POL 1560 - American Government
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 11, CRN 43230,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Michael Paquet
Email: mlpaquet@ysu.edu
Course Description
1560. American Government. The foundations of American democratic government with an emphasis on the responsibilities of citizenship, civil rights, and civil liberties, parties and elections, and American political institutions. Students are encouraged to understand and discuss issues of social justice, equality and freedom, and majoritarianism. Topics include the civil rights movement, campaign finance reform, federalism, and affirmative action. 3 s.h.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | American Government | Krutz, Glenn | 978-1947172-66-1 |
Text: https://openstax.org/details/books/american-government-2e/
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Review of course content and syllabus. | Course Overview | Filing of Netiquette Contract required. Citizenship Test/Visual Exercise both due by August 30, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 8/31 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 1.1-1.3 | American Government and Civic Engagement | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on American Government and Civic Engagement due by September 6, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 9/7 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 2.1-2.5 | The Constitution and Its Origins | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on The Constitution and Its Origins due by September 13, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 9/14 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 3.1-3.5 | American Federalism | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on American Federalism due by September 20, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 9/21 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 4.1-4.4 | Civil Liberties | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on Civil Liberties due by September 27, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 9/28 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 5.1-4.5 | Civil Rights | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on Civil Rights due by October 4, 2026 @ 11 p.m. Midterm I due by October 4, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 10/5 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 6.1-6.4 | The Politics of Public Opinion | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz due by October 11, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 10/12 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 7.1-7.5 | Voting and Elections | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on Voting and Elections due by October 18, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 10/19 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 8.1-8.4 | The Media | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on The Media due by October 25, 2026 @ 11p.m. |
| 10/26 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 9.1-9.4 | Political Parties | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on Political Parties due November 1, 2026 @ 11p.m. |
| 11/2 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 10.1-10.5 | Interest Groups | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on Interest Groups due by November 8, 2026 @11p.m. Midterm II due by November 8, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 11/9 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 11.1-11.5 | Congress | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on Congress due by November 15, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 11/16 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 12.1-12.5 | The Presidency | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on The Presidency due by November 22, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 11/23 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 13.1-13.5 | The Courts | Discussion/Assignment/Quiz on The Courts due by November 29, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 11/30 | Read American Government (OpenStax) 14.1-17.4 | State/Local Government, Bureaucracy, Domestic/Foreign Policy | Discussions/Assignments/Quizzes on State/Local Government, Bureaucracy, Domestic/Foreign Policy due by December 6, 2026 @ 11 p.m. |
| 12/7 | Final Exam – December 8-9, 2026 Open Book/Open Notes (timed exam) | Final Exam – December 8-9, 2026 Open Book/Open Notes (timed exam) | Final Exam – December 8-9, 2026 Open Book/Open Notes (timed exam) |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.