YORK TECHNICAL COLLEGE

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

COURSE NUMBER:

 

PSC 201

COURSE NAME:

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

 

INSTRUCTOR:

Rick Whisonant  - Office: A-203 E; (803) 981-7151

E-Mail:  mailto:rwhisonant7783@d2l.yorktech.edu

Web Page:

http://www.rickwhisonant.com/PSC201.htm

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

In 200 years, America has been transformed from a primarily agrarian society to an industrial society. In 1790 most people lived on farms and provided for their own needs; today most people live in cities or towns and earn their living providing goods and services for other people. One of the constants of American life over these 200 years has been government. Government affects our lives from the day we are born to the day we die. Government supports health clinics, which provide prenatal care to some expectant mothers, inspects baby food for nutritiousness and accurate labeling, and bans the marketing of unsafe toys. Government operates the schools in which we learn builds the highways on which we drive, and regulates the television we watch. Government provides for the common defense, which may require military conscription or many young people in times of international crisis and war. Government supplies police and fire protection in our communities. Government provides financial assistance to the very young, the very old, the handicapped and others that cannot maintain a minimal standard of living for themselves and their families. Government cushions the impact of crises  for workers who lose their jobs, homeowners truck by floods or hurricanes, and farmers faces with falling commodity prices. Government organizes a social security system, subsidizes the heavy medical needs of the aging and licensing f unreal homes. Truly, government is an important part of our lives from cradle to grave. American disagree about how much the government should do, and their efforts to influence government decision are the stuff of politics. People share a point of view join interest groups and support political parties. Public opinion polls record what citizens thing about important policy issues. In regularly held elections, voters register their approval or disapproval of their elected officials. The central object of this course, then, is to confront and seek to understand American Government, focusing on the great movements, ideas, events and personalities that helped make our government what it is.

 

 

TEXTBOOK:

 Magleby, Light. Government By the People. New Jersey, Prentice Hall, 23nd Edition, Alternate Edition, 2009

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Attendance policy: Students are responsible for attending all scheduled class meetings. Students are responsible for all material covered and for all assignments made in all classes.

 

EVALUATION:

During the course, there will be three tests. Each test will consist of multiple choice and short answer discussion questions. Test dates will be announced approximately one week in advance. All make-up tests must be approved by the instructor. The highest test score will be counted twice. You will have a total of four test scores. Grading is based on a 10 point systems (90-100=A)

 

WITHDRAWAL POLICY:

If a student withdraws from class on or before midterm, the student will automatically be assigned a grade of W. To withdraw after midterm and receive a grade of W, the students must personally see the instructor for approval. All others will receive a grade of “WF.”

 

GRADING:

 

 

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

Lecture Topic - Chapter 1 – Constitutional Democracy

Lecture Topic – Chapter 2 – The Living Constitution

Lecture Topic – Chapter 3 – American Federalism

Lecture Topic – Chapter 4 – Political Culture an Ideology

 

TEST ONE

 

Lecture Topic – Chapter 5 – The American Landscape

Lecture Topic – Chapter 7 – Political Parties

Lecture Topic – Chapter 8 – Public Opinion, Participation, and Voting

Lecture Topic – Chapter 9 – Campaigns and Elections:

 Lecture Topic – Chapter 10 – The Media and American Politics

TEST TWO

 

Lecture Topic – Chapter 11 – Congress

Lecture Topic – Chapter 12 – The Presidency

Lecture Topic – Chapter 14 – The Judiciary

Lecture Topic – Chapter 15 – First Amendment Freedoms

 

TEST THREE