THEME: This course is intended to introduce you to the basic theory, structure, and practice of American government. My goal is not to turn any of you into political scientists, but rather to make you familiar with the context about which political scientists--and more importantly politicians--speak and write.

METHOD OF EVALUATION: There will be two mid term exams and one slightly longer final exam. Specifically, these components will take the following form and be weighted as follows:

EXAM ONE:	(30%)
EXAM TWO:	(30%)
FINAL EXAM:	(40%)

MIDTERM EXAM FORMAT: The two in class exams are designed to allow you to demonstrate your retention of general themes related to American government as well as some more specific facts. I intend these to be extremely straightforward. In an effort to maximize success, each test will include short answer as well as essay questions; choice will be given on the essay portion. Specifically, the exams will both look like this:

 

PART ONE:   Short answer questions which you will be able to answer in a few words or few sentences. There will be 20 of these questions. This section will be worth 40% of the exam.

PART TWO: Essay questions (about three pages written in a large blue book). These will be general questions which allow for a wide array of answers. They will require more than mere summary--your thoughtful reflection will be necessary. There will be three of these questions and you will have to answer one of them. This section will be worth 60% of the exam

FINAL EXAMINATION: This will be very similar to the midterms in format. The only difference will be the inclusion of a longer, comprehensive essay. Specifically, the exam will look like this:

PART ONE: You will answer 20 short answer questions; same conditions as on the midterm.  This will be worth 20% of the exam.

PART TWO: You will answer one out of three short essay questions dealing only with material from the third section of the class. This will be worth 30% of the exam.

PART THREE: You will answer one out of three comprehensive essay questions (four to five pages in  a large blue book) which deal with a very general question related to the course as a whole. This is the only portion of the examination which will be cumulative, and it will only be cumulative in the sense that it will be of such a general nature. This section will be worth 50% of the examination grade.

GRADING: Short answer sections will be graded using a fairly traditional "straight scale" such that:

The "A" range is from 100-90%.

The "B" range is less than 90 but greater than 80%.

The "C" range is less than 80 but greater than 70%.

The "D" range is less than 70 and greater than 60%.

Less than 60% is the "F" range.

Essays are a bit more difficult to quantify when it comes to grading. However, grades will by no means be subjective. When I read essays, I will do so knowing what I consider to be a complete and thoughtful answer. I do not expect "perfect" answers, but those who come closest will receive superior grades and others will receive declining grades to the extent that they are missing substantial points. I am always more than happy to reward especially creative answers—especially answers that contain appropriate points I might not have had in mind when I wrote the questions.

I may be willing to modify the grading scale a bit based on the outcome of the exams, but under no circumstance will one receive a passing grade with less than 55%.

***NOTE: Although no formal portion of the grade has been allotted for attendance and participation, both are expected and may effect standing when grades are calculated.

WEEK ONE (8/30)

The Classical Idea of Government and Politics.

The Modern Idea of Government and Politics.