POL 494

Spring 2009

Course Overview:
The Capstone Senior Seminar is designed to allow students to bring together the various topical areas they have explored in courses as part of the political science and public administration major.  It will combine discussion on major issues within political science and public administration and the development of an independent writing portfolio.  Each student will be required to attend class meetings, lead a class discussion, and write/ collect a series of 8 different samples of writing that are related to the discipline. 

Learning Objectives:

·        Encourage reflection of what political science and/or public administration entails specifically and on what the field is generally.

·        Review the foundations and current trends of Political Science and/or Public Administration and complementary applications of the field in the future endeavors of students.

 

COURSE READINGS:

 ·         Schmidt, D. E. (2005). Writing in Political Science. New York, Pearson Longman.  (option – in textbook rental)

·         Other readings found on D2L including:

  • Bowman, J. S. and J. P. West (2009). "To "Re-Hatch" Public Employees or Not?  An Ethical Analysis of the Relaxation of Restrictions on Political Activities in Civil Service." Public Administration Review 69(1): 52-63.
  • Bozeman, B. and B. Ponomariov (2009). "Sector Switching from a Business to a Government Job: Fast-Track Career or Fast Track to Nowhere?" Public Administration Review 69(1): 77-91.
  • Coursey, D. and D. F. Norris (2008). "Models of E-Government: Are They Correct?  An Empirical Analysis." Public Administration Review 68(3): 523-536.
  • Henry, N.  “Paradigms of Public Administration.”   Public Administration Review, 35 (4):  378-386
  • Montjoy (2008). "The Public Administration of Elections." Public Administration Review 68(5): 788-799.
  • Rubin, I. (2007). "The Great Unraveling: Federal Budgeting, 1998-2006." Public Administration Review 67(4): 608-617.
  • Shields, P. (2008). "Rediscovering the Taproot: Is Classical Pragmatism the Route to Renew Public Administration." Public Administration Review 68(2): 205-221.
  • Zeemering, E. S. (2008). "Governing Interlocal Cooperation: City Council Interests and the Implications for Public Management." Public Administration Review 68(4): 731-741.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

10 %    Attendance and Participation
10 %    Discussion Leading
80 %    Writing Samples

Attendance and Participation:
Seminars are discussion classes that depend on the participation and preparation of every member.  The participation grade will be based on demonstration of responsible, high-quality participation in discussion which respects the ideas of others yet maintains a level of scholarly questioning and analysis.   Every student is responsible for preparing for class discussion. 

Schedule:

We will meet every other week for to discuss the assigned readings.  We will choose out meeting dates based on class consensus.  Students should working on preparing their portfolio during the entire semester. 

 Meeting Weeks:

 

Week                           Dates                                       Meeting Day (to be decided by class)

1                                  Jan. 26-30                                Monday January 26

3                                  Feb. 9-13

5                                  Feb. 23-27

7                                  Mar. 9-13

9                                  Mar. 30 – Apr.3

11                                Apr. 13-17

13                                Apr. 27-May 1

14                                May 4-10

Finals Week                 Portfolio Due

Discussion Leading

Each student in the course will be required to lead the class by developing ideas and a sense of the direction for the discussion.  The discussion will be based on the assigned reading for that day.  Students leading the discussion should prepare to summarize the assigned reading for the day and should prepare a set of three or four questions for discussion.  Students will have the opportunity to sign up for the article/date of their choosing.  The author/article topic and date are as follows:

Article Author(s)                       Theme                                      Week

Shields                                     Pragmatism and PA                  3

Montjoy                                   PA and Elections                      5

Rubin                                       Federal Budgeting                     7

Zeemering                                Interlocal Cooperation  9

Coursey and Norris                  E-Government                          11

Bowman and West.                  Ethics and Civil Service 13

Bozeman and  Ponomariov       PA Career                                14

Henry                                       Traditional Paradigms               Finals

Papers:

Students are responsible for compiling a portfolio of 8 different samples of writing based on the list below.  Please note, these samples do not have to be original for this class.  It is perfectly acceptable to use papers that were turned in as assignments in previous courses.  You should prepare to turn in your best work..  This means that if you choose to use a previous assignment, you should review it to ensure it is a senior level paper you are proud of.  Students should choose writing samples that will be the most helpful to their future plans.  This will be discussed in class.  Students may choose to include more than 8 samples of writing if they wish.  Students should choose from the following list (see directions for each in appendix):

  1. Annotated bibliography
  2. Book review
  3. Grant application
  4. Journal article critique
  5. Legal brief
  6. Op Ed piece
  7. Policy memo
  8. Research Proposal
  9. Resume (every student must complete)
  10. Statement of purpose
  11. Writing sample (for grad school)