新學期

　　禮拜一就要開學啦，看了American Politics 的 syllabus，忽然覺得這門課不輕鬆...... 我到底選的對不對啊？？可是選課版對嚴震生的評價都還不錯呀，應該是有努力就有分的課吧...... 如果讓通識課拉垮總平均就好笑了......

Course Description
This course aims at introducing students the
electoral politics of America, including its major elected offices (president,
senators, congressmen and state governors), nomination process (caucuses and
primaries), political parties and candidates, campaign issues and financing, and
the general election.

Text Books
There is no text book for this course. All reading materials will be drawn from journal articles, major news media and Internet. The following websites for New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, BBC, CNN

Teaching Method
This class is comprised of both lecture and discussion. Students are expected to participate in class discussion. This is considered to be an integral part of the learning process and will be weighed in the final grade. A student should try to finish the reading assignment before each class, take notes during the class, and review the materials after the class on his/her own. The medium of communication in this course is English. Textbooks, lecture, examinations, report and class discussion will all be conducted in English. If you do not feel comfortable with this format, you should re-consider whether this course truly meet your needs.

Syllabus
1. Introduction – U.S. Political System
2. Related Constitutional Provisions
3. U.S. Party System
4. U.S. Electoral System
5. History of Presidential Election
6. Nomination Process
7. Profile of Presidential Candidates
8. Major Domestic Issues
9. Major Foreign Policy Debates
10. Campaign Finance
11. Congressional Elections
12. Gubernatorial Elections
12. Propositions

Evaluation
1. Midterm Examination - 35%
2. Final Examination - 35%
3. Report on Primary and Caucus and Map Test - 20%
4. Class Participation and Attendance - 10%

Both objective and short answers will be used in the midterm and final examinations (in English). Objective questions include multiple choice, true and false, matching and fill in the blank.
In the report on primary and caucus, which should be written and typed in English as well, a student is required to find out the following relevant information for either a Democratic or a Republican primary or caucus:

Name of the State
Name of the State Capital
Population
Registered Voters
Name of the Governor including date(s) getting elected
Name of the two Senators including date(s) getting elected
Number of the Electoral College Vote
Number of Total Delegates
Number of Pledged Delegates
Number of Total Delegates
Date of Primary or Caucus
Type of Primary or Caucus
System of Distribution of Delegates
Distribution of Votes for Each Candidate
Distribution of Delegates for Each Candidate
Name of Presidential Candidates Winning the State in 2000 and 2004

The map test requires a student to identify the fifty states of the United States and place them on the map.