GOVT 2306

US and Texas Constitution and Politics

• Instructor: Tom Hanna
• Sections meet August 24/25 (first day) through November 30 / December 1
• Large lecture sections — in-class points are through Top Hat

Contact and office hours

• Email: tlhanna@cougarnet.uh.edu
• Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 2:30–3:20 PM
• Location: PGH 391 (my office — not the classroom)
• In person only — walk-in, first come, first served
• No virtual office hours
• Cancellations posted in Canvas Announcements

About me (brief)

• Ph.D. candidate, Political Science, University of Houston
• Teaching at UH since 2022; also HCC and previously OLLU
• Research: international behavior of dictators; threats to liberal democracy
• Former business manager and owner

What this course is about

• How can we live together peacefully as members of a society of dignified equals?

• We examine the constitutional structure and politics of the United States and Texas — why the rules exist, how they limit power, and what that means for citizens.

Today (August 24/25)

• Course overview and policies
• Study suggestions
• What you must do immediately (Module 0)
• Top Hat representative (if scheduled)

Next class (August 26/27)

• What is government?
• Canvas, Inquizitives, and Top Hat overview

Do this immediately

Module 0 is due September 9, 2026 (Official Reporting Day)

• Absolute hard deadline — avoid being dropped
• Includes: syllabus/intro quizzes, textbook access (CTAP / We the People + Governing Texas), Top Hat registration, Inquizitives setup and completing Chapter 1
• Instructions are in Module 0 on Canvas

Register Top Hat through the Canvas course link in the left hand navigation bar (not by searching the web first). Register the textbook through the Chapter 1 assignment link in Module 0

Lecture vs textbook

• Lecture is not a substitute for the textbook
• Textbook is not a substitute for the lecture
• Textbook: institutions and concepts
• Lecture: why these things matter
• Both are testable

In-class points = Top Hat

• Daily Top Hat activity (lecture quizzes and reading quizzes)
• Part participation, part correctness
• Only in class — no makeups for missed Top Hat days
• Enough points exist that missing an occasional day need not sink you — but patterns matter

Major expectations

I do not expect expertise by the end.

I do expect you to:

• Respect other people
• Do the work
• Do your best
• Take responsibility for what you did or did not do
• Consider the material for your own life and for people you care about
• Come to class prepared

Come prepared

• Review assigned readings / start Inquizitives early
• Top Hat will draw on both readings and prior lectures
• Preparation is how you earn full Top Hat credit when questions are scored for correctness

Time commitment

UH is SACSCOC-accredited. For a 3-credit face-to-face course:

• ~3 hours in class + ~6 hours outside class per week (minimum standard)

If two-thirds of the work is outside class, who has the major responsibility for your success or failure?

Your responsibilities

• Time management
• Your own learning
• Doing assignments (or accepting the zero)
• Doing them on time (or accepting the consequences)
• Showing up and engaging
• Getting appropriate help from the right place (see next slides)
• Taking responsibility for results

I am responsible for

• A structured environment to learn
• Clear standards and fair assessment
• Alternate explanations in lecture
• Holding you accountable
• Pointing you to resources

I am not responsible for

• Tech support (Canvas, Top Hat, publisher platforms)
• Bookstore / CTAP / billing problems
• Tutoring or writing-center services
• Forcing you to work or doing your work for you
• Negotiating grades, excuses, extensions, or special exceptions
• Anything your other courses require that conflicts with this one

Get help from the right place (1)

Platforms and accounts

Get help from the right place (2)

Learning and course content

I cannot fix platform, billing, or device problems for 1,000+ students. Use the specialized support channels.

Communication

• Preferred mode: face-to-face (class and office hours)
• With ~1,000 students across 4 sections, email is not practical
• Class cancellations: Canvas Announcements & official email
• Other: Canvas Announcements posted during class time
• Do not email excuses, grade questions, exceptions requests
• You may ask about policies in office hours; the answer on exceptions is still no

Grades (overview)

Points-based (not category weights). Rough scale from syllabus:

• Exams (midterm + final): 402 points
• Top Hat: 260+ points
• Inquizitives: 250 points
• Professionalism: 100 points
• Syllabus / intro quizzes: 100 points
• Simulations: 50 points

Full detail and letter cutoffs are in the syllabus. Point totals may be refined in week one.

Late work and makeups

• Late Inquizitives: accepted automatically with a daily penalty — no request needed
• Missed midterm: final exam percentage applies automatically — no petition needed
• Missed Top Hat days: no makeup
• No extensions. No excuses. No exceptions.

The system is built so late work and makeups run without special deals. Asking for an exception — by email or in office hours — still gets no. Asking can affect your professionalism score.

Attendance

• Not a separate graded category
• Top Hat is how presence is recorded for in-class points
• Small attendance bonus (see syllabus) if you miss no more than one class
• You must get Top Hat working on your device (Top Hat support if needed) this week

Academic integrity

• Non-negotiable
• Do your own work
• Respect other people

The forgetting curve

Cramming once does not work. Short, repeated review does.

• Start Inquizitives early; revisit them before exams
• Make and use flashcards a few minutes, a few times a week
• Rewrite ideas in your own words
• Ask in class or at office hours when stuck

Notes

• Use the published slides as an outline — do not photograph the screen
• Slides will be available via Canvas / published links
• A system such as Cornell Notes helps more than passive re-reading

Before you leave campus today / this week

1. Open Canvas → this course → Module 0
2. Register textbook access → Module 0
3. Register Top Hat through the Canvas link
4. Complete required Module 0 quizzes
5. Deadline: September 9, 2026 (ORD) — no extensions for drop protection

Next class

• What is government?
• Bring questions about Module 0, Top Hat, or Canvas
• Be ready for Top Hat activity

Questions

Ask now — or at office hours in PGH 391, Tue/Thu 2:30–3:20 PM.

Authorship and license

• Author: Tom Hanna
• Website: tomhanna.me
• License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0