POLI 100   Introduction to American Government and Politics

This is an introductory course, intended primarily for students who have no prior background in political science.  It is designed to serve both as a first political science course for prospective majors and as a survey and general education course for non-majors.

I will teach POLI 100 0101 and 0201 in Spring 2008.  The syllabus will be essentially identical with the syllabus for Fall 2007 (see link below).
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          Guide to Third Midterm Test and Final Exam 
          Grades For Third Midterm Test
          Grades for Second Writing Assigment, Final Exam, and Course
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Course Syllabus (with hyperlinks to Course Pack Readings)   [Fall 2007]

Course Syllabus [PDF]     [Fall 2007]

        K&J: 2nd => 3rd editions

Guide to Midterm Tests

Instructions for Writing Assignments

       Questions for First Writing Assignment

       Questions for Second Writing Assignment

Guide to Final Exam

Bulletin Board (Q & A)

Logic of American Politics home page

The Declaration of Independence

The Articles of Confederation

James Madison's Notes on the Debates in the Federal Convention

The Constitution of the United States (National Archives)

Celebrating Constitution Day (September 17, 2005) from CQ Press in Context

The Federalist Papers

The Founders' Constitution

The U.S. Constitution (including all amendments)

UMBC Political Science Department

Instructor's Homepage (bio, research, other courses, etc.)


Study Guides  (Topics are numbered by class day; PPT = PowerPoint slides)
To review PowerPoint slides used in class, click on [PPT] following the topic name.  Note: you must have Microsoft PowerPoint on your computer to view these slides.

        No Topic #1    Overview of Course
        No Topic #2    NO CLASS -- Instructor attending conference
        Topic #3          The Logic of Anarchy and Government
    [PPT]
        Topic #4          Philosophical Origins of American Government   [PPT]
        Topic #5          The Declaration of Independence   [PPT]
        Topic #6          The Articles of Confederation  [PPT]
        Topic #7          Framing the Constitution    [PPT]
        Topic #8          Ratifying the Constitution     [PPT]
        Topic #9          Democracy and the Constitution    [Summary and Extension]
        Topic #10        The Political Theory of the Constitution   [PPT]
        Topic #11        Amending the Constitution    [PPT]     [Summary and Extension]
        Topic #12        The Origins of Judicial Review    [PPT]
        Topic #13        The Judical Branch: Structure and Process    [PPT]
        Topic #14        The Judical Branch: Appointments, Tenure, and Philosophies   [PPT]
        Topic #15        American Federalism [Enhanced Study Guide]
        No Topic #16  FIRST TEST
        Topic #17        Jucial Review: Federalism and Economic Regulation    [PPT]
        Topic #18        Judicial Review: Civil Liberties       [PPT]
       
Topic #19        Judicial Review: The 14th Amendment and Nationalization of the Bill of Rights   [PPT]
        Topic #20        Judicial Review: Civil Rights     [PPT]
        Topic #21        Congress as a Representative Assembly: The Concept of Representation    [PPT]
        No Topic #22   NO CLASS -- Instructor out-of-town
        Topic #23        Congress as a Representative Assemby: Apportionment, Election Methods, and Districting   [PPT]
        Topic #24        Congress as a Legislative Assembly: Organization and Procedures    [PPT]
        Topic #25        Congress as a Representative and Legislative Assembly   [PPT]
        Topic #26        The Executive Branch: The Office of President    [PPT]
        Topic #27        The Electoral College and the Origins of Political Parties   [PPT]
        Topic #28        Presidential Nominations and Elections    [PPT]

        No Topic #29  SECOND TEST
        Topic #30        The Executive Branch: Presidential Leadership    [PPT]

        Topic #31        The Executive Branch: Bureaucracy [Enhanced Study Guide]
        Topic #32        American Political Culture [Enhanced Study Guide]
        Topic #33        Survey Research, Public Opinion, and the Media   [PPT]  
        Topic #34        Public Opinion: Consensus and Conflict    [PPT] 
        Topic #35        Public Opinion: Partisanship and Ideology   [PPT]  
        Topic #36        Political Participation, Opinions, and Democracy   [PPT] 
        Topic #37        Interest Groups       [PPT]
        Topic #38        Suffrage, Voting Turnout, and Political Participation   [PPT]

        Topic #39        Campaigns and Elections     [PPT]
        Topic #40        The American Party Systems    [PPT]
        Topic #41        Contemporary Party Politics    [PPT]
        No Topic #42  CATCH-UP
        No Topic #43  THIRD TEST

Other Handouts

        Democracy and the Constitution
        Amending the Constitution
       

  Current Events

        Washington Post On Politics
        New York Times on the Web (requires free registration)
        CNN All Politics
        PBS NewsHour
        C-SPAN
        BBC World Service
        The Times (London)
 

U.S. Government 

        U.S. Congress
                House of Representatives
                U.S. Senate
        The White House
        U.S. Courts
                U.S. Supreme Court


Supplementary Documents 
(Additional documents are available at the Logic of American Politics home page.) 

   Topic #

      #3        The Prisoner's Dilemma
      #4        The Levianthan by Thomas Hobbes (1660) 
      #4        Frontispiece illustration for Leviathan
      #4        Second Treatise of Government by John Locke (1690)
      #5        Declaration and Resolves (Continental Congress, 1774)
      #5        The Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (Continental Congress, 1775)
      #5        The Declaration of Independence Homepage (National Archives)
      #5        Successive drafts of the Declaration of Independence (1776)
      #6        Articles of Confederation (1781-1788)

      #7        Annapolis Convention (1786)
      #7        Virginia Plan (1787
      #7        New Jersey Plan (1787)
      #7       
Connecticut Compromise (1787)
      #7
       Madison's Notes on the Federal Convention (1787)
      #7        First Draft of the U.S. Constitution (Report of the Committee of Detail, August 6, 1787)
      #7        Penultimate Draft of the U.S. Constitution (Report of the Committee on Style, September 12, 1787)
      #8        Federalist Papers (1788)
      #8        Anti-Federalist Papers (1788)
      #8        James Madison's Memorial and Remonstrance Again Religious Assessments (1785)  
      #8        The Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom  (Thomas Jefferson, 1786)   
      #9        Charles Beard's, An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the U.S. (1913)
    #10        James Madison's Letter to Thomas Jefferson regarding the proposed Bill of Rights (October 17,1788)
    #10        James Madison, Federalist 10 [highlighted]
    #10        James Madison, Federalist 51 [highlighted]
    #11        Thomas Jefferson's Letter to James Madison, "The Earth Belongs to the Living" (September 6, 1789)
    #11        The Amendment Process and Failed Constitutional Amendments

    #11        Equal Rights Amendment (1972, failed ratification)
    #12        Hamilton, Federalist 78 [highlighted]
    #12        Judiciary Act of 1789
    #12        Marbury v. Madison (1803)
    #13        U.S. Federal District Courts and Circuit Courts of Appeal
    #17        McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
    #17        Gibbons v. Ogden (1924)
    #17        Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918)
    #17        National Labor Relations Act (1935)
    #17        Social Security Act (1935)
    #18        On Liberty (complete pamphlet) by John Stuart Mill (1859)
    #18        Schenck v. United States (1919)
    #18        Dennis v. United States (1951)
    #18        Yates v. U.S. (1957)
    #18        Texas v. Johnson (1989)
    #19        Clarence Earl Gideon's petition for a writ of certiorari  
    #19        Gitlow v. New York (1925)
    #19        Near v. Minnesota (1931)
    #19        Powell v. Alabama (1932)
    #19        Escobedo v. Illinois (1964)
    #19        Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
    #19        Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
    #19        Roe v. Wade (1973)
    #20        The Northwest Ordinance (1787)
    #20        Dred Scott v. Sanford [including concurring and dissenting opinions] (1857)
    #20        Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)

    #20        Abraham Lincoln's Cooper Union Address (1860)
    #20        Confederate Constitution (1861)
    #20        Emancipation Proclamation (1863)
    #20        Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
    #20        Smith v. Allwright (1944)
    #20        Civil Rights Acts (overview) 
    #20        Civil Rights Act (1964)
    #20        Voting Rights Act (1965)
    #20        Thornburg v. Gingles (1986)
    #20        Sweatt v. Painter (1950)
    #23        Congressional Apportionment (U.S. Census Bureau)
    #23        The Original Gerrymander (1812)
    #23        The Gerry-mander -- the original cartoon (1812)
    #23        Baker v. Carr (1962)
    #23        Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)  
   
#23        Maryland Congressional Districts (2002)
    #23        Gerry's Gallery
    #25        Contract With America (1994)
    #26        Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964)
    #26        War Powers Act (1973)
    #26        Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952)
    #26        United States v. Nixon (1974)
    #30        The Prince by Machiavelli (1515)
    #31        Pendleton Act (1883)
    #31        Civil Service Reform act (1978)
    #32        Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville (1835)
    #40        People's Party (Populist) Platform (1896)
    #41        "Cross of Gold" speech of William Jennings Bryan (1896)
 

Links and Resources for Political Research

        U.S. Supreme Court Multimedia Database
        Political Links (UMBC Political Science)
        Resources for Political Science Research on Voting and Elections
        Information and Research on Presidential Elections (for POLI 423 -- includes general resources)
        Albin O. Kuhn (UMBC) Library home page