GOVT2305: US Goverment: President, Congress, Courts
Course Introduction

First Week Agenda

• Today

    - Introduction
    - Course Outline/Procedures
    - Study suggestions
    - Questions

• Next Class

    - Course Overview
    - Walkthrough of Clicker Registration 
    - What is government? Founding Principles, U.S. Constitution
    - Please read the United States Citizenship Test found in Canvas Module 1
    - Questions

Fourth and Fifth Class Agenda

• Day 3

    - Constitutional Safeguards
    - Please read the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution found in Module 1 in Canvas
    - Walkthrough of CASA Registration
    - Questions

• Day 4

    - US Congress Part 1
    - Please at least start the Inquizitive WTP Chapter 12 before this class
    - Questions

Introduction

• Welcome to GOVT2305: US Government: Congress, President, and the Courts

• Instructor: Tom Hanna, MA

    - Office: Phillip Guthrie Hoffman Hall (PGH 391)
    - Office Hours: Monday 12:00 to 12:45 and Wednesday 2:45 to 3:45 
    - Email: tlhanna@central.uh.edu

About me:

    - Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of Houston
    - MA in Political Science from the University of Houston, BS in Political Science from the University of Houston
    - I have been teaching at the University of Houston since July 2022 and at Houston Community College since June 2023
    - Courses taught: Statistics for Political Scientists; Argument, Data, and Politics, Introduction to Comparative Politics, and this course at UH; Federal Government and Texas Government at HCC; State Government at OLLU.
    - Research: My research focuses on the international behavior of dictators. I have a specific interest in threats to freedom and modern liberal democracy (aka Madisonian republics). 
    - Second/third career - former business manager and owner.
    - cooking, camping, kayaking, and computer gaming
    

Major course expectations

• I do not expect you to be experts on the course material at the end

• I do expect you to:

    - Respect other people, starting with your classmates and myself
    - Do the work
    - Do your best
    - Take responsbility for the work you did or not do
    - Take some time to seriously consider the implications of the material for your own life and the lives of people you care about
    - Take this as an opportunity to practice study skills and critical thinking in a low stakes environment

Course Outline/Procedures

• Please read the Canvas Homepage for the Course

    - We will look at it now!

Course Outline/Procedures

• Please read the Canvas Homepage for the Course

• Please read the Syllabus

    - It is in Canvas! We will look at it now!

Course Outline/Procedures

• Please read the Canvas Homepage for the Course

• Please read the Syllabus

• Most of your work outside class will be done through the Canvas Modules - this includes accessing the textbook

    - We will look at it now!

Course Outline/Procedures

• Please read the Canvas Homepage for the Course

• Please read the Syllabus

• Most of your work outside class will be done through the Canvas Modules - this includes accessing the textbook

• Complete Modules in order or you will be locked out of later assignments

    - I will show you how now!

Course Outline/Procedures

• Please read the Canvas Homepage for the Course
• Please read the Syllabus
• Most of your work outside class will be done through the Canvas Modules - this includes accessing the textbook
• Complete Modules in order or you will be locked out of later assignments
• You must pass the Syllabus Quiz with a perfect score to continue with the rest of the course!

Course Outline/Procedures

• Please read the Canvas Homepage for the Course
• Please read the Syllabus
• Most of your work outside class will be done through the Canvas Modules - this includes accessing the textbook
• Complete Modules in order or you will be locked out of later assignments
• You must pass the Syllabus Quiz with a perfect score to continue with the rest of the course!

Course Outline/Procedures (Continued)

• Check the Syllabus and Canvas Announcements if you have questions about assignments, test dates, etc.

• If it is necessary to cancel class, I will send a message to your school email and post a Canvas announcement

• The exam dates are tentative until approved by the CASA Testing Centers. Any changes will be announced in Canvas Announcements.

There will be a day of no class in the next two week

• January 22 for Monday-Wednesday classes
• January 28 for Tuesday-Thursday classes
• Use this as a work day for the Syllabus Quiz, Extra Credit Quiz, and to get started on Inquizitives (Chapter homeworks)

Syllabus Quiz

• The Syllabus Quiz is required

• You must get 100%

• You can retake it until you get 100%

• If it is not completed by the Official Reporting Date (January 29), you will likely be dropped from the course and not readmitted

Extra Credit Quiz - Required

• The Extra Credit Quiz is extra credit, meaning that taking it can only help your grade
• The Extra Credit Quiz is required, meaning that if you do not complete it the rest of the Canvas will not unlock and you will not be able to proceed with the course
• Even if you miss every question, you get 1 extra credit point just for taking it
• If you don’t take it, you won’t be able to do any homework the rest of the semester losing 25% of the course points

Clicker or Point Solutions

• Point Solutions, formerly called Clicker, is required for in class work, both regular and extra credit.
• If you have CTAP, you will get a code from the UH Bookstore at no cost.
• If you have opted out of CTAP, you should purchase a subscription direct from the company
• Starting as soon as January 21, you must be ready to use it
• We will go over it during the second class, so getting your code before then is a good idea!

CASA Registration

• This department (political science) requires all courses for GOVT 2305 and GOVT 2306 be taken in the CASA Testing Centers
• These are in-person, proctored tests
• There is a CASA registration “quiz” in the Introduction Module
• This quiz is for you to acknowledge you have registered for a CASA account
• Nothing after it will unlock until you complete it

Course Policies: Basics

• Number 1 Rule: Respect for other people

Course Policies: Basics

• Number 1 Rule: Respect for other people

• The policies exist to help me help you

    - 250 students in this class, 580 students at UH 
    - I am just one person
    - Six hour a week devoted to this class (including 3 hours class time, office hours, administration, and class prep)
    - I have other classes and other professional commitments, so I can not exceed the time allotted

Course Policies: Basics

• Number 1 Rule: Respect for other people
• The policies exist to help me help you
  
• I may update policies if things are not working

Course Policies: Basics

• Number 1 Rule: Respect for other people
• The policies exist to help me help you
  
• I may update policies if things are not working
• You are responsible for keeping track of due dates and assignments

Time Commitment

• UH is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

Time Commitment

• UH is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• Without accreditation a UH degree is worthless

Time Commitment

• UH is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

• Without accreditation a UH degree is worthless

• According to SACSCOC:

    - 1 credit hour = 1 hour in class + 2 hours out of class

Time Commitment

• UH is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

• Without accreditation a UH degree is worthless

• According to SACSCOC:

    - 1 credit hour = 1 hour in class + 2 hours out of class
    - 3 credit hour class = 3 hours in class + 6 hours out of class

Time Commitment

• UH is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

• Without accreditation a UH degree is worthless

• According to SACSCOC:

    - 1 credit hour = 1 hour in class + 2 hours out of class
    - 3 credit hour class = 3 hours in class + 6 hours out of class
    - 3 credit hour class = 9 hours a week
    - This is a minimum, but the institution (UH) may set a higher standard!

https://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2019/08/Credit-Hours.pdf

Time Commitment

Time Commitment

Professionalism

• Professionalism is a graded component of this class.

Professionalism

• Professionalism is a graded component of this class.

• A major hallmark of professionalism is taking responsibility for doing what is expected of you and not blaming others for the consequences if you do not.

    - In other words, if you don't attend class and pay attention...
    - If you don't put in two hours a week of real work outside class...
    - If you don't do the assignments...
    - If you don't study for the exams...

Your grade is on you!

Professionalism

• If you do the things you’re supposed to do and you earn an A or B

The achievement is yours

Professionalism

• Professionalism is a graded component of this class.

• A major hallmark of professionalism is taking responsibility for doing what is expected of you and not blaming others for the consequences if you do not.

• You are responsible for:

    - Being in class to hear announcements and reading Canvas Announcements
  - Time management
    - Your own learning
    - Studying as needed including making study guides as needed 
    - Doing the assignments (or accepting the zero)
    - Doing the assignments on time (or accepting the consequences)
    - Showing up and engaging
    - Applying brainpower
    - Working on the material
    - Following through on commitments
    - Taking responsibility for your own work and results!

Professionalism

• I am responsible for

    - Providing you a structured environment to learn
    - Providing alternate explanations to help you understand the material
    - Setting standards and goals
    - Challenging you to do your best
    - Holding you accountable
    - Providing you with resources to succeed
    - Assessing you fairly based on the standards and goals provided
    - Being available during office hours, 1 hour a week to offer suggestions to help you improve your work (I will normally be available twice this much)

Professionalism

• I am not responsible for:

    - Forcing you to work
    - Doing your work for you including making study guides
    - Navigating the UH bureaucracy for you *
    - Making you read announcements
    - Making you come to class
    - Anything your other professors require of you that may interfere with this class    
    - Giving credit for work that is not submitted or is submitted incorrectly or past deadline
    - Granting extensions, makeups, or other exceptions to the syllabus
    - Negotiating excuses
    - Negotiating grades

• *I will offer suggestions on this during office hours

Course Policies: Communications

• Face-to-face is the best communication

Course Policies: Communications

• Face-to-face is the best communication:

    - Office hours are your main communication to me outside class

Course Policies: Communications

• Face-to-face is the best communication:

    - Office hours are your main communication to me outside class
    - There will be a question period every class

Course Policies: Communications

• Face-to-face is the best communication:

    - Office hours are your main communication to me outside class
    - There will be a question period every class
    - Any important announcements will always be made in class and repeated in Canvas Announcements

Course Policies: Communications

• Face-to-face is the best communication

• Announcements: Canvas

    - Since class cancellations can't be announced in class, you'll find them here if they happen
    - These are a good written place for recording important information announced in class

Course Policies: Communications

• Face-to-face is the best communication

• Announcements: Canvas

• Email announcements

    - go to your official @cougarnet.uh.edu email address
    - strictly for class cancellations or similarly serious situations 

Course Policies: Communications

• Face-to-face is the best communication

• Announcements: Canvas

• Email announcements

• Emails to me

    - must come from your official email (uh.edu) to my official email (uh.edu) - this is to protect your privacy
    - There is almost no reason to email me since there are no exceptions to the late work and makeup policies. 
    - Legitimate emails: confirm office hours availability
    - Anything important enough to discuss is important enough to discuss in person! If it is not important enough to you to come to office hours, expect me to treat it as such. 

Course Policies: Late Work and Makeups

• Late work is automatically accepted

    - 10% per day penalty
    - No exceptions, no excuses
    - No need to email
    - No need to apologize or explain
    - All work must be turned in by the 28th of April

No exceptions! No exceptions! No exceptions!

Course Policies: Late Work and Makeups

• Late work is automatically accepted with penalty
  

• Makeups for exams

    - The final is your makeup
    - You will get the percentage score for the final applied to any missed exam
    - No excuses, no exceptions
    - This is completely automatic
    - Let your grandmothers know their lives are safe from this class!

No exceptions! No exceptions! No exceptions!

Course Policies: Late Work and Makeups

• Late work is automatically accepted with penalty
  

• Makeups for exams - the final is the makeup, automatic

• Makeup for any in class work

    - I will drop three days worth of participation scores
    - No makeups, no exceptions

No exceptions! No exceptions! No exceptions!

Course Policies: Late Work and Makeups

• Late work is automatically accepted with penalty
• Makeups for exams - the final is the makeup, automatic!
• Makeup for quizzes, participation exercises, etc. - Three dropped, no makeups!

No exceptions! No exceptions! No exceptions!

Course Policies: Attendance and Participation

• Participation points will be from quizzes, surveys, and other activities using the Clicker/Point Solutions software.
• I will refer to all of these collectively as participation exercises or in class work

Course Policies: Attendance and Participation

• For participation exercises, you must be physically present in the classroom!
• No sharing of access codes!
• Sharing of access codes is an academic integrity violation and will be treated as such

Course Policies: Attendance and Participation

• I will take location-based attendance periodically with the Clicker/Point Solutions software

    - UH now requires us to track attendance for financial aid purposes; you can be required to repay financial aid if you fail a course and did not attend
    - Anyone taking a Clicker quiz without being present will receive a zero and an academic integrity report  
    - Do not share access codes, because if the person not present tells who gave them the access code they will get a lesser penalty and the person sharing will fail the course

Course Policies: Attendance and Participation

• Must be present in class for participation exercises
• Location based attendance with Clicker/PointSolutions
• Some extra credit using Clicker/PS

Course Policies: Academic Integrity

• Academic integrity is non-negotiable

• Specific issues:

    - Sharing access codes with people outside the classroom
    - Using shared codes to gain participation points without attending class
    - Not doing your own homework
    - Lying to me or any member of the faculty or administration about your work
    - Trying to cheat in CASA 

You are responsible for following the full UH Academic Integrity Policy

Exams - CASA

• Exams will be taken in person at the CASA Testing Center
• These are in person exams, not online
• You must register with CASA before September 4th
• You must reserve your seat for each exam
• You must follow CASA rules and procedures
• I have no influence with CASA
• There will be no class on one of the exam days for each exam - see syllabus schedule

Grade Weights

• Syllabus Quiz: 5%
• Professionalism: 5%
• In class work: 20%
• Inquizitive Exercises (Textbook or Chapter assignments): 25%
• Three Midterm Exams (10%) and one Final Exam (15%): 45%
• Extra credit: Not more than 5%

Grade rounding

At the end of the semester I may:

• curve grades for the entire class in the students’ favor
• round grades up up to 0.5% for students who completed all Inquizitives, in class work, exams, and extra credit opportunities.
• Emailing asking for a grade increase beyond this is unprofessional and professionalism is a graded component of this course

Guaranteed C

• If you get at least a 70% on the final exam, you will get a C for this course
• This will be very difficult if you do not do any of the assignments or attend class
• You may be dropped for non-attendance, so if you are going to try this, you should probably stop by office hours and let me know
• To get an A or B, you have to earn it based on your total work regardless of your final exam score

Study suggestions: The forgetting curve

The Forgetting Curve

Conquer the Forgetting Curve

• Study a few minutes a few times a week instead of 6 hours right before the test

• Start the Inquizitives early (see Syllabus for suggestions)

    - You have several weeks to do each set of 3 to 6 chapter assignments
    - Finish them ahead of schedule then use them to study by...
    - Revisiting the Inquizitives several times between finishing them and the exam to review

• Use the Flashcards a few minutes, a few times a week

Use a good notetaking system

• Use the lecture slides to organize your notes

    - Do not take pictures of the slides - they are published in Canvas with a PDF download option available

• Try rewriting concepts in your own words

    - If you don't understand something, use the index in the book to find more
    - Use a reputable dictionary such as https://www.merriam-webster.com/ or https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/ to look up words you don't understand
    - Come to office hours and ask
    - Ask in class

Use a good notetaking system

• Use a good notetaking system such as Cornell Notes

• Make a study guide: Making a study guide yourself (using a system like Cornell Notes) is much more effective than staring at a study guide prepared for you

• Take advantage of the Practice Exams after you do these other things

Major course expectations - revisit

I sincerely hope that all of you will succeed in this course, but UH and I are not in the business of selling grades and degrees. You will get out of this course what you put into it, both in learning and your final grade.

Questions

Authorship and License

• Author: Tom Hanna

• Website: tomhanna.me

• License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.