Welcome to Malone's Homepage

212-346-1146 cmalone@pace.edu  

PACE UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

POL 296X                                                                       

Dr. Christopher Malone

Fall 2007                                                              

Office: 207I Pace Plaza

cmalone@pace.edu                                                        

Phone: 212-346-1146/1697

Office hours: TBA  

Teaching Democracy, the Constitution and Civic Engagement

Fulfills AOK 1 Requirement

Overview

The Constitution is the founding document of the American system of government. While it lays out the structure and function of our representative democracy, it is nonetheless the culmination of a whole set of political ideas. Political ideas embody abstract principles, but they are also tied closely to reality: they reflect social concerns and shape governing institutions and political practice. This has been especially true in the American case.

 

This semester we will immerse ourselves in a study of the US Constitution, the ideas and principles it embodies, the social and political realities that accompanied its making, its strengths, weaknesses, and how it either promotes or inhibits the buzzword of the twenty first century – DEMOCRACY.

 

The Center for Civic Education’s We The People: The Citizen and The Constitution Program

 

But we will not pursue our understanding of the Constitution for its own sake. This semester you will be participating in the only class of its kind throughout the country. You will do so by teaching New York City High School students what you have learned about the Constitution as they prepare for a city-wide competition called We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution sponsored by the Center for Civic Education (www. http://www.civiced.org/). The We The People program is run by Ms. Debra Lesser who directs the Justice Resource Center (http://www.jrcnyc.org/) in New York City.

 

The primary goal of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is to promote civic competence and responsibility among the nation’s elementary and secondary students. What makes the program so successful is the design of its instructional program, including its innovative culminating activity. The instructional program enhances students’ understanding of the institutions of American constitutional democracy. At the same time, students discover the contemporary relevance of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

 

The culminating activity is a simulated congressional hearing in which students "testify" before a panel of judges. Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and have opportunities to evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues.

 

Since the inception of the We the People program in 1987, more than 28 million students and 90 thousand educators have participated in this innovative course of study. The program enjoys the active participation of members of Congress, as well as support from professional, business, and community organizations across the nation.

 

Thus, you will be traveling to New York City schools to work with high school teachers and their students in preparation for the city-wide We The People program that will take place the first week of January 2007.

 

Course Objectives:

Why would I as the professor of this course require you to take what you have learned here and then turn around and assist younger students in their understanding of the Constitution? I have found in my years of teaching that human beings learn better when they are asked to put their knowledge to use by teaching others. This is what I am asking you to do this semester – take what you learn about the Constitution and then apply it in a useful and constructive way. I assure you that in the process you will learn much more about the Constitution than you would if you were only required to take notes and exams - and I suspect you will also probably learn a little bit about yourselves.

 

Beyond this, the primary objective of this course is to get you to think CRITICALLY. Critical thinking is when 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. And the 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

 

How shall we cultivate the critical mind in this class? Much has changed in the delivery of formal education since it first appeared in America in the early 19^th century. And yet, very little has changed. Students today need to master three aspects of the educational experience in order to be successful, just as they've had to in the past: reading, writing and speaking.

·         Through reading, students become aware, informed, and learn how to CRITICALLY ANALYZE material for its perspective, calculus, and its validity.

·         Through writing, students learn to communicate effectively about material and exhibit their understanding of that material IN THEIR OWN WORDS AND IDEAS. It is through the writing process that a student develops an intellectual depth and breadth of the material.

·         Through speaking, students hone their verbal communication skills, learn to organize material quickly and coherently, and present it in a way that others can understand and evaluate. It is also through the act of public speaking that students learn to integrate and apply their knowledge in their own words.

 

All of this is another way of saying that we will strive to meet all of the course objectives: communication skills, subject-specific knowledge, collaborative learning skills, and appreciation of cultural diversity, and perhaps most importantly, effective citizenship. 

 

This class presumes that students have taken introductory courses in political science, especially American government or political theory. Most importantly, though, the class requires dutiful attendance, careful reading and preparation, and a willingness to engage actively in class discussion.

 

Course Requirements

Because of the nature of this course, much of the work you are to complete will be fluid. I will be giving you exact assignments regularly, so it is important that you bear with me as we prepare you and the high school classes you will be working with. But you will be required to travel to the high school you have been assigned for the We The People program, Many times we will not have class so you can use class time to spend at your high school.  More will be said about this as we proceed.

 

Beyond this, the requirements are as follows:

1)      PLEASE TURN ALL CELL PHONES OFF BEFORE ENTERING CLASS AND LEAVE THEM OFF FOR THE DURATION OF EACH CLASS!!!!

2)      Complete assigned readings before class meetings. Please bring all assigned readings to class.

3)      Attend classes regularly and on time. Class attendance will factor into your final grade.

4)      Complete all written assignments. This class will be writing intensive. You will be asked to prepare a portfolio of all your work that you will share with the high school teacher and class you are assigned to.  Written work will be given out in very specific assignments over the course of the semester.

 

I expect you to complete written assignments on time. Extensions will be given in the rarest of circumstances and only for valid reasons. In most cases, documentation will be required. Otherwise, late work will be penalized. 

 

Students are expected to do their own work in this course. This means you should take the ideas we discuss and put them into YOUR OWN WORDS. I should not have to remind you that plagiarism is a violation of Pace University’s academic code of ethics and will not be tolerated. In a time when access to information is more readily available due to the proliferation of new websites everyday, the line between good scholarship and plagiarism becomes increasingly blurred. If you are unsure what does and what does not constitute plagiarized material, please see me BEFORE you turn in any written work.

 

Grading

Attendance and Participation in Class:              20%

We The People Writing Portfolios                    40%

High School visits and collaboration                  40%

____________________________________________

Total                                                                100%

 

Books

I will be providing you with the only required textbook for this course:

We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution (Center of Civic Education, US Department of Eduction)

However, over the course of the semester I will be giving out many handouts to read, including internet sites for you to explore.

 

Honor Policies: Because our work will often be collaborative, there are important integrity issues. You should not copy or print anyone's work from the computer without his or her permission. Whenever you use material from another source, including student papers, you must document clearly, whether you are quoting directly, summarizing, or paraphrasing. In other words, respect the work of others and in no way present it as your own.

 

There is a basic rule that ALWAYS applies: Plagiarize (copy from a textbook or off the Web, turn in someone else's work as your own, hand in a purchased paper or one downloaded off the Internet, etc.,) and you fail. If you have any questions about this code in a collaborative environment, or indeed any questions at all, bring it up for a discussion of the issues involved.  We take plagiarism personally and will do everything we can to track down work we think has been plagiarized.

 

Note: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 require Pace to provide an "academic adjustment" and/or a "reasonable accommodation" to any individual who advises us of a physical or mental disability. This assistance includes evaluating your medical documentation, conducting appropriate tests, making recommendations for accommodation, and contacting your professors to arrange for the recommended accommodations. You must, however, contact the Coordinator of Disability Services (346-1526) at the beginning of the semester to ensure that you receive these services.  If you fail to do this, we cannot make special accommodations for you. If you believe that you have a disability that requires an academic adjustment or an accommodation, please make the necessary arrangements as outlined above, and arrange a meeting with us at your earliest convenience but as soon as possible.

 

Tentative Schedule

• Week 1-2: Unit 1 - What are the Philosophical and Historical Foundations of the American Political System?

• Week 3-4: Unit 2 – How did the Framers Create the Constitution?

• Week 5-6: Unit 3 – How Did the Principles Embodied in the Constitution Shape American Institutions and Practices?

• Week 7-8: Unit 4 – How Have the Protections of the Bill or Rights Been Developed and Expanded?

• Week 9-10: Unit 5 – What Rights Does the Bill of Rights Protect?

• Week 11-12: Unit 6 – What are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy?