COURSE NUMBER: POLS 100 – Fall 2014 COURSE TITLE: Contemporary Political Issues INSTRUCTOR: Dr. J.R. Lacharite OFFICE HOURS: Mondays 3-4pm OFFICE: 3013 – Third Floor, Administration Building PHONE NUMBER: 1-250-960-5597 E-MAIL:
[email protected] TEACHING ASSISTANT: Stephen Eaglestone (Office number: TBA) For more on Political Science at UNBC: http://www.unbc.ca/politicalscience COURSE DESCRIPTION: Political science is one of the most complex and fascinating fields of study in the social sciences. This course is designed to introduce students to many of the key concepts and issues related to contemporary politics and governance. In particular, class lectures and assigned readings will focus on important questions and debates in political philosophy, literature, and history. They will also examine the mechanics of government and detail what executives are and what they do, the legislative process, the political and societal actors that contribute to policy development, and the ideological influences that inform politics in Canada and elsewhere. These issues and others will be presented from a critical perspective intended to provoke debate. It is hoped that this course will give students a useful framework with which to analyze and evaluate contemporary political issues. Additionally, it is hoped that this class will help students develop their capacity for logical and critical thinking through readings, and importantly, through ‘student to lecturer’ and ‘peer to peer’ interaction. Please Note: If there are students in this course who, because of a disability, may have a need for special academic accommodations, please come and discuss this with me, or contact Disability Services located in room 7-103. COURSE OBJECTIVES:
To introduce students to the study of politics and government. To foster a critical understanding of contemporary issues in Canada’s socio-political system. To appreciate the rights and responsibilities of liberal democracy. To discern scholarly information. To define and describe ideologies including:
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- Liberalism - Conservatism - Socialism - Communism - Totalitarianism To define and describe some of the central concepts of political science including: - Political culture - Power - Authority - Rule of law - Equality To develop the student’s ability to present his/her views in an articulate manner and to write analytically rigorous essays. To build confidence through in-class participation.
REQUIRED TEXTS: Mark Dickerson, Thomas Flanagan, and Brenda O’Neil. An Introduction to Government & Politics: A Conceptual Approach, Ninth Edition (Toronto: Nelson, 2013) Aldous Huxley. Brave New World (1932). George Orwell. 1984 (1949). SUGGESTED REFERENCE MATERIALS: Lester Faigley, Roger Graves, and Heather Graves, The Brief Penguin Handbook, Canadian Edition (Toronto: Pearson Longman, 2008). COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADE WEIGHTING: Assignments
Due Date
Grade Weighting
Tutorial Attendance and Participation
N/A
10%
In-class essay
October 1, 2014
10%
Midterm Exam
October 22, 2014
25%
Written Assignment (1200-1500 words)
November 26, 2014
20%
Final Exam
TBS
35%
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ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION: Tutorial attendance and participation: Tutorial attendance is mandatory and all students are expected to participate in tutorial sessions. Tutorials will start the week of September 22nd and run to November 12th (Week(s) 10 and possibly 11). Please be sure to attend your scheduled tutorial group starting in week 4. The tutorial instructor will facilitate a discussion session based on some aspect of the week’s readings or a discussion question highlighted in class. These tutorials will likely add an interesting dynamic to the class and to your learning. We hope to make this a universally positive experience for everyone. With this in mind, be aware that participating in tutorial and/or class discussions can be stressful and unsettling. Therefore, it is important that you do not respond to your fellow classmates’ comments or questions in a belligerent or discouraging tone. TIPS: We recommend that students: a) Develop study groups to discuss the assigned readings; and b) Begin to read right away and to think about the connections between the readings.
Exams: There will be two exams for POLS 100. The midterm exam will cover all of the reading and lecture materials from Week 1 through to Week 7. It is worth 25 percent of your final grade and will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions only. The final exam will be scheduled at some point between December 3rd and 17th, 2014. It will focus predominantly on the reading and lecture materials covered from Week 7 trough to Week 13. However, there will be an essay question component that will ask you to comment on Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World and their relationship and relevance to contemporary political issues. Please note that for the short answer component of the exam (midterm and final) you will be given the opportunity to select from a pre-determined list of questions. In-Class Essay: Students will be given 1 hour and 20 minutes to write an in-class essay. We will discuss the details of this in Week 5. Written Assignment: Students will submit a written essay on a topic that will be introduced in the tutorial groups. The topic will focus on a contemporary political issue of some sort, and students will be expected to connect course themes and materials to their assessment of the topic. Criteria of assessment for written assignment:
Introduction and articulation of thesis – the author demonstrates an ability to pick out key points, contextualizes the debate properly, and shows a sense of the issues;
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Quality of analysis – the author shows a measure of intellectual control; that is, he/she exhibits a critical understanding of the material under review, a sensitivity to the use of concepts, and an ability to construct a solid argument;
Evidence of incisive style – the essay has been presented and organized in coherent fashion. The author also consistently demonstrates the ability to say what he/she means in a logical, sequential, and concise manner;
Amount of quality research – including proper notes and bibliography;
Sentence structure – including correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling; and
Concluding remarks. *For more detail, see ‘Assignment Grading Rubric’ on page 8.*
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES: All students should familiarize themselves with the Academic Regulations and Policies of the University of Northern British Columbia http://www.unbc.ca/calendar/undergraduate/general/regulations.html This includes an important reminder about exam policy conduct and a discussion about plagiarism. Other important notes: Exam Policy: Please note that the term ends on the final day of the exam period NOT on the last day of classes. Students are advised not to make arrangements to travel on a date prior to the date of the final exam as scheduled by the Registrar. The instructor will not hold early exams for the purpose of accommodating travel requests. Extensions policy: Extensions on assignments are not permitted, except in case of illness or due to serious extenuating circumstance. In the event of illness or serious extenuating circumstance, the student must inform the instructor before the due date and documentary evidence of the illness or serious circumstance must be provided to the instructor. In addition, the student must also provide the instructor with a draft of his or her assignment at the time of the illness or serious circumstance that indicates that substantial progress has already been made towards a final product. Assignments that are not submitted on the due date will receive a grade of zero. Deferrals: Upon request of a deferral, the student and the instructor will consider arrangements for the timely completion of assignments and examinations. Instructors reserve the right to grant deferrals. The Academic Success Centre: The ASC provides great services for students including tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, workshops, and student resources (www.unbc.ca/asc).
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COURSE SCHEDULE: Date
Subject
Readings and Videos
Week 1
Course Introduction
D,F, and ON Chapter 1; Orwell Part I
Week 2
What is Politics
D,F, and ON Chapters 2 and 3; Isaiah Berlin. “Two Concepts of Freedom,” Four Essays on Liberty. (1969). Can be accessed at the following site: http://spot.colorado.edu/~pasnau/seminar/berlin.pdf.
Week 3
Liberalism and Conservatism
D, F, and ON Chapters 9-11; Orwell Part II
Tutorial Discussion Topic (TDT): Negative and Positive Freedom Week 4
Communism, Nationalism, and other Ideological Alternatives
D,F, and ON Chapters 12,13, and 15;
TDT: Individualism and State Oppression In-Class Essay: October 1, 2014 Week 5
The State and Society
D, F, and ON Chapters 4, 17, and 19.
TDT: Max Weber and Power
Week 6
The Executive
D, F, and ON Chapter 27; Orwell Part III
TDT: ‘Court’ Government in Canada Midterm Exam: October 22, 2014 Week 7
Democratic Legislatures: Roles and Responsibilities? TDT: Bowling Alone?
Week 8
The Judiciary
D, F, and ON Chapters 20 and 22; Robert Putnam. “Bowling Alone: American’s Declining Social Capital.” Journal of Democracy 6, no. 1 (1995): 65- 78. Can be accessed at the following site: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/assoc/bowling.html. D, F, and ON Chapter 29; Huxley Chapters 1-6.
TDT: Individual Rights and Responsibilities Week 9
The Media and Politics TDT: Media Bias
Week 10
Political Parties, Interests, and Pressure Groups
D, F, and ON Chapter 24; How To Identify Media Bias: http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/types-of-media-bias/. D, F, and ON Chapter 23; Huxley Chapters 7-12
TDT: Stakeholder Politics in Modern Democratic States – Gun Control Week 11
Elections and Electoral Systems
D, F, and ON Chapter 25
Week 12
Nation-States versus Globalization: Whither State Power?
D, F, and ON Chapter 8; Huxley Chapters 13-18
Written Assignment Due: November 26, 2014 Week 13
Conclusions
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GUIDE TO ESSAY WRITING: Developing excellent writing skills takes a considerable amount of time and practice. The following ‘guide to essay writing’ provides several important tips to help you improve your writing skills. Note that it does not attempt to be exhaustive. 1. Think about your essay question/topic carefully. Try to examine a controversial or contested matter and review both sides of the existing debate. Consult your lecturer if you require clarification on the direction or approach that you should be taking in your paper; 2. Construct a thesis statement in your introduction. A thesis statement is a sentence that establishes the point, main argument or direction of your paper. Be sure to make it clear and concise; 3. Avoid ranting! Stay focused and ask yourself: 1) What am I attempting to prove in this essay; and 2) Is there a sufficient amount of evidence to support my claims? 4. Organize your essay coherently. Use an outline and subtitles to help structure lines of inquiry and argumentation. Subtitles are standard in virtually all academic writing and convey a sense of sophistication and thoughtfulness; 5. Do not simply reproduce the ideas and arguments of others. Likewise, do not write essays that are entirely descriptive in nature. A degree of critical thought and evaluation must be apparent in your work. In addition, essays must follow the rule of evidence and logic. Unsupported assertions, sweeping generalizations, and superficial analyses will be penalized; 6. Use the library. This cannot be emphasized enough. Shoddy research is easy to detect and reflects poorly on the writer. It is important to demonstrate that you have read others’ findings and arguments. At the same time, however, you need to show that you are making your own well-reasoned presentation; 7. Use Internet sources judiciously; 8. Do not pad your bibliography. Only record what you actually use; 9. Do not overdo quotations. Many of the worst essays consist of undigested strings of quotes which replace the students’ own summaries and analyses; 10. You are welcome to use ‘I’ or ‘me’ in your essay writing, but please resist the temptation to substitute personal anecdotes for empirical evidence – your essay submissions must be grounded in academic research; 11. Use correct English, correct punctuation, and correct spelling; 12. Expect to write at least two drafts of your essay before submitting. No one ever produces an exceptional ‘first-draft’ essay; 13. Make sure that you reference your work properly. The Chicago, MLA, or APA referencing systems are all acceptable; 14. Do not plagiarize;
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15. Hand your essays in on time. If you cannot hand them into your lecturer on the due date, have the Program’s administrative assistant (Selina Ross) date stamp your assignment—the stamp must indicate clearly that you have, in fact, submitted your work on time; and 16. Keep your writing simple and to the point. Correction Symbols for Major Essay: Even the most well edited essays have mistakes. A list of correction symbols has been provided below to help you understand where you have made errors in your essay writing. Please read them over carefully.
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Awk – awkward construction; Cap – use capital letter; Cit – missing source citation or error in form of citation; Coh – coherence lacking; Con – be more concise; Dev – inadequate development; Fn – error in footnote form; Gr – error in grammar; Log – faulty logic; Mng – meaning unclear; No cap – unnecessary capital letter; Rev – revise; Spec – be more specific; W – wordy; Wc – word choice; Ww – wrong word; ?? – meaning unclear.1
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Adapted from, H.R. Fowler, J.E. Aaron, D.E.D. Downey and B.H. Pell, The Little, Brown Handbook 1 Edition (Toronto: Gage Educational Publishing Company, 1991).
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Assignment Grading Rubric for POLS 100: Category Introduction and Articulation of Thesis
Excellent (5) Superb introduction— highlights the main issues under investigation. Thesis statement is articulated in a clear and concise manner— intent and/or position are expressed in an intellectually and analytically consistent fashion.
Reference Materials – Quality and Quantity!
The author has researched the subject material under review exceptionally well. All citations and reference materials are authoritative, credible, and presented in the correct format.
Sentence Structure
All sentences are wellconstructed and explicit.
Concluding Remarks
The conclusion is strong and leaves the reader with an understanding of the writer’s position. Effective restatement of the position begins the closing paragraph.
Very Good (4) A solid introduction. Clearly states a thesis or position to be examined. Acknowledges the complexities of the issue under review, but some minor lapses in development are apparent. A very strong research component is evident and most citations and reference materials are authoritative, credible, and presented in the correct format. Most sentences are well-constructed and explicit.
Good (3) A reasonable introduction. Comprehension and a balanced view of the issues under investigation are lacking, but an overall sense of the topic is evident. The thesis statement outlines some or all of the main points to be discussed, but has not been presented clearly. The author has researched the material under review reasonably well. The reference materials have been used and formatted correctly, but some irregularities and/or inconsistencies are apparent. Most sentences are reasonably well constructed, but there are some vague or ambiguous statements.
Satisfactory (2) The absence of a unifying theme is obvious and there is only a basic understanding of the key issues under review. The thesis statement does not name the topic and does not preview what will be discussed.
Poor (1) Introductory remarks are vague and underdeveloped. There is no thesis statement. A position is asserted, but there is a noticeable lack of clarity and focus.
A varied number of citations appear throughout the essay, but they are of rather dubious origin and quality. Padding is evident and there are some inconsistencies in the referencing system being used.
A limited number of citations appear, padding is evident, and there is no consistency in the referencing style being used.
Some sentences are constructed well, but there are also several confusing/awkward passages and/or phrases. Limited use of transition and topic sentences is evident as well.
The conclusion is reasonably well done. The author’s position is restated clearly and an attempted has been made to pass some judgment over the critical issues under review.
The author’s concluding remarks are solid and he/she demonstrates some competency in the areas of judgment and critical reflection.
The makings of a conclusion are evident, but there is no restatement of the position under investigation and the text descends into a narrative or the use of irrelevant details and overgeneralizations is widespread.
A number of sentences are constructed poorly and there is a lack of coherence at the levels of expression and presentation. Employs inappropriate language and misuses words. There is no conclusion - the paper just ends.
Score
Comments (if required):
Final Grade: _____/20
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The POLS 100 Code of Conduct: 1. You are not entitled to an ‘A’ or a ‘B’ in this course or any other course; 2. Instructors do not give you a grade; you earn a grade through hard work, discipline, and perseverance; 3. An office visit does not guarantee you an A+. Instructors are available to provide guidance, critical feedback, and information. The onus is on you to perform well throughout the duration of the course; 4. Working hard on an assignment does not guarantee you an A+. It is important to recognize that instructors evaluate your essay and exam submissions and overall ‘classroom performance.’ Their professionalism compels them to appraise your work; not you as a person. 5. Grades generally reflect the amount of energy and effort that you have put into an assignment or series of assignments. Exercise some discretion when you approach an instructor about a grade that you have received and ask yourself, “Is this particular essay submission or exam answer perfect?” and in light of the instructor’s comments, “Where could I have made improvements?” In other words, think logically and rationally about your essay and/or exam results; 6. Do not ask your instructor for lecture notes. You have a responsibility to attend class on a regular basis and should endeavour to do so; 7. Please turn off all cellular devices before class begins. Ring tones, in particular, are distracting and unnecessary while you are in class; and 8. You are not entitled to an extension. If you have a legitimate excuse and documentation or evidence to support your request, then an extension will be granted. Otherwise, do not ask.
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