SUNY Stony Brook

Department of Political Science

POL 102.31 Introduction to American Government 3 credits

Instructor: Mrs. Kathleen Rothman Fall 2024
SBC: SBS and USA
DEC: F and 4 - POL 102 does not have a prerequisite.
Office: Social and Behavioral Science Building – Room N749

“May you live in interesting times!”

Is this reputedly, but more likely apocryphal, ancient Chinese saying a blessing or a
curse? Whichever the case may be, it is inarguable that American Government today
exists in “interesting times.” The past sixteen years have brought increasing polarization
of American political opinion, a shattering of many well-established political norms, and
legal and political challenges that are stressing the fabric of American democracy. As we
proceed through this course, we will trace the evolution of American Government and try
to make sense of where our 235-year-old experiment in “rule by the people” will take us
next.

POL 102.31 as an online asynchronous course

This course is only online and does not meet in person. It is “asynchronous” which
means you can do the work whenever you choose to within the limit of each weekly
unit.
I have organized the course so it will be clear, coherent, and designed to keep
everyone on track. All course interactions will be accessed in Brightspace. The
course will consist of weekly learning unit modules, each of which will contain:
- an assigned reading from the textbook that you need to purchase
- two recorded lectures which will include narrated Power Point slides
- an open-book assessment quiz
- an occasional short writing assignment
- a weekly discussion topic

There will be two midterm exams and a cumulative final exam.

Contact Information

E-mail: [email protected]

Office Hours: Wednesdays and Fridays 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. on Zoom (the Office Hours
module is on the Course Home page and contains the link for the Zoom sessions) or by
appointment. Occasional in-person office hours will be announced.
Course Goals and Objectives
After taking this course, students should be able to
- analyze information from primary or secondary sources and be able to draw
conclusions from these texts
- acquire critical thinking skills that will help to differentiate and evaluate
theories and approaches to complex problems in political science
- use information from diverse sources to present and defend an argument.
- apply knowledge to essential questions in American politics
- analyze knowledge from our course and make connections to issues encountered
in current events

Course Description

What the informed citizen and specialist should know about the organization of American
government, including the Constitution and what it means today, the Congress, political
parties, pressure groups, growth of the Presidency, the Supreme Court, judicial review,
federalism, separation of powers, and the Bill of Rights. May not be taken for credit in
addition to POL 105.

We will discuss some basic principles of political science, the conceptual and historical
origins of the Constitution, the evolution of our national institutions, the political process,
and some contending theories of American politics. We will examine various policy
areas to analyze the distribution of power and authority and try to draw some conclusions
about the nature of democracy in America. Discussion of current events should develop
your ability to think critically and analyze political phenomena.

Required Text

Keeping the Republic: Power and Citizenship in American Politics 10th Edition
By Christine Barbour and Gerald C. Wright CQ Press c. 2022
ISBN: 978-1544393728 (ISBN-10 1544393725)
Course Requirements

- weekly open-book quizzes

- one writing response (pass/no credit)
- two midterm exams
- a cumulative final exam
- students are expected to be familiar with current events and should listen to
various news sources each day
- reading The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal is recommended

Grading

Weekly Quizzes 10%

Writing Assignment 10%
Midterm #1 25%
Midterm #2 25%
Cumulative Final Exam 30%

Grade scale

A = 93-100 A- = 90-92 B+ = 88-89 B = 83-87 B- = 80-82

C+ = 78-79 C = 73-77 C- = 70-72 D + = 68-69 D = 60-67 F = < 60

Viewing Grades in Brightspace

- Points for graded activities will be posted on the “Grades” tab in Brightspace.
- Additional information: Undergraduate Grading System

Attendance and Late Work Policy

“Attendance” will be taken by your submission of the writing assignments and weekly
quizzes. For the purposes of this course, our week will begin on Monday and end on the
following Sunday night. The quizzes should be submitted by the end of the week.
It is important that you stay engaged in the course and do the work. The quizzes and
writing assignments will be 20% of your final grade.

If you cannot take a midterm or final exam during the specified period due to an
extenuating circumstance, please contact me to make an arrangement for a make-up exam
which, necessarily, will be different from the original exam.
Discussions

Each week I will post a topic related to our course for discussion. Given the current,
somewhat turbulent condition of American discourse, everyone will be required to be
respectful and polite and to discuss issues rationally and logically. If someone posts an
idea you disagree with, you can politely ask about their reasoning or what they might
think of a counter-idea.
.

My Role as the Instructor in Class Discussions

As the instructor, I will serve as a “guide” in our online classroom. Discussions through
Brightspace encourage conversation and learning with your peers. While I might not
respond to every post, I will read what is posted and reply to:
- Assist you when it comes to making connections between discussions, lectures,
and readings.
- Fill in important points that may have been missed
- Re-direct discussion if it gets “off-track”
- Highlight key points or identify valuable posts
- I might also summarize at the end of each weekly discussion

Withdrawal Policy

Friday, October 25th (4:00 p.m.) is the last day students can process a withdrawal from
individual courses via SOLAR.
If you need to drop or withdraw from the course, it is your responsibility to be aware of
the tuition liability deadlines listed in the Registrar’s Academic Calendar. Before making
the decision to drop/withdraw you may want to contact me or refer to the University’s
policies:
- Undergraduate Course Load and Course Withdrawal Policy

Incompletes

Under emergency/special circumstances, students may petition for an incomplete grade.

Circumstances must be documented and significant enough to merit an incomplete. If
you need to request an incomplete for this course, contact me for approval as far in
advance as possible. You should also read the University’s policies that apply to you:
- Undergraduate Bulletin
Course Materials and Copyrights

Course material accessed from Brightspace, Zoom, etc. is for the exclusive use of
students who are currently enrolled in the course. Content from these systems cannot be
reused or distributed without the written permission of the instructor and/or the copyright
holder. Duplication of materials protected by copyright, without permission of the
copyright holder is a violation of the federal copyright law, as well as a violation of Stony
Brook’s Academic Integrity.

How We Will Communicate

To make sure you are receiving all communication in this course:

- Log into Brightspace once a day, check announcements and our course discussion
board.
- Regular announcements will be posted in Brightspace and may or will be sent via
email
- Course-related questions should be posted in the General Questions forum in the
course discussion board so everyone can benefit
- For personal/private issues, email me directly. If you use Brightspace’s email tool
from the course site, it will automatically include your full name, course name
and section when you send me an email. Please allow between 24-48 hours for
an email reply.
- Your Stony Brook University email must be used for all university-related
communications. All instructor correspondence will be sent to your SBU email
account. Plan on checking your SBU email account regularly for course-
related messages. To log into Stony Brook Mail, go to
http://www.stonybrook.edu/mycloud and sign in with your NetID and password.

How to Succeed in this Course

Online learning requires a high level of conscientiousness from students. You will need
to take greater responsibility for managing your time and participating fully in the class.
For asynchronous classes, you should set aside 5-10 hours per week. For this class, you
must also
- Check Brightspace and your SBU email regularly
- Keep track of all due dates and plan ahead
- Complete all assigned readings for the course
- Complete all graded assignments on time

There are multiple resources, university offices, and help desks that are available to assist
you with everything from advising, tutoring, accessibility, on-line specific support, and
much more.

Review some Academic Success Strategies and visit the Student Resources page to
ensure your success in this course.
Brightspace Instructional Resources

What if students) need help?

Support is available 7 days a week!
DoIT's Brightspace support team is available M-F 9am - 4:30pm EST. Call: 631-632-
9800 (select option 2) or submit a request online at: service.stonybrook.edu
SUNY's Helpdesk is available to instructors & students M-F 7am - Midnight, Saturday
10am - 6pm, Sunday 10am - 9pm EST. Their phone # is: 1-844-673-6786.

Students need to be familiar with Brightspace. For information:

- Go to the SBU home page
- Click on “Brightspace” at the top of the page
- Scroll down to “Brightspace for Students”
- Scroll further to see “Getting started resources for learners”
- You can also post a question on our course-related discussion forum

Technical Requirements

Having a reliable computer and internet connection throughout the term will benefit you.
Caution! For many classes, you will be at a disadvantage if you attempt to complete all
coursework on a smartphone or tablet. It may not be possible to submit the files required
for your homework assignments. If you need to borrow a device, please visit SBU’s
Laptop Loan Program.

Technical Assistance

If you need technical assistance at any time during the course or to report a problem with
Brightspace you can:
- Phone: 631-632-9800 M-F 9:00-5:00 (device support, WIFI, software, Hardware,
logins)
- Submit a help request ticket: https://it.stonybrook.edu/services/itsm

Student Accessibility Support Center Statement

If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact
your course work, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center, Stony Brook
Union Suite 107, (631) 632-6748, or at [email protected]. They will determine with
you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and
documentation is confidential.

Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss
their needs with their professors and the Student Accessibility Support Center. For
procedures and information go to the following website:
https://ehs.stonybrook.edu//programs/fire-safety/emergency-evacuation/evacuation-
guide-disabilities and search Fire Safety and Evacuation and Disabilities.
Academic Integrity Statement

Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally
accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is
always wrong. Faculty is required to report any suspected instances of academic
dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health Sciences Center (School of
Health Professions, Nursing, Social Welfare, Dental Medicine) and School of Medicine
are required to follow their school-specific procedures. For more comprehensive
information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty please
refer to the academic judiciary website at
http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/academic_integrity/index.html

Important Note: Any form of academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism
will be reported to the Academic Judiciary.

Critical Incident Management

Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of
other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Student Conduct and
Community Standards any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach,
compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn.
Faculty in the HSC Schools and the School of Medicine are required to follow their
school-specific procedures. Further information about most academic matters can be
found in the Undergraduate Bulletin, the Undergraduate Class Schedule, and the Faculty-
Employee Handbook.
Dates, Weekly Units, Lecture Topics, Reading Assignments

*N.B.: POL 102 gives students an excellent foundation for becoming informed citizens
with an understanding of American politics. Students eligible to vote will be well-
equipped for voting in the November 5th presidential election, which is shaping up to be
contentious and dramatic. Election Day is statutorily set by the U.S. government as "the
Tuesday next after the first Monday in November” (well before the conclusion of our
course). Consequently, I have prioritized our topics and altered the usual sequence in
order to cover what I consider the most important information you need to be familiar
with before the election.

Part I: Basic Concepts

8/26 - Week 1 – Introduction to American Politics Text: Ch. 1

Democracy and other Regimes

Part II – Institutions that Link Government and the People

9/3 – Week 2 - Voting, Campaigns, and Elections Text: Ch. 14

Public Opinion Text: Ch. 11

Part III: Constitutional Foundations

9/9 - Week 3 – Politics of the American Founding Text: Ch. 3

9/16 - Week 4 – Federalism and the U.S. Constitution Text: Ch. 4

9/23 - Week 5 – Fundamental American Liberties Text: Ch. 5

The Struggle for Equal Rights Text: Ch. 6

Part IV: National Governing Institutions

9/30 - Week 6 – The U.S. Congress Text: Ch. 7

10/7 - Week 7 – The Presidency Text: Ch. 8

10/14 - Week 8 – MIDTERM #1 (available to take 10/6 – 10/9)

The Bureaucracy Text: Ch. 9 (this topic is not on Midterm #1)
Fall Break: Monday 10/14- Tuesday 10/15

10/21 - Week 9 – The American Legal System and the Courts Text: Ch. 10

Part V: Policymaking

10/28 - Week 10 – The Role of the U.S. in the World and American Foreign Policy
Text: Ch. 18

March 25th is the last day to withdraw in SOLAR (by 4pm)

11/4 - Week 11 – Economic Policymaking Text: Ch. 17

(November 5th – Election Day – classes are in session)

11/11 - Week 12 – Public Policymaking Text: pp. 631-641

Environmental Policy Text: Ch. 16

Part IV: Institutions that Link Government and the People (continued)

11/18 - Week 13 – MIDTERM #2 (available to take 11/17 – 11/20)

The Media – Text: Ch. 15 (this topic is not on Midterm #2)

11/25 - Week 14 - Political Parties Text: Ch. 12

Interest Groups Text: Ch. 13

Thanksgiving Break: Wednesday 11/27 – Sunday, December 1

12/2 – Week 15 - American Political Culture Text: Ch. 2

The Many Meanings of “Liberalism”

Classes End: Monday, December 9th, Last Day of Classes

FINAL EXAM – available to take 12/11 – 12/15