PO 312 01 - AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT

Course Syllabus

INTRODUCTION

The goal of this course is to understand the role of political thought in the development of the American polity from the colonial era to the present. To achieve this goal, we will closely examine a body of  normative political theory that clarifies the philosophic foundations of U.S. government and the ideological forces driving the American political process. This corpus of work is drawn from philosophers, major political figures, prominent scholars, and opinion journalists. Our studies will have us look at the great challenges that have faced or continue to face the American nation:  building and strengthening a common identity; fostering prosperity; securing civil rights and civil liberties; achieving national security and domestic stability.

 

READING MATERIAL

Posted in ASSIGNMENTS

GENERAL ITEMS OF IMPORTANCE

1. Office hours are when I engage you regarding individual concerns. (Not the five minutes before; not during class; not five minutes after.)
2. All course business and work outside of the classroom is conducted on CampusWeb. So, make a routine of being on our course site daily, particularly to check "Assignments" and "Announcements."
3. Assume that there is a new assignment every class day. If I give you a day off from coursework, then I'll notify you via our course site and email.
4. Attendance and punctuality are mandatory for all class sessions. However, my policy (See below.) is fair and reasonable.
5. Computer/tablet use is not only welcomed but encouraged in the classroom. Proper use of technology is expected. (See below.) Cell phones off.
6. Tardy research-project stages, will be penalized as follows. Weekends are included in the calculation of overdue time: One minute after deadline up to 24 hours, you receive 6/7 credit; over 24 hours up to 48 hours, you receive 5/7 credit; after 48 hours past deadline, you receive 2/3 credit. So it always pays to get work in no matter how late. Tardiness on regular, daily work is not permitted. The due date is a deadline.
7. Academic dishonesty (Plagiarism, Cheating). Ignorance is no excuse for plagiarism and cheating. It’s either academic dishonesty or it’s not. A single instance of academic dishonesty will result in a FAILURE for the entire course. In addition, a report will be immediately forwarded to the Office of Academic Affairs so that the University may take action. The Franklin Pierce Academic Catalogue provides a precise definition of plagiarism.
Plagiarism is the act of stealing or passing as one’s own the ideas or words of another. Diana Hacker identifies three specific acts that constitute plagiarism: “(1) failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas, (2) failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks and(3) failing to put summaries and paraphrases in your own words” (359 and 418). Specifically, this includes: copying the words of another student from examinations, themes, term papers, or theses; copying the printed words or ideas of a writer without giving credit to the author; using, borrowing, stealing, presenting or downloading another student’s ideas or writing and submitting such material as one’s own work; or resubmitting work in whole or in part that has previously been submitted in another course, without permission of the current instructor.
 
Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press.
For a more detailed explanation and specific examples, please refer to sections MLA-2, APA-2, and CMS-2 in Diana Hacker’s A Writer’s Reference.

LEARNING DIFFERENCES

If you have a documented learning disability, it is important that you work with the Academic Services Center to be sure you maximize the benefit of your efforts in this course.  It is imperative that you be proactive and a self-advocate.  Please talk to me. I can help! Additional information can be found at the  Center for Academic Excellence.

REQUIREMENTS (Course Grade Weights)

See Gradebook for weights, for grades on all assessed work, and for your continuously updated course grade.
 
I. Daily Homework (50%)
 
The bulk of your daily, graded work consists of two types of quizzes (located in the Coursework page), ranging from 3-10 minutes: 1) pre-class quizzes on reading assignments (i.e., readings with accompanying questions/items assigned by me); and 2) post-class quizzes on classroom-session content (i.e., student contributions and instructor's points). Take thorough notes on the reading assignments and in the classroom so that you can use them to do well on both types of quizzes. Occasionally, in lieu of quizzes, I will have you submit other written work or participate in threaded discussions. There will also be opportunities for extra-credit. Failure to submit all "Daily Homework" by the "Late Work" deadline of May 1st will result in a deduction of three percentage points from this portion of the grade.
 
II. Attendance and punctuality (10%)
 
No such thing as an "excused" absence in this class. Either you are present for our work in the classroom or you are not. With it being only 10% of the grade, I strike a PERFECT balance between your personal need (e.g., medical, athletic, recreational, familial, etc.) to be absent from class and your academic need to be here. A deduction of 25% of the day's attendance points is made for tardiness . Arrival in class 10 minutes late for 50-minute sessions and 15 minutes late for 75-minute sessions results in an absence.This segment is continuously marked and updated in Attendance. You remain accountable for post-class quizzes on sessions for which you are absent. In that case, make plans to rely on the notes of classmates.
 
III. Final exam (20%)
 
The final exam is comprehensive, covering all class-session and reading-assignment content. A study guide will be provided. It will be taken in Coursework during the time designated by the university. Caution: I use all "Daily Homework" as material to prepare for the final, BUT you cannot see and, therefore, study "Homework" that you have not submitted. Therefore, please do so by the May 1st "late work" deadline set for all "Homework" assignments.
 
IV. Research Project (20%)
 
This section of the course is devoted to the research paper. The pace is quick and intense, but I assign you no "daily homework" while you are working on its stages. I only assign it while you are waiting for feedback. Though I provide close instruction in this area, a quality reference on research writing is the free online version of Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference: A Writer's Reference, particularly this section on research and source documentation.
 
The research project is conducted in five stages: 1) research question (4%); 2) annotated bibliography (4%); 3) outline (4%); 4) rough draft, which must be a minimum of 7 full (not partial) pages of your narrative writing (penalty for failure to submit one); 5) final draft (8%), which must be a minimum of 11 full (not partial) pages of your narrative writing. Guidelines and specifications for the each stage will be provided in "Assignments" when they are assigned.

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