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information page ♦ Cigler presentation
schedule page ♦ Writing style guide
U.S.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS, SPRING 2009
DAILY
SCHEDULE – TOPICS, READING ASSIGNMENTS
This
webpage has links to all handouts distributed in class; click on links in the
"Topics covered" column for the handouts. Exam study guides and the online discussion
forum are also linked from this page.
If
this schedule changes for some reason, I will alert you via email as soon as
possible; I will then update this webpage, which at all times should be
considered the "official" course schedule.
Date Topics covered
Readings/activity/announcements
|
M
February 9 |
Key characteristics of
U.S. politics; major themes of the course |
No
reading for today! |
|
W
February 11 |
Foundations: the
Declaration of Independence, responsibilities of citizens |
O’Connor
Appendix I (Declaration of Independence); Cigler 5.2 |
|
F
February 13 |
O’Connor
1; Cigler 5.3, 5.4 |
|
|
M February
16 |
O’Connor
2 (including the Constitution, pp. 52-81) |
|
|
W
February 18 |
Cigler
1.1, 1.2, 1.3 Deadline
to sign up for Cigler
synopsis presentations has moved to Friday, February 27! |
|
|
F
February 20 |
Constitutional
structure: separation of powers, checks and balances |
Federalist
10, 51 (O’Connor appendix II, III or Cigler 9.1, 1.4) and review the
Constitution (O’Connor pp. 52-81) |
|
M February
23 |
O’Connor
3; Cigler 2.1, 2.3, 2.4 |
|
|
W
February 25 |
Federal-state
relations in practice: an online
exercise Click here for
answer key to first exercise (posted W afternoon) |
No
regular class meeting today; online discussion activity |
|
F
February 27 |
News summary #1:
contemporary issues in federalism; online
discussion – click here |
No
regular class meeting today; News summary #1
due by 10 am at Chris’s office (both sections); post comment online by 5 pm
today Today
is the deadline to sign up for Cigler synopsis
presentations |
|
M
March 2 |
O’Connor
6; Cigler 10.1 |
|
|
W
March 4 |
Cigler
10.2, 10.3, 10.4 |
|
|
F March
6 |
O’Connor
7, Cigler 10.5 |
|
|
M
March 9 |
Cigler
11.1, 11.2 |
|
|
W
March 11 |
FIRST
EXAM |
|
|
F
March 13 |
News summary #2
due in class |
|
|
M
March 16 |
O’Connor
8; Cigler 12.1, 12.2 |
|
|
W
March 18 |
O’Connor
9; Cigler 13.1 |
|
|
F
March 20 |
Supreme Court:
powers, selection of justices, political roles |
Cigler
13.2, 13.3, 13.4 |
|
March
21-29 |
No
class – Spring break! |
|
|
M
March 30 |
O’Connor
4 |
|
|
W
April 1 |
Cigler
3.1, 3.2, 3.3 |
|
|
F
April 3 |
Cigler
3.4, 3.5, 3.6 |
|
|
M
April 6 |
O’Connor
5; Cigler 3.7, 3.8 |
|
|
W
April 8 |
Cigler
3.9, 3.10; News summary #3
due in class |
|
|
F
April 10 |
No
class – Easter Recess |
|
|
M
April 13 |
No
class – Easter Recess |
|
|
W
April 15 |
O’Connor
13; Cigler 9.4, 14.3 |
|
|
F
April 17 |
Cigler
12.4, 14.1 |
|
|
M April
20 |
SECOND
EXAM |
|
|
W
April 22 |
Foreign
and defense policy – NO CLASS, Chris
sick, this topic moved to Friday April 24 |
O’Connor
14 |
|
F
April 24 |
Foreign and defense policy,
meeting new international challenges |
O’Connor
14; Cigler 14.4, 14.5 |
|
M
April 27 |
O’Connor
10, pp. 276-293 |
|
|
W
April 29 |
Cigler
4.1, 4.2, 8.2, 8.3 |
|
|
F May
1 |
News summary #4:
public opinion polls and/or media coverage; online discussion – click
here |
No
regular class meeting today; News summary #4
due by 10 am at Chris’s office (both sections); post comment online by 5 pm
today |
|
M May
4 |
O’Connor
10, pp. 293-310; Cigler 8.1 |
|
|
W May
6 |
O’Connor
11, pp. 312-330; Cigler 6.1 |
|
|
F May
8 |
Cigler
6.2, 6.3 |
|
|
M May
11 |
Interest groups – moved to W May 13, all subsequent
reading/assignments shifted by one class period |
|
|
W May
13 |
O’Connor
11, pp. 330-342; Cigler 9.2, 9.3 |
|
|
F May
15 |
O’Connor
12; Cigler 5.1 |
|
|
M May
18 |
Cigler
7.1, 7.2, 7.3 |
|
|
W May
20 |
News summary #5: the
first 100 days of the Obama presidency Final
exam review, course evaluation |
News summary #5
due in class; no
new reading |
|
Monday, May 25 |
FINAL
EXAM (both sections) 3:30
– 5:30 pm Nobel
Hall of Science 201 |
Students
with an exam conflict should notify Chris ASAP, if an alternate time needs to
be arranged |
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