POLS 110/111 - US Government: Quick Reference Notes (Fall 2025)

Course at a glance

• Course: POLS 110-001 / 111-001 U.S. Government
• Term: Fall 2025; Meets MWF 9:00–9:50 PM; Location: Mouton Hall 110
• Instructor: Jacob Authement; Email: jacob.authement@louisiana.edu
• Office hours: MW 8:00–9:00 AM and 2:30–4:00 PM, or by appointment
• Course description: Introduction to U.S. politics and government; Constitution and its creation, laws and regulations, and how citizens and groups shape policy; major topics include Congress, presidency, courts, campaigns/elections, public opinion, civil rights/liberties, parties, interest groups, political culture, and policymaking; aligns with current events.

Learning objectives

• SLO 1: Identify/Explain the roles of government, laws, and politics in society
• SLO 2: Understand the origin and evolution of the U.S. Constitution in American politics
• SLO 3: Understand the institutional design and workings of the American system of separated powers
• SLO 4: Understand the role of political intermediaries (parties, interest groups) in American politics

Required texts

• No required textbook; readings available online (e.g., JSTOR) or posted to Moodle

Grading and assessments

• Total points: $500$
• Components and points:
  • Exam 1: $100$
  • Exam 2: $100$
  • Final Exam: $100$
  • Current Event Reaction Paper 1: $50$
  • Current Event Reaction Paper 2: $50$
  • Attendance and Participation: $100$
• Grading scale:
  • A: $450-500$ points
  • B: $400-449$ points
  • C: $350-399$ points
  • D: $300-349$ points
  • F: $0-299$ points
• Grade appeals:
  • Appeals must be in writing (email) and explain why a higher grade is deserved
  • Appeals may trigger re-grading; can result in lowered scores if warranted
  • Time limit: within one week of receiving the grade

Exams

• Three exams total: first two cover roughly one-third each; final is cumulative
• Make-ups: allowed only with valid, well-documented excuses
• Scheduling: Exam 1 on Sept. $24$; Exam 2 on Oct. $29$; Final on Dec. $8$ (11:00 AM – 1:30 PM)
• If participating in university-sponsored activities, inform the instructor early

Current Event Reaction Papers

• Two papers, minimum 500 words each; due between the exam dates
• Evaluation criteria (three parts): 1) Identify at least one policy change by president, Congress, or Supreme Court during the course; consider:
  • Is the policy implemented during this course? (Policies implemented before July 7 do not count)
  • Level of government (federal, state, local)
  • Deviation/change vs continuation of prior policy
  • Likelihood of enforcement and rationale
    2) Assess benefits/consequences: impact on Americans; impact on other branches of government
    3) Research approach: sources, biases, and how this changes your perspective
• Deadlines: October 1 (Paper 1) and November 19 (Paper 2)
• Late submissions: -20% per day

Attendance and conduct

• Attendance is mandatory; contributes to learning and grade
• No lecture notes provided without a valid reason; obtain notes from classmates if missed
• Respectful discourse required; all opinions welcome but must be challenged respectfully
• Academic Misconduct relates to cheating/plagiarism; sanctions apply
• Disability accommodations: notify within first two weeks and register with the Office of Disability Services

Academic integrity and AI policy

• Academic misconduct includes plagiarism/cheating; may result in a zero on the assignment
• AI policy: unacknowledged use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) to generate writing is considered plagiarism
• AI tools are discouraged for this course; writing should reflect your own thinking and revision

Extra credit opportunities

• Maximum of $15$ extra points total; opportunities may be added later
  1) Email to professor (5 pts): include proper greeting/sign-off; a body paragraph (min 5 sentences) introducing yourself; deadline Sept. $5$
  2) One-page discussion on the Constitution (5 pts): address most important article, most important amendment, and an underrated amendment; deadline Sept. $12$; formatting: 12-pt Times New Roman, double-spaced
  3) Volunteer for charity (5 pts): minimum 3 hours; provide proof; deadline Dec. $5$
  4) Attend a UL Lafayette sporting event (5 pts): photo with final score; deadline Dec. $5$
• Late extra-credit submissions will not be accepted

Class schedule and assignments

• Schedule is tentative; readings/lecture slides should be completed before exams
• Selected highlights:
  • Aug 25–29: Class Introduction; Syllabus/Section 1 (Moodle)
  • Sept 1: No Class – Labor Day
  • Sept 2–5: Why government? (Section 2); EC Assignment 1 due Sept. $5$
  • Sept 8–12: The U.S. Constitution (Section 3); EC Assignment 2 due Sept. $12$
  • Sept 15–19: Federalism (Section 4)
  • Sept 22–24: Review + Exam 1 (Sept. $24$)
  • Sept 26: Campaigns and Elections (Section 5); EC Assignment 1 due
  • Sept 29–Oct 1: Campaigns and Elections (cont.); Current Event Paper 1 due Oct. $1$
  • Oct 2–3: Fall Break (No Class)
  • Oct 6–10: Congress (Section 6)
  • Oct 13–17: The Judiciary (Section 7)
  • Oct 20–24: The Executive (Section 8)
  • Oct 27–29: Review + Exam 2 (Oct. $29$)
  • Nov 3–7: Civil Rights and Liberties (Section 9)
  • Nov 10–14: Public Opinion (Section 10)
  • Nov 17–21: Political Participation (Section 11); Current Event Paper 2 due Nov. $19$
  • Nov 24–26: Parties and Interest Groups (Section 12)
  • Nov 27–28: Thanksgiving Break
  • Dec 1–5: Catch-Up / Review; EC Assignments 3 & 4 due Dec. $5$/Dec. $5$
  • Dec 8: Final Exam, 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM