SCOM 353 – American Political Culture and Communication
Contact Information:
Name- Dr. Michael K. Davis
Office – Harrison 2276D
Office Hours – By appointment
E-mail: Davismk@jmu.edu (I am also available via IM through either gmail or aol at davismk13)
Course Structure: This course asks students to engage the modern American political structure paying particular attention to the ways that cultural factors and the ways that we communicate alter the political landscape. The course will focus both on traditional theories of political communication and ongoing political campaigns in the United States.
Assignments:
Midterm Paper 100
Final Paper 300
Participation 150
Blog Assignment 300
Paper Presentation 50
Practicum 100
Grade Scale:
A 940-1000
A- 900-939
B+ 870-899
B 840-869
B- 800-839
C+ 770-799
C 740-769
C- 700-739
D 600-699
F 599 or below
Course Readings:
Book: Political Communication: A Multi-Disciplinary Exploration by Lauren Cohen Bell, 2007.
Blog: Additional course readings will be posted on the course blog at http://scom353.blogspot.com. . Readings (except for the first week) will be placed on the blog by the Friday of the week they are expected to be read.
No Class: Class will not meet from June 2nd-4th. On days when class is canceled I still expect you to check the blog or readings and course updates.
Assignment Description:
Midterm Paper: The midterm paper is an extended outline (2-3 pages) that will detail your final paper and outline both the arguments and sources that you will use for the final paper in the course.
Participation: I prefer not to lecture all day every day. Thus, I expect significant class participation. Showing up and meaningfully participating daily will earn you 150 points. Failure to show up will earn you zero points. Most people will fall somewhere in between. You can also help your participation grade by posting to the blog. However, participation on the blog will not make up for a lack of participation in the classroom.
Blog Assignment: Each student will be responsible for creating a blog on blogspot.com. Students are expected to review readings on a daily basis and construct original content. Blogs will be graded on their reflection of student’s understanding of course material, inclusion of new or unique views and demonstration of a familiarity of the modern American political system.
Practicum: Former New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra once said “You can observe a lot by watching.” I believe the same is true of our study of our political system. You will be required to attend five approved events during the course of the semester and post your reactions to these events on your blog. I will post events periodically that I believe illustrate the power of argumentation and advocacy in every day life. There will be events throughout the semester, but you should not wait until the end of the semester to complete them. Some events may be required for all class participants.
Final Paper: The final paper will ask you to examine a case study in the same manner as the course textbook. The paper should be approximately 10 pages long. It should examine a controversy which is not covered in the book.
Extra Credit: I am unable to find all of the relevant articles regarding the ways that political communication functions. You may earn extra credit by sending me a write up on an article which would be appropriate for inclusion on the course blog. If I approve the article you will receive five bonus points. The first person to submit the article will receive extra credit. You may receive credit for up to four articles during the course of the semester.
Or
You may earn extra credit by sending me a write up on an event which would be appropriate for the practicum listed above. If I approve the event you will receive five bonus points. You may receive credit for up to four events during the course of the semester.
Other Class Policies:
Attendance: Participation and other missed assignments cannot be made up. Missing a significant number of classes will significantly reduce your final grade.
Special Concerns: If you have any special concerns please let me know as early as possible. This includes students who need assistance through student services and those who will be missing class for university sanctioned events.
Academic Honesty: I will follow JMU’s policy on academic honesty:
“Making references to the work of others strengthens your own work by granting you greater authority and by showing that you are part of a discussion located within an intellectual community. When you make references to the ideas of others, it is essential to provide proper attribution and citation. Failing to do so is considered academically dishonest, as is copying or paraphrasing someone else’s work. The consequences of such behavior will lead to consequences ranging from failure on an assignment to failure in the course to dismissal from the university. Because the disciplines of the Humanities value collaborative work, you will be encouraged to share ideas and to include the ideas of others in your papers. Please ask if you are in doubt about the use of a citation. Honest mistakes can always be corrected or prevented.”
Inclement Weather Policy:
Decisions to close university operations will be made by the President or a designee. If the decision to close is made, announcements will be made on JMU radio station 1610AM, on the JMU Home Page on the World Wide Web and on area radio and television stations.
When it is necessary to cancel classes due to weather or other emergency, we will hold class electronically, using. Blackboard. Please check Blackboard if class is cancelled for assignments.
Additionally, the university may be forced to cancel or reschedule final examinations. Decisions to close university operations will be made by the President, or a designee. If the decision to close the university and reschedule final examinations is made, announcements will be made as noted above.
Tentative Schedule
Please note this schedule may change as we will have some guest speakers and may go on some field trips
May 12th – Introductions
May 13th – Introduction
The Political Science Perspective
May 14th – The Rhetorical and Mass Communication Perspective
May 15th – Case Study #1 – 1988 Presidential Election
Case Study #2 – 1998 Minn. Election
May 19th – Case Study #6 – Reagan’s Inaugural
Case Study #8 – Bush and Terrorism
May 20th – Case Study #3 – 2000 Presidential Election
Case Study #4 – 2004 Presidential Election
May 21st – Case Study #7 – Clinton and Lewinsky
Case Study #13 – Pop Culture and Politics
May 22nd – Midterm Paper Due
May 26th – Memorial Day (no class)
May 27th – Case Study #15 – Texas v. Johnson
May 28th – Case Study # 13 – Clarence Thomas
May 29th – TBD
June 2nd – June 4th – No class
June 5th – Case Study #12 – Gay and Lesbian Movements
June 6th – Final Presentations
Narrated by Janeane Garofalo, Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World is a documentary about the realities of coming out in lesser-developed countries. 62 min. 
THE COUNTERFEITERS