U.S. Government & Politics Political Science 001 West Los Angeles College Spring 2016 April 11 – June 5, 2016 Section #8225 Instructor: Professor M. Graham Office Hours: Use discussion element online E-mail: mgraham745@aol.com Course Description: This course provides a broad overview of U.S. Government and politics, with a basic introduction to political theory and the U.S. political system, including the structure, functions and powers of the national and state governments. General topics to be addressed include the historical foundation and evolution of the U.S. political system, the U.S. Constitution, civil liberties, civil rights, the roles of political parties and interest groups, the electoral system, political institutions, and foreign and domestic policy. Student Learning Objectives: 1. To define the key terms/concepts associated with U.S. government and politics 2. To compare and contrast different political theories as they apply to U.S. government and politics in order to determine how power and resources are distributed in American society 3. To contrast the structure, functions and powers of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the federal and state governments, as well as the relationship between the federal and state governments. 4. To examine the role of political parties, interest groups, public opinion and the media in influencing the political process and its domestic and foreign policy outcomes. 5. To raise the student's level of political literacy and critical thinking in order to enhance student interest in political participation. Course Reading: Bardes, Shelley, Schmidt. American Government and Politics Today: Brief Edition, 2014-2015, Cengage Learning, 2015. Course Requirements: 1. Read chapters in the textbook as set forth in the course schedule. Students should highlight key information and terms while reading and take short-hand notes of modules on the ETUDES course website to use as study materials. 2. Participation in online class discussions. Each week that you participate in online class discussion earns you 10 points 3. Prepare for quizzes (one per chapter) to be taken online, consisting of twenty multiple-choice questions. Quizzes must be completed each week before the deadline. 4. Prepare for three cumulative exams to be taken online. Exams will consist of multiple-choice and essay questions. Exams must be completed before the deadline. Course Assessment: Online Class Discussions: 10 points per week Chapter Quizzes – 20 points each

Exams – 100 points each Final Letter Grades: A = 90-100% of total points possible B = 80-89% of total points possible C = 70-79% of total points possible D = 60-69% of total points possible F = 0-59% of total points possible