PLS 100: Introduction to American National Government. Fall 2003 ... American
Government: Power and Purpose, Core 7th Edition, by Theodore J. Lowi,.
Syllabus PLS 100: Introduction to American National Government Fall 2003 David Rohde Tuesdays and Thursdays office: 324A S. Kedzie 9:10-10:00; 102 Wilson Hall office phone: (355-7655) e-mail:
[email protected] Teaching Assistants: Jeremy Duff, Suzanne Gold, Daniel Lewis, and Gregory Robinson. Rohde's Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1:30-2:30 and by appointment T.A. Office Hours: to be announced in section Course Description: This course is an introduction to American national government. The goal is that by the end of the semester you will have a working understanding of how the government is structured and how it works, and of why it works that way. The course will not make you a professional political scientist, but it hopefully will make you a more informed citizen. Required Readings: American Government: Power and Purpose, Core 7th Edition, by Theodore J. Lowi, Benjamin Ginsberg, and Kenneth A. Shepsle, W.W. Norton & Co., 2002 [cited as Lowi below] Readings for American Government: Power and Purpose, 7th Edition, edited by David T. Canon, John J. Coleman, and Kenneth R. Mayer, W.W. Norton & Co., 2002 [cited as Canon below] Beyond these two books, you should also read a good national newspaper in order to follow political developments. The best choices are the New York Times or the Washington Post. In addition to the print versions (the Times is available many places around town), the papers are available on the web at www.nytimes.com and www.washingtonpost.com respectively. I urge you to keep up with the reading. I will not try to repeat everything in the readings; instead I will build on them, assuming you have read them. Thus much of the lectures will not make sense without the readings, plus the evaluation of your discussion performance will depend in part on them. You should complete the readings before the class meeting for which they are listed. In addition to the readings, there is a class web site at: http://www.msu.edu/~rohde/pls100.htm We will use this for communications and post class-related materials there, so you should check it frequently. There is also a web site for the text (including a study guide) at: www.wwnorton.com/lowi7. Evaluation: The grades for the course will be based on two midterms (25% each), a final exam (35%), and on participation and performance in discussion sections (including evaluation of
PLS 100 2 completion of and comprehension of the reading assignments). Attendance is required in discussion sections, and attendance records will be kept. Section evaluation may include one or more short quizzes, and will count 15% of your grade. The major exams will include multiple choice and short answer questions. The final exam will mainly focus on material covered since the second exam, but will also include material that is cumulative for the whole course. Additional content will be described in class. Assignments: Aug. 26
Introduction
Aug. 28
NO CLASS
Sept. 2
The Principles of Politics; and the Constitutional Structure Lowi Chapters 1 and 2 Canon Chapter 2
Sept. 4
The Constitutional Structure (cont.) Federalist Papers: Lowi, pp. A35-A43
Sept. 9
Federalism Lowi Chapter 3 & Canon Chapter 3
Sept. 11
Democracy in the U.S. Canon Chapter 1
Sept. 16
Civil Liberties Lowi Chapter 4 & Canon Chapter 4
Sept. 18
Civil Liberties (cont.)
Sept. 23
Public Opinion Lowi Chapter 9 & Canon Chapter 9
Sept. 25
Public Opinion (cont.)
Sept. 30
FIRST EXAM
Oct. 2
The Media Lowi Chapter 13 & Canon Chapter 13
Oct. 7
Interest Groups Lowi Chapter 12 & Canon Chapter 12
Oct. 9
Interest Groups (cont.)
PLS 100 3 Oct. 14
Campaigns and Elections Lowi Chapter 10
Oct. 16
Campaigns and Elections (cont.)
Oct. 21
Political Parties Lowi Chapter 11 & Canon Chapter 11
Oct. 23
Political Parties (cont.)
Oct. 28
The Congress Lowi Chapter 5 & Canon Chapter 5
Oct. 30
The Congress (cont.)
Nov. 4
SECOND EXAM
Nov. 6
The President Lowi Chapter 6 & Canon Chapter 6
Nov. 11
The President (cont.)
Nov. 13
The Executive Branch Lowi Chapter 7 & Canon Chapter 7
Nov. 18
The Executive Branch (cont.)
Nov. 21
Congress, the President, & the Executive Branch
Nov. 25
The Federal Courts Lowi Chapter 8 & Canon Chapter 8
Nov. 27
No Class [Thanksgiving]
Dec. 2
The Federal Courts (cont.)
Dec. 4
Catch up & summary
Final Exam: Tuesday Dec. 9, 7:45-9:45 a.m. in 102 Wilson Hall
