Welcome to Government 2301 & 2302
Houston Community College--Southwest Campus

Welcome to my Learning Web site!  This site contains useful information for students taking my Government 2301 and Government 2302 class-- or even for those students considering my classes.  It is my hope that throughout the course of this semester you will enjoy learning about our systems of federal, state and local government, and the political systems that create them.

    You will find below a list of the courses I will be teaching during the 2006 Spring semester at the Southwest Campus.  Each course listing contains a link to the syllabus for that particular section.  The syllabus is generally around eleven pages--don't let this scare you off!  The syllabus contains a wealth of information including student expectations, ADA information, student conduct information, etc. that I have included in an effort to provide you with all the information I possibly can to help you acheive success. 

    For those of you considering this course under my instruction, I hope what follows will aid you in making your decision.  I believe in presenting material in an enthusiastic fashion that is challenging, yet comprehensible, to the student.  My goal is to provide "individualized" instruction that is committed to ensuring each student has the opportunity to attain the highest level of achievement possible.  My classes are conducted in a lecture format using Powerpoint presentations (for Government 2301 only--Governmnet 2302 classes will be Powerpoint driven beginning Fall 2006.)  From 1993-2001, I was heavily involved in government and politics in the State of Florida.  I try very hard to make the material we study relevant and often use illustrations and examples from my "life in politics" in the classroom as a means of enlivening discussion and stimulating interest in the topic at hand.  Classes, and therefore instruction, is highly organized and the schedule presented in the course outline contained in the syllabus is maintained as much as humanly possible.  Students are expected to be prepared and to have read the material to be covered in class prior to coming to class.
  
    One of the very first questions we try to answer for students is "Why study Government?".  Whether we realize it or not, government (at all levels) affects our lives each and every day. It impacts our lives in very real ways from the second we get up in the morning till we go to bed at night--even while we sleep!  It determines the rate we can be charged for the water we use when we shower.  It decides how old we must be to drive an automobile.  It inspects the elevator we ride at work for saftey.  It determines whether or not we receive unemployment benefits if we loose our job through no fault of our own.  It even regulates the television network that brings us our evening news.  The list goes on and on.

    Over the course of history, many brave men and women have invested and even sacrificed their lives for the freedoms and liberties our democracy provides us.  In the years surrounding 1776, the Founding Fathers embarked on a great experiment in democracy--to provide a government "of the people, for the people and by the people" of the United States.  Since that time, the American democracy has grown to become the world's only true superpower.  With these things in mind, it is crucial that we understand how we arrived at the place we now stand, the institutions that govern this nation and the impact government has on each of our lives.

    I look forward to seeing you in class!

My Best,

Professor Day  

Contact Information

E-Mail:  Steven.day@hccs.edu

Links

     SWC Government Department

     Curriculum Vitae for Professor Day

     Civil Rights Handout

     Federalist #51Handout

     Federalist #10 Handout

     Electoral College Handout

     Potential  Research Paper Topics

     Social Welfare Policy Key Terms

Courses Taught--2006 Spring Semester

GOVT 2301 Introduction to American & Texas Government Part I

CRN 32720

5:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Tuesday & Thursday

West Loop Center

Room 132

Link to CRN 32720 Syllabus

“The vision of things to be done may come a long time before the way of doing them becomes clear, but woe to him who distrusts the vision.” --Jenkin Lloyd Jones