Syllabus - POSC 104 - American People and Politics - Fall 2024

Political Science 104.02 - American People and Politics

Fall 2024

Brief Course Overview

The aim of this course is for students to gain a deeper understanding of how democracy really works in the American political system. We will begin with an overview of American politics and government, with particular emphasis on the constitution. Next we will shift to the major institutions within American government. After that we will study politics and elections with particular focus on recent political trends in the U.S., which we will examine from the perspective of elected representatives as well as the public. Finally, we will touch on political psychology and assess the role of news and popular media within American democracy. All along the way, we will pay close attention to key events in American history that shaped our current politics and institutions, such as the history of slavery and Jim Crow, debates around immigration, the broader struggle for equal rights, and the role of state and local governments (with particular focus on California).

Because this is an introductory course and it covers a wide range of topics, it will be difcult to go into a great deal of depth on any given subject, but if all goes according to plan, you should leave this course with a very solid foundation for further study within American politics and with the tools to be an engaged and informed participant in the American political system.

Course Learning Objectives

This course fulfills part of the GE American Experience requirement and aligns with the following General Education Learning Outcomes:

Students identify and explain significant political and historical developments that have shaped America’s democracy and its diverse society in the context of the discipline of political science.

Students apply their knowledge by developing a personal vision regarding diversity.

Additional Learning Objectives

Develop a better understanding of how American government operates and how the various branches interact

Become more familiar with key historical events that shaped our current politics and institutions

Improve critical thinking skills generally, develop the skill of thinking quantitatively and assessing evidence, and learn to apply these to contemporary political questions

Leave the course with a deeper understanding of the key forces driving American politics and with the desire to become a more active and engaged participant in American democracy

Participation, Attendance and Classroom Expectations

My preference is to design courses to be highly interactive and participatory for students, with a dialogue between students and instructor as well as student-to-student (as opposed to a top-down classroom model where the instructor spends most of the time speaking and lecturing to the class). While lectures and slide shows will be a key part of the course, I absolutely want you to have a chance to discuss the topics we cover and to ask questions, so please come to class prepared to contribute to discussions during class.

Please refrain from using cell phones, laptops and other portable electronic devices during class. A growing body of research shows that taking notes by hand is more efective and promotes recall better than typing on a laptop. And as we probably all have experienced, internet connected devices can be pretty distracting, for both you and people around you.

Attendance will not be taken in every class session, but it will be taken at least 10 times throughout the semester and your attendance/participation grade will make up 10% of your overall grade. Beyond the grade for attendance/participation, you will certainly get more from the course, and you will earn a higher grade on exams, if you attend class in-person as much as you can. You can have two absences without it negatively afecting your grade, but more than two absences will result in a lower attendance/participation grade. If something comes up where you know you will need to miss class for an extended period, please let me know in advance of missing class to be excused.

Exams in the class will be open-notes, but only hand-written notes will be allowed; this will hopefully give you a strong incentive to attend class regularly, engage with the lecture material, and take notes. Lastly, I am committed to facilitating an open and inclusive classroom environment, so please be respectful to anyone who is speaking in the class.

Needed for the Course

You will need a reliable internet connection and access to a functioning laptop or desktop computer for this course. The only book you will need to buy (or borrow/rent) is Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein. You can currently buy the paperback version for about $12 on Amazon and other online retailers. We will also read some of the chapters from the open access textbook American Government 3e, which is available for free through OpenStax. I will post or link all other readings to the course website.

Graded Items

I will introduce and review all assignments/exams individually at least one week before they are due. Individual graded items, their value toward your overall grade and their placement in the course schedule are listed below.

- Attendance/Participation: 10%     All Semester

- Homework assignments: 10% Weeks 3, 8 and 13

- First Exam: 20%                                     Sept 23rd

- Second Exam: 30%                                 Oct 28th

- Final Exam: 30% Dec 4th

Homework assignments will generally require you to write a response to an argument or put forward your own proposed solution to a contemporary challenge in American politics. They will be brief in nature and shouldn’t take more than a few hours to complete.

Due to how large this class is, exams will primarily feature multiple choice and short fill-in-the-blank questions. Technically, the exams are cumulative (i.e. they could cover anything from the whole course to that point) but the vast majority of the content covered on an exam will come from material we cover after the previous exam. For example, the second exam could cover material from the first five weeks of the class, but the vast majority will come from material covered in weeks 6 - 10 (i.e. after the first exam).

As mentioned above, exams will be open notes, but only your own hand-written notes are permitted. This means that coming to class, paying attention, and taking good notes will be critical for succeeding in the class.