Powerpoint Presentation--See attached

PS 1010, American Government 1

Course Description In-depth study of American government and politics focusing on a balanced, unbiased, and up-to-date introduction to constitutional, governmental, political, social, and economic structures and processes.

Prerequisites None

Course Textbook Patterson, T. (2013). The American democracy (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

Course Learning Objectives Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Analyze and compare how the U. S. government functions on the federal, state, local, and global levels. 2. Identify and contrast the meanings of civil liberties and civil rights, and explain the impact each has had on U. S.

politics. 3. Evaluate and identify the roles public opinion plays in American politics, from the local level to political parties. 4. Discuss the impact interest groups and the media have on political socialization. 5. Identify the three branches of government and explain their role in the checks and balances system of the U. S.

government. 6. Examine the role bureaucracy plays and how it maintains rules and order in the federal government. 7. Research, analyze, and explain issues that impact the local, state, and federal economy. 8. Identify and discuss the defense and foreign policies followed by the U. S. government. 9. Assess and characterize how politics directly impacts business, safety, or health requirements.

10. Engage in open discussion with perspective from leaders in the field. 11. Describe the evolution of political and party structure from the 1800's to today. 12. Evaluate the difference between intended and actual government.

Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit.

Course Structure

1. Unit Learning Objectives: Each unit contains Unit Learning Objectives that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit.

2. Unit Lesson: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses lesson material. 3. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook.

Chapter presentations are provided in each unit study guide as Supplemental Reading to aid students their course of study. Supplemental Readings are provided in the unit study guides to aid students in their course of study.

PS 1010, American Government Course Syllabus

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4. Learning Activities (Non-Graded): These non-graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study in Units I, III, and VI.

5. Key Terms: Key Terms are intended to guide students in their course of study. Students should pay particular attention to Key Terms as they represent important concepts within the unit material and reading.

6. Discussion Boards: Discussion Boards are a part of all CSU term courses. Information and specifications regarding these assignments are provided in the Academic Policies listed in the Course Menu bar.

7. Unit Assessments: This course contains seven Unit Assessments, one to be completed at the end of Units I-VII. Assessments are composed of multiple-choice questions and/or written response questions.

8. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units II, V, and VIII. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below.

9. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions.

10. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates.

CSU Online Library There is a virtual library with resources, including both journals and ebooks, to support your program and your course at Columbia Southern University. eResources are accessible 24 hours a day/7 days a week from the CSU Online Library gateway page. To access the library, log into myCSU, and then click on CSU Online Library. Resources are organized in the library by title, but if you click on Research Guides, you will find eResources arranged by subject. The Library Reference service is available 7 days a week; you can reach CSU’s virtual librarians by emailing [email protected]. These professional librarians will be glad to help you develop your research plan or to assist you in any way in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Librarian responses may occur within minutes or hours, but it will never take more than 24 hours for a librarian to send a response to the email address you have provided. Replies to reference requests may include customized keyword search strategies, links to videos, research guides, screen captures, attachments, a phone call, live screen sharing, and meeting room appointments, as well as other forms of instruction.

Unit Assignments Unit II PowerPoint Presentation Civil Liberties v. Civil Rights: Create a PowerPoint slide show explaining what Civil Liberties and Civil Rights are. Your slide show should consist of 10-14 slides (not including a title slide and reference slide which you must have) and should include, but not be limited to:

 Definition of civil liberties and discuss how these rights are protected on a federal and state level

 Definition of civil rights and discuss how these rights are protected on a federal and state level

 Two cases involving civil liberties taken up by the Supreme Court from 1800-2005

 Two cases involving civil rights taken up by the Supreme Court from 1800-2005

 One case involving civil liberties ruled on by the Supreme Court in the last 2 years

 One case involving civil rights ruled on by the Supreme Court in the last 2 years

 One leader of civil liberty causes

 One leader of civil rights causes (within the last 5 years)

 Two pictures

 Explanation of how each of these Supreme Court decisions have influenced minority groups, and the effects they have had on the struggles for equal rights

 The status of equal rights today You may include additional information you feel is relevant, but do not create more than 14 slides. Remember that you must include a title slide and proper APA reference slide in addition to the 10-14 slides. Use your creativity, and organize the material in a logical and understandable manner. Please feel free to use the notes portion of each slide as well. This assignment requires Microsoft PowerPoint, or a comparable presentation program. Other programs include Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org) and Google Docs (http://docs.google.com). Google Docs is a free program similar to MSOffice and housed on the web. Open Office is a piece of open source software similar to MSOffice, but requires a download and installation.

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Unit V Article Critique Access the CSU Online Library. Within the database “Academic OneFile,” locate and read the following articles:

 Gregg, G. L. (2011). “Unpopular vote: Enemies of the Electoral College aim to scrap the Founders’ design.” The American Conservative 10 (12), 33+.

 Underhill, W. (2012). Changing up the Electoral College? State Legislatures, 38(1), 9. Upon reading the two articles, write a response essay of at least 500 words. Your essay should address the Electoral College as it currently functions, as well as the proposed changes discussed in the two articles. Are you in support of the current Electoral College? Do you agree or disagree with the proposed changes? Is it right for states to circumvent the Constitution on this matter? Your essay should be well thought out and include direct references to the articles. Limited direct quotes are permitted. All references (paraphrased or quoted) should be correctly cited using APA format. Click here to view the rubric your professor will use to grade your assignment. Unit VIII Final Project Locate and evaluate a periodical or newspaper article in print or online (e.g,, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Time magazine, The Economist, Forbes) that details an economic issue on the local, state, or federal level. Make sure that the article is dated no longer than six months ago and the article is relevant to a topic covered in the course.

Upon reading the appropriate article, write a 1000-1500 word analysis, making sure to clearly answer and include the following:

 Write a summary of the article in your own words with limited quotes or paraphrasing. All quotes and paraphrasing must have proper APA citations.

 Discuss changes that you would make to your local, state, or national budget based on the economic issue addressed in this article.

 If you feel no changes are necessary, explain how the current budget influences the circumstances in the article.

 Include your views (pro/con) on a possible amendment to the Constitution requiring a balanced federal budget.

 Identify and analyze an historical event comparable to your article’s economic issue and how that incident impacted the daily life (work, home, and recreation) of the time.

 Once you have evaluated the impact of this issue, discuss how the economic issue in your chosen article applies to your own daily life (work, home and recreation).

Your paper should be written using proper APA format. You should also have proper APA formatted in-text citations and ending references. Click here to view the rubric your professor will use to grade your assignment.

APA Guidelines CSU requires that students use the APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. A document titled “APA Guide” is available for you to download from the APA Guide link, found in the Learning Resources area of the myCSU Student Portal. It may also be accessed from the Student Resources link on the Course Menu. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides links to The CSU Success Center and the CSU Online Library staff.

CSU Grading Rubric for Papers/Projects The course papers will be graded based on the CSU Grading Rubric for all types of papers, unless otherwise specified within assignment instructions. In addition, all papers will be submitted for electronic evaluation to rule out plagiarism. Course projects will contain project specific grading criteria defined in the project directions. To view the rubric, click the Academic Policies link on the Course Menu, or access it through the CSU Grading Rubric link found in the Learning Resources area of the myCSU Student Portal.

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Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a non- public nature, please feel free to email your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or emailed by the professor within 48 hours. Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. Student Break Room This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers.

Grading

Discussion Boards (8 @ 2%) = 16% Assessments (7 @ 3%) = 21% PowerPoint Presentation = 20% Article Critique = 20% Final Project = 23% Total = 100%

Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT) The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted.

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PS 1010, American Government Course Schedule

By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this schedule for reference as you progress through your course.

Unit I Foundations of American Government

Review:  Unit Study Guide  Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide

Read:

 Chapter 1: Political Thinking and Political Culture: Becoming a Responsible Citizen  Chapter 2: Constitutional Democracy: Promoting Liberty and Self-Government  Chapter 3: Federalism: Forging a Nation  Supplemental Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:  Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by

Saturday, Midnight (Central Time)

Submit:  Assessment by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

Unit II Civil Liberties and Equal Rights

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:  Chapter 4: Civil Liberties: Protecting Individual Rights  Chapter 5: Equal Rights: Struggling toward Fairness  Supplemental Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Midnight (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Submit:  Assessment by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)  PowerPoint Presentation by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

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PS 1010, American Government Course Schedule

Unit III Public Opinion and Political Participation

Review:  Unit Study Guide  Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide

Read:

 Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization: Shaping the People’s Voice  Chapter 7: Political Participation: Activating the Popular Will  Chapter 8: Political Parties, Candidates, and Campaigns: Defining the Voter’s Choice  Supplemental Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Midnight (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Submit:  Assessment by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

Unit IV Interest Groups and the News Media

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:  Chapter 9: Interest Groups: Organizing for Influence  Chapter 10: The News Media: Communicating Political Images  Supplemental Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Midnight (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Submit:  Assessment by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

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PS 1010, American Government Course Schedule

Unit V Congress and the President

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:  Chapter 11: Congress: Balancing National Goals and Local Interests  Chapter 12: The Presidency: Leading the Nation  Supplemental Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Midnight (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Submit:  Assessment by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)  Article Critique by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

Unit VI Bureaucracy and Judiciary

Review:  Unit Study Guide  Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide

Read:  Chapter 13: The Federal Bureaucracy: Administering the Government  Chapter 14: The Federal Judicial System: Applying the Law  Supplemental Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Midnight (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Submit:  Assessment by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

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PS 1010, American Government Course Schedule

Unit VII Economic, Environmental, and Education Policies

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:  Chapter 15: Economic and Environmental Policy: Contributing to Prosperity  Chapter 16: Welfare and Education Policy: Providing for Personal Security and Need  Supplemental Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Midnight (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Submit:  Assessment by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

Unit VIII Foreign Policy and Local Politics

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:  Chapter 17: Foreign Policy: Protecting the American Way  Chapter 18: State and Local Politics: Maintaining Our Differences  Supplemental Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday, Midnight (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Submit:  Final Project by Tuesday, Midnight (Central Time)

Notes/Goals: