GVPT 170 Fall 2014 Syllabus Revised

GVPT 170
Introduction to American Government
Fall 2014
Sections 0101 – 0109, Freshman Connection
Sections 101-109:
Monday & Wednesday 10:00-10:50am, Friday discussion sections - Tydings 0130
Freshman Connection:
Monday & Wednesday 6:00 – 7:15pm – Art and Sociology 2309
Instructor: Katie Kruger
Email: kkruger@umd.edu
My Office: Tydings 1140D
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1:30-3:30pm, and Friday by appointment
Section Leaders – Office Hours **
Kevin Castellanos : (102, 108, 109) kcastell@umd.edu
Tydings 5141 – Tuesday 12:30 – 3:15pm, Thursday after 2pm
Zack Scott: (101, 104, 106) zscott@umd.edu
Tydings 5115 – Monday 11-12pm, Tuesday 10-11am, by appt.
Julian Wamble: (103, 105, 107) jwamble@umd.edu
Tydings 5141 – 11:15-12:15pm Monday & Wednesday, by appt
**All students in the Freshman Connection section MW at 6pm, please see the instructor of all
office hours, questions, comments, complaints, etc. These section leaders are not doing any
grading or discussion for your class**
Course Description
This class will provide you with an introduction to the systemof government unique to the
United States of America. We will discuss the philosophical origins of the Constitution and the
federal structure of the government. You will leave this class with an understanding the key
institutions and organizations that are active within in it, and provide the class will provide you
with an understanding of how political scientists look at the American government to
understand not just how it was meant to work, but how and why it operates the way that it

does. My hope, is that this knowledge will not only make you better scholars, but better
citizens.
Course Requirements
Reading Quizzes: There will be reading quizzes in this class about the chapters you will be
reading in the textbook as well as the supplementary articles assigned.
Exams: There will be a grand total of three, count them three exams: Two midterms and a final.
I am warning you now: these exams will be somewhat comprehensive. Why would I inflict such
cruelty on you when each section of this course already as an extensive amount of information
to cover? Because the very nature of the American systemof government is one that demands
comprehensive learning. The systemof checks and balances, as you will soon learn, makes the
American systema complicated web of responsibility and action and I can’t have you forgetting
who’s allowed to do what half way through the semester.
End of Semester Paper: Each one of you will be responsible for an end of semester paper that
will be no more than 8 pages long. A prompt will be provided later in the semester.
Grading Breakdown:
Reading Quizzes 5%
Participation 5%
Exam #1 20%
Exam #2 20%
End of Term Paper 30%
Final Exam 20%
Required Texts
Greenberg, Edward S. 2013. The Struggle for Democracy, 2012 Election Edition. 11th edition.
Pearson.
The US Constitution. Feel free to Google it.
Various articles and chapters assigned weekly that can be found either on the ELMS website for
the course (elms.umd.edu) or by downloading them from the UMD library. See course
schedule. These readings are subject to change throughout the semester so pay attention to all
bulletins and emails via ELMS make note of the changes.

My Expectations
 Be engaged: Do the readings. Ask questions during class and in discussion section. Be
critical of what you’re reading and what you thought you knew about this subject. Show
us that you are doing more than breathing in the classroomand we will do more than
drone on at you.
 Be on time. If you’re going to be late, be quiet about getting into the room. Don’t
interrupt me or your fellow classmates by kicking up a ruckus.
 Have integrity in your work: I hate cheating. I hate cheaters so, so much. It is
disrespectful to me, having put forth my time and energy to teach you; and disrespectful
to every other student in this class who put forth just as much effort to complete the
assignments for this course. All phones and laptops will be put away during exams. If
you are caught any of these devices at your seat during and exam, the exam will be
taken from you and you will earn and automatic zero on that exam. I expect all work
completed for this class to be done by you and you alone according to the standards set
down in the University of Maryland’s Honor Code. (You can find it here:
http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.section/c/27/ss/1583/s/1566) If
you think you might be in violation of any of these things, talk to either myself or your
section leader BEFORE YOU TURN IN THE ASSIGNMENT.
 Use your laptops for notes ONLY: There is literally no point in you coming to class if
you’re going to be on Tumblr the whole time. You are paying good money to be here.
Don’t waste it by not listening to the lectures or participating in the discussion sections.
You are the only one who is going to suffer for it.
 Don’t bring food: Beverages are fine. By all means, caffeinate yourself, but this class is
not the dining hall.
 Absences: Consistent with university guidelines, excused absences only occur “due to
illness, religious observance, participation in University activities at the request of
University authorities, or compelling circumstances beyond the student's control." No
student will be allowed to make up an exam, or request an extension on the term paper
deadline without a verifiable excuse.
o GVPT 170 Students: Friday discussion sections are where you will earn your
participation grade. If you miss a discussion section day, it is at the discretion of
your TA how they will address the absence. However, if you will be missing an

exam day, you must provide documentation of an excuse (e.g. a note from the
Health Center or doctor) in order to reschedule the exam with your TA.
Course Schedule:
Sept 3: Introduction Day
NO DISCUSSION SECTION
Sept 8: Democracy and American Politics
Greenberg: Chapter 1, pg 2-23
John Locke - The Second Treatise on Government: Chapters 2, 7, 15
Find it on Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/7370/7370-h/7370-h.htm
Sept 10: The Constitution
Greenburg: Chapter 2, pg 24-55
Federalist # 15: http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa15.htm
Federalist #39: http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa39.htm
Sept 15: The Constitution
Rakove, Jack N. “Joe the Ploughman Reads the Constitution, or, The Poverty of Public
Meaning Originalism,” San Diego Law Review, 48 (2011), 575-600
Sept 17: Federalism
Greenburg – Chapter 3, pg 56-89
Federalist 45: http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa45.htm
Federalist 46: http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa46.htm
Sept 22: Federalism
Sept 24 Congress
US Constitution: Article One
Fenno, Richard F. “U.S. House Members in Their Constituencies: An Exploration” The
American Political Science Review, Vol. 71, No. 3 (Sep., 1977), pp. 883-917

Sept 29: Congress
Binder, Sarah A, and Larimer. "United States - Politics and Public Policy - Stalemate:
Causes and Consequences of Legislative Gridlock." Perspectives on Political
Science. 32.4 (2003): 232.
Oct 1: Presidency
US Constitution: Article Two
Skowronek, Stephen The Politics Presidents Make Chapter 2: Power and Authority, pgs
17-45 (Section of the book can be found on ELMS)
Oct 6: Presidency
Lee, Frances E. 2008. “Dividers, Not Uniters: Presidential Leadership and Senate
Partisanship, 1981-2004” Journal of Politics 70 (October): 914-928.13
Oct 8: EXAM #1
Oct 13: The Courts
US Constitution: Article Three
Graber, Mark A. "The Nonmajoritarian Difficulty: Legislative Deference to the Judiciary."
Studies in American Political Development. 7.1 (1993)
Oct 15: The Courts
Rosenberg, Gerald N. The Hollow Hope Introduction and Chapter 1
(section to be found on ELMS)
Oct 20: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
Niemi and Rosenber “Why is Voter Turnout Low and Why is it Declining?” From
Controversies in Voting Behavior pg. 22-35 (section to be found on ELMS)

Oct 22: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
Popkin, Samuel “The Reasoning Voter” pg 22-43 (section to be found on ELMS)
Oct 27: Political Parties – Chapter 9
Federalist #10
Cox and McCubbins, "Bonding, Structure, and the Stability of Political Parties," LSQ,
19(May 1994): 215-232.
Oct 29: CAPC/Washington Post Election PollPresentation
**6pm Class – Please attend the 10am class in Tydings 0130**
November 3: Political Parties – Chapter 9
Green, Palmquist and Schickler Partisan Hearts and Minds Chapter 2 pg 24-51
(Section can be found on ELMS)
November 5: Public Opinion
Zaller, John The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion, pg 6-39 (Section found on ELMS)
Vowell, Sarah “Democracy and Things Like That” The Partly Cloudy Patriot.
(Section Found on ELMS)
Nov 10: Public Opinion
Berelson, Bernard. 1952. “Democratic Theory and Public Opinion.” The Public Opinion
Quarterly 16(3): 313-330.
Nov 12: Civil Liberties
US Constitution: The Bill of Rights
DC v. Heller (2007) Listen to the Supreme Court’s opinion announcement, read by
Justice Scalia. Find it at:
http://www.oyez.org/cases/20002009/2007/2007_07_290

Nov 17: Exam #2
Nov 19: Civil Rights
Greenburg: Chapter 16, pg 524 – 555
Thoreau, Henry David “Civil Disobedience”
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/WALDEN/Essays/civil.html
King, Martin Luther “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
http://www.uscrossier.org/pullias/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/king.pdf
Nov 24: Social Movements
Meyer, David S. “Protest and Political Opportunities” Annual Review of Sociology, Vol 30
(2004). Pg 125-145
Nov 26: Enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec 1: Interest Groups – Chapter 7
Walker, Jack Mobilizing Interest Groups in America p 19-40
(section found in ELMS)
Dec 3: Interest Groups
Hall, Richard L. and Alan V. Deardorff. 2006 “Lobbying as Legislative Subsidy.” American
Political Science Review, 100 (February: 1): 69-84.
Dec 8: **TERM PAPER DUE**
Executive Bureaucracy – Chapter 13
Wilson, James Q. “Bureaucracy” (Section found on ELMS)
Dec 10: Domestic Policy – Chapter 17
*FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE:
10AM CLASS: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20TH 8:00AM
6PM CLASS: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH 6:30PM

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