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DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES
SEMESTER 1
2019/2020 ACADEMIC YEAR
COURSE SYLLABUS
POLI 367: Introduction to American Politics (3-CREDITS)
Instructors: Dr. Hassan WahabEmail: hwahab@ug.edu.gh
Office: Pol. Sci. Dept. Room #13
Office Hours: Mon. 11:00AM - 1:00PM or by Appointment
Wed. 10:00AM – 12:00PM or by Appointment
Class Location & Time: JQB19: Wed. 7:30AM - 9:20AM
Course Summary and Objectives:
This is an introductory course designed for those students who have not taken any previous courses in American government and politics, but who are interested in learning about how the American political system works. It examines the constitutional foundation of the system and its development over time. It analyzes the increasingly important role of campaigns and elections in contemporary American politics and how civic society and non-governmental entities, such as political parties, interest groups, and the media, influence the policy-making process. It studies how the institutions of the federal government —the Congress, the presidency, and the courts— operate, both in theory and in practice, and how they interact with one another. Students are expected to participate actively in the class discussions throughout the course.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, I expect students to be able to:
1.gain a better understanding of key structures, functions, concepts and processes of American government and politics.
2.learn to think analytically about American politics and the study of American government.
3.construct well organized, clearly written, informatively presented, and effectively persuasive analytic arguments on issues pertaining to American government;
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4.improve the ability to engage in oral debate and dialogue concerning issues and ideas concerning American government;
5.develop a solid grasp of the key actors and institutions of the American political system, and
6.share your knowledge with friends, family and peers.
Academic Honesty:
All University policies regarding academic honesty will be strictly enforced. Plagiarism, cheating or academic misconduct in any manner will not be tolerated. While most examples of misconduct are blatantly obvious (i.e., you may not pay someone to take your final exam for you!), knowing when and how to acknowledge and appropriately cite sources is something you may have to learn. For example, even if you acknowledge the source, you cannot stay too close to the language of the original source when paraphrasing. If you are not sure about anything, please do not hesitate to see me, and we can go over it together. I encourage you to familiarize yourselves with the University’s
policy regarding academic misconduct. This policy is available at http://www.ug.edu.gh/aqau/policies-guidelines.
Students with Special Needs:
Students with special needs should register with the Office of Students with Special Needs, located in the University of Ghana Computing Services (UGCS) building, next to the Student Financial Aid Office; Tel: +233-24-457-5177; E-mail: ossnug@gmail.com. Please contact me as soon as possible so that appropriate accommodation can be arranged.
Assessment:
TWO assessment mechanisms will be used in this course: (1) Interim Assessment exams, and (2) Final Exams. The format for these exams will be one or a combination of multiple choice, fill-in- the-blanks, short essay, and long essay questions.
Interim Assessment (IA): This assessment component will comprise two in-class IA exams. These exams will take place on the fourth and eighth weeks of the semester. Each IA will be worth 15%. The IA exams will be based on the content of the readings, lectures, discussion sections, and news items covered at that stage of the course.
Final Exam: Worth 70% of the final grade, this exam will be based on the content of the readings, lectures, and discussions covered over the entire course.
Grading Scale: Please refer to the Undergraduate Handbook
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Disclaimer: I reserve the right to change any readings, dates and requirements listed in this syllabus. If this occurs, every effort will be made to announce the changes well in advance. You are responsible for any changes made and announced in class.
Course Policies
Regular attendance is a key determinant of success in this course and is required. While students are expected, nay, required, to do their readings before they come to class, the readings serve as a background, not as a substitute, for the lectures and class discussions. Not only do I expect students to attend classes, I also expect students to ask questions and participate in class discussions. I strongly encourage students to ask questions during class. I will not entertain students who come to me immediately after a class session to ask questions pertaining to that class when they could have asked those questions during the class to the benefit of all students.
You may use laptops and tablets to take notes during class. If you choose to do so, you MUST ask permission from me, and you MUST sit in the front row.
Please turn off your cell phones, MP3 players, etc. before class begins. The use of cell phones in class is PROHIBITED. If your cell phone rings/vibrates up to three times in class during the semester, you will be asked to leave the class for DISRUPTION. Additionally, please refrain from: frequently arriving late for class; talking, sleeping, texting, or studying other materials in class; and leaving class early. In general, please be polite and respectful to everyone in this class. I reserve the right to apply appropriate sanctions for consistently discourteous classroom behavior in accordance with the University of Ghana policies.
During both the IA and final examinations, please note that you may NOT be allowed to leave the examination room until you have submitted your exam.
NOTE: I have indicated my office hours above. Please respect that. I reserve the right to NOT see any student who shows up in my office outside office hours and without appointment.
Textbook:
Greenberg, Edward S., and Benjamin I Page. The Struggle for Democracy, 2012 Election ed. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2014. Additional readings may be assigned in the course of the semester.
All class readings will be provided to students as PDFs
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Course Readings and Class Schedule:
Week 1 (Aug 19 -23):
Readings: Introduction to the Course, Syllabus
Week 2 (August 26 – 30)
Readings: Democracy and American Politics, pp. 2 – 19.
Week 3 (Sept 2 – 6)
Readings: The Constitution, pp. 24 – 52.
Week 4 (Sept 9 – 13)
Readings: Federalism: States and Nation, pp. 56—86.
(Note: First IA)
Week 5 (Sept 16—20)
Readings: The Structural Foundations of American Government and Politics, pp. 90—119.
Week 6 (Sept 23—27)
Readings: Public Opinion, and The News Media, pp. 122—158; pp. 162—192.
Week 7 (Sept 30—Oct 4)
Readings: Interest Groups and Business Corporations, and Social Movements, pp. 196— 228; pp. 232—258.
Week 8 (Oct 7—11)
Readings: Political Parties, and Voting, Campaigns, and Elections, pp. 262—291; pp. 294— 334.
(Note: Second IA)
Week 9 (Oct 14—18)
Readings: Congress, pp. 338—376.
Week 10 (Oct 21—25)
Readings: The Presidency, and The Executive Branch, pp. 380—410; 414—446.
Week 11 (Oct 28—Nov 1)
Readings: The Courts, pp. 450—482.
Week 12 (Nov 4—8)
Civil Liberties: The Struggle for Freedom pp. 486—521.
Week 13 (Nov 11-15)
Civil Rights: The Struggle for Political Equality, pp. 524—552.
TEACHING ENDS
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Week 14 (Nov 18—22)
REVISION WEEK
Weeks 15 and 16 (Nov 23 - Dec 8)
FINAL EXAMS
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