January 20, 2009

To be able to make one's voice heard in a modern democratic state, one must understand his or her own personal values and those of society, know where to obtain reliable information on candidates and issues, and learn how to exercise political influence.

This course is designed to help students develop that understanding and acquire those skills and to meet the constitutions and governments part of the University graduation requirement, commonly referred to as "Insitutions." It is mandated by the California state legislature and amplified in CSU Executive Order 405 and Administrative Code Title 5, 40404, which require the teaching of

"the Constitution of the United States, the operation of representative government under that Constitution, and the process of California State and local government . . . [including the] political philosophies of the framers of the Constitution and the nature and operation of the United States political institutions and processes under the Constitution as amended and interpreted; the rights and obligations of citizens in the political system established under the Constitution; the Constitution of the State of California within the framework of evolution of Federal-State relations and the nature and processes of State and local government under the Constitution; and contemporary relationships of State and local government with the Federal government, the resolution of conflicts and the establishment of cooperative processes under the constitutions of both the State and nation and the political processes involved" (EO 405).

We shall discuss readings and current events and engage in a number of exercises to achieve this goal.

Discussion

We shall sharpen our critical thinking skills by discussing serious writing, testing our reading comprehension, listening attentively to each other, and speaking reasonably and persuasively.

Required Reading

Readings will consist of government documents, scholarly essays, and opinion and news articles.

• Korey, John L. 2002. California Government. 3rd Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
  
• Patterson, Thomas. 2002. The Vanishing Voter: Public Involvement in an Age of Uncertainty. New York: Knopf.
• Leone, Richard C., and Greg Anrig, Jr. 2003. The War on Our Freedoms: Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism. New York: Public Affairs.

From the readings we shall seek to learn the following:

(1) What is the issue?
(2) What is the author's position on the issue?
(3) What reasons does the author give to support his or her position?
(4) Are you persuaded to agree with the author? Is the evidence accurate? Are the reasons valid? Is the argument logical?
(5) If not, what is your position?

Helpful Sources

• Auxiliary Materials
• Pertinent Information
• Important Names
• Approrpiate Terms

Student performance in the course is evaluated on the following basis:

Conference (10 pecent). Please plan to meet with the instructor early in the term.
First Essay (35 percent). The First Essay Examination, March 1, will be on lectures, Patterson, and Korey, Chs. 1-5.
Term Project (20 percent). The Term Project is due no later than April 12.
Second Essay (35 percent). The Second Essay Examination, May 14, will be on lectures, Leone and Anrig, and Korey, Chs. 6-10.

If you have a documented disability and would like to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible. Our campus Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) can assist you with the accommodation process and can be reached at (707) 826-4678, (707) 826-5392 (TDD). The SCRC is located in House 71 (Little Apartments) off Library Circle.

Whenever you want to consult with me outside class, please see me in FH 148 MW 10:00 to 10:50 a.m. and TH 8:00-8:50 a.m., call me at 826-4117, or send an email