American Politics

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Critically analyze claims, arguments, artifacts or information.
• Construct coherent, evidence-based arguments.
• Evaluate key concepts, principles, arguments, and contexts in founding documents of the American Republic, including the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and a representative selection of the Federalist Papers; and,
• Evaluate key milestones in progress and challenges in the effort to form a more perfect Union, including the arguments and contexts surrounding the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Letter from Birmingham Jail, as well as other texts that reflect the breadth of American experiences.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Three unit tests	25%, 30%, 35%
App. 12 quiz/paper/assignment grades—count the top ten	10%

Grading Scale:

Percentage	Letter Grade
93-100	A
90-92	A-
87-89	B+
83-86	B
80-82	B-
77-79	C+
73-76	C
70-72	C-
67-69	D+
63-66	D
60-62	D-
59 and below	F

Attendance/Participation:

There is no specific grade or penalty regarding participation and attendance. However, I take attendance regularly, and you are unlikely to succeed if you do not attend class.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

Texts: Keeping the Republic: Power and Citizenship in American Politics (11th edition) by Barbour, Wright