QUEENS COLLEGE

Department of Political Science

Intro to Political Science

PSCI 101

FALL, 2024

Instructor: Katherine B. Huang, Esq.

Class Times: Wednesdays 6:30pm to 9:20 ON LINE
Office Hours: *By Appointment or Thursdays 3pm to 3:30pm
Office Location: *TBD
Tel:
E-mail: Katherine.huang@qc.cuny.edu/profhuangny@gmail.com

*Please note: It is best to make an appointment to be assured of the meeting time and date to
include BOTH email in correspondence

Required Texts

There are no required texts for this class. The following text is suggested for students who are
not entirely familiar with Open Ended Resources.

The Political Imagination by Peter Kolozi, James E. Freeman

https://cuny.manifoldapp.org/read/the-political-imagination-introduction-to-american-
government-4d827ec4-3205-4593-9deb-839a5b0d46dd/section/563f1de5-c6ed-4225-949b-
377923a2bb3a

Other Readings

Mandatory daily reading of the New York Times and/or NY Daily News and/or NY Post and/or
other newspapers; watching television/cable news to keep up with current events- you may use
news sites that are aggregators like Apple News. You may include credible podcasts as part of
your current events practices.

It is very important to click on the links and read the accompanying material provided on this
syllabus as additional reading to enhance class discussions and chapter material.

Course Description

This course is designed to introduce you to the basic themes and functions of the American political
system as they have unfolded throughout the history of the United States. Moreover, we want to
understand the impact the system has upon us today. Throughout the course, we will seek to answer
some of the following questions: What is American Politics? What are the significant ideas and
ideals that lay behind the making of our political system? What standards may we use to judge these
ideas and ideals? How does the present system stand up under scrutiny when we apply these
standards? In short, our intent here is to first understand the American political system, and then
critically evaluate it.

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The course will be broken down into these sections. The first will focus upon an analysis of the
foundations of American politics, with special emphasis placed upon the United States Constitution.
The second will focus on political parties, voting and the Media. The next will examine principal
units of the national government - Congress, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court. The last will
focus on civil liberties, the economy and America’s global role.

Course Objectives, Requirements and Grading

The primary objective of this course is to get students to think CRITICALLY. Critical thinking is
a mode of thinking in which the individual improves the quality of his or her thinking by
skillfully taking charge of cognitive structures and imposing intellectual standards upon them. A
critical thinker is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective. A critical
thinker seeks the following in his or her academic endeavors:

 Clarity
 Accuracy
 Precision
 Relevance of the material
 Depth in understanding
 Breadth
 Logic
 Significance of the material
 Fairness in approach material

Students today need to master three aspects of the educational experience to be successful, just as
they've had to in the past: reading, writing and speaking.

Learning Outcomes

1. To understand critically the historical development of American institutions and values and
their impact on the individual and collective lives of Americans.
2. To assess critically how the Constitution of the United States and government under the
Constitution have shaped American democracy and contemporary American society.
3. To understand critically the political culture of citizen participation, including political
parties, pressure groups, public opinion, and the electoral process.
4. To assess critically the Constitution of the United States, and the operation of representative
democratic government under the Constitution.
5. To understand critically the structures, functions, and processes of the three branches of
government and resulting public policies.
6. To assess critically major contemporary public policy problems.
7. To demonstrate the ability to write critical essays with developed and reasoned positions.
8. To demonstrate the ability to respond to and incorporate the work of other writers into
essays, using proper source citation and avoiding plagiarism.

Course Requirements

1. Complete all readings timely.

2. Complete/submit on time the assignments.

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 3. Read the paper daily. This includes local papers such as the New York Times and
Wall Street Journal, but these are by NO means the only papers you can read.
4. Participate in class discussions.
5. Budget your time for reading.
6. Attendance is paramount for this class.

Grading Breakdown:

Class Participation 10%

In-Class writing assignment(s) 30%

Midterm 30%

Final 30%

Total: 100%

Class Participation is self-explanatory. If I call on you, I expect you to be able to address the
question posed to you. Students who are not present when called upon will see their Class
Participation grade affected.

The In Class Writing Assignment will be written in class. This will be discussed further in our
introductory class.

The Midterm will be given in class.

Likewise, the Final will be in person on the scheduled final date determined by Queens College.

There may be short writing assignments after an assigned video which students can submit
electronically. Given that the Brightspace platform is fairly new to Queens College this
semester, I will allow students who experience technical issues to submit assignments to me in
person on the assignment due date. I expect you to complete all assignments on time.
Assignments submitted after the deadline will lose 5% for each day it is late. No
assignment submitted after 7 days will be accepted.

PLEASE NOTE: The topic for the in-class writing assignment is: Do you believe that a
democracy will eventually give way to a more authoritarian form of government and why.

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an academic accommodation,
you must register with the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities. Please let me
know as soon as possible so we can make arrangements in terms of reading, class work, etc.

A grade for Incomplete for the class will be granted when a student submits a written request.

If a student experiences an unforeseen circumstance that may impact their ability to complete an
assignment on time, I may grant an extension with documentation. (ie hospitalization and/or
serious health issue, passing of closely related relative, arrest and incarceration) An unforeseen

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circumstance does not include matters that are common and foreseeable. (ie conflict with
roommate, loss of cell phone, lack of time)

EXTENSIONS OF TIME WILL ONLY BE GRANTED WHEN A STUDENT

EXPERIENCES AN UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCE. EXTENSIONS OF TIME
WILL NOT BE GRANTED FOR THE FINAL.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have wifi connectivity issues, please contact the IT department for
assistance.

Integrity in academic life requires that students demonstrate intellectual and academic
achievement independent of all assistance except that authorized by the instructors. The use of
an outside source in any paper, report or submission for academic credit without the
appropriate acknowledgment is PLAGIARISM. It is unethical to present as one’s own
work, the ideas, words or representations of another without the proper indication of the
source, including other students. It is the student’s responsibility to give credit for any
quotation, idea or data borrowed from an outside source. Students who fail to meet the
responsibility for academic integrity subject themselves to sanctions ranging from a
reduction in grade or failure in the assignment or course in which the offense occurred or
suspension or dismissal from the University. Students penalized for failing to maintain
academic integrity who wish to appeal such action may petition the department chair or request a
hearing on the matter.

Given the proliferation of AI like ChatGPT, most of the assignments, except for the occasional
comment on a video, will be WRITTEN in class. That means no computers, no devices. You
may bring your own notes for reliance when writing an assignment.

PLEASE NOTE: I may use TurnitIn app and its algorithms to determine the percentage of a
student’s work that is not original. The app includes student work submitted from other colleges
and institutions of higher learning.

Course Schedule

The following is a tentative schedule of course meetings and topics. It is subject to change and I
reserve the right to make amendments as the material and time constraints requires.

There will be some documentary videos applicable to this class as the semester progresses.

Sept 4 Introduction, Expectations

Ch. 1 Politics and Democracy

https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution

https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Revolution

https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-
timeline/american-revolution-1763-1783/

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript

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Sept 11 Ch. 2 Revolution and the Articles of Confederation

https://judicature.duke.edu/articles/foundations-of-u-s-federalism/

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/federalism

https://usgovtpoli.commons.gc.cuny.edu/chapter-five-federalism-american-style/

** These chapters can be downloaded from the CUNY Commons, as it is licensed

under Creative Commons

https://usgovtpoli.commons.gc.cuny.edu/course-schedule/

Sept 18 Ch. 3 The US Constitution as a Legal and Political Document

Sept 25 Ch. 4. US Political Economy

Oct 9 Ch. 5 Federalism

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/preserving-democracy/video/how-the-two-major-u-s-
political-parties-formed/

https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/01/18/what-happens-when-democracies-
become-perniciously-polarized-pub-86190

https://www.learner.org/series/democracy-in-america/interest-groups-organizing-
to-influence/

Oct 16 In Class Writing

Oct 16 Ch. 6 Congress

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/05/17/more-americans-now-see-
the-medias-influence-growing-compared-with-a-year-ago/

https://wwnorton.com/college/polisci/american-government12/brief/ch/09/
outline.aspx

https://open.lib.umn.edu/americangovernment/chapter/6-2-political-socialization/

American Values- Nation in Turmoil (11/2020) Frontline

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/january-6-insurrection-capitol-attack-
documentaries-streaming/

Four Hours at the Capital (HBO)

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/3-charts-that-capture-the-rise-in-
congressional-gridlock/

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/09/briefing/mccarthy-congress.html?
unlocked_article_code=zjGteRD9scWllA9KUYvJSzFlPNILC2AlxrI32S-

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https://wapo.st/3QI5BvV

Oct 23 Ch. 7 President

https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/three-branches/what-president-can-do-
cannot-do

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/executive_power

https://americanhistory.si.edu/american-presidency/foundations/limits-power

https://www.vox.com/mischiefs-of-faction/2019/4/11/18306412/constitution-
executive-power-limits

https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/the-judicial-
branch/

Whose Vote Counts (11/2020) Frontline

https://abateacherportal.org/moore-v-harper/ (Voting rights, independent state

legislature)

Oct 30 Midterm

https://www.ushistory.org/gov/5b.asp

https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/elections/presidential-election-process/
persuading-voters-political-campaigns/

https://www.brookings.edu/events/how-younger-voters-will-affect-the-future-of-
american-politics/

Nov 6 Ch. 8 Judiciary

Nov 13 Ch. 9 Civil Liberties

Nov 20 Ch. 10 Social Movements

Dec 4 Ch. 11 US Foreign Policy

Dec 11 Review

Dec 18 FINAL

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