Dr. Art Morin
                                                  Office: Rarick Hall 315
                                                   phone: 785 628-4467
                                                  email: amorin@fhsu.edu

    We are not isolated from the world.  Kansas wheat and Hays ultra light airplanes are sold abroad; we buy "made in China" at Walmart; coal travels through Hays from points west to points east; and we can travel nearly anywhere on the Internet.  Americans cannot afford to be ignorant of the 'outside' world, especially since our economic activities and cultural/political values have an international impact.  What happens "there" may end up having some effect "here."  By the end of this semester, you will have a better understanding of what is going on in the world and a better appreciation of the complex political problems facing us as a nation and facing humans as a species.  To help us achieve this understanding,
    (a) we will engage in lectures/discussions based on two books and on guest speakers,
    (b) students will make weekly reports on what is going on in the world, and
    (c) we will have weekly exams and a final exam.
        (A) The two books are:
        Current Issues, 2002 edition
        The State of the World 2002
Reading assignments are provided below.
        (B) Each student will be assigned a specific region in the world - we will call this your 'desk' - and will be assigned particular Mondays to give a five-minute presentation on what is going on in that region of the world.  Make sure to e-mail me a copy of your presentation one or two days prior to the date you present so that I can make that available to others in the class.  Each presentation - including the verbal and written parts - will be worth 300 points.  Your presentation CANNOT include material from the books in the class, except as reminders.  Use the library (especially current periodicals and newspapers), the Internet, radio news, and television news to locate material.  You are encouraged to use Power Point or some other mediated assistance when you present.  The 'desks' are (subject to change, depending on enrollment):
        The 'local desk' (Hays, Ellis County, Western Kansas)
        The 'state desk' (Kansas)
        The 'national desk' (the USA)
        The 'Central America desk' (Mexico, other nations in South America as far south as Panama)
        The 'South America desk' (Brazil, Argentina, and other nations in South America)
        The 'African desk' (nations in Africa)
        The 'Western Europe desk' (Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, other Europeans nations to
           the west)
        The 'Eastern Europe desk' (Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Turkey, other nations to the east - except
           see the 'Near East desk,' the 'Far East desk,' and the 'China desk')
        The 'Middle East desk' (Saudi Arabia, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, etc.)
        The 'Near East desk' (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal)
        The 'Far East desk' (Burma, Bhutan, Laos, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam,
            Indonesia, Malaysia)
         The 'China desk' (China, Taiwan, Mongolia, Tibet)
         The 'Isles desk' (Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Antarctica)
        (C) Lectures/discussions will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays and on some Mondays.  There will be brief (10-minute) exams every Wednesday.  Each exam will be worth 100 points.  There will also be a final exam at the end of the semester (Wednesday, May 15, 12:30 to 2:10).  The final exam will be worth 500 points.  You will also turn in a preliminary version of the final exam on Friday, March 15.  That preliminary version will be worth 250 points.  Assuming two presentations per 'desk,' there will be 2,750 points possible.
Grading scheme: 90%-100% of total = A; 83%-89.9% of total = B;
                          73%- 82.9% of total = C; 63%-72% of total = D
PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING ARE SUFFICIENT GROUNDS FOR RECEIVING A FAILING GRADE IN THE COURSE. For FHSU's policy on Academic Honesty, see the Campus Directory and Student Handbook  Fort Hays State University 1999-2000 (p. 77) or click here for the web version.  Expect to receive e-mail notes from me throughout the semester.  I will provide you with a copy of a spreadsheet that will allow you to keep track of your performance throughout the semester.  This syllabus is subject to change if deemed appropriate or necessary.

Itinerary

Wed Jan 16 = Introduction; defining "politics"
Fri Jan 18 = Power; assignment of 'desks'

Mon Jan 21 = MLK, Jr. Day; no class
Wed Jan 23 = Short exam; section in Current Issues on the executive branch
        Official US Executive Branch Web Sites (added 1-18-02)
        Firstgov's website for the Executive Branch; more complete (added 1-18-02)
Fri Jan 25 = Section in Current Issues on the legislative branch
        U.S. Constitution (added 1-24-02)
        Census data on apportionment (added 1-24-02) - the data show how representation has changed since 1990
        See also the Census's Questions and Answers on Apportionment (added 1-24-02)

Mon Jan 28 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks: Isles, China, Far East, Near East,
                       Middle East, Eastern Europe, Western Europe; discussion.
Wed Jan 30 = No exam; Mayor of City of Hays, Henry Schwaller: current issues facing the City of Hays
Fri Feb 1 = Section in Current Issues on the judicial branch
        For U.S. District Courts, click here (added 1-30-02)
               A very useful FAQ page can be found here (added 1-30-02)
        For federal appellate courts, click here or here (added 1-30-02)
        For the U.S. Supreme Court, click here (added 1-30-02)

Mon Feb 4 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks:  African, South American, Central
                      American, national, state, local; discussion.
Wed Feb 6 = Short exam; section in Current Issues on the budget
Fri Feb 8 = Section in Current Issues on Constitutional rights

Mon Feb 11 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks: Isles, China, Far East, Near East,
                        Middle East, Eastern Europe, Western Europe; discussion.
Wed Feb 13 = Short exam; section in Current Issues on drugs and crime.
Fri Feb 15 = Section in Current Issues on the economy

Mon Feb 18 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks: African, South American, Central
                        American, national, state, local; discussion.
Wed Feb 20 = Short exam; section in Current Issues on education
Fri Feb 22 = Section in Current Issues on health care

Mon Feb 25 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks: Isles, China, Far East, Near East,
                        Middle East, Eastern Europe, Western Europe; discussion.
Wed Feb 27 = Short exam; section in Current Issues on immigration
Fri Mar 1 = Section in Current Issues on the media

Mon Mar 4 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks: African, South American, Central
                      American, national, state, local; discussion.
Wed Mar 6 = Short exam; section in Current Issues on poverty
Fri Mar 8 = Section in Current Issues on "women and minorities" (p. 160 in Current Issues)

Mon Mar 11 = Section in Current Issues on defense
Wed Mar 13 = Short exam; section in Current Issues on human rights
Fri Mar 15 = Section in Current Issues on foreign aid
                The preliminary version of your final exam is due in class today (it must be typed)

Mon Mar 18 = Spring Break
Wed Mar 20 = Spring Break
Fri Mar 22 = Spring Break

Mon Mar 25 = Section in Current Issues on the environment
Wed Mar 27 = Short exam; section in Current Issues on international trade
Fri Mar 29 = Section in Current Issues on proliferation of weapons
                    For SIPRI statistics on trading arms, click here and here (added 3-28-02)
                    NIH's site on "Biological and Chemical Weapons" - B&CW (added 3-29-02)
                    See also the website for the Natural Resources Defense Council (added 3-29-02)
                   Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (added 3-29-02)
                    Monterrey Institute of International Studies
                          "Chemical and Biological Weapons Resource Page" (added 3-29-02)
                    Leonard A. Cole, " The Specter of Biological Weapons" (added 3-29-02)
                    For a source on nuclear weapons, click  here (added 3-29-02)
                    See also Carey Sublette's website on nuclear weapons (added 3-29-02)

Mon Apr 1 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks: Isles, China, Far East, Near East,
                      Middle East, Eastern Europe, Western Europe; discussion.
Wed Apr 3 = Short exam; section in Current Issues on East Asia
Fri Apr 5 = Section in Current Issues on Europe and Russia

Mon Apr 8 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks: African, South American, Central
                      American, national, state, local; discussion.
Wed Apr 10 = Short exam; section in Current Issues on Latin America
Fri Apr 12 = Section in Current Issues on the Middle East

Mon Apr 15 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks: Isles, China, Far East, Near East,
                        Middle East, Eastern Europe, Western Europe; discussion.
Wed Apr 17 = Short exam; Chapter One in State of the World
Fri Apr 19 = Chapter Two in State of the World
                     Kyoto Protocol (added 4-18-02)

Mon Apr 22 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks: African, South American, Central
                        American, national, state, local; discussion.
Wed Apr 24 = Short exam; Chapter Three in State of the World
Fri Apr 26 = Chapter Four in State of the World

Mon Apr 29 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks: Isles, China, Far East, Near East,
                        Middle East, Eastern Europe, Western Europe; discussion.
Wed May 1 = Short exam; Chapter Five in State of the World
Fri May 3 = Chapter Six in State of the World

Mon May 6 = Five-minute presentations from the following desks: African, South American, Central
                       American, national, state, local; discussion.
Wed May 8 = Short exam; Chapter Seven in State of the World
Fri May 10 = Chapter Eight in State of the World

Wed May 15 = Final exam, 12:30-2:10
 
 

Final Exam 1. What are the three most pressing problems facing us today?  Make sure to use examples and support from the books, lectures, and presentations. 2. What is the USA's role in the world?  Make sure to use examples and support from the books, lectures, and presentations. 3. What are the four most important things you learned in this class this semester?  Explain. 4. What can you do to make where you live a better place?  Elaborate.