PLS 125 Political Issues and Conflicts in American Politics

This course introduces students to a range of political issues active in American politics. It starts by first identifying major ideological stances in the US system such as liberalism and conservatism. An important element of critically analyzing political arguments is the ability to identify the ideological assumptions underlying positions taken on specific issues and comparing them to the rational and empirical aspects of those arguments. To better understand the distinction between ideological and rational/emipircal argumentation, emphasis will also be placed on a careful reading of the issue essays with the goal of deconstructing the various elements of the arguments presented – the main thesis, the nature and quality of the supporting evidence, the logic of the conclusions, and the rhetorical techniques used to try to persuade readers. This section of the class will rely mostly on the essays contained in the Taking Sides reader.

A second element of the class will be to focus upon major policy choices facing the country and analyze the policy responses of the Obama administration. The class will have the option of choosing which policy areas to focus upon but obvious alternatives include the reform of the health insurance/care system, assistance to the automobile industry, energy policy and the regulation of the financial system.

The class will brainstorm and decide which policy areas should be given our attention.

We will be mostly using Internet resources to investigate these policy areas. In particular, the class will look at key speeches and articles by administration officials, elected members of Congress, and editorial writers found in the mass media. We will also look closely at the specific legislation being discussed and/or introduced by the administration and its Republican opponents in Congress. Both written and Web based video or audio resources will be relevant to researching these policies.

The course will rely extensively upon the regular in-class contributions of students. Each class will feature discussion and pollite debate; lectures will be kept to a minimum. Expect to be challenged and asked to contribute meaningfully to class discussion. Weekly readings will be the subject of most of our discussions, so students must be willing to keep up with the class. As students will be leading many of the class presentations, it is vital that they not miss class and come prepared!

· Identify major ideological tendencies within the US political system and understand how they correspond to other elements of the system such as political parties and interest groups;

· Critically analyze issue arguments, identifying ideological, logical and empirical elements;

· Effectively communicate your own views about a variety of issues, both orally and in writing;

· Increase your understanding of how to ‘problem solve’ when dealing with policy dilemmas;

· Better understand the consequences of political and cultural diversity as these shape political outcomes and value choices;

The course format will require students to be fully immersed in the reading materials which form the heart of class discussions.

The first week will feature a lecture on ideology and policy/decision making, followed by specific discussions of the points raised by the course textbook authors in Taking Sides. Dr. Nataf will be responsible for leading the discussion of this part of the textbook readings.

Students’ written assignments will be based on a number of short essays. These essays will be due every two weeks. They will have the following objectives:

1. Summarize the main pro and con stances on the issues that the class will have covered during the period, tying these into Liberal and Conservative ideological positions.

3. Indicate your own stance, based on a careful reflection about the arguments that have been made.

These essays will be a minimum of two pages long per issue. The class will generally cover one issue per week; at the end of the two week period, a four-page (minimum) paper will be due.

Format: Double spaced, 12 point Times Roman font, 1 inch margins all around. Footnotes should be at the back of the paper (endnotes). Any bibliographic citations (in text and/or end of text) should follow the American Psychological Association style which can be found in a summarized manner at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl

Papers should have a one paragraph summary (abstract) of what you will be saying on a separate page, along with your name, course, date and paper title.

Grading Scale: 100 point scale 90=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C; 60-69=D; Below 60=F. This scale will be used for all graded activities.

Requirements: Essays or papers are delivered on time and meet other minimum requirements.

Quality of the prose: Your essay's prose is written in grammatically correct English; it has no spelling or grammatical errors; it shows a sound understanding of the structure of a good sentence and paragraph. It is formally composed, and avoids slang or expressions likely to be used in informal conversation.

Focus/Organization: Your essay establishes its central idea(s) or themes clearly in each paragraph and throughout the essay. Each paragraph is logically linked to the main ideas/themes and all sentences within the paragraphs serve to further develop and maintain this focus. There is a balance within the organization of the essay so that each topic is effectively articulated and sufficiently considered.

Substantiation: Your essay demonstrates a mastery not only of logical argumentation but also the proper utilization of supportive evidence. When appropriate, specific examples from the text or verifiable sources illustrate your ideas. Examples are clearly cited (e.g., "In Taking Sides (p. 23), the authors argue that...").

Overall/Reflective Quality: The degree to which your essay is relevant and shows insight into your theme/topic. Your essay explores the complexity of your subject and the subtly of your thinking through examples, logic, and acknowledgement of ideas contrary to your own. There is a creative quality to the essay.

Students will be expected to assist with classroom discussion of the two articles taken from Taking Sides on a weekly basis. Tuesday will consist of an overview of the general topic and will focus on the “PRO” position; Thursday will deal with the “CON” position and also be used to summarize general classroom opinions about the topic. By the end of the second day, the goal will be to have understood the rationale for favoring or disfavoring the authors’ position as well as to have understood the ideological rationale for the positions.

Students students will be assigned the yes and no positions. They will seek to have the classroom discussion accomplish the following:

II. Assess the strengths and weaknesses in the author’s argument as well as gaps in clarity, presentation and logic.

Students will be evaluated on the basis of the following: (1) Adequacy of preparation; (2) Ability to synthesize material; (3) Ability to use the text to highlight major points or to identify positions taken by the author; (4) Ability to draw other students into the discussion; and, (5) Effective summary of the discussion.

There is one textbook that is required for this course: Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Political Issues, 18^th edition, George McKenna and Stanley Feingold. (NY: McGraw Hill, 2012). Other readings may be handed out or posted by the instructor to the ANGEL learning management system. Student should check email regularly for any updates or postings.

Your grades will be posted through MYAACC which uses the ANGEL learning management system for storing and accessing course materials.). Once you log in, find PLS 125 and then check for grades by running a report. Note that there are no exams for this class – just the class discussions and bi-weekly essays.

Assignment	Percentage
Short Essays (7 of them, 10% value each)	70
Overall participation/attendance	15
Class presentations	15
Overall	100

As a means of complementing students' academic preparation with relevant experiential learning, students will have the opportunity to participate in this semester’s public interest survey conducted by the Center for the Study of Local Issues (CSLI - http://www2.aacc.edu/csli). Dr. Nataf is the director of this center. The main part of survey will occur in October.

The purpose of your participation is twofold:

(1) It will allow you to gain valuable insights about how surveys are conceived, administrated, analyzed and reported. By the end of the process, you will have experienced the many facets of the survey process, which is part of standard social science methodologies.

(2) Your participation is an important part of your social and civic responsibility as you will have contributed to the community by helping generate public opinion findings useful for policy making. Important people, the media and the general public all have come to regard CSLI's surveys of Anne Arundel County residents as a vital way keeping current on the state of local opinion. These surveys have been acknowledged by a wide range of policy-makers throughout Maryland. Without student participation, this valuable community service could not be continued.

What is required of you? There are four meetings you will be required to attend (with a fifth meeting optional). These are as follows:

(1) A meeting to discuss what topics should be included on the survey - this meeting will take place in late August at 5:00 p.m. (Check room Careers 132).

(2) A meeting to review the survey process and become familiar with previous findings (week of Oct. 10 or 11, 2-4 p.m., check room Careers 132)

(3-4) Two nights (5-9:00 p.m. first night, 6-9:00 p.m. second night) spent on the telephone calling residents. The first night will include a brief training period in telephone and marking instructions (week of Oct. 15-18 in the Careers building, check room 132).

(5) A meeting to discuss the findings and the entire process (Oct. 25 or 26, 2-4 p.m., check room Careers 132.

A short 1 and 1/2 to 2 page paper summarizing what you did, what you learned and any recommendations or suggestions should be provided within one week of the last meeting.

Incentive: All students who choose to participate in the survey will be rewarded in two ways: Students will also receive an additional 3 points counting towards your final grade (using a 100 point scale). You will receive an additional point for every additional night you volunteer (maximum of 4 points).

Other CSLI opportunities: Extra credit in this course will be available to those who participate in the CSLI Student Club (http://www2.aacc.edu/csli/csliclub.htm). While "membership" in the club is strictly voluntary, attendance at selected events sponsored by the club will be rewarded. For club events that are 'extra-credit eligible' (check with Dr. Nataf) and for which a written, 1 and 1/2 to two-page, double spaced summary of each event is provided, an extra point will be added to your final grade. Examples of extra-credit eligible events are interviews with community and government leaders, field trips, topical group discussions, etc.

Book Report: Conduct a review of a book written about a major area of US policy. Format: 7+ pages, double spaced, 12 point Times Roman, 1 inch margin. Contents of book report – you should address the seven questions below.

(2) What are the major theoretical perspectives or assumptions made by the author? Does the author situate his/her work in a general debate by mentioning other authors or positions with which to contrast his/her own positions?

(3) What are the work’s major strengths and weaknesses, both stylistically and substantively?

· What evidence or arguments should the author have also considered that might have led to different conclusions? Present at least one substantive critique of an argument made by the author.

(4) What are the major ‘lessons’ we can draw about policy making from this work?

In constructing your paper, you are encouraged to tap a wide variety of sources – other reviews, other works on the topic, off-line and online. However, remember that the point of this exercise is to have YOU think through the material and come up with your own creative synthesis. Do NOT plagiarize and always give credit to others who you are citing using the rules below:

Format: Double spaced, 12 point Times Roman font, one inch margins all around. Footnotes may either be at the back of the paper (endnotes) or at the bottom of each page. Any bibliographic citations (in text and/or end of text) should follow the American Psychological Association style which can be found in a nicely summarized manner at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ .

Nataf must be informed about the choice of book by the fifth week of class-September 24.

Attendance, Class Decorum, Academic Integrity, Computer Access and Usage Policy, ADA (Special Needs) Statement, Course Withdrawal

Attendance/Class decorum: The instructor will also reward students with regular attendance and who meaningfully participate in class discussions. By contrast, disruptive students or those who demonstrate a lack of interest in the subject or lack of respect for other students or the instructor will be penalized. Severe cases will be subject to removal from class following college policy.

Those students with special needs should contact Dr. Nataf so any necessary accommodations can be made (also see below).

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY	All work turned in by a student must be his/her own. Plagiarism will NOT be tolerated - if you have any doubts, don't cut and paste and always provide citations. Please refer to the current college catalog for a complete description of the college policy on academic integrity. Any violations of the policy will be handled as outlined in the catalog.
COMPUTER AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION ACCESS AND USAGE POLICY	Access to computer and electronic communication resources, such as the Internet, e-mail, computer labs, and networks is governed by college policy as well as federal, state, and local laws. Acceptable uses of computer and electronic communication resources are those that support the purposes of teaching and learning. Individuals who inappropriately or illegally use computer and network services and resources may incur all applicable college and legal penalties for such misuse.
ADA STATEMENT	Students who have need of special accommodations due to a physical or learning disabilities should contact Disability Student Services (DSS) Office at (410) 777-2307. Special scheduling of tests and other exercises require such contact.
WITHDRAWAL	If withdrawal from the course becomes necessary due to work, family obligations, etc., the student must file a withdrawal form in person at the Records and Registration Office before the cutoff date above in order to avoid a grade of "F" at the end of the semester.

August 27-31: Overview of the class, discussion of ideology and policy making. Readings: Taking Sides, Introduction.

Various dates in October CSLI Survey - Extra-credit participation opportunity