The course
This course is a general survey of American and California politics
and government. Because national and state institutions are similar, the
lectures will emphasize the Constitution, institutions and politics of
the United States with special attention to the unique features of
California's political system. The lectures are not intended to duplicate
the assigned readings; lectures will cover only selected aspects of a topic.
Students, therefore, are expected to read the textbooks and to attend
class meetings on a regular basis. Exams will include qustions from
both the assigned readings and the lectures . Students are
responsible for both. Regular attendance is expected and encouraged if you
expect to do well in the course. Remember, each class meeting you miss is
equivalent to a full week of day classes.
Classroom Etiquette
Please turn off cell phones and pagers before coming to class meetings.
Remember that snacks and drinks in the classrooms are not appropriate. If
you wish to talk to your friends during class meetings, or you can't wait
until the break to eat, I'll be happy to excuse you from class.
Readings
The required readings for the class are from the
sources listed below, and are available at the 49er Bookstore:
- Janda, Berry, and Goldman, The Challenge of Democracy: Brief
Edition; Boston: Houghton Mifflin. (ISBN 0-395-77449-7)
- Gerston and Christensen, California Politics and
Government: A Practical Approach ; Fort Worth, Tx.: Harcourt,
Brace. (ISBN 0-534-61740-9)
- James Madison,The Federalist
Papers, No. 10.
Included among the Links provided for the course
you will find two
links where you can buy used and previous editions of the required
textbooks that are considerably less expensive. To assist you in a search
of those sites I've included the ISBN numbers above.
The Lecture Notes also are available
on the web page. The lecture notes are not substitutes for class
attendance, but are provided to assist you in organizing the content of
the course. I encourage you to download the lecture notes and bring them to
class and use them to structure your own notes.
Semester Grades
The final grade will be based on the
letter grades (not the number of points) received on two of the
three midterms (40%); the final (20%), and both of the homework assignments
(40%). The exams are multiple choice, and are comprehensive. The two
homework assignments are essay, and will be graded primarily on content,
but grammar and spelling will be considered as well. Assignments turned in
late will be graded on a pass/fail basis. Papers will not be
accepted after the last day of instruction (i.e., before the Final exam)
unless you have made an arrangement with me prior to the due date for
each paper.
Grades for each exam and each paper will be based on the following scale:
- 90-100 = A;
- 80-89 = B;
- 70-79 = C;
- 60-69 = D;
- < 60 = F.
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I reserve the right to curve exam and paper grades when appropriate. The two
writing assignments are part of the course requirements. To pass the
course, both assignments much be completed. No extra credit work will be
assigned.
Make-up Exams
Pleased be advised that it is my policy NOT to arrange
make-up exams. Students may drop their lowest midterm grade; however you
may not drop the final or either of the home work assignments. If a
student misses a midterm exam for any reason that will be the midterm grade
that he or she will drop.
Office Hours
Office hours are Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:15. I will see students
on a "first come, first seen" unless you arrange an appointment with me. My
office is located in SS/PA 336(3rd floor, North wing). My telephone number
is (562) 985-4708. I seldom check my telephone messages, but I check my e-mail
at least once a day, and usually more often. You will get a quicker response by
e-mail than you will by leaving a message on my voice mail. My e-mail
address is:
jstevens@csulb.edu
