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PLS 135: American National Polictics (3 Credits)
Overview

This course teaches political institutions and processes of national government. It focuses on the Congress, Presidency, the courts, political opinion, elections, political parties and interest groups, as well as civil liberties and rights. Political issues dealing with foreign and domestic policy are included. Lecture 3 hours per week.

The general course objectives are to introduce the student to American national politics and its political culture.

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Objectives
 

If you do well in this course, you will be able to:

  1. Define the central political values of American political culture.
  2. Understand vocabulary and technical terms of government and politics.
  3. Improve the basic skills of citizenship.
  4. Encourage students to take a position on the important issues of American politics.
  5. Improve the students' understanding of events appearing in newspapers and television.
  6. Prepare students for more advanced courses in political science.
  7. Understand the general principles of the U. S. Government and the interrelationships among the three branches of government.
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Materials
 

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Grading
 

Possible Assignments Include: (Subject to change each semester. The actual assignments are available in the Syllabus in the Blackboard course site on the first day of classes.)

Assignment
Points
Syllabus Quiz 50
8 Discussion Activities 1100
14 Chapter Quizzes 1500
4 Essays 800
Midterm Exam 900
Final Exam 900
Total
5250

Your final grade may be based on the following scale. Please note that you must also pass at least several exams in order to pass the course, regardless of your scores on the other assignments.

Grading Scale
Grade Points Percent
A 4725-5250 90-100
B 4200-4724 80-89
C 3675-4219 70-79
D 3150-3674 60-69
F 0-3149 0-59
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Exams
 

There are 2 exams in this course.

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ELI Policies and Procedures
 
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Beginning the Course
 

Last Updated: January 21, 2015