Course Schedule 1st Semeter 2011
Course Information |
The following is your schedule of readings. This schedule is subject to change and probably will! I also reserve the right to ADD (or in rare occasions subtract) readings. You should have read the listed readings FOR THE DAY on which they are listed!
Hudson = Hudson, William. American Democracy in Peril: Eight Challenges to America’s Future. CQ Press, 2006.
Woll = Woll, Peter. American Government: Readings and Cases. New York: Longman, 2009 – 18th edition. PLEASE HAVE THE MOST RECENT EDITION OF THIS!
SLD = Student Led Discussion
Our class this semester will be centered around the idea that we are members of a campaign staff and the media covering a fictional race for the United States President. For more information on the project, click HERE!
PROJECT DEADLINES ARE IN LIGHT BLUE FONT!
Gearing up for our Semester Project:
Aug 12: Introductions AND Discussion of our learning community
Aug 16: Discuss Summer Reading --Howard Fineman, The 13 American Arguments
Aug 18: Continue Fineman discussion
Aug 22: Film: The War Room (Bill Clinton's 1992 Presidential Campaign)
Aug. 24: Finish film and discuss and Congressional Watch discussion
Aug 26: Senior Trip...WOO HOO! Take Hudson with you and read on the bus!
Aug 30: Democracy Groundwork
BE THINKING ABOUT which group you'd like to work with for the semester project...Green Party, Incumbent Indep, Libertarian Party, Media!!!
READ: Introduction of Hudson (Hudson is THICK and will take time!)
Project: Ask 3 people NOT in this class what their definition of democracy is. Record their answers precisely. You will present.
Sept 1: semester project background -- how does a President get nominated and elected (electoral college, primaries, Party politics, SIGs and funding, etc.)
READ: the 2012 Primary Race coverage on Politico (just peruse the site...bring ONE thing you found particularly cool to share with the class)
READ: This page on political party presidential nominating processes. (Green Papers)
READ: This explanation on the nominating process (Project Votesmart)
READ: All about the Electoral College on the Official Website .
CHECK OUT: 270 to Win about Electoral College competition!
WRITE: your opinion (on the discussion in Schoology) about the Electoral College. Does it work? What are the pros and cons of it? Should we keep it or reform it?
If you choose the latter, explain HOW you would reform it! Post due before class begins.
Introductory Declarations and Discussions of Government and the Idea of Republican Democracy
Sept 6: Finish Presidential Primaries and Campaigns
Sept 8: PROJECT ALL : Workshop -- Begin to design roles and ideas for project
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| Abigail Adams: Advocate for colonial women's rights | James Madison: Father of the Consitution |
Sept 12: Constitution groundwork
PROJECT ALL: Research Due
READ: Woll Documents 2 ,3, 4, and 5, and Read the United States Constitution Articles 1-3AND the Bill of Rights (other amendments not assigned)
(Not using in 2011 -- Miroff handout -- pp 34-52 and 338-354)
Sept 14: Guest Speaker!
RESEARCH PAPERS DUE!
September 16: SUB PROJECT ALL: Spend clas scrafting your message and designing your outreach materials
Sept 16: PROJECT ALL : Workshop Begin to design roles and ideas for project
First, please share your research papers with each other. Do a bit of reading about the opposition.
By end of class you must produce a Google Doc shared with Dr. Berry that includes the following components:
1) Roles and responsibilities of campaign staffers and candidate.
2) Using the example from Mr. Kruble, make message boxes for YOUR candidate (and anything you can create about your opponents is good too!), target words, and proposed voter bases (both national and Colorado).
3) A List of the producst and the things and information you will need to produce the products (ads, speeches, press releases, issue papers, etc.). Some things to consider: What kinds of ads does the campaign need to produce? Who ARE your voters? How do you reach them? What appeals to them? How might a speech be differnent from an ad? How might a 30 sec ad differ from a 90 min ad? Print vs. TV vs radio?
4) A work schedule with deadlines for products (these deadlines should be BEFORE the actual due date so you all can see the products and change them as necessary).
5) A brief description of any obstacles you are encountering or any questions you still have about the project.
You must provide to Dr. Berry (at the end of Friday's class) a Google document that includes the following components:
1) Roles and responsibilities of campaign staffers and candidate.
2) Using the example from Mr. Kruble, make message boxes for YOUR candidate (and anything you can create about your opponents is good too!), target words, and proposed voter bases (both national and Colorado).
3) A List of the producst and the things and information you will need to produce the products (ads, speeches, press releases, issue papers, etc.). Some things to consider: What kinds of ads does the campaign need to produce? Who ARE your voters? How do you reach them? What appeals to them? How might a speech be differnent from an ad? How might a 30 sec ad differ from a 90 min ad? Print vs. TV vs radio?
4) A work schedule with deadlines for products (these deadlines should be BEFORE the actual due date so you all can see the products and change them as necessary).
5) A brief description of any obstacles you are encountering or any questions you still have about the project.
Sept 22: Elections Lecture, Redistricting, Special Interest Groups, Election Fundraising and Reform
Read E-Text chapter on Elections and Article on Race and Gerrymandering "Mapping Democracy" by Benjamin Forest
September 26:
Congress and Federalism lecture
READ: Hudson Chapter 1
Project: Find one example of federalism in action here in Tucson and explain whether or not you think it encompasses democracy or not. Post it on Schoology by class time.
CHECK OUT: the US House of Representatives and the US Senate on-line
1/2 work day
Oct 3: Presidency and Bureaucracy Lecture (my grandma is 110 years old today)
READ: Presidency Chpt in E-text and Woll: Document #s: 46, 47, 48, 49
Task: Research 1 of the Federal Departments on the Internet. Find the mission and 3 functions of that department. Post your findings on our blog -- use the name of your department as the title of your blog!
October 5: PROJECT DEADLINE Campaigns: Candidate Position Papers and Biographies DUE: Biographies should be in a brochure format. Position papers should be one page single-spaced and should inform a general audience about the candidates' positions on the 4 major issues I assigned.
October 7: PROJECT ALL: Work Day!
October 11: Project Deadline CAMPAIGNS: Website Due (this may be a Weebly, Yola, or a Google Pages website)
Guidelines for Mock Campaign Websites
They should include the following at minimum:
Some optional content might include:
Careful attention should be given to visual design, for both aesthetic and rhetorical effects (want it to look good, and to help achieve your campaign goals). Design includes such elements as layout, use of color and fonts, and quality of visuals.
Websites should reside on a public drive, and the campaigns can simply provide the URL.You may create a Page on our Schoology site but you may want to check out other Website possibilities...
PROJECT DEADLINE MEDIA: Critiques of positions papers and biographies due
Begin Student-Led Discussions on Content areas (note: blogs on both current events and the content are due TWO days before our discussion!)
October 13: Congressional Watch 1
October 18: SLD = Federalism/Const Lauren
PROJECT DEADLINE MEDIA: Critiques of Websites due
READ: Woll: Document #s: 7 (Anti #17), 8 (Fed #44), 10 (Fed #39), 11 (Bryce), 17 (Anti # 84)
NOT FOR 2011! Take Home Essay (open note, open Constitution) Submit via your PRIVATE Google Docs folder to Dr. Berry by 8 am Sept 16th. Essay should be a minimum of 1200 words. Worth 50 points.
1) Some argue that the Constitution has been "democratized" over the years. Do you agree? Be sure to explain how you conceive of "democratization" and give examples to support your argument from revlevant Constitutional amendments.
2) Evaluate the democratic nature of the original Constitution (including the Bill of Rights). Does the Constitution's Bill of Rights, checks and balances, and separation of powers facilitate or impede democractic access to government? Which type of democracy is the Constitution most likely to promote?
3) Describe the key checks and balances of the Constitution. Does this system lead to smoother and more efficient government? Why or why not?
October 20: SLD = Congress -- Emily and Tess
READ: Woll Documents: 55 (Wilson), 56 (Fiorina), 57 (Dodd), 58 (Burke), 61 (Mayhew)
October 25: PROJECT DEADLINE MEDIA: Debate Questions are DUE!
HELPFUL LINK! http://debates.org/
WORK DAY -- Debate Prep
October 26: First Presidential Debate
Oct 28: Finish Congress
Nov. 1: -- Political Parties SLD -- Tariq and David
READ: Docs 32 (Schattschneider), 35 (Mayhew), 37 (Berelson), 38 (Key)
Nov 3: Work Day
Nov. 7:Congressional Watch Following
Rep. Charles Rangle -- Dem., NY (from Harlem)
Rep. Louise Slaughter -- Dem., NY
Rep. Cynthia Lummis -- Rep., WY
PROJECT DEADLINE CAMPAIGNS: Colorado Specific Print Ads due as well as Colorado stump speeches
PROJECT DEADLINE Media: Story on Presidential Debate Due!
Nov. 9: SLD You can base this on the actual election and the media's roll in it if you want!! Elections and Media! Michaela and Coco
READ: William Hudson, Chapter 4
Read: Media Article
READ: Local and national media on outcomes of elections and be ready to discuss (and name your sources in discussion!)!
Nov 11:SLD Judiciary -- Jake and Jaxon
READ: Woll Documents: 64, 65 (Hamilton), 67 (Roche), 68 (Webster), 70 (Brennan) and Hudson Chpt 2 The Imperial Judiciary
PROJECT DEADLINE Media: article on stump speech due!
Nov 15:SLD President and Bureaucracy -- Athena and Berman
READ: Woll: Document #s : 46-49 AND 50 and 51 and Hudson Chapter 8 the National Security State
NOT in 2011! Take Home Essay (due Nov 23) The bureaucracy has often been called the "fourth branch" of government, but it is not provided for in the original Constitution. Explain what the bureaucracy is and the ways in which it is both within the system of checks and balances and the ways in which it is outside the system. In the end, assess whether or not the bureaucracy is a democratically checked institution or not
Be sure to include in your discussion cabinet appointments, administrative discretion, and the power of independent regulatory agencies.
Nov. 17: PROJECT DEADLINE Campaigns: TV Commercials and Radio Spots due (you may turn them in early!!)
Nov. 21: Special Interest Groups -- Louie and Matt
Woll: Doc # 40 (Jeffrey Berry), AND #42-45 (Ortiz, Truman, Herring, Sabato)
Nov. 21: PROJECT DEADLINE MEDIA: Critiques of CO Media spots due
Happy Turkey Day! 
Nov 28: Work Day Debate Prep
PROJECT DEADLINE Media: Debate Questions DUE
NOv 30: Second Debate
Dec 2: Response from Media about Debate as well as Presentations by Media on Endorsements
Dec. 6: Debrief Project -- Complete Collaboration Evaluation
Dec. 14-17: Semester Exams Written Project Reflection DUE! :~)
Enjoy Winter Break! 
MAYBE:
from Outfoxed.
n-class viewing of Journeys with George.
excerpt from Bill Clinton's My Life, pp. 410-421