Week 1- Understanding the D2L User System and Introduction

 Outline: American National Government- Instructor: Paula J.
Turner

Week 1- Understanding the D2L User System and
Introduction of Students

In the first week, please make yourself familiar with the
online learning system and enter the discussion board and introduce yourself.
Why are you taking this course? Where you from are and what are you most
looking forward to learning about this semester in American National
Government?

Week 2 and
3- Understanding “Power and Democracy?”

(Synopsis of Political Philosophy)

Chapter 1: The Study
of American Government, Handouts on Aristotle’s “City-State”

§
Meaning of Power and Democracy (Direct vs.
Representative Democracy)

• Greek Ideals of the Concepts-“city-state” and Aristotle (PLEASEread journal
  article. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy; Central Michigan Univ.
  Aristotle: Politics. Go to the following link and enter Aristotle in the
  weblink search box.www.iep.utm.edu
• PLEASE
  FOCUS on this SECTIONS 7 and 8 in regard to ETHICS and POLITICS on the
  iep weblink on Aristotle

• Majority
  vs. Elitism: Marxism, Mills, Weber and Pluralism

ü
Assignment
Due on: February 15th @ 11:59 pm: in
aprox. 1500-2000 words; please discuss what the difference is between Direct
vs. Representative Democracy and in addition; how did Aristotle’s early ideas
on a “city-state” influence the ideas on Democracy? Value
20%

Week 4, 5, 6 and 7- Creation of a New Nation-The American
Revolution

Chapter 2: The
Constitution, Chapter 3: Federalism;
Revolutionaries:
A History of the Invention of America;

§
The Birthing of A Nation-Why? The American
Revolution (The Stamp Act of 1765, Tea Party, Shot Heard Round the World-
Forward) (Additional Reader: Part I -The
Crisis) PLEASE GO TO History.com and watch all 12; 3 min videos athttp://www.history.com/topics/thomas-jefferson-and-the-drafting-of-the-declaration-of-independence

• Concept
  of “Natural Rights” (Declaration of the Rights of Man
  1789) PLEASE GO TO: Yale Law School’s The Avalon Project:
  Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy and read Lafayette’s work:http://www.avalaon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/rightso.fasap
  
• The
  Influence of the French on the
  Success of the Revolution, Case Study: The Marquis de Lafayette:
  
• Who
  was this Man and how did he help us to win the Revolution?His deep convictions on the concept of Natural Rights and his
  influence upon the creation of our Declaration of Independence and Washington D.C. (PLEASE G TO The Foundation for
  Economic Education’s article, The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty by; J. Powell and read article:
  http://www.thefreemanonline.org/feature/lafayette-hero-of-two-worlds/
  
• The Founders -Who Were They and Why? (Reader: Part II Challenges: The First
  Constitutional Makers, Vain Liberators and The Diplomats-Adams, Jefferson
  etc.)
• Case Study: Pick a “Founder” Who Were
  They?
• i.e.:
  Jefferson the Statesman, the First Diplomat, the Writer, the Farmer and
  Framer
• The
  Constitution: The Virginia Plan, The New Jersey Plan
• Federalists
  vs. AntiFederalists

ü Assignment Due on: March 15th by 11:59 pm– In addition; why was the American Revolution considered a war of
ideology and how did the early colonist’s relationship with The Marquis de
Lafayette influences this in finding success for “the Cause?” cite examples.
Why was this Frenchman so influential? In addition, choose one early “Founder”
(Man or Woman) and discuss how their “personal” ideologies and/ or life
circumstances influenced their decision to become actively involved in the
Revolution and cite 3 significant contributions they have made to the creation
of the US
Government. Value: 20%

Week 8, 9 and 10 -The Three Branches of
Government

Executive, Legislative and Judicial

Chapter 13: Congress, Chapter 14: The Presidency, Chapter 15: Bureaucracy, Chapter 16: The Judiciary

§
The Legislative Branch

• The Evolution of Congress, Who is
  Congress and Why? The “First Branch of Gov.”
• House vs. Senate:
  Creation, Representative Gov., Majority vs. Minority Whip, Organization and Structure, Powers
• What is a Bill?
  Birth of a Bill, Life of a Bill and Death of a Bill
• The
  Executive
• The Presidency-Evolution
  of the Presidency, Concerns of the Founders, The Electoral College, –The
  First President: Who was Washington and Why Him?(Additional Reader:
  p91,119-120,141-49,150,269-272) 1778 Campaign, Valley
  Forge, Yorktown,
  Mount Vernon
• Presidential Power-Bills,/Veto Bills, Relationship with
  Congress, Persuasion and Influence, Terms of Office, Impeachment, Role of
  the Vice President
• The Bureaucracy–
  Presidents CABINET, Creation of a Bureaucracy, Government Departments ex:
  Dept of Agriculture, Dept of Defense, Department of the Treasury

• The Judiciary
• Development of the Courts-The Civil War and It’s Influence on the Court System-A Nation Divided
• State vs. Federal Courts –McCulloh v. ; Dred Scott v. Sanford; 1930s
• The Supreme Court
• Constitutional
  vs. Legislative Courts (2 Types of Courts)
• Federal Court’s Powers
• Creation of Supreme Court, Apt. to the
  Court, Supreme Court and the Protection
  of the US Constitution

ü Test to be completed and uploaded by April 5th @ 11:59pm: Instructor provided exam. Short answer, multiple choice and short
essays in regard to the three branches of government. Value
20%

Week 11 and
12- Political Parties-Creation, Strength and Influence (Federal vs. State Gov.)

Chapter 9: Political Parties, Chapter 10: Elections and Campaigns and Chapter 11:
Interest Groups

§
Founding of the Party System:
Why different from Europe 1800s and Birth of
the Republican Party vs. Federalist Party

• Jacksonians and the Civil War
• Reform-Mugwumps, Progressives and Reformers
• Party Realignment

• 2
  Party System of Today

Republicans
v Democrats Is it REALLY still a 2 party system?
Discussion of new Parties such as Tea Party etc. Who are they? Why?

• Elections
  and Campaigns
• Nomination of the Individual to Represent the Party-How and Why?
  Difference from British Parliamentary System and other Systems and
  Regimes
• Presidential v Congressional Races-Similarities and Differences
• Primary vs General Campaigns
• The Electoral College– How does the system work?

• The Future Election of 2012- What are the
  Issues? Who is Running? (Putting Understanding into Practice)
• Interest
  Groups
• Their Evolution since the American Revolution-Personal Interests
• Cultural, Political, Social, Economic, Gender Influences etc.-Social Movements
• Civil War, Vietnam – Vietnam(1960s and its Influence on
  Movements) PLEASE Go to History.com and watch all
  20 3 min short videos on the Civil War
  at

http://www.history.com/topics/battle-of-gettysburg/videos#grant-or-lee

• Kinds of Interest Groups
• Interests
• Funding (Grant Organizations, Federal
  Grants etc.)

ü No Assignment due at this
time

Week 13 and
14- the US Military: It’s Role, Who Controls It, It’s Checks on Presidential
Power

Attached
Material to Course Content: Foreign and
Military Policy

§
Washington The General

• Formation
  of the Army (additional
  reader pp 121-149)
• How Washington’s early ideas help to
  create the idea of a military branch
• Minuteman?
  Who was He? What did he believe? (Creation of the First National Guard)

PLEASE go
to HISTORY.com linkhttp://www.history.com/topics/george-washington and watch all 14 3min videos on George
Washington

• Role of the Military and the US Foreign Service
• Upholding US Foreign
  Policy, Protection of Enemies Foreign and Domestic, Checks and Balances
  on the President PLEASE go to
  HISTORY.com linkhttp://www.history.com/videos/nixons-secret-plan-to-end-vietnam-war#nixons-secret-plan-to-end-vietnam-waclick on the 1^st video and watch the following 10
  on Foreign and Military Policy; some discuss Vietnam; others WWII etc.
• WWII and Its Role in Changing our Idea of the US Military, US
  Influence on Global Foreign Policy and the idea of “Isolationism” (Case Study: D-Day: putting Foreign
  Policy into action and changing the relationship between the US and the
  World).PLEASE go to HISTORY.com linkhttp://www.history.com/topics/d-day/videos#d-day-invasion
  Click on the 1^st video and continue watching all 23: each
  aprox. 3 min. long. I encourage you to also listen to the two speech and
  audio clips and the 1 Interactive. Also please go to: PBS. com’s video
  link: Secrets of the Dead: Escape from Auschwitz
  htpp://video.pbs.org/video/1239472626(This video is 53
  min long.)
• The Role of the Military in the President’s Cabinet
• The Constitution’s Description of the Role of the Military: War Powers Act of 1973
• National Security Act of 1947: Different Branches of Service,
  1986 Joint Reorganization

• When Foreign Policy Leads to the Use of Military Force
• When
  Can Military Force be enacted?
• Humanitarianism and the Military
• Afghanistan and Iraq-Where
  are we today and how having these wars changed the role of the modern US
  Military and how the US
  enacts its foreign policy? Washington
  Post with Foreign Policy
  online. Please go to link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/specials/iraq and also view the same link’s
  articles and videos on Afghanistan.
  Read Articles and news discussion videos.

 In 3000+ words one of the following three topics to write about:

A.) Discuss how events during the Civil War and the Vietnam Era of the
1960s created and altered the party systems of a Modern Era: creating a
majority two party system? How did the
issues of the time cause political culture to change and in addition, how does
the Electoral College system keep elections fair?

B.)Discuss why the US Military is significant to the
checks and balance system of the United States and why it is
important in upholding US Foreign Policy. Discuss how George Washington’s
ideals, person and challenges as a Military and National Leader; shaped who the
US
Military is today and cite specifics from his military
life prior to and during the American Revolution. What do you think Washington would say
today about the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan
and America’s
role in it?

C.) Discuss the role of the US Military
history in WWII and discuss how the US Military contributed to the successful
or unsuccessful fulfillment of the US Foreign Policy upon a specific nation or
region involved in the conflict. How did the War Powers Act influence this
role? Cite at least two specific military and or foreign policy operations in
which the US Military was successful or unsuccessful and how this success or
lack thereof; altered the continued implementation or changed the policy the US
was trying to bring forth to the affected Foreign Nation. In your opinion; did
the success of the US military (and allied forces) during WWII influence the
future of US military intervention in future global conflicts? What can be
learned from US history and political-military intervention when it comes to
modern conflicts? Value 20%

Please use the final week to turn in ANY assignments that
have been pre-approved for submission due to reasons already discussed with
Instructor. Assignments without pre-approval WILL NOT be accepted.

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