Introduction to National Government *Syllabus Overview*

1
Introduction to National GovernmentSyllabus
Overview

• National Government is a semester long survey
  
• American Federal Government system
• Introductory study of the U.S. constitutional
  framework
• Role and context of American political process
• Key individuals groups
• directly and indirectly influence US political
  process
• Second half of the study concentrates on the
  examination of
• U.S. Government institutions
• Their role in formulating US public policy

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General Course Objectives

• Acquire knowledge interest in American
  political system
• Develop understanding of Fed Government its
  institutions
• Examine political social context of politics
• Examine the constitution its guaranteed
  freedoms
• Analyze role of government in domestic foreign
  policy
• Develop reinforce reading, writing, and verbal
  skills

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Grading Criteria Total GRADE Points 100 point
scale

• Meaningful Participation
• Discussion of assigned Learning Objectives
• (preparation/contribution/attendance)
• Quiz RP Thesis Statement gt 10
  points
• Test I (Key Terms Part I) gt 10
  "
• Midterm Exam (Parts I II) gt 20
  "
• Test II (Key Terms Part III) gt 10
  "
• Research Paper Project
• (8-10 pages due last class meeting) gt 20 "
• Final Exam (Parts I, II, III, IV) gt
  30
• Possible accumulated points gt 100
  total points

4
Letter Grades

• Total accumulated points gt letter grade
• 100-90 points A
• 89-80 points B
• 79-70 points C
• 69-60 points D

5
Research Project

• 8-10 page double-spaced typed paper
• Based on student's own research and analysis
• Select thoroughly research, examine and answer
  gt
• One of the political, economic, or social
  questions below

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Research Projectgt Questions

• 1. Senate Approval Process of Presidential
  Judicial Nominees (The Nuclear Option)
• 2. Supreme Courts Balance of Judicial
  Philosophy
• 3. Iraqi Exit Strategy (Should we have one?)
• (See paragraph IX of Syllabus for details)

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Thesis Statement more guidance

• Clearly state your thesis and rationale
• Objectively analyze both sides of issue(s)
  identified
• Present supporting rationale for your
  conclusion(s)
• Submit IAW standard Style Manual use 4 sources
• (see Syllabus- paragraph IIIC for details)
• Write IN YOUR OWN WORDS (Cite all work!)
• Due Week 15b -Turn in at beginning of class

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Attendance

• Complete attendance is strongly encouraged
• Class discussions highlight significant areas of
  interests
• Class discussions/lectures clarify potential
  tested material
• 10 of your grade is based in part on class
  preparation
• Student discussion of learning objectives
• Quizzes (announced unannounced)
• 3 or more absences may result in a lower grade
• 5 or more will result in failing the course.)
• No make-up Quiz or Test will be administered.
• No make-up exams w/o a properly excused absence

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Campbell Universitys Purpose, Mission, and
Policies

• Core University Policy Theme
• Provide students with the option of a Christian
  World view
• Described in further detail in the Campbell
  University Bulletin
• Standards and Expectations (see University
  Bulletin paragraph IV of syllabus)

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Textbook Reading Materials

• Squire, Peverill James Lindsay et.al. Dynamics
  of Democracy- 4th ed. (2006)
• (Available at bookstore or www.atomicdog.com)
• Supplemental
• Additional articles and readings as assigned

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Course Outline- Part I Context of American
Politics (Chapters 1-5)

• Chapter 1- Conflict, Rules, and Change
• Chapter 2- The Constitution
• Chapter 3- The Social Context of
  American Politics
• Chapter 4- Civil Liberties
• Chapter 5- Civil Rights

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Course Outline Chapter 1 Learning Objectives

• Be prepared to discuss, analyze, and be tested
  on each chapters Learning Objectives Key Terms
  as identified and discussed in the Text and
  highlighted in Bold Print below
• Chapter 1- Conflict, Rules, Change- Learning
  Objectives
• (1). Define Politics and examine the role of
  conflict its roots in US
• political process.
• (2). Explain government's role in managing
  conflict, and why its
• citizens comply.
• (3). Contrast government's structural rules and
  policy rules.
• (4). Examine the bias character of the rules.
• (5). Examine the changing rules of government.
• (6). Summarize overall objectives of the text
  (Parts I-IV)
• Political Context, Individual Groups,
  Institutions, Policy

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Parts I II Course Requirements and Learning
Activities

• Classroom discussions and learning objectives
• Be prepared to discuss
• all key terms (KT) learning objectives prior
  to class.
• Reading Assignments and student preparation
  (Refer to schedule in Syllabus)

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Course Schedule- Part I(see Syllabus for
details)

• Week 1 Introduction to Text Chapter
  1-Dynamics of Politics
• Class 1 Introduction Course Overview Review
  text and Syllabus Discuss chapter learning
• Objectives Discuss student
  preparationgtOutline chapter 1 learning
  objectives 1-5.
• (students should read chapters 1
  and 2a (objectives 1-8) prior to next class 2a)
• Week 2 Chapter 1- Dynamics of Politics
  Chapter 2- The Constitution
• Class 2a Text (chapter 1) gt Review
  learning objectives 1-5
• Text (chapter 2a)gtDiscuss
  learn object1-8. Read Constitution! (pp 63-76)
• Class 2b Text (chapter 2b)gtDiscuss
  learning objectives 9-14
• Week 3 Chapter 3- The Social Context of
  Politics Chapter 4- Civil Liberties
• Class 3aText (chapter 3)gt Discuss learning
  objectives 1-4
• Class 3bText (chapter 4)gt Discuss learning
  objectives 1-8
• Week 4 Chapter 5- Civil Rights
• Class 4aText (chapter 5a)gt Discuss learning
  objectives 1-11 Research Paper Guidance
• Class 4bText (chapter 5b)gt Discuss learning
  objectives 12-15
• Week 5 Test I (Part I) Chapter 6-Public
  Opinion

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Course Schedule- Part II(see Syllabus for
details)

• Week 6 Chapter 7- Voting Participation
  Chapter 8- The News Media
• Class 6a Text (chapter 7)gt Discuss
  learning objectives 1-10 Res. Paper Preparation
  
• Class 6b Text (chapter 8)gt Discuss
  learning objectives 1-11.
• Week 7 Chapter 9-Political Parities Chapter
  10- Interest Groups
• Class 7a Text (chapter 9) gt Discuss
  learning objectives 1-11
• Class 7b Text (chapter 10) gt Discuss
  learning objectives 1-8 (possible Quiz)
• Continue to work on
  Research paper Thesis Statement identify
  sources.
• Week 8 Make-up/Review- Parts I II
  Midterm Examination
• Class 8a Make-up for remaining learning
  objectives Review of Parts I II (Chapt 1-10)
• Class 8b Midterm Exam gt Chapters 1-10
  Learning Objectives Key Terms.
• - Bring Blue Book pen and
  SCANTRON 100/W 2 pencil to class
• - Also Due e-mail your
  Research Paper thesis statement with bibliography

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Course Schedule - Parts III IV Additional
Information

• We will begin 2nd Half (Parts III IV) upon
  return from break
• Office Hours (M/W 1100-1230 or after class)
• Contact me for appt via e-mail or Vicki (ext.
  1480)
• Roll/Seating Chart provide e-mail address
• History/Gov Dept. website links Class Notes
• Short cut www.google.com gt Captain Slattery
  SEAL
• Syllabus Class Notes available on my Campbell
  Web Page
• Questions regarding syllabus or schedule?

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Chapter 1 overview

• Chapter Ones main discussion points
• Sources of Political Conflict
• Political Conflict and the Governments role
• Tools of Government legitimacy force
• Rule Making to manage Political Conflict
• Structural Rules versus Policy Rules
• Bias nature of the Rules
• Changing the Rules
• So what are the sources of political conflict?

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Sources of Political Conflict
Conflict
Material Scarcity
Conflicting Values
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Conflict in the Political Community
What are values?
Values
Principles
Beliefs
So whats the Governments role?
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Governments Manage Political Conflict
How?
Governments allocate societys resources,
reflect societys values, and enforce its
decisions.
Why?
Values People often disagree and fight over
values
Political Violence This is always a danger if
there are not agreed upon rules and laws
Material Scarcity Leads to conflicts and even
violence
An essential Government tool necessary for
effective conflict management?
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Legitimacy

• Self-imposed willingness to follow governments
  decisions
• Respect for ruling government
• Government is accepted as the sole and rightful
  user of coercive authority
• What other tools do governments use?

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The Tools of Coercive Force

• Military
• Judicial System
• Police
• So Legitimacy Force ?

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Roles of Legitimacy Force
Legitimacy
Key Government Tools for managing Conflict


Coercive Force
So how do Governments decide how to use their
tools to manage conflict? By what means?
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Rules
Governments Manage Conflict with Rules

• Two different types of Rules
• Structural Rules
• Policy Rules

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Structural Rules

• Structural Rules determine
• Organization of government
• Procedures of government
• Distribution of power
• In other words- the ground rules
• What are the Sources of Structural Rules?

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Sources of Structural Rules

• Structural rules originate from
• The U.S. Constitution
• State Constitutions
• Federal Laws
• State Laws
• Federal Courts
• State Courts
• How do Policy Rules differ?

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Policy Rules

• When government agencies make decisions within
  their jurisdiction, the result is called a policy
  rule
• or just plain Policy.
• Governments policy rules public policy.
• (Tax cuts/increases, Social Security, Military
  Draft)
• Policy rules are developed according to the
  procedures established by structural rules.

What is the special nature of the rules?
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The Biased Nature of Rules

• Rules create winners and losers
• Who benefits? (Rich vs. Poor, Influential groups)
• Bigger tax cuts less revenue program cuts
• Caps on law suits (Insurance Corps vs. Injured
  litigants)
• Rules are the center of contentious debate
• Conflict over scarce resources and values
• Majority democratic rule versus minority rights
• Supreme Court Appointments (Who gets to decide?)
• Debate over Constitutional Amendments

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Example History of Rules of VotinggtEvolving
Changes in the Rules

• Originally only white men with property could
  vote
• Passage of 15th Amendment allowed all male
  American citizens over 21 year old to vote
• The 19th Amendment allowed women to vote
• The 26th Amendment lowed the voting age to 18

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Chapter 1 Summary

• Text Dynamics of Democracy
• Conflict, Rules, Change
• Chapter 1 examined Politics and Conflict
• Roots of Conflict
• Role of Government in Managing Conflict
• It also examined the Government as Rule Maker
• Structural Rules
• Policy Rules
• The Biased Character of Rules
• The Changing Rules of Government

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Summary Overview- Putting it all together

• Themes of the Texts four main sections
• Part 1 The Context of American Politics
• Part 2 Individuals Groups in US Politics
• Part 3 Institutions of American Politics
• Part 4 Policy Process in American Politics

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Key Terms Summary

• Material scarcity The inability of a society to
  provide its citizens with all the goods and
  services they may want or need.
• Values Principles and beliefs embraced by
  society.
• Legitimacy A self-imposed willingness of
  citizens to respect and obey the decisions of
  their government.
• Coercive force The ability of a government to
  compel its citizens to obey its decisions.
• Structural rules Rules that establish the
  organization, procedures, and powers of
  government.
• Policy rule A decision a government institution
  reaches on a specific political question within
  its jurisdiction.

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Readings for Class 2a (for next Monday)

• IAW the Syllabus Course Schedule- Read
• Squire Text- Chapter 1 (Learn Objectives 1-6)
• Squire Chapter 2a (Learning Objectives 1- 8)
• Constitution (Squire Text- at end of Chapter 2)

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Election 2000

• Gore
• vs.
• Bush

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Electoral Vote Total as of Nov. 8, 2000
Electoral Votes Needed to Win 271
Gore 267 Votes
Bush 246 Votes
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Election 2000 A Bitter Race

• to the Finish

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A Brief History of the Election Saga
Harris says all vote recounts need to be
completed in one week
Lower Court rejects Gores suit.
Gore files suit to postpone Harris decision.
Gores files protest of election in 4 counties.
Florida Supreme Court rules for Gore, moves
deadline to Nov. 26.
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A Brief History of the Election Saga
Bush argues that the Florida Supreme Court
overstepped its authority.
As allowed by Florida law, Gore challenges
certified results.
From the beginning Bush argues in Federal Court
that hand recounts must be stopped.
On Nov. 26 Harris certifies vote, Bush wins by
537 votes.
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The U.S. Supreme Court hears Bush v. Gore

• Bush argues according to the Federal Electoral
  Court Act of 1887, rules cannot be changed once a
  vote takes place
• Bush argues that this is what Florida has done
  changed the rules
• The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Florida
  Supreme Court must clarify its ruling

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Circuit Court Judge N. Saul Sanders hears Gore on
hand recounts

• Judge Sanders rejects Gores request for hand
  recounts to continue
• Judge Sanders rules that Gore cannot show that
  hand recounts will alter the outcome of the
  election

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The Florida Supreme Court Rules on Judge Sanders

• The Court rules that Judge Sanders misread
  Florida law
• Gore is in a Catch-22, he cant show that the
  recount will change the election unless he can
  have a recount
• Orders recounts to continue

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The U.S. Supreme Courts Ends it All

• The Court rules that Florida must stop its hand
  recounts
• The Bush team argues that Florida is violating
  the Constitutions equal protection under the law
  provision
• The Court rules that the standard for what should
  be counted and what should be discarded in the
  recounts is unclear
• Bush wins

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How America Counts the Vote
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Federal Election Local Power

• As Florida Secretary of State, Ms. Harris had
  broad power to interpret election law
• She ruled that hand recounts had to be completed
  by Nov. 14
• Ruled that recounts could be conducted only if
  voting machines failed
• Florida Supreme Court ruled she had misapplied
  the law

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Fairness or Partisan Politics?

• Member of Palm Beach County Election Canvassing
  Board
• Demanded a recount of Palm Beach Countys votes
  after finding 19 missed Gore votes
• Her mandated recount missed the deadline by two
  hours
• She was praised by Democrats and lambasted by
  Republicans

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Counting the Vote

• Individual states are responsible for counting
  votes.
• In turn, counties tally their own votes.
• Undervotes the voting machine records no vote
  for a candidate.
• Overvotes the voter votes for more than one
  candidate.

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The Sloppy Dems Thesis

• Democrats made more mistakes on their ballots in
  Florida than Republicans. Why?
• As a result of a get-out-the-vote campaign,
  many Democrats were first time voters.
• Democratic counties more likely to use punch
  cards than voting machines.

48
Possible Solutions Problems

• Buy new voting machines.
• Develop more precise voting rules.
• Will more money spent mean better elections
  results?
• Rather than spending money updating election
  technology, are there more pressing needs?

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How the College Works

• Each state receives the number of electors equal
  to the number of senators (2) plus the number of
  its representatives.
• Political parties each choose electors, usually
  through their conventions.
• Electors cast their votes on the Tuesday
  following the first Monday in November.
• Whichever party wins the popular vote becomes the
  elector of its respective state.
• The electoral votes are read before both Houses
  of Congress on January 6.

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How the College Works (cont.)

• The winner of the presidency is the candidate
  with the absolute majority of electoral votes.
• If no candidate wins the absolute majority, the
  U.S. House of Representatives selects the winner
  from among the top three candidates.
• The President and Vice President are sworn into
  office January 20.

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The 22nd Amendment

• The Framers of the U.S Constitution, after
  debate, decided that term limits were
  unnecessary.
• George Washington said that it made no sense at
  all "in precluding ourselves from the services of
  any man who on some emergency shall be deemed
  universally most capable of serving the public."

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Tradition

• Tradition, not law, mandated Presidents serving
  two terms.
• Between 1789 and 1947, 270 Congressional
  resolutions were brought to the floor seeking
  presidential term limitations.

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FDR

• Roosevelt was elected for an unprecedented 4
  terms.
• Roosevelt was in his 7th year as President when
  World War II broke out and was re-elected to
  serve a third term.
• He died three months into his fourth term in 1945.

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Passing the 22nd Amendment

• Republicans won control of Congress in 1946.
• Congress passed the 22nd Amendment, which reads
  No person shall be elected to the office of the
  president more than twice, and no person who has
  held the office of president, or acted as
  president, for more than two years of a term to
  which some other person was elected president
  shall be elected to the office of the president
  more than once.