Abdelkrim Dekhakhena

Unité d’enseignement : UEF 1

Matière 3: Etudes de textes de civilisations

Credits: 4

Coefficient: 3

Course Syllabus

This syllabus describes the policies and the procedures for this course.

1.     Course Description and Objectives

Ø  Teaching Unit: UEF 1

Ø  Description and Background Knowledge: Through a variety of texts, examples and case studies, this course explores the structure and dynamics of Anglophone civilizations, providing a broad-based introduction to the ideas, cultures, and institutions that shape history and politics in the contemporary Anglophone world.  The Civilization course is designed to provide basically an understanding of US and UK systems of government and institutions 

Ø  Learning Objectives: At the end of this course, the students must be familiar with contemporary US and British history and culture from a variety of perspectives as well as the structure of government institutions and their functions. The students should be able to identify the major government institutions (formal and informal) in both countries and explain their functions and importance in the development and process of government decision making.

Ø  Credits: 4

Ø  Coefficient: 3

2.     Teaching Method

The course of lectures is provided to students on the basis of the learner-centered approach - backed by PPT presentations where students are encouraged to actively take part. For that purpose the students are encouraged to take the learning material at home in the form of videos, PPT files and reading texts. The learning material is enhanced by some preparatory exercises and questions for the in-class debate and interaction.

3.     Course Requirements and Grading:

The course grade will be based on individual quizzes, class participation, homework assignments and a final exam. The final grade will be determined using the following weights:

Evaluation Mode: Continuous Assessment + Exam (50% + 50%)

Class Participation:

Class participation marks serve to move up or down the grade of students depending on their class participation. During lectures, voluntary class participation is expected; however, individual students are called upon in class to provide specific work or response from time to time or interrogated on specific learning material. This model of assessment process is by no means rigid; it can be subject to review.

Individual Quizzes: The purpose of the quizzes is to check students understanding of the course. They will be based on the topics covered in class. Therefore, the frequency of quizzes depends on the conclusion of each unit/topic.

Attendance: Attendance is very important and is valued; however, absences are not tolerated. More than three unjustified absences will automatically lead to an exclusion from the course. Delays at the beginning of the courses are not tolerated, too and expose the students for a decrease in their marks and earnings.

Individual or Group Assignments:  Students are allowed to do assignments individually or in groups of up to three students. Each group should turn in a single hard copy of their work at the beginning or end of class with the names of all contributing members listed. No late assignments will be accepted.  The use of the internet for research and investigation is highly encouraged; however, students are warned of the risk of plagiarism.

Final Exam: A final exam will be held at the end of each semester. The material from the topics studied will be covered on this exam. There will be two parts for the exam: part one will include an MCQ exercise (8 points); and the second part will contain two open ended questions for choice (only one question to be tackled). Students are required to synthesize, analyze and intelligibly consider the question material. The answers should be produced in a written form in coherent English and presented in an intelligible manner.

Makeup/Resit exams will be given to students who fail to earn a passing grade.

Academic Integrity and Class Etiquette: Students are expected to follow the rules and ethics of academic honesty and exemplary behavior in this class. Examinations and individual quizzes are to be the work of the individual student using only the material allowed. Also, please make sure your cell-phone is turned off during class and refrain from misbehaving during class.

4.     Context of the Course

Political systems are shaped by the societies in which they function. For this reason, it is helpful to know something about the historical, geographical, social and economic settings against which they operate, and to understand something of the values and ideas which have mattered and continue to matter to those who inhabit any individual country.

This course examines the background factors that help to shape the way in which political life and processes operate in Britain and America. In particular, it examines similarities and differences in the political culture of the two countries as the oldest living democracies of the world.

5.     Pedagogical Methods

One common misperception of teaching a Civilization class is that, since this is a college-level course, the teacher must lecture. High school administrators expect teachers to use alternative teaching methods, and educational research indicates that student-centered learning leads to high achievement. L3 Civilization is a course that can be taught well using a variety of methods, including cooperative learning, simulations, debate, and other activities—in addition to the occasional lecturing. As long as you keep the content objectives of the Civilization course in mind and continue to create assessments that mimic the level of difficulty and content of the curriculum outlined in the Course Description, student-centered lessons can be effective. The syllabus in L 3 offers many creative teaching strategies. Of course, there is no one correct way to teach this course; individual teachers must consider the level of comfort that they have with each method and use their own teaching style to the best advantage.

Course Outline

This course is to be covered in 28 weeks dispatched over two semesters. 

Semestre 5

CHAPTER 1 The Context of Political Culture In Britain And The United States

1. Political culture in Britain
2. Political culture in the USA
3. Political ideas, institutions and values in Britain and the United States: similarities and differences

CHAPTER 2 The Constitutions

1. General developments concerning constitutions
2. What are constitutions?
3. Characteristics of the two constitutions
4. Constitutional principles
5. The ease of constitutional change
6. Recent experience of constitutional reform

CHAPTER 3 Protecting Liberties, Advancing Rights

1. The protection of liberties in Britain and the United States in theory and practice
2. The proclamation of positive rights in recent years in Britain and the United States

CHAPTER 4 The Executives

1. The functions of executives
2. The increase in executive power
3. Strength and weakness in political leaders: changing fashions
4. The case of the British Prime Minister
5. The case of the USA
6. Prime Minister and President compared
7. Support for the Prime Minister and President
8. The bureaucracy
9. The bureaucracy in Britain and the United States

CHAPTER 5 The Legislatures

1. Structure and purpose
2. The work and importance of the British Parliament and the American Congress
3. The decline of legislatures: British and American experience
4. Elected representatives in Britain and America: their role
5. The social backgrounds of members of legislatures
6. The pay and conditions of legislators

CHAPTER 6 The Judiciaries

1. The functions of judiciaries
2. The independence of the judiciary
3. The political involvement of judges in Britain and America

Semestre 6

CHAPTER 7 Governance beyond the Centre

1.     Types of governmental systems

2.     Developments in the British unitary state: the move towards devolution

3.     Developments in American federalism

4.     The British unitary and American federal systems compared

CHAPTER 8 Political Parties

1.     The varying significance of parties in modern democracies

2.     The functions of parties

3.     Party systems

4.     Third and minor parties

5.     The Labor and Conservative, Democrat and Republican Parties: ideas, attitudes and approaches

6.     Party membership

7.     Party organization

8.     Party finance

9.     The decline of political parties – do they still matter?

CHAPTER 9 Pressure Groups

1.     The growth of group activity

2.     Classification of groups

3.     How groups operate

4.     Trends in recent years: the changing pressure-group scene

CHAPTER 10 The Mass Media

1.     Organization, ownerships and control in Britain and America

2.     Political coverage in the media in Britain and America

3.     The effects of the media

4.     Televised politics in Britain and the USA compared: the Americanization of British politics?

CHAPTER 11 Voting and Elections

1.     Types of election

2.     Electoral systems

3.     Turnout in elections

4.     Voting behavior

5.     Election campaigning

6.     The role of money

7.     Referendums and their value

CHAPTER 12 Democracy in Theory and Practice

1.     Democracy across the world

2.     The meaning of the term ‘democracy’

3.     The health of democracy on both sides of the Atlantic