Political Science 014, sec 201: International Relations



Political Science (POLS) 2310 (crn --36071): Introduction to Politics (section 006)

Summer II 2017

220 UGLC

M, T, W, R, F: 11:40- 1:50

Dr. Charles Boehmer

Office: 202 Benedict Hall

Email: crboehmer@utep.edu

Phone: 747-7979

Office Hours:

10:30-11:30 (M,T,W,R)

and by appointment such as early or late some days

Teaching Assistant (see Blackboard for Office Hours)

Ms. Perla Galindo

pmgalindo@miners.utep.edu

(office is 2nd floor, Benedict Hall)

Course Website:

Note that this course uses Blackboard (through the MY UTEP portal and the UTEP homepage) and will be used daily to post vital information about the course schedule and content

Catalog Course Description

An overview of the concepts, principles, and practices of politics as background for the study of American and Texas political institutions. The course may employ an international, comparative, or theoretical focus. Prerequisite: Freshman standing

Course Overview and Goals

This course provides an introduction to key concepts, principles, and processes in political science. Politics is played like a sport, albeit a very serious sport, and the strategies and tactics can be seen as skills, or even art. There are many games in politics, and games within games. However, we will also discuss how politics is studied in a scientific manner. Subject matter covered will include topics from political theory, comparative politics, and international relations. Comparisons will often be made between how politics operates in the United States with other countries. Above all, students will confront decision-making situations faced by politicians in order to gain an appreciation for how politics operates in certain types of states, whether they are democracies or nondemocracies. The primary goal of this course is to not only provide a basic understanding of political science, but also to begin the development of the analytical skills necessary for citizens to understand and analyze politics beyond the superficial style one finds in the talk/debate shows of MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, or other mainstream outlets. In today’s 24-hour news cycles, citizens are bombarded not only with news and facts, but more often than not with opinions of political pundits who seek to manipulate and persuade; that is a constant feature of politics. Political debates may be based on facts, but also on misinformation and disinformation. A goal of this course is to provide students with some objective basis to understand and evaluate the claims of those who participate in public policy battles or political events more generally. We must also understand key norms behind ideologies and social policies. To understand politics, one must possess the analytical and critical skills necessary to understand how political actors behave, but also to own the skills to evaluate empirically theories and policies of the political process.

After the completion of this course, students should have the following skills or knowledge:

• Have a basic understanding of social scientific principles

• Have a comprehension of major concepts and principles of political science

• Have some foundation to analyze politics in an objective manner

• Have basic geographic knowledge of countries around the world

Tips for Passing this Course

1. Purchase or borrow the textbook, and read it. Many exam questions are based on the textbook, which is often a necessary part of a college course. If you attempt to take this course and not read the textbook, then you may fail the course.

2. Study from your old exams. You may see your scantrons from the exams and compare them to questions you had correct or not. You may pick up your exam books and study from these for the final exam, which will repeat questions from the first three exams.

3. When you read and study, do not just do it to memorize the material. Study with the aim of comprehension. If you are confused about ideas or concepts, speak with the instructor or the teaching assistant.

4. Stay informed about what is going on in the course, such as the scheduling and content of quizzes and exams. Check in on Blackboard often and check your UTEP email for messages from the instructor or teaching assistant.

5. Review the power point slides, but remember that they do not suffice as a reminder of everything covered a lecture. For this reason, you need to take notes, which forces you to focus on what is being said. Typing up notes is an excellent way for you to study your notes because it forces you to think about what we covered in class. Try to include your responses or ideas that you have in conjunction with the notes or content of the course as a way to connect it to your life in a way that you care about the subject matter.

6. Take an active interest in the subject matter, even if it is not your top interest. After all, you are not going to learn what you don’t want to know. Listen to me now and hear me later (old SNL Hans and Franz skit routine), politics is important and it will affect your life whether you have an interest in it or not, so taking an interest may make your life better.

Course Technology

This course utilizes the Blackboard system through the My UTEP portal. This is the central means of communication for the course and includes the syllabus and other important content. Partial lectures will be posted on Blackboard with some lag so that students can use these to study for tests, but these will be more outlines than complete lectures. Hence, attendance and note taking are vital to passing the course. The posting of lectures is at the discretion of the instructor.

Requirements and Evaluation of Performance

Exams 1-3 45% total (15% each)

Final Exam 25%

World Geography Quizzes 20% total (5% each)

Attendance/Participation 10%

Exams 1-3: These exams will cover material from the course textbook and lectures. The purpose is to evaluate student comprehension of the subject matter. The format will likely be multiple-choice questions. Students are required to bring their own scantrons and pencils.

Final Exam: The final exam will be cumulative and used to evaluate student comprehension and retention of the course subject matter. The final exam will draw from all the readings and lectures throughout the semester. Some questions will be repeated from the earlier exams. Students will be required to bring scantrons and pencils. The date of the exam is Friday, August 4, from 1:00-3:45. The final exam is considered over when the instructor and the TA are no longer in the room (all other students present have completed the exam), so do not be late. You must take the Final Exam on this day unless you have a valid university accepted excuse. Going on vacation or booked flights are not a proper excuse.

World Geography Quizzes: There will be four geography quizzes during the course of the semester, and a retest of regions on the final exam. We will be discussing certain countries and students should have knowledge of world geography. The quizzes will be on the location of countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas). I will provide you with a blank map and you will identify those countries listed by the instructor. The blank maps we will use are posted in Blackboard so you can print these out and practice. You do not need to know capitols and I also request that you do not fill in countries not requested in the quiz by the instructor. Quizzes will not be accepted if a map is submitted with all the countries, or countries not requested, filled in.

Attendance/Participation Grade and Policy: In each class session students will be able to earn participation points by answering questions based on the readings and prior lectures. Attendance is mandatory by university policy, and will be recorded daily. It is expected of you that you do not miss assignments or classes, which will result in a penalty to your grade. Here are specific situations of absence and whether or not excuses will be accepted as valid or not:

• If you know you will be unable to attend a class due to a valid university excuse (NCAA sports, religious purposes, other university events, brief military duties) you must notify me ten days in advance by a letter provided by the Dean of Students). Please provide the appropriate documentation in advance to the teaching assistant.

• The instructor reserves the right to accept or not excuses related to medical issues. Naturally, it is not usually feasible to document in advance any time lost due to illness. The exception is planned surgeries and appointments (not normal check-ups). Any class time missed will not be excused without medical or other valid documentation. Yo puedo leer y hablar (piquito) Español, pero apprendo mas poco a poco, so documentation from Mexico is permissible. Students with severe medical problems that result in missing a majority of the semester may want to consider a complete withdrawal from the university for medical purposes.

• Absences due to conflicts with work, child care, etc. that make it impossible for you to attend this class regularly are not permitted. If you know you will have scheduling conflicts with this class, then you should make other arrangements or post-pone this class until a future semester. This course is offered every semester.

• The instructor may not accept missed exams or quizzes due to family hardship or family medical problems as valid excuses. For example, helping family members move, picking up at the airport, driving family members to medical appointments when you know they conflict with class, and other such activities, will not be permitted as valid excuses.

• Emergencies such as deaths in the family must be documented, unfortunately.

Other Course Policies and Expectations

• No make-up exams or quizzes will occur without a student having provided to the instructor valid documentation explaining or excusing the absence. See the above policies. The instructor has the discretion to decide if a make-up is allowable outside the university-excused absences.

• The instructor will ask you to put your school or book bag along the wall during quizzes and tests. It is a very good idea that you not bring valuables to class during quiz and test days. It is possible that your possessions could be stolen or mistaken for others’.

• Debate and discussion are important in the critical evaluation of politics and I will allow time for questions. However, our class size will be very large and it is unrealistic that we will maintain a full participation oral class dialog. We will use the student response system and blackboard website to interact. Nonetheless, it is expected that students will treat the instructor, teaching assistants, and each other with respect, including refraining from disparaging remarks, personal insults, derogatory comments, and other unprofessional behavior, in person or electronically. Any problem related to rude conduct, or any threats to violence, etc., will result in the student being dropped from the course by the instructor.

• Outside work and other non-class related activities are not permitted in our classroom.

• If you engage in behaviors that distract others or create a disturbance, you will be asked to leave the class. If you refuse to leave class, university police will be contacted.

• Cell phone/smart phone/PDA usage is not permitted during exams or at other times when it might pose a class disturbance. Laptops, tablets, or other electronic devices used for note-taking are permissible, but students using such must not engage in any activities that disturb other students. If a TA instructs you to turn off technology, you must do so. If you refuse, then see the above policy concerning disturbances.

Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, or otherwise seek additional information, please contact The Center for Accommodations and Support Services (CASS) at 747-5148, or by email to cass@utep.edu, or visit their office located in Union East, Room 106. CASS’ staff are the only individuals who can authorize accommodations for students with disabilities. The Student is responsible for presenting to the instructor any CASS accommodation letters and instructions before arrangements need to be made for exams, quizzes, or other needs.

Mandatory Course Materials (available at UTEP Bookstore or elsewhere)

❖ Riemer, Neal, Douglas W. Simon, and Joseph Romance. The Challenge of Poltics, 5th edition. (RSR text)

❖ Scantron forms for tests and a pencil

Schedule of Classes

Week 1 (7/11 - 7/14):

• Read Riemer, Neal, Douglas W. Simon, and Joseph Romance (RSR) textbook Chapter 1

• Read Boehmer Introductory Lecture notes

• Friday: Map quiz on the Asia (includes Western Asia areas such as Caucus, Turkey, and Arabian Peninsula such as Turkey, Armenia, Saudi Arabia, Israel, etc.)

• Read RSR Chapter 4

Week 2 (7/17 - 7/21):

• Monday: Exam #1 based on the Week 1 readings and lectures

• Read RSR Chapter 5 (start of chapter, stop at Modern Political Thought)

• Read Political Theory and Thought Boehmer Supplementary notes

• Thursday: Map quiz on the Africa (North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa)

• Read rest of RSR Chapter 5

• Read RSR Chapter 6

Week 3 (7/24 - 7/28)

• Monday: Exam #2 based on the Week 2 readings and lectures

• Read RSR Chapter 7

• Read RSR Chapter 3

• Read “What is Political Science?” Boehmer Supplementary Notes

• Read RSR Chapter 8

• Thursday: Map quiz on the Europe (all countries except microstates such as Andorra, San Marino, Vatican, Monaco, Liechtenstein)

• Read RSR text Chapter10

Week 4 (7/31 - 8/04):

• Monday: Exam #3 based on the Week 3 readings and lecture

• Human Rights and Ethnic Conflict Lecture, also see RSR Chapter 12

• Read RSR Chapter 13

• Wednesday: Map quiz on the Americas (North/Central/South America, and the Caribbean states of Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic)

• Read RSR Chapter 14 (If time permits)

• Read RSR Chapter 15 (If time permits)

• Friday: Final Exam, 1:00-3:45

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