POLITICAL SCIENCE 1014
Introduction to U.S. Government and Politics - Fall Semester, 2007

  TEST ANSWERS

koofers

  lecture notes

Instructor:
Dr. Charles Walcott                                                                                                                                              
528 Major Williams                                                                                                      
Office Hours:  MW 11:15-12:15, TTh 10:30-12
Office Phone: 231-5491                                                                                             
e-mail:  cwalcott@vt.edu                                                                                               

Teaching Assistants:


Jason Johnson  512 Major Williams;  Hours MTW 4-5

William Mullins 510 Major Williams; Hours M 1-2, T 12-1, F 12-1
                                                                                                                          
Required Books:                                                                                                  

Thomas E. Patterson, The American Democracy, 8th edition
Thomas J. Volgy, Politics in the Trenches

Course Organization:
There will be lectures each Monday and Wednesday, except when there are exams.   Lecture material will not simply repeat what is in your books, though it will be related.  Both reading and lectures will be covered on all exams, in roughly equal proportions.  Of course, many important matters will be covered in both.

Assignments and Grading
Your course grade will consist of three midterm exams, a final exam, and a short analytical essay on a topic provided by your instructor.  Each student must write one analytical essay.  If a student writes more than one, the highest grade will count. 

Each midterm exam will be worth 40 points (20% of your grade).  The essay will be worth 30 points, and the final exam will be worth 50 points.  All exams will consist entirely of multiple-choice questions.  Some of the questions on the final will repeat or closely resemble questions from the midterms.

In addition, up to three 4-point extra-credit topics will be offered at different points during the semester.  These will be announced during lectures.  Two-to-three page essays on these topics will be due at the beginning of the next class period.  There will be no advance notice of these extra-credit opportunities, and no make-ups.  They may involve current events in U.S. politics, or they may revolve around speakers here on campus.  Extra credit points will simply be added to your total, as if you had gotten a few more exam questions right.  They will not change the grading scale.

For the course as a whole, the grading scale will be as follows:
A  = 180 points & up        B   = 160-170        C  =  140-150        D  = 120-130
A- = 176-179                   B-  = 156-159       C- =  136-139        D- = 116-119
B+ = 171-175                  C+ = 151-155        D+ = 131-135        F  = 115 & below

Admonitions:
We expect that you will take all exams at the scheduled time.  If you cannot, and can present written evidence of a legitimate excuse, a make-up will be arranged.  Legitimate excuses include illness and University-sponsored, extra-curricular activities.  They do not include a desire to attend a relative’s birthday party or to spend a little more time at home.  When in doubt, please ask in advance.
All make-up exams will be short-answer in format and will cover the same material as the exam that was missed. 

We will make every effort to accommodate students with disabilities.   Please see Prof. Walcott if you need to make such arrangements.

The Virginia Tech Honor Code is in effect throughout this course.

Course Outline:

Note: all exams will be in McBryde 100

It is best to do the indicated readings before the lecture, or immediately afterward, so the readings and lectures can reinforce one another.

August 20    Introduction to the Course (no reading)

August 22    Politics, Values & Culture (read Patterson, ch. 1)

August 27    Sept. 3 – The Founding and the Constitution (read Patterson ch. 2 and pp. A2-A23)

Sept. 5    Federalism (read Patterson, ch. 3)

Sept. 10    State and Local Politics (read Patterson ch. 18)

Sept.  12    Civil Liberties (read Patterson, ch. 4))

Sept.  17    Civil Rights (read Patterson, ch. 5)

FIRST MIDTERM EXAM SEPTEMBER 19

Sept. 24    Public Opinion & Political Socialization (read Patterson, ch. 6, Volgy, ch. 1 & 2)

Sept. 26    Political Participation (read {Patterson, ch. 7)

Oct. 1-3    Political Parties (read Patterson, ch. 8)

Oct. 8    Fall Break -- no class

Oct. 10   Interest Groups (read Patterson, ch. 9, Volgy ch. 3 & 4)

FIRST ANALYTICAL ESSAY DUE OCTOBER 10

Oct. 15    Media of Mass Communication (read Patterson, ch. 10, Volgy ch. 8)

SECOND MIDTERM EXAM OCTOBER 17

Oct. 22-24   The Legislative Branch (read Patterson, ch. 11, Volgy, ch. 5 & 6 )

Oct. 29-31   The Presidency (read Patterson, ch. 12)

Nov. 5   The Executive Bureaucracy (read Patterson, ch. 13)

SECOND ANALYTICAL ESSAY DUE NOVEMBER 7

Nov. 7-12   The Courts (read Patterson, ch. 14)

THIRD MIDTERM EXAM NOVEMBER 14

Nov. 17-25   Thanksgiving Break

Nov. 26  The Economy and Environment (read Patterson, ch. 15, Volgy ch. 7)

Nov. 28   Welfare and Education (read Patterson, ch. 16)

Dec. 3   National Security Policy (read Patterson, ch. 17))

Dec. 5  Conclusion: Democracy in the United States (read Volgy, ch. 9)

FINAL EXAM  December 12, 4:25 p.m.

The final exam will consist of roughly 20-25 questions from the readings and lectures since the third midterm.  The rest will review earlier material.  Some will be repeats from prior exams.