Today July 7

    - Course Outline/Procedures, Overview of Objectives
    - Introductions
    - Brief overview of Canvas
    - Study tips
    - Question and answer

Tuesday July 8

    - Introduction to the topic of government: What is Government? What is Politics?
    - Activities/Discussion: Experiences with Government
    - Question and Answer

Due Dates Begin Immediately

    - First journal assignment due tomorrow, July 8 at the start of class
    - REQUIRED Syllabus Quiz Due Sunday, July 13, 11:59 PM
    - REQUIRED Extre Credit Quiz Due Sunday, July 13, 11:59 PM
    - Module 1 Due Tuesday, July 15, 11:59 PM
    - Module 2 Quiz - In Class Tuesday, July 15
    

Introduction

• Welcome to GOVT2305: Federal Government

• Instructor: Tom Hanna, MA

    - Office Hours: To be determined
    - Email: tom.hanna@hccs.edu
    - Office: University of Houston, Phillip Guthrie Hoffman Hall (PGH 391) - should you want to ride the train over and meet in person

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, at Houston Community College since June 2023, and taught last fall at Our Lady of the Lake University (online). 
    - 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
    

Lecture vs Textbook

• The lecture is not a substitute for the textbook
• The textbook is not a substitute for the lecture
• The textbook provides a description of institutions and concepts in the American system
• The lecture will focus heavily on background, context, why things matter, and the comparison of Texas to federal government

Lecture and Activities

• What is government and what is politics?
• What are the ethical consequences of the nature of government? Why do we need to limit government in a democracy/why limit majorities?
• How does federalism help avoid tyranny? What does it offer to improve the dignity and integrity of the individual?

Lecture Overview

• Priorities in the US and Texas Constitutions
• How the history of Texas - not always good - contributed to positive aspects of the Texas Constitution that benefit everyone in Texas today
• Discussion of what can be improved today
• Texas, Houston, and Harris County politics and government

Lecture Overview

• How to become an informed citizen and voter in Texas

• How to become an effective user of government services in Texas and advocate for those you care about

    - Who do you call for a pothole?
    - Who do you call for problems with local law enforcement? Does it depend on the problem?
    - Should you write a letter to Ted Cruz about a local matter like...the Texas electric grid?
    - Can John Whitmire do anything about grandma's Social Security check?

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
    - Come to class prepared

Come to class prepared

• To receive full credit for the in class work each day (20% of your grade), you must come to class prepared
• Part of this means at least reviewing the assigned chapter
• Completing the Journal assignments as schedule will help with this, with doing well on the exams, and with understanding the material
• If discussion reflects that people are prepared, we will not have to have quizzes and everyone will get full credit
• If discussion is bad, there will be quizzes or people who are not prepared may lose credit

Course Outline/Procedures

• Please visit the Canvas Homepage for the Course

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 briefly!

Course Outline/Procedures

• Please read the Canvas Homepage for the Course

• Please read the Syllabus

• Textbook homework, quizzes, and much other information are in the Canvas Modules

    - They are here!

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

    - Watching the Course Navigation Video will help a lot!

Course Outline/Procedures

• You must pass the Syllabus Quiz with a perfect score to continue with the rest of the course!
• You can retake it as many times as necessary

Course Outline/Procedures (Continued)

• Check Canvas Announcements for any updates, further instructions, etc.
• If class is cancelled, I will post this in Canvas Announcements and send to your official college email

My Eagle

Syllabus Quiz

• The Syllabus Quiz is required

Syllabus Quiz and Extra Credit Quiz

• The Syllabus Quiz is required
• Complete by this Sunday, July 13, 11:59 PM

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 succeed
• I may update policies if things are not working
• You are responsible for keeping track of due dates and assignments

Time Commitment

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

Time Commitment

• HCC is accredited by SACSCOC
• Without accreditation an HCC degree is worthless - not good for transfer, not considered a valid degree by employers

Time Commitment

• HCC is accredited by SACSCOC
• Without accreditation an HCC degree is worthless
• Without accreditation HCC students can not receive federal or state financial aid

Time Commitment

• HCC is accredited by SACSCOC
• Without accreditation an HCC degree is worthless
• Without accreditation HCC students get no financial aid

Time Commitment

• HCC is accredited by SACSCOC

• Without accreditation an HCC degree is worthless

• Without accreditation HCC students no financial aid

• • According to SACSCOC for a fully face-to-face class:

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

Time Commitment

• HCC is accredited by SACSCOC

• Without accreditation an HCC degree is worthless

• Without accreditation HCC students no financial aid

• • According to SACSCOC:

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

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

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.

Professionalism

• 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...

Who is responsible for the consequences?

Your responsibilities

    - Time management
    - Your own learning
    - 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!
    
    

My responsibilities

• I am responsible for

    - Providing you a structured environment to learn
    - Providing alternate explanations to help you understand the material (lecture, discussion, and question-answer)
    - 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
    - Alerting you early if your work is not up to standard, so you can fix the problem
    - Offering suggestions to help you improve your work

My responsibilities

I am not responsible for:

I am not responsible for:

    - Forcing you to work
    - Doing your work for you
    - Navigating the HCC bureaucracy for you 
    - Anything your other professors require of you that may interfere with this class 
    - Giving credit for work that is not submitted - I will not
    - Granting extensions, makeups, or other exceptions to the syllabus - I will not
    - Negotiating excuses - I will not
    - Negotiating grades - I will not
    
    
    

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

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
    - There may be opportunities for extra credit or even regular credit that are only announced in class.

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 - reiterating class announcements
    - That said, you still need to be in class. There may be opportunities for extra credit or even regular credit that happen in class with no advance notice.

Course Policies: Communications

• Face-to-face is the best communication

• Announcements: Canvas

• Email announcements

    - go to your official @hccs.edu email address

Course Policies: Communications

• Face-to-face is the best communication

• Announcements: Canvas

• Email announcements

• Emails to me - to ensure your privacy! - must:

    - come from your official @hccs.edu email address
    - come to my official tom.hanna@hccs.edu email address
    - I will not even give a courtesy reply if they do not

Course Policies: Communications

• Face-to-face is the best communication
• Announcements: Canvas
• Email announcements
• Emails to me - to ensure your privacy!
• There will be little to no need to email me because…

Course Policies: Late Work and Makeups

• Late textbook assignments (MindTap) are automatically accepted and one is dropped

    - 10% penalty 
    - Must be completed within two days of due date
    - No exceptions, no excuses!!!
    - No need to email!!!
    - No need to apologize or explain!!!
    - All work must be turned in by August 7

Course Policies: Late Work and Makeups

• Late textboook work is automatically accepted with penalty
  

• Makeups for exams

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

Course Policies: Late Work and Makeups

• Late work is automatically accepted with penalty
  

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

• Makeup for in class work participation exercises, etc.

    - I will drop scores for one days work automatically
    - Two days is 20% of the course, so even with a medical excuse that is an unacceptable absence level
    - No makeups, no exceptions for any reason

Course Policies: Late Work and Makeups

• Late textbook homework (Mindtap) is automatically accepted with penalty

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

• Makeup for in class work: three dropped, no makeups!

• This is already a very generous policy - No exceptions

• Asking for special treatment is asking me to do something unethical and may affect your professionalism grade

Journals and Study Guides

• These out of class written assignments will not be accepted late
• 4 of the Journals and 1 of the Study Guides will be dropped instead

Course Policies: Attendance and Participation

• HCC requires attendance
• There will be almost daily short written exercises
• These will only be done in class
• I will drop the three lowest scores including missed classes
• No other makeups will be allowed

Course Policies: Academic Integrity

• Academic integrity is non-negotiable
• Do your own work

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

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.