I. OBJECTIVE: To help each
student
understand the foundation, organization and operation of
the American national government.
II. METHOD: The instructor has selected 39 topics
and each will be the subject of a lecture or
discussion.Questions and comments are welcome during and after each of
the lectures.
III. TEXTBOOK: James Q. Wilson, American
Government:
Institutions and Policies, 8th
edition (Brief Version in paper) is required.
IV. REQUIRED WRITING:
Topic Report: Each student will select a topic of controversy
related to the national government, research it using print and
internet
resources and
then explain it in a paper of from 3-to-5 pages.
Book
Review: Each student must select and read a book other than the
text
relevant to
the national government.The book must be approved by the instructor.
Each student will then submit
a 3-to-5 page (c.800 – 1300 words) review of the book,
typewritten
and double-spaced. For what
to put in a typical review, click here: BookReview.
Two copies
must be made of the Topic Report and the Book Review in order to avoid the
danger of loss.
V. EXAMS: There will be two exams during the semester
plus
a final exam. Students will be
tested on material from the lectures, textbook and a few handouts. The
majority
of each exam will consist of essay questions.
VI. GRADES Grades will be computed on the following basis:
Each semester exam will
count:
20% of course grade
Report & Review will each count: 10%
The final exam will
count:
40%
VII. GRADE SCALE: 90
- 100 A
87 - 89 B+
80 - 86 B
77 - 79 C+
70 - 76 C
67 - 69 D+
60 - 66 D
- 59 F
VIII. MISSED EXAMS: There is no penalty for missing one
or both of the semester exams. If
you miss one semester exam, then the final exam will count as 60% of
your
course
grade. If you miss both exams, then the final exam will count
80%.
THERE
ARE
NO MAKE UP EXAMS
| 22 August | Syllabus, Resources and the Colonial Era |
| 25 August | The Articles of Confederation: Our Second Constitution find copy at the Avalon Project at Yale |
| 27 August | The Demand for a Stronger Union: the 1780s |
| 29 August | The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Main Characters |
| 3 September | The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Rules and Procedures |
5 September |
The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Challenges and Responses |
| 8 September | Ratification of the Constitution: 1787 - 1790 (see State Ratification Debates) |
| 10 September | Managing the Arguments: The Dangerous 1790s |
| 12 September | Federalism |
| 15 September | Federalism: Horizontal (State to State Relations) |
| 17 September | Federalism: Vertical (Relations between the U.S. and state governments) |
| 19 September | Congress: Members, Pay and Perquisites |
| 22 September | Congress: Conflicting Loyalties (see Base Closing Commission) |
| 24 September | Congress: Organizing the House of Representatives TOPIC REPORT DUE |
| 26 September | Congress: Organizing the Senate |
| 29 October | Congress: Lawmaking |
| 1 October | Congress: Oversight |
| 3 October |
|
| 6 October | Elections: The Political Parties |
| 8 October | Elections: Congress |
| 9-10 October |
|
| 13 October | Elections: The Presidency |
| 15 October | The News Media |
| 17 October | The Presidency: Powers |
| 20 October | The Presidency: National Security |
| 22 October | The Presidency: Budgeting and the Economy |
| 24 October | The Bureaucracy: Distinctiveness |
| 27 October | The Bureaucracy: Organization. (see LSU Federal Agencies Directory) |
| 29 October | The Bureaucracy: In Operation |
| 31 October | How to Control the Bureaucracy |
| 3 November | The Federal Judicial System: Organization and Personnel click: Federal Courts for general access to the system click: Historic Cases to view the LII Supreme Court Collection(see also Famous Trials) |
| 5 November | Judicial Power: Marbury v. Madison (1803) for background articles see Marshall |
| 7 November |
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| 10 November | The Bill of Rights in a Federal System: Barron v. Baltimore (1833) |
| 12 November | The Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment: the Process of
Incorporation BOOK REVIEW DUE |
| 14 November | Freedom of Religion: the 1st and 14th Amendments |
| 17 November | Freedom of Religion |
| 19 November | THANKSGIVING |
| 21 November: | Privacy Rights: Privacy Rights and the 4th Amendment |
| 24 November: | Privacy Rights: The Abortion Controversy, Roe v Wade(1973) |
| 26-28 November | The Equal Protection Clause: Levels of Scrutiny |
| 1 December | The Equal Protection Clause: When are Racial Classifications Reasonable? |
| 3 December | The Equal Protection Clause: When are Sexual Classifications Reasonable? |
| 5 December | Leftovers |
FINAL
EXAM: 10:00 – 12:30, Friday 12 December
Last
Day to Drop without a 'WF'---3 October
Office Hours: MW 1:00 –
2:30, 5:00 – 5:20
TTH 10:00 – 12:10
FRI 12:00 – 1:30
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