SUPER DUPER IMPORTANT

You must use the new Google email to enter the class. This is the email that is associated with your moodle account. If you already had a moodle account in a previous semester use the new email.

Political Science 1: The Government of the United States

Course Description: This course will examine the principles, structure, and problems of American government. The Constitution of the United States of America, the Constitution of the State of California, political philosophies, political institutions, amendments and interpretations, the rights and obligations of citizens, Federal/State, State/local, and contemporary state/local/federal government relationships.

1. Textbook: Democracy Under Pressure, 10th Edition (ISBN 0495007366)
• This edition has the 2006 Election update. You may use any version of the 10th edition.
2. The online classroom can be found at: moodle.lattc.edu

Political Science 2: World Governments

Course Description:

Americans are sometimes characterized as isolated from the rest of the world and thus prone to a kind of ethnocentrism when it comes to thinking about politics. We have the "separation of powers," "judicial review," a "two party system," and all those other wonderful things we learned about in a junior high school civics class; and we often find ourselves telling other countries that they ought to have all of these things too. This course is designed, first, to show you that there are other ways of running politics besides the American way.

This semester we will be focusing on the instability of Africa and the Middle East. While we will look at other countries, such as Britain, Germany, India, Brazil, and Nigeria, they will be used as a foundation for looking at countries like Iraq, Iran, and Rwanda and the countries that you choose. You will be able to answer these questions by the end of the course.

• Why are these Middle Eastern and African countries so unstable? Who are the actors involved in the instability?
• How are culture, religion, and economics exacerbating or alleviating the instability?
• Are there outside actors that are influencing the domestic turmoil?
• What about colonial legacies and political institutions?
• Is democracy the only true stable form of government?

1. Textbook: Comparative Politics Today: A World View, 8th ed. (ISBN 0-321-15896-2)
2. The online classroom can be found at: moodle.lattc.edu

LATTC is now a Google Apps Academic Institution. We will be starting with the roll out of the email accounts and then adding things like special calendars for special programs and departments. We plan to being offering Tutoring live online through the use of the Google Docs function.

1. Set up your Account - change your password and create a nickname.
2. Personalized Start Page - go here after you set up your account the first time. From then on you only need to go back to the set up page if you want to change your password.

Login directions: Log in using your entire student ID number, starting with 88. Do not put in any spaces.

Your initial password is set to mmddyy of your date of birth. No spaces, dashes, or slashes when you enter the 6 numbers.

You can only select a nickname once. Please chose wisely as it will reflect upon you.

Write down your password because there is not easy way to reset it. If you forget your password you will need to see Linda Delzeit-McIntyre in person and produce your student ID or other photo id to get it changed.