POLS 131  Introduction to Political Inquiry

 
Semester: Fall 2004
Section:  03
Class Time: Tuesday/Thursday 9:30-10:45am
Classroom: Butte Hall 104
Syllabus: http://www.csuchico.edu/~ct65/syllabi/inquiryfall04.html



 Instructor: Dr. Charles C. Turner 
Email: ccturner@csuchico.edu
Phone: (530)898-5960(office) 
Office: 741B Butte Hall
Office Hours: Tuesday 10:45-11:45am
                        Wednesday 1:00-4:00pm
                        Thursday 10:45-11:45am
                        (or by request)

Scope and Purpose

Political Science is a department/major/field of inquiry that is in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences here at Chico State.  And that's kind of what this class is all about.  First, we are going to read, think, talk, and write about how political science is political.  Then we will focus on how it is scientific.  Then we will look at how its approach to science is both behavioral and social.  The goal in all of this is to gain a sense of perspective on what and how we learn in political science.  Sound confusing?  Well, sometimes it is.  But, by the end of the semester you will be able to answer with confidence those awkward questions from friends and family:  "why are you a political science major?" "what are you going to do with that?"  "So, you gonna be a politician?"

Throughout this course we will be focusing on five main learning objectives. One, appreciating history--the study of politics has a rich history.  We will understand the present state of the discipline better if we also pay attention to the past.  Two, surveying the landscape--political science is not a single, narrowly defined subject.  It's the systematic study of all things political--from countries to cities to corporations.  We will appreciate it more when we can see how all of its various subfields fit together.  Three, building a toolbox--like any scientific discipline, the study of politics advances through the use of methodological tools.  Our discipline has developed an array of strategies for proving claims through the use of evidence and reasoning.  We need to recognize and practice using these tools.  Four, thinking critically--not only do we need to know what's out there, we also need to know how to think about it and evaluate it.  Not all political scientists come to the same conclusions about politics.  We need to make reasoned arguments about what we think and why.  Five, communicating effectively--mastering all of the previous objectives won't get us very far if we can't communicate our knowledge and reasoned opinions to others through clear and concise communication.  Practicing communication is the best way to improve, so we will be talking and listening and writing and reading about politics.  If you do your job well, by the end of this course you should have made progress in each of these five areas and have developed a deeper understanding of the broad field of political science.

We will be discussing a wide range of issues in this class.  Sometimes you will have questions:  feel free to ask them.  Sometimes you will disagree with a classmate.  Sometimes you will disagree with me.  That's okay!  The political process is about deliberation and reasonable people often disagree.

Disclaimer:  Sometimes students use the words "hard" or "boring" to describe a class or its assignments.  If you find yourself tempted to describe this class or its readings in such a manner, I'd ask you to consider three things.  First, education isn't always fun and it isn't always easy.  You are pursuing higher education by choice, because you want to improve your mind, your skills, and your base of knowledge.  If you start to get frustrated, try telling yourself "I'm doing this to improve myself."  That little refrain often helps me get through a round of sit-ups or motivates me to take another lap around the track.  Like physical exercise, the results of mental exercise are not always immediately apparent, but by the end of the semester you will be able to look back to week one and realize that you have come a long way.  Second, a lot of the learning that takes place in this course is conceptual.  The first step in this type of learning is often reading about a lot of new things you've never encountered before.  We have to take the puzzle out of the box and start looking at the various pieces before we can put it all together.  The initial stages of puzzle solving are often frustrating, but the end result is worth the struggle.  I don't ask you to memorize a lot of facts, but I do ask you to develop an understanding of political science as an academic discipline. Third, this is an upper division writing proficiency course that is a requirement for majors within the political science department.  It's the only class fitting that description that you are likely to take in college.  Thus, you should not be surprised that we will have readings and assignments unlike those you encountered in high school or in other college classes.  I know the course can be challenging, but I also know that every one of you is capable of success in this class if you rise to meet that challenge.

Note: This is a writing proficiency (WP) course, open only to students who have completed English 001 (Freshman Composition) with a letter grade of C- or better (or its equivalent at another institution).  You have to receive a C- or better in this course to graduate.  Keep this in mind before engaging in any behavior (like skipping class or failing to turn in assignments) that could jeopardize your ability to pass the class.

Course Readings

The following books are required for the course and are available at the Associated Students Bookstore (underlined titles are links to publisher web pages--you are welcome to purchase the books from whatever source you like):

Arendt, Hannah. 1994. Eichmann in Jerusalem : A Report on the Banality of Evil. New York:  Penguin.
0-14-018765-0

Carlson, James M., and Mark S. Hyde.  2003.  Doing Empirical Political Research.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin.  0-618-11672-9

Kuhn, Thomas S. 1996. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 3rd edition. Chicago:  University of Chicago Press. 0-226-45808-3

These books will be supplemented with other readings.  These additional readings are available on the internet (see below) or via distribution in class.  You will need to access this syllabus on the web on a regular basis in order to complete the readings and class assignments.


Course Requirements and Grading (For the University grading guidelines, consult the University Catalog.)
 
Your grade for the course will be based on the following:
These are the outcomes:
briefs 140 pts. 35%
politics paper 60 pts. 15%
research proposal 100 pts. 25%
final exam 60 pts. 15%
participation 40 pts. 10%

400 pts. 100%
 		  
A 
 372-400 pts. 93-100%
A-
 360-372 90-92%
B+
 352-359 88-89%
B 
 332-351 83-87%
B-
 320-331 80-82%
C+
 312-319 78-79%
C 
 292-311 73-77%
C-
 280-291 70-72%
D+
 272-279 68-69%
D 
 240-271 60-67%
F 
 0-239 pts. 59% and below
Briefs:  Over the course of the semester, you will be writing 7 "briefs."  I have given them this name to indicate that they are fairly short (never more than 3 pages).  I expect you to write clear, mechanically sound sentences, and include source citation.  Your task is to clearly answer the question at hand based on the week's readings (or another source when indicated below).  You may bring these briefs to class, ready to turn in, on the day they are due, or you may choose to revise them based on class discussion and turn them in by 4pm on Friday of the week they are due.  We will frequently use them as a starting point for class discussions.  They are worth 20 points each.

Politics Paper:  At the end of week 5, you will turn in a 3-4 page paper that addresses some of the broad questions from the first part of this course (see the description of topics below).  The central focus of the paper should be the Arendt book, and you should explicitly discuss and cite arguments and examples from that text, but other readings can be incorporated as well.  We will discuss this paper in more detail in class.  It is worth 60 points.

Research Proposal:  Your crowning achievement in this class will be a 10-15 page research proposal.  This paper will bring you to the very brink of conducting your own political inquiry.  Your research proposal will look very much like a journal article, except that you will not be collecting and testing data.  Your paper will include the selection of an appropriate research topic, the development of a research question, a review of the literature on this topic, a testable hypothesis, and a discussion of methods and possible conclusions.  You will be writing this paper in several stages, as indicated below, with the final product due at the end of week 15.  This project is worth 100 points. You will need to get started early on this project in order to have time to locate the books and articles you will need.  As you are turning in the research proposal in several stages (listed as steps one, two, three, four, and five), you should view this assignment as an opportunity to revise and improve upon your writing.  Failure to turn in steps 1-4 on time will result in 5 point deductions on the Research Proposal.  To get a sense for what your paper should be like, have a look at these: sample paper #1 and sample paper #2 and sample paper #3 and sample paper #4.  Warning:  the sample papers are not perfect.  We will discuss their strengths and weaknesses in class.

Final Exam:  During finals week, we will take a final exam worth 60 points.  The exam will consist of identification/short answer and essay questions.  It will be comprehensive. You will receive a study guide for the exam.

Participation: Come to class; it is hard to participate if you are not here! 10% (40 points) of your grade is based on participation because I want to reward you for taking an active role in your education.  I also want to encourage you to come to class, pay attention, answer questions, and join in class discussions.  More than three absences over the course of the semester will result in serious damage to your participation grade.  I will call on you to answer questions.  I'm not expecting "right" answers--sometimes there isn't a right answer; I am expecting thoughtful and intelligent answers that demonstrate you have done the reading and are paying attention.  Additionally, pop quizzes, in-class writing assignments, and other in-class activities will become part of your participation grade when employed.


Other Details
You must make arrangements with the instructor ahead of time if you cannot attend a class session or complete an assignment on time. Late assignments will be assessed a full one letter grade penalty (10%) for each class period they are late.  Steps of the  Research Proposal must be turned in on time, or face a 5 point deduction.  Students are expected to complete their own work.  Academic dishonesty will result in a zero on the assignment and formal charges with Student Judicial Affairs.  For questions or concerns about plagiarism, please ask me or consult the University Catalog's section on Academic Honesty and the University's Policy on Academic Integrity.   An additional useful resource is Appendix 1 in your Carlson & Hyde textbook.. If you are unhappy with a grade you receive on an assignment, do not understand my comments, or believe that I have mis-interpreted your writing, come talk to me.  It is always possible that I have erred. This syllabus is subject to change and/or revision during the academic term.  Reasonable alternative assignments will be developed for students with documented learning disabilities.  Turn off cell phones, pagers, and other distracting devices during class.  If your cell phone rings during class you will be expected to leave the classroom for the remainder of the period.

If you have a documented disability that may require reasonable accommodation, please contact Disability Support Services (DSS) for coordination of your academic accommodations.  DSS is located in Building E, adjacent to Meriam Library and Bell Memorial Union (BMU).  The DSS phone number is 898-5959 V/TDD or Fax 898-4411.  Visit the DSS Web site at http://www.csuchico.edu/dss/

Since this course is designated as the Writing Proficiency course for political science, you are encouraged to take advantage of Chico State's University Writing Center, or the Student Learning Center (4th floor of the Meriam Library).  Indeed, there are writing assignments every week, so you should look at this class as an opportunity to enhance your writing skills.  I will provide written feedback on your assignments and will discuss general observations about aspects of writing that the class as a whole needs to focus on during class lectures.  Writing well is a lifelong learning process, so don't feel like you have to be a "bad" writer to take advantage of student writing services, or that there is no need for help once you are a "good" writer.  There is always room for improvement!  Also, if you do not already own one, a writing guide/manual is an invaluable tool.  Our library has several print examples and several web sites that provide citation guides.  Some good print examples are:

Hacker, Diana.  A Writer's Reference. Fourth Edition, St. Martin's Press. 1999.
Lunsford, Andrea, and Robert Connors.  EasyWriter: A Pocket Guide. Bedford/St.Martin's Press. 1998.
Scott, Gregory M., and Stephen M. Garrison.  The Political Science Student Writer's Manual. Fourth Edition, Prentice Hall. 2002.
Strunk, William, Jr.  Elements of Style.

You should also print out a copy of the CSU, Chico Department of Political Science Quick Reference Guide for Research Papers and Reports, by Diane E. Schmidt.  This document details the departmental writing standards for political science.

Semester Schedule