Course Syllabus
KEY DATES
The 7 key dates for this semester• Case Study#1 Various Types of Discrimination in the USA on 17/02
• Case Study#2 Affordable Care Act signed by B. Obama in 2010 on 9/03
• Case study #3 Compare and contrast the immigration policy of D. Trump’s and B. Obama’s administration on 23/03
• Midterm + web portfolio presentation on 6/04
• Case study #4 on Religious Groups in the USA jn 27/04
• Final test on 4/05
• Web project presentation on 11/05
Week 1.
Equality and Civil Rights. The Fundamental Values of American Democracy. Civil Rights Movement. The Politics of Affirmative Actions. Civil rights for other Minorities. Gender and Equal Rights.
Required reading:
• The Challenge Of Democracy: American Government In Global Politics. K. Janda, J. Berry, J. Goldman, K. Hula 12th edition, chapters 15, 16
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Recommended reading:
• Civil Rights Movement, 1955-1965
Week 2.
Case Study on Various Types of Discrimination in the USA.
Week 3.
Economic Policy Of The U.S. Government: Tax And Spending Policies, Economic Equality, the Nature of the Budget, Budgeting for Public Policy
Required reading:
• The Challenge Of Democracy: American Government In Global Politics. K. Janda, J. Berry, J. Goldman, K. Hula 12th edition, chapters 18
• President Donald J. Trump’s ‘American Model’ Economy
• Growing your own business: steps to success
• Crowdfunding: The Power of People—Business Beginnings Series
Recommended reading:
• Historical tables on budget
• Budget of the U.S. Government for 2016
Week 4.
Social policy of the U.S. Government: President Roosevelt's New Deal; President Johnson's Great Society plan, Social Security System. Status and Social Class in the U.S.
Required reading:
• The Challenge Of Democracy: American Government In Global Politics. K. Janda, J. Berry, J. Goldman, K. Hula 12th edition, chapters 19
• Security for the Middle Class
• Healthcare Reform today: Affordable Care Act
Recommended reading:
• Exclusion and Inclusion: the Impact of Affirmative Action (Ricardo R. Fernandez)
• U.S. has most expensive, least effective health care system in survey
Group Case Study on Affordable Care Act signed by B. Obama in 2010.
Week 5.
Diversity of the U.S. Population and Immigration Reform.
Required reading:
• President Obama Announces New Steps to Fix Our Broken Immigration System
• Immigration Policy in the United States
• President D. Tramp on immigration policy of the U.S.
• Compare and contrast the immigration policy of D. Trump’s and B. Obama’s administration
Recommended reading:
• Immigration Laws
Week 6.
Midterm. E-portfolio presentation.
Week 7.
The Freedom of Information and the Media in the USA. The privileges and responsibilities of a free press. Public Opinion and the Media. Government Regulation of the Media.
Required reading:
• The Challenge Of Democracy: American Government In Global Politics. K. Janda, J. Berry, J. Goldman, K. Hula 12th edition, chapters 5, 6
Recommended reading:
• Press Accountability
• A Framework for a Free Press
• Free Press: Defining Journalistic Privilege
• Government Licensing of Journalists and Organizations
• New Media, Citizen Journalists and Bloggers
• A Responsible Press Office in the Digital Age
• Ethics: Codes of Conduct
Week 8.
Diversity and Values in Education in the U.S., Reforms in 20th and 21th centuries
Required reading:
• B. Obama's support for High Ed
• FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
• No Child Left Behind / Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
• IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
• Higher Education Opportunity Act
Recommended reading:
• U.S. Community Colleges: a Gateway to Higher Education for Many (George R. Boggs)
• What Is Student Government? By MacKenzie Babb
• What Is a MOOC?
• Changing Face of Higher Education
Week 9.
Civil liberties and Religion in Americans' lives today.
Required reading:
• How Americans Feel About Religious Groups
• The Demographics of Faith (B. Grim, D. Masci)
• Religion in American Culture
Group Case Study: Choose a religious group in the U.S. and examine its demographic characteristics, religious beliefs and practices as well as social and political views. Prepare PPpresentation on the religious group you've chosen.
Week 10.
National Language Policy: Standards, Ethnicity and Language, Language Diversity and National Identity, Initiatives and Programs, Native American Language Policy.
Required reading:
• National Language Policy in the United States: A Holistic Perspective (Cody L. Knutson)
• Chronology of Federal and State Law & Policy Impacting Language Minority Students
• Language Legislation in the U.S.A.
• Native American Language Policy in the United States
Recommended reading:
• A National Map of the Regional Dialects of American English (W. Labov, S. Ash, C. Boberg)
• English Language Acquisition Initiatives in the U.S.
Week 11.
FINAL TEST.
Week 12.
WEB PROJECTS PRESENTATIONS.
Week 13.
COURSE REFLECTION and Evaluation.
