POLI 103: Introduction to Government and Politics (University Canada West)

Course Syllabus

Course Name and Number: POLI 102 - Politics and Government

Course credits: 3

Method of Delivery: Online

Course Start Date: January 4 2016

Course End Date: March 20, 2016

Name of Instructor: Patty Zakaria

Instructor Contact Information: MyUCW messages (will try to answer emails within 24h of

receipt)

1.0 Course Description: An introduction to the basic concepts and systems of government and politics in a historical and modern context. This course examines major texts in the history of political thought and the questions they raise about the design of the political and social order. It considers the ways in which thinkers have responded to the particular political problems of their day, and the ways in which they contribute to a broader understanding of modern justice, democracy, and the relationship of the individual to the state.

1.5 Course Prerequisite(s): None

2.0 Learning Goals:

To explore some of the key historical events and ideas that have helped create the contemporary world, and to further understand the foundations of that world.

To understand the theoretical basis for government through the idea of a social contract To explore and debate the difference between politics and government. To explore the politics and human polity

UCW Course Syllabus for POLI 102

11/02/2015

To investigate the language of politics To speculate on the context of politics, democracy, and institutions

3.0 Learning Outcomes: Understand the implication of various political ideologies on political systems and government. In addition, students should be able to identify and understand trends in the geopolitical environment and its influences on various political systems.

4.0 Required Course Materials, Resources, Textbook(s):

1) Maclean, G, and Duncan Wood. (2014). Politics: An Introduction, Second Edition, Oxford. ISBN-13:

9780195448948. It's $104.95 for the print and 54.95 for the eBook through CourseSmart.

***Students can have the option of using another textbook but it is your responsibility to match

the textbook material to the course material*** There are several textbook options available online

through the UCW library system****

Additional readings are posted on Moodle for each week.

5.0 Recommended Course Materials, Resources, Textbook(s):

- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, APA, 6th edition

6.0 Course Schedule: Course schedule with learning objectives for each lesson or unit (weekly) objectives and description of course activities, readings, written assignments, team projects, and oral presentations). This course is based substantively on the required readings, so your main responsibility is to ensure you have completed them. The module notes will offer you additional context and background. Assessment is based on participation in the class seminar forums plus written assignments based on the readings. The readings are arranged chronologically and thematically as follows

Week

Topic Learning Objectives Course Activities

1 Introduction to Politics

- Why study politics?

- What are the major concepts in political science.

Assignment:

Forum Participation – 5 points

Readings:

Maclean & Wood Chapter 1 - 2

2 Ideas, philosophies, and ideologies

&

Government, States, and

Nations

- Defining and understanding various

ideologies in politics

- What is political theory?

- Human nature and state of nature

- Liberty vs. authority

- The political spectrum (right, left,

Assignment:

- Forum Participation – 5 points

Readings:

- Maclean & Wood Chapters 3 – 4

https://www.oupcanada.com/catalog/9780195448948.html

https://www.oupcanada.com/catalog/9780195448948.html


11/02/2015

and center)

- History of governments

- Social contract theories

- What are nation states?

- Democratic governments vs non-

democratic governments

- Failed states

- Hobbes Chapters 13 -31 (very short chapters)

- Locke Chapters 1 - 7

3 Developed vs. underdeveloped

- Decolonization and the politics of North-South relations

- Understand the Millennium Development goals

- How to measure development

- Poverty and other issues affecting developing and undeveloped countries

Assignment:


Group Project 1 – 10%

Readings:

- Maclean & Wood Chapter 9 – 10

4 Political Culture and political Socialization

- What is political culture?

- What is public opinion? And how

is it formed?

- What is trust and social capital?

- Agents of political socialization

- Political cleavages

Assignment:


Readings:

- Maclean & Wood Chapter 8

5 Mid-term week - Midterm exam will be on the

readings from week 1 to week 4.

Assignment:


Mid-term Exam – 15%

6 Political Systems

- Distribution of power within a state

- Federal vs. provincial powers

- Federalism

Assignment:


Readings:


7 The legislature and the Courts

- What are legislatures?

- Functions of the legislatures and limitations set on them

- Understand the difference between upper and lower house

- The role of the courts

Assignment:


Readings:



11/02/2015

- Judicial independence and judicial functions

8 Elections, political parties, and civil societies

- What are the functions of elections

in democratic societies?

- The role of media in elections

- What is a political party?

- The role of parties in elections? In

government?

- The party system

- What are interest groups and social

movements?

- Functions of civil society in

elections, politics, and society?

-

Assignment:


Final Research Paper – 30%

Readings:


9 International Politics

- What is international politics?

- War and peace

- Understanding the 3 images of

international relations

- Arms and nuclear proliferation

-

Assignment:


Readings:


10 The politics of globalization and Regime change

- What is globalization?

- Globalization and democracy

- Regime breakdown (Former Soviet Union, and former Yugoslavia Arab Spring)

- Democratic transition and democratic consolidation

- Transition back to autocracy

Assignment:


Group Project 2 – 10%

Readings:


- TBA

11 International security

- Security vs. insecurity

- War and peace

- Conflict management

- The United Nations

- Terrorism

Assignment:


Final Exam (3) -25%

Readings:

- Maclean & Wood Chapter 11 and 14


11/02/2015

7.0 Required Assignments or Activities, Distribution of Marks and Due Dates:

Assignment

Description Percent of Total Course

Grade

Due Date

Participation in class discussions

11 weekly discussion forums from the weeks readings

Grading: 5 Excellent 4 Good 3 Average below 3 – inadequate.

15% (1.5% for each week)

End of each week

Group Projects (2) Students are to work in a group of 2 or three on assigned question for the group project. See additional information about the project.

20% (10% each)

Week 3 and 10

Mid-term Exam The mid-term exam consists of short answer questions. Exams will cover all of the required, additional readings, and lectures from week 1 to week 4.

15% Week 5

Research Paper Research paper on a selected topic. 1000 – 1500 (4-6 pages) word essay. (Note: Please use Times New Roman Font, size 12 and double spaced).

30% Week 8

Final Exam The final exam consists of short answer questions. Exams will cover all of the required, additional readings, and lectures from week 6 to week 11.

20% Week 11

Forum Participation:

Forum Participation will provide an important opportunity to discuss ideas with classmate and clarify

issues covered in the readings. Students are required to answer questions as well as interact with other

student responses (minimum of 2 responses to fellow classmate’s posts). There will be 6 weekly forum

participation to be completed on the assigned due dates.

Group Projects:

Group projects will provide an important opportunity to apply the material learned in class to an actual

case.


11/02/2015

Group Project 1:

The Fund for Peace has defined a failed state as follows:

1) Loss of control of its territory or of the monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force.

2) Erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions.

3) Inability to provide public services.

4) Inability to interact with other states.

Link to the Fund for Peace failed state index:

http://fsi.fundforpeace.org/rankings-2015

Select a failed state and discuss the various factors that have contributed to this state failing. As a policy

maker, apply the information from chapters 9 and 10 to provide 3 recommendations to improve your

selected state’s development status.

The report should include the following information:

1. Country background (no longer than 1 page).

2. Factors contributing to state failure

3. Recommendations

Group Project 2:

For the second group project, you’re to work on the issue of regime change. Attached is

Chapter 5: Regime Change (Samuels, 2013) in Moodle to be used as a reference for the project.

You can also use additional materials for the project. Please reference all sources used.

Regime change is the change of one regime with another in a state. This change can occur

through democratization, revolution, war, economic change, social movements, military coup,

globalization, as well as major interference by major powers.

For the group report you must select a country that has a significant change in its regime. The

report should include the following information:

1. Country background

2. Previous regime (type and how it functioned in society)

3. Cause of regime change and type of new regime

4. Discussion of country outlook with the new regime in place (stability, economic

growth or development, equality and poverty levels, wealth, human rights, social

cohesion. How have these factors improved or decreased with the new regime?) .

http://fsi.fundforpeace.org/rankings-2015


11/02/2015

Mid-Term exam and final exam:

The mid-term exam and final exam consist of short answer questions. The exams will cover all of the

required and lectures up to date of the test and can be completed anytime during the assigned week.

Final Research Paper:

The final research paper will be based on library resources, web-based materials, and media coverage.

Students must write a paper, which answers ONE of the following questions:

1) Describe the differences between the ideologies of isolationism, expansionism, pacifism, and

internationalism. To which of these does the United States currently tend to gravitate?

2) List and explain the most important difference between liberals and conservatives with respect

to the scope and purpose of government policy.

3) International economic institutions, such as the World Trade Organization [WTO] and the

International Monetary Fund [IMF], facilitate this increasingly barrier-free flow of goods,

services, and money (capital) internationally. Can increased trade lead to economic

development in poor countries?

4) Do you think 911 attacks have changed the international system?

5) Are the explanations offered for development and underdevelopment by modernization and

dependency theories still relevant today? Why or why not?

6) What is the significance of the large 'global civil society' protests taking place at meetings of

world political leaders and at meetings of such organization as the WTO?

7) Discuss the origins of the Arab Spring. What have the protestors achieved thus far? Apply the

readings from the political participation section about civil society to you answer.

8) Think about the various agents of political socialization that you have read about in chapter three. How would you rank them in order of the affects you believe each has had in forming your own political beliefs and attitudes? Should any of these agents be changed to provide additional or different information to better inform citizens about politics?

9) How deeply divided by political cleavages do you think our global society is? What do you think are the main causes of those cleavages? What are the strengths and weaknesses of these cleavages?

10) Select a current issue in Canadian politics and apply one or two concepts discussed in class. 11) Is globalization a welcome process or an unfortunate development? 12) Can select own topic but must get it approved first.

8.0 Assessment Rubrics: Assessment Rubrics:


11/02/2015

Quality and substance of argument

Scale Total

points Content 5 4 3 2 1 0

I. Introduction

1) Clear thesis statement

2) Clear introduction of topic

3) Introduction thought-provoking

Scale 25 20 15 10 5 0 Total

II. Arguments

1) Evidence based research

2) Clear arguments

Arguments backed up with

data/evidence

3) Organized information to develop a

central idea, using well-linked and well-

developed paragraphs

4) Examples and details support the

main theme

Scale 5 4 3 2 1 0 Total

III. Conclusion

1) Clear summary

2) Main arguments restated

3) Consistency shown throughout the

facts

Organization, clarity and effectiveness of writing skills

Scale Total

points Content 10 8 6 4 2 0

I: Effective organization of ideas

1) Article fully cited, current, relevant

2) Proper citation format APA

3) Citation from peer reviewed journals

4) Reference sheet

5) Meaningful Title


II. Proper format and neatness

1) Font size

2) Page Number


11/02/2015

3) Spacing


III. Writing style

1) Grammar

2) Spelling

3) Punctuation

9.0 Grade Point and Letter Grades:

10.0 Class Participation / Expectations: A portion of your grade has been set aside for participation.

Participation means that you take part in the weekly assigned discussion forum. Note: Participation

does not merely include posting your own answer to the question, but you are also required to give

feedback and a response to the other discussion posts. The posts are designed to encourage students to

engage in an online discussion with their fellow classmates.

11.0 Late Assignments: Late Assignments will be penalized at a rate of 10% per day.

12.0 APA Guidelines: UCW follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

(APA). All assignments must be submitted with the correct APA formatting and all sources cited

according APA standards. The UCW Library provides resources and reference materials for students and

faculty to utilize in order that their work meets APA standards.

13.0 Privacy Policy: University Canada West is committed to using personal information collected in

accordance with applicable provincial and federal privacy legislation. Use of the information collected

during this course will be used solely for purposes consistent with academic and support services of a

post-secondary educational institution. This statement is consistent with UCW's Information Privacy &

Security Policy.

Undergraduate Grading System

Descriptor Percentage Letter Grade

Numeric value

Excellent

90% - 100% A+ 4.33

85% - 89% A 4

80% - 84% A- 3.67

Good

75% - 79% B+ 3.33

70% - 74% B 3

65% - 69% B- 2.75

Satisfactory 60% - 64% C+ 2.33

55% - 59% C 2

Marginal Pass 50% - 54% D 1

Failure 0% - 49% F 0


11/02/2015

14.0 Turnitin Policy: This course requires you to submit some material in electronic form. When this requirement is in place, it will be noted in the course outline, the assignment, or both. The electronic material will be submitted to a service to which UCW subscribes, called Turnitin. This is a service that checks textual material for originality. Turnitin.com is used increasingly in North American universities. For additional information please visit: https://turnitin.com/static/resources/documentation/turnitin/sales/Turnitin_FAQ_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

15.0 Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct:

Please ensure that you read the section on Academic Misconduct in the University Canada West Calendar located in MyUCW. To find the calendar, click on ‘Library Resources’ then ‘Forms and Calendar.’

Plagiarism:Error! Reference source not found.Error! Reference source not found. includes, but is not

limited to:

Submission of another person’s work as original;

Inadequate attribution given to an author or creator whose work is incorporated in the student's work; and

Paraphrase or use of material verbatim from a source without sufficient acknowledgement.

Falsifying Materials:Error! Reference source not found. includes, but is not limited to:

Fraudulently manipulating laboratory processes, electronic data, or research data in order to achieve desired results;

Submitting work prepared by someone else (e.g., commercially prepared essays) as one's own;

Citing a source from which material was not obtained; and

Submitting false records, information or data, in writing or orally.

CheatingError! Reference source not found. : includes, but is not limited to:

Submitting the same work for different courses without prior permission from the faculty member;

Copying another person’s answers or other work;

Sharing information or answers when doing take-home assignments, tests, and examinations except where the instructor has authorized collaborative work;

Having any unauthorized materials or equipment in an examination or test;

Submitting an assignment completed (or partially completed) by someone else;

Falsifying or making up data or bibliographic information;

Impersonating a candidate in an examination or test, or being assigned the results of such impersonation;

Reproducing, sharing or otherwise making unauthorized copies of UCW materials in any format;

Using technological means such as cell phones, data storage units and other electronic devices without prior permission from the faculty; and

Assisting others or attempt to help others to engage in any conduct described above or any other activities prohibited by UCW.

Penalties for Academic MisconductError! Reference source not found. Penalties for academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:

At the course level:

https://turnitin.com/static/resources/documentation/turnitin/sales/Turnitin_FAQ_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

https://turnitin.com/static/resources/documentation/turnitin/sales/Turnitin_FAQ_Questions_and_Answers.pdf


11/02/2015

o Written reprimand for retention in the student file (no transcript entry) o Repetition of the assignment or completion of a different, but similar, assignment (no transcript

entry) o Failing grade for the assignment (no transcript entry) o Failing grade for the course (recorded on transcript)

At the program level: o Disciplinary probation for a defined period with written documentation retained in the student’s

file (transcript notation for period of probation)

At the University level: o Suspension (permanent transcript entry) o Expulsion (permanent transcript entry) o Rescission of degrees granted (permanent transcript entry)

16.0 Instructor Biography: My name is Patty Zakaria I have a PhD in Political Science from Wayne State University. In addition, I am also an adjunct instructor at Wayne State University’s Department of Political Science and Public Administration, where I teach American Government and Politics courses. For the 2012-2013 academic year I was a visiting assistant professor at Dubrovnik International University, where I taught courses in international politics and security. I received my Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in International Relations and Development studies, with a minor in Economics from the University of Windsor in 2002 and a post-Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Statistics as well as Master of Arts in Industrial Relations from Wayne State University in 2003 and 2006 respectively. I also hold two Advanced Graduate Certificates from the Inter-University Center, Croatia in 2008 and 2009. As a researcher, I have participated in several international and regional conferences in political science and interdisciplinary studies, and I have published in the International Political Science Review, Public Integrity, Atlantic Community, European Perspective Journal, and Romanian Journal of European Affairs. I have provided my consultation services to Transparency International in Berlin Germany and The Mackenzie Institute in Toronto, Canada.

POLI 103: Introduction to Government and Politics (University Canada West)

Documents

Transcript of POLI 103: Introduction to Government and Politics (University Canada West)