Political Science 391M:  Topics:
"Government and Politics
in South Carolina"

(Maymester, 2009)

Meetings:  Monday - Friday (8:00 - 10:45 AM)
May 11 - May 29

Regular Meetings:   School of Business 463

Instructor:    Mark E. Tompkins         Office:    328 Gambrell Hall

        Phone:    777-4312 (an answering machine is available)

        E-mail: 
tompkins.mark@sc.edu 
                               
 
Office Hours: 
 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (2:00 - 4:30)

Description of 
Course Conduct:		 This course is designed to examine the government and politics of South Carolina in anactive learning environment. Since the course will be conducted during the concluding weeks of thestate legislative session, it will incorporate a series of guest speakers and observations of the publicdebates in the legislature as a way of illustrating key issues about governance and politics in thestate. The speakers will range across institutions (the legislative and executive branches), andinterest groups representing diverse perspectives. The course will include a budget simulation earlyin the session, following by observation of the actual budget debate as it is emerging in late May.
Lectures and more formal reading materials will draw on the unfolding South Carolina GovernanceProject in Civic Education which is developing resources for education in these areas.
The course will also explicitly draw on comparative materials – comparing and contrastinginstitutions of governance and public policies in this state with other states in the U.S. (both similarstates and others, with very different characteristics).
 
Course Objectives: The course will provide students with an understanding of contemporary governmentand politics in South Carolina. The course’s presentation will be designed to take advantage of theopportunity provided by the closing weeks of the legislative session to incorporate a more active andcontemporary learning environment into the presentation of the material. Students will investigatethe major institutions of government – both the major branches of state government (executive,legislative and courts) and its bureaucracies, as well as the other institutions of government in thestate operating at the local level. Students will also learn more about the role played by otherpublic actors, such as the media and interest groups, in shaping public life in the state.
In other words:
Students will learn the essential characteristics of major South Carolina political institutions,
... they will critically analyze the role of each institution in contributing to good governance,
... they will engage active leaders in the state’s major political institutions in discussingcontemporary issues in South Carolina,
... they will enhance their skills at written communication through the preparation of three shortpapers, and critical feedback on each, and
... they will develop a better understanding of the relative performance and the comparativearrangement of major institutions between South Carolina and other states of the U.S.

Evaluation
of Student
Performance:		 Grades in the course will be based on three assignments:
A traditional examination at the conclusion of the course (worth 35% of the grade);
A second assignment, involving observation of a meeting at the end of the legislative session and the preparation of a short “observation” report (worth (30% of the grade),
           and
The third assignment (worth 35% of the grade) will involve either
a book project, based on a book  treating some aspect of South Carolina government and politics, or
A course project (based on a contemporary issue, problem or policy area in South Carolina).
Note also that missed classes (without an excuse) will lower your grade.

Course Resources: Most of the assigned course readings will come from the South Carolina Governance Project in Civic Education. The primary book for the course will be Government in South Carolina, Charlie B. Tyer, ed. (Columbia, S.C.:   University of South Carolina Institute for Public Service and Public Policy Research, 2002).

Some other materials are available at:
http://www.cla.sc.edu/poli/courses/scgov/

Some additional materials willl be provided in class.
A link to SCIWAY -- a page with many relevant links to S.C. resources.
http://www.sciway.net/
A link to a page with S.C. Government resources on it.
http://www.sciway.net/gov/

A link to a page where materials on South Carolina politics are available:


 
Link to class schedule

 
  Please 
  Note:		 Since this course will be conducted over the Maymester schedule, it will be particularly important to submit assignments when due.   Please note that they are due at the date and time noted.   Class attendance is expected since class presentations are an integral part of the course.
      The only exceptions involve a prior, explicit agreement made with me.
       If emergencies arise, they should be brought to my attention as soon as possible.
       I reserve the right to penalize late material as I find appropriate. 
  In class:   cell phones, pagers and other devices should be silenced.  
       You should avoid other activities that disrupt the class (eating, phone calls, etc.)
  You are expected to monitor the class schedule, which will be maintained on this public web site.
       You are responsible for anything posted once it has been available for seven days. 
  Students are expected to do their own work;  
       Plagiarism is unacceptable and will be penalized as I find appropriate.
Document URL:  http://people.cas.sc.edu/tompkins/Summer2009/PS391M.Home.html
  Published on May 11, 2009.
  Maintained by Professor Tompkins;     Contact Professor Tompkins by e-mail at: tompkins.mark@sc.edu.
  © Copyright 2009.  All Rights Reserved.