if they choose. Many states have relaxed their gun laws in recent years. In August of 2008 a school board in Texas went further than most communities have gone (well, it is Texas, after all!). They decided to let some teachers in Harrold, Texas, carry concealed guns, arguing that in a day and age where school shootings are no longer uncommon, it will provide needed security. Naturally, pro-gun groups think this is a good idea and anti-gun groups (as well as the teachers unions) think it is a bad idea. So here is your question. What do you think about this? Should teachers, either K-12, or at the college level, be allowed to carry guns in school? How do you feel about having your child attend a school where the teachers are armed, or about attending a college where your professors are armed? What about allowing college students to “pack heat” or even to have guns in their car?

Unit 9: Interest Groups—Mar. 22-28 (Thurs-Wed): Read Chapter 9 in online text and Federalist Number 10.

a. Complete the Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for unit 9 by going to the Blackboard website. These are due by Mon. Mar. 26 at midnight. Be sure to read Chapter 9 before you answer the questions. There will also be a couple of questions based on Federalist Number 10, a very important document. You can find a copy of this document by typing the term into your search engine. Read Federalist 10, and don’t be put off by the flowery language – remember that it was written for the people of the day, in the late 1700s! Don’t cheat here by just reading the summary on Wikipedia – give it a shot and look at the original document! After all, I haven’t asked you to memorize it!

b. Web assignment: Due Tues. Mar. 27 at midnight. Search the web for the sites of two different interest groups of your choice. These should be groups you find interesting and would consider joining at some point in your life. Describe the incentives each group uses to attract members (see the discussion in your text). Which incentives are solidarity benefits? Which are material benefits? Which are informational benefits? In other words, what does this group offer that makes it likely that you or someone else would join? Explain. Email your response to me at carolb@usca.edu in the body of an email.

Note: extra credit event at 12 noon Wed. 3/28 – see your extra credit link! Scroll down!

c. Discussion question: Due. Wed. Mar. 28 at midnight. Post your response on the Blackboard Discussion Forum. As noted near the end of your chapter, Robert Putnam wrote a book that got a lot of attention, entitled Bowling Alone. You can Google the terms, btw, and find an article he wrote on this topic that is pretty interesting. He argues there that the nature of group membership has changed and that most of us are not very active in groups anymore. We choose to spend our time doing other things. Of course there are some troubling implications if we are not attuned to what is going on in our society and just leave it up to the politicians and interests to make decisions for us! So here is my question. As college students you are pretty busy. But how do you spend your free time? Watching tv? Playing video games, like Angry Birds? Texting with friends or on a social network site? Reading books? Exercising? Doing stuff with family or a boyfriend/girlfriend? Or something else? Are you involved in any interest groups now? What about your parents? How do they spend their free time? What does this tell you about why people are less likely to join interest groups today!

Extra credit for test 2 has been posted on your extra credit link! You can earn up to 40 points! Due Monday April 16. I have posted one more as of 3/30. Lots of points you can earn!

Unit 10: Political Parties and Elections—Mar. 29-Apr. 4 (Thurs-Wed): Read Chapter 10 in online text.

a. Complete the Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for unit 10 by going to the Blackboard website. These are due by Mon. Apr. 2 at midnight. Be sure to read Chapter 10 before you answer the questions.

b. Web assignment: Due Tues. Apr. 3 at midnight. Find a list of third or minor parties on the web (you can type in a search term like “American political parties” into your browser). Find one that interests you and look at its website. Why might you join this party? Describe two issue positions held by this party that appeal to you. Since, as we say, “the devil is in the details” think about and also explain the implications of these positions if the party was successful in achieving its goals (if a party says it wants a smaller government, for example, think about what would happen and the implications in terms of what might be eliminated and how we would decide that; if they say they simply want to outlaw all abortions, consider the implications in terms of the costs to society, such as whether a lot more children might be born with serious and hard to treat medical problems or whose parents were unable to care for them or whether teen pregnancy rates would go up – look at the whole picture, not just your gut reaction to cute little babies being harmed – most issues are complicated! Remember that it’s easy for a group to engage in platitudes or come up with a sound bite, but implementation is another ball game. I stress, too, that I am not taking a position myself on these issues here, just trying to get you to think about consequences of policymaking). Finally, see what you can find out about this party elsewhere. Do a bit of research. Does it just exist on paper or electronically, with the support of a handful of people and little money? Or is it bigger and more successful and better known? Think about whether it might be likely to grow into a major party and why or why not. Email me at carolb@usca.edu in the body of an email.

c. Discussion question: Due Wed. Apr. 4 at midnight. Post your response on the Blackboard Discussion Forum. We’re still a long way from the November 2012 election, where we will elect a new president or re-elect the current one, and one third of the Senate and all of the House will be up for election or re-election. But the campaign is well under way, and as you have no doubt seen from past events, what Congress does in the months ahead will be greatly influenced by the potential electoral fortunes of each party. And then there’s the Census, which will add seats in red states like SC (where a new seat was added at the coast), at the expense of some of the blue states. So, take out your crystal ball, and tell me, based on what you have read in your text and in the news, what do you think will happen? Will the fortunes of the Democrats improve? Remember, it was only a few years ago, in 2008, that observers were predicting the demise of the Republican party! You saw how that worked out! But our voters don’t have a lot of patience. Or will the Republicans retain their majority in the House, perhaps gain a majority in the Senate, and turn President Obama into a one term president? What do you think will happen and why? What has to happen for each party to have success?

Unit 11: Public Opinion, Socialization, and the Media—Apr. 5-11 (Thurs-Wed): Read Chapter 11 in online text. Many of you will be celebrating the Easter holiday on Apr. 8, so be sure to plan ahead to get your work done on time!

a. Complete the Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for unit 11 by going to the Blackboard website. These are due by Mon. Apr. 9 at midnight. Be sure to read Chapter 11 before you answer the questions.

b. Web assignment: Due Tues. Apr. 10 at midnight. A good poll can provide us with all kinds of information. Go to the website of one of the reliable polling organizations like Gallup at www.gallup.com or the PEW Research Center at http://pewresearch.org/ and find a poll (not just a story about a survey) conducted in the past month. Make sure it is an actual poll, not just a summary. Read all about it. Then email me at carolb@usca.edu with the following information. Begin with the name of the polling organization, the url, and the title of the poll. Then answer the following: What was the poll about and what were its findings? Be sure to answer each part in your own words. Then look carefully and see how many people were interviewed and when the interviews took place. You may find this information in a footnote or in tiny print at the bottom of the survey, but it’s there – you just have to read the whole article and look carefully. Then take a look at the questions – there may be a separate link to the actual survey or they may give some of the questions somewhere in the story itself. Do these seem to be neutral questions that try to find out what people actually think about something? Remember that a push poll tries to change your opinions, not find out what you really think (so if I asked you “Do you favor the rights of unborn children” I would not be trying to find out how you feel about abortion, but push you toward opposing abortion – after all, who can be against children? But if I ask you “Do you favor or support abortion under the following set of circumstances” giving you a range of choices from “Never” to “Under all circumstances” or even simply say “Do you support or oppose abortion” – those questions simply try to tap into how you feel without biasing your answer). Reliable polling organizations try to ask neutral, unbiased questions. In any case, explain your answers.

c. Discussion question: Due on Wed. Apr. 11 at midnight. Post your response on the Blackboard Discussion Forum. In this unit, you have read about how the media makes decisions about what is newsworthy. People often complain that nothing good appears in the news, whether in a paper newspaper, on the radio, on television, or on the Internet. Think of the stories that have periodically dominated the news in the last couple of years, stories like the Casey Anthony trial, the release of the American female hiker imprisoned for over a year in Iran, the Russian spy ring, the Gulf Oil spill, the volcano in Iceland that disrupted air traffic across the Atlantic, repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” legislation, the debate over “Obamacare,” and over Delaware Republican senatorial candidate Christine O’Donnell’s statement that she is not a witch! We seem to periodically see sex scandals that involved public figures, celebrities and other prominent persons, including Rep. Anthony Weiner, golfer Tiger Woods, SC governor Mark Sanford, and director Roman Polanski. In the waning weeks of 2010, there was extensive coverage of the revelations of secret cables and documents by Wikileaks and the arrest of Julian Assange, its creator, on rape charges, and in 2011, the arrest and subsequent release of the former director of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, on charges of attempted rape. So I am asking you, what kind of stories capture your attention? What did you read or hear about today or in the last few days? Do you remember any stories about domestic or foreign policy issues? About the budget? What captured your attention and why?

Unit 12: We have finished the text. So I am asking you to complete the following assignments now that you have a better understanding of the American governmental system. We will finish up during the last couple of weeks by looking at several important policy areas that have been and will continue to be in the news. There will be no Blackboard Test Mastery Questions for these units.

Climate Change—Apr. 12-18 (Thurs-Wed)

Web assignment: Due. Tues. Apr. 17 at midnight. Read the following on the PEW Center for Climate Change web site. “The Basics,” copy and paste url: http://www.pewclimate.org/global-warming-basics/about - and then read the approximately ten pages on this link: “Climate Change 101: Science and Impacts,” http://www.pewclimate.org/docUploads/climate101-science.pdf - Summarize what you learned from these articles in a one page typed equivalent essay. And what did you learn from reading this? What was the one single thing you are likely to remember a year from now?

Discussion Assignment: Due Wed. Apr. 18 at midnight. Reply on the Blackboard Discussion Forum. Although some people still do not think climate change is "real" (perhaps in part because of the unfortunate use of the term "global warming" and misunderstandings about what is involved in long term climate change) virtually all reputable scientists accept it as a fact of life now and many nations, as well as some American cities, have taken steps to prepare for rising seas and changing agricultural patterns. You have already read some articles on climate change for your web/newspaper assignment, of course, so you should be familiar with the topic area. But many people, and many of our politicians, do not think climate change is real, or if real, that it is a natural phenomenon, not manmade. Why do you think this is so? Do you find the evidence convincing or lacking? What do you think?

Unit 13: Foreign policy and immigration policy—Apr. 19-23 (Thurs-Mon)

Web assignment: Due Sun. Apr. 22 at midnight. Find two current newspaper articles on US foreign policy issues. Summarize each in a paragraph and include the name of the newspaper, url or page number, author, name of article, and date. What did you learn here about US foreign policy? Look for something current that involves some of the problems and issues we face right now!

Discussion Assignment: Due Mon. Apr. 23 at midnight. Reply on the Blackboard Discussion Forum. According to the 2010 Census, there has been a great increase in the number of persons of Hispanic or Latino origin living in the US. The Census attempts to include everyone living in the US so it does not distinguish between legal and illegal residents. But by most estimates there are about 11 million people who are here illegally at this time. My question deals with one special group of people, the children of illegal immigrants who were born abroad, so they are not citizens (the 14^th amendment only covers the children who were born here – they are automatically granted citizenship). There are thousands of young people who were brought here by their parents as children. Some of them were so young that they have no memory of their country of origin, do not speak the language, have never gone back to visit, and have no connections at all there. They grew up in America and feel American. But they cannot vote, cannot receive most student grants or loans, have trouble getting a job, and can be deported at any time. Imagine if someone suddenly told you that you were not a citizen of the country where you grew up and had to leave your home and friends and everything familiar. Some advocates and even some politicians have supported a so-called Dream Act to give a path to citizenship to these young people, if they serve in the military or go to college. But such a law has not passed Congress because of opposition to any "amnesty" and many people are opposed to it. So, what do you think? Should we pass the Dream Act? Or should we treat these young people just as we would treat anyone else who is not here in the US legally, and tell them that they may not remain in the US? What do you think we should do?

Apr. 23 (Mon): Last day of classes!

Apr. 24-25 (Tues-Wed): Reading Days – Good luck on all your exams!

Apr. 26-29 (Thurs-Sun): Third Test (covers chapters 8-11) - due at midnight on Sun. Apr. 29 - Email it to me at carolb@usca.edu in the body of an email. Please do not ask for an extension of time, as I will be grading exams for other classes as well as yours and must meet the university’s deadline! I will be happy to take tests earlier if you have finished them, of course. Copy and paste url:

http://www.usca.edu/polisci/apls201/apls201webc/test3sp2012.htm

Online student evaluation: Please complete by due date of May 2 at 11:59 pm – this is anonymous and I will not see the results for the class as a whole (no names will be included when I do receive results) until after grades are in. When you click on the drop box for the course, please be sure you select the correct class, as I am teaching two online sections of APLS 201 this semester! These are section 062 and 063 for Carol Botsch. There is also another Botsch teaching an online class (061 is his class), and we are both teaching face to face APLS 201 classes as well.

Here is the link: https://fp.usca.edu:8443/eval