This page contains the information for PSC201 – United States Government – at Quinsigamond Community College.
I. EXCERPTS FROM THE SYLLABUS
A. CONTACT INFO
College Email: jlimanek@qcc.mass.edu
Personal Email: proflimanek@gmail.com
B. TEXTS:
Required: American Government, 2nd Edition, from OpenStax, Print ISBN: 978-1-947172-65-4; Digital ISBN: 978-1-947172-66-1
Click [H E R E] to access.
C. ASSIGNMENTS:
To make the content more manageable, the course will be divided into three sections. For each section, there will be one exam given upon completion. Each exam will only contain material from the preceding section. Meaning, none of the exams will be cumulative.
• Exams #1 & #2 will each count as 20% of your final grade.
• Exam #3 (final) will count as 40%
The exams will be multi-faceted, consisting of matching, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short-essay questions. All students enrolled in the course must be present on the day of the exams to receive full credit. Penalties may be applied for all work not completed when assigned (10 points per day late).
Research Paper:
Additionally, there will be a 1500-2000 word term paper (approximately 6-8 pages in length), which will count as 20% of your grade. For grading procedures, please refer to the “PAPER” section of my website for the specific details of this assignment. The paper will be due on the second to last week of class. It will be submitted via email – no hard copies will be accepted. Topics for your paper are due by the third week of class. This may be submitted via email, but final approval will occur during class. Penalties will be imposed if either is late without prior approval by the professor.
Extra Credit:
There are three ways for all students to earn extra credit throughout the term.
#1 Quizzes – There MAY be pop quizzes randomly given throughout the term. You must be present to receive credit. No make-ups for missed quizzes will be offered because quizzes are graded as extra credit.
#2 Homework – Homework assignments will be given throughout the term. Typically these involve answering the chapter review questions from within your textbook or reader. Grades for these assignments will be counted as quiz points.
#3 Additional Written Assignments – Opportunities for extra written assignments may be offered if deemed appropriate.
All extra credit points will be totaled and added to your current average throughout the term. The impact of these points are significant – for every five points earned, your average will increase by one point. By the conclusion of the term, most classes will have the opportunity to add as much as two grade points if all extra credit work is completed in proper fashion.
D. OUTLINES
For Exam #1:
Lecture I: Introduction; What Is Government?
Lecture II: Origins of the Constitution & Constitution of the United States
Lecture III: The Evolution of Federalism
Supplemental Handout: The Advantages & Disadvantages of Federalism
For Exam #2:
Lecture IV: The Congress of the United States
Lecture V: The Executive Branch
Lecture VI: The Judicial Branch
For Final:
Lecture VII: The Bureaucracy – The Fourth Branch
Lecture VIII: Political Culture & Political Opinion
Lecture IX: Political Parties and Interest Groups
Lecture X: The Election Process
E. Videos
For Exam #1:
9/9 Zoom Session
/9/14 Zoom Session
9/16 Zoom Session
9/21 Zoom Session
9/23 Zoom Session – NOTE: I started recording 15 minutes after the start of class
9/28 Zoom Session
9/30 Zoom Session
10/5 Zoom Session
10/7 Zoom Session
10/12 Zoom Session
10/14 Zoom Session
For Exam #2:
10/19 Zoom Session
10/21 Zoom Session
10/26 Zoom Session
10/28 Zoom Session
11/2 Zoom Session
11/4 Zoom Session
11/9 Zoom Session
11/11 Zoom Session
For Final:
11/16 Zoom Session
11/18 Zoom Session
11/23 Zoom Session
11/30 Zoom Session
12/2 Zoom Session
12/7 Zoom Session
12/9 Zoom Session
12/14 Zoom Session