Course Syllabus

HIS/135
The American Experience Since 1945

Course Start Date: 02/14/2011

Course End Date: 04/17/2011

Please print a copy of this syllabus for handy reference.

Whenever there is a question about what assignments are due, please

remember this syllabus is considered the ruling document.

Copyright

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Edited in accordance with University of Phoenix© editorial standards and practices.

Facilitator  Information_________________________________
Gladys Vin, Ed.D.
[email protected] (University of Phoenix)
[email protected] (Personal)
501-977-3143 (Central Standard Time)

Facilitator Availability

I am available from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Central Time on most days, but I attempt to reserve
Sunday for my family. On Saturdays, I tend to be online in the morning only. If these
times are not convenient for you, please let me know. I will be happy to accommodate
your schedule, if possible. I provide you with these times to make it easier to
communicate with me, and not to limit our contact.

I want you to know that, should you need to contact me outside these periods, you
should not hesitate to do so.

For emergencies, when you are not able to gain access to messages on the Online
Learning System (OLS), please send a message to my personal email address. In the
event a third party needs to contact me, please direct them to my contact information
listed under "facilitator information." No third party should use your login credentials to
gain access to the classroom.

Where to Go to Class__________________________________________________

Main: This is the main forum for the class and is and the place where discussion takes place. It has read-
and-write access for everyone.

Chat Room: This is a read-and-write access forum. The Chat Room gives us a place to discuss issues
not related to the course content. Please send your bios to the Chat Room forum.

Course-Materials: This is a read-only forum, which means you can read messages here but cannot
send any. This is where I will post the course syllabus and materials. To access the reading material for
each assignment, go to Materials under student page, click the desired week’s reading. The link for
ecampus will open with the requested reading assignment.]

Electronic Materials- This is a link found in the student’s forum in the Materials section. First click on
materials, then the desired reading. The materials will open in a page at e-campus. All electronic readings
are located at this link.

Individual Forum: You will see one forum with your name on it. This is a private forum, shared only
by you and me, the facilitator. Your classmates will not have access to this forum. You can ask questions
here. However, if you have general questions about instructions of assignments, please post those in the
Main forum, since other students may benefit by that exchange as well.
Late Assignments______________________________________________________

Late assignments receive a 10% deduction for each day they are late if assignments are not posted by
11:59 p.m. M.S.T. on the day they are due. Assignments more than 4 days late will not be accepted.
Technological issues do not represent valid grounds for late assignment submission.In the event of a
University of Phoenix server outage, students should submit assignments to the instructor and when
system works again, submit those assignments according to syllabus instructions. Unless student has
incomplete grade, learner assignments submitted after the last day of class are not accepted.

Policies_______________________________________________________________
For class policies, please see the Policies link on the left side of the Materials page for the course on
eCampus. Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all
policies contained within that link. University policies are subject to change so please be sure to read them
at the beginning of each class as it may have changed since your last class. Policies may be slightly
different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, it is
important you read the policies governing your current class modality

Technical Support______________________________________________________
Technical Support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 1-877-832-4867, or use the e-mail
support form.
Answers to the most common issues are located in the Knowledge Base by clicking Help, found at the top
of every student Web site.

Feedback_____________________________________________________________
Each week, I will provide grades or scores and comments on assignments within 6 days of when they were
submitted. After I send feedback each week, I will post a notification in the Main forum.

Grading Formula_______________________________________________________

Percentage % Grade
95+ A
90-94 A-
87-89 B+
84-86 B
80-83 B-
77-79 C+
74-76 C
70-73 C-
67-69 D+
64-66 D
60-63 D-
<59 F
Course Description
This course is an overview of the principal social, political, economic, and global events,
which have shaped the American experience since World War II. Understanding modern
American history is a necessity in today's ever-changing world. This course aims to
supply the tools for understanding current political, social, cultural, and economic
problems in the U.S., by applying historical perspective to analyze
contemporary issues.

Course Topics & Objectives _______________________________________

Week One: Start of the Cold War
Objectives
 Explain the impact of McCarthyism on the U.S.
 Relate the ideology of the Cold War to the breakdown of wartime alliances after
the end of WWII.
 Examine American Cold War policies and practices in international relations from
the late 1940s to the mid-1950s.

Week Two: Postwar Economy

Objectives
 Explain how the American economy changed after WWII.
 Describe the culture of consumption during the Eisenhower administration.
 Explain Eisenhower’s pragmatic political measures to manage the economy and the politics of
consensus.

Week Three: New Frontiers

Objectives
 Describe Kennedy’s vision of the New Frontier.
 Explain how the U.S. became involved in the politics of Southeast Asia.

Week Four: Liberal Reform

Objectives
 Explain how the minority groups’ struggle for civil rights began in the 1950s.
 Describe the social structure and lifestyles of the Counterculture.
 Examine the social and political ramifications of LBJ’s Great Society and the continued struggle for
social justice.

Week Five: The Vietnam War

Objectives
 Describe the connection between student unrest and the Vietnam War.
 Explain the political and social outcomes of the end of the war in Vietnam.

Week Six: Nixon’s Legacy

Objective
 Measure the impact of the Watergate scandal on public perception of government power.

Week Seven: Reaganomics

Objectives
  Explain how the policies introduced during the Reagan presidency contributed to conservative
politics and stimulation of the economy.
 Describe the social, economic, and political composition of the decade of corporate greed.

Week Eight: End of the Cold War

Objective
 Relate the political events of the 1980s to the collapse of communism in Europe
and the end of the Cold War.

Week Nine: Moving Toward a Global Community
Objective
 Explain the role of the U.S. in the emerging global community.

Course Materials_____________________________________________________
Davidson, J. (Ed.). (2006). Nation of nations: A concise narrative of the American republic (4th ed.,
Vol. 2). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Axia College’s Writing Style Handbook,

available online at
https://axiaecampus.phoenix.edu/Writing_Style_Handbook_AxiaUOP.pdf
All documents should be submitted in a Word 97 or PDF format.

All electronic materials are available on your student Web site.

POINT VALUE FOR COURSE____________________________________________________________

Recommended Point Value

Week One
Summative Evaluation-McCarthyism 30
Assignment: Cold War Ideology and Policies 100
Week Two
Summative Evaluation Eisenhower’s Politics 30
Discussion Question 10
Participation 20
Week Three
Outline-Title page, Introduction, The Decade of the 1950s-preparing for final assignment. 05
Summative Evaluation: Kennedy’s New Frontier 25
Assignment: Southeast Asia 100
Week Four
Outline-Decade of the 1960s, Decade of the 1970s-preparing for final assignment. 05
Summative Evaluation: Johnson’s Great Society 25
Discussion Questions 10
Participation 20
Week Five
Outline-Decade of the 1980s, Decade of the 1990s-conclusion-preparing for final
Assignment 05
10
Summative Evaluation: Nixon’s Politics 25
Assignment: The Vietnam War 120
Week Six
Outline-Hypotheses and Reference Page-preparing for final assignment 5
Questions 5
Participation 20
Week Seven
Correct outlines where indicated-merge all sections of outline into one 10
Summative Evaluation: Reagan’s Economics 20
Assignment: Decade of Corporate Greed 100
Week Eight
Work on returned outlines-using week eight and nine to turn into the final document
Discussion Question 15
Participation 15
Week Nine
Capstone CheckPoint: End of the Cold War 30
Final Project: Most Significant Event 250
TOTAL POINTS 1000

Week
One______________________________________________________________

Start of the Cold War

 Explain the impact of McCarthyism on the U.S.

 Relate the ideology of the Cold War to the breakdown of wartime alliances after
the end of WWII.

 Examine American Cold War policies and practices in international relations from
the late 1940s to the mid-1950s.

Course Assignments

Course Preparation

 Read the course description and objectives.

 Read the instructor’s biography and post your own.

Readings

 Read Appendix A
 Read Ch. 27 of Nation of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the American
Republic.

Summative Evaluation: McCarthyism

 McCarthyism Complete the Summative Evaluation-Quiz over Chapter
27.Please answer each question with the numbers #1, # 2, etc. Each
question should be answered with complete sentences and information
taken from reading from text and one out-side source. Be sure to adhere to
 APA format required for this class, title, double-spacing throughout,
headings where appropriate, citations with-in text, where needed, and
separate reference page for all citations included in the paper.
 Questions 5 and 6 require a citation from the reading and one from an
outside source.
 All other questions should have citations if information was used in the
answer that was taken from any source.

Assignment: Cold War Ideology and Policies

 Write a 250-to 350-word paper in which you address the following:

o Use Two Resources to back-up your opinions-one from the reading,

and one from out-side source.
o Describe the beliefs, values and opinions of the United States during WWII. Describe the
beliefs, values, and opinions of the Soviet Union during WWII. Explain what changes after
the war caused the beliefs and alliances to

All writing assignments for this class should use the format below.
Title Centered
Cold War Ideology and Policies
Heading #1-centered

The Beliefs, Values and Opinions of the United States-During WWII

EXAMPLE- 1.: The people in the United States valued their freedom.
 Religion-explain (Davidson, Gienapp, Heyrman, Lytle, and Stoff, 2006).
 Economic System and Political System-explain(Davidson, et al,(2006)
 People had a right to speak up against wrongs without fear-explain

2..-example-The people in the Soviet Union lived in fear.

 The Communist State controlled the religious system.-explain
 The government controlled the Economic system and Political
system-explain
 People lived in constance fear-explain

3. After War II, the relationship that prevailed during the war changed.
 They became enemies-explain
 They were afraid of each other-explain
 How was this fear handled-explain

Heading #2 Centered
Describe how American Cold War Policies and Practices Influenced
International Relations from the Late 1940s to the Mid-1950s .
1.
 

2.

3.
Set up like the first example
Be sure each questions is answered separately from readings from text and one out-side source.
All opinions should have plenty of researched fact to support them. If you are not able to find
research to back your opinions, then you should start over.

Format your paper according to APA standards.

Post your paper as an attachment.

______________________________________________________________________

Summary of Week 1 Deliverables

Location where assignment

Assignment Due Date
will be posted

Post Bio Main Forum Due Day 1

McCarthyism-
Summative Assignment Forum Due Day 1
Evaluation-Quiz
Cold War Ideology
Assignment Forum Due Day 7
and Policies
Week Two___________________________________________________

Post War Economy

 Explain how the American economy changed after WWII.

 Describe the culture of consumption during the Eisenhower administration.
 Explain Eisenhower’s pragmatic political measures to manage the economy and
the politics of consensus.

Course Assignments

Readings

 Read Chapter 28 of the text.

Summative Evaluation: Eisenhower’s Politics

 Submit a 150- to 200-word response in which you address the following points:

Examine Graft in Chapter 18, page 828.- Remember to set up with title, headings,
etc.
 Explain the trend depicted on the graft.
 What caused the trend at this time in history?
 How did this contribute to the policy of consensus, spending, and attitudes?
 Would you describe the trend as good or bad for America’s economy?

Discussion Questions

 How were people’s lives different at the end of the war than they had been before the
war? Give specific examples of the differences. Did the scarcity experienced before the
war influence how they spent their money?

o Respond to your classmates’ answers by considering the following points-

did the people who left the country, to fight, have different expectations,
and handle the at-home experiences, after the war, differently than those
who stayed home?

o Would the people who had enjoyed luxuries before the war and people who
found them to be a new experience behaved differently?

 Describe the culture of consumption during the Eisenhower administration. How

do you think such large-scale, newfound getting and spending culture influence
people’s feelings about America?
 o Respond to your classmates’ answers by considering which people were
more likely, than others, to feel the benefits of certain kinds of economic
growth. Help connect how public spending influenced business and
government budgets, which in turn helped more people.

Participation__________________________________________________________

 All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during
the week.

Summary of Week 2 Deliverables

Location where assignment

Assignment Day Due
will be posted
DQ 1  Main Forum  Due Day 2
DQ 2  Main Forum  Due Day 4
Eisenhower’s
Politics-
 Assignment Forum  Due Day 5
Summative
Evaluation
Week Three__________________________________________________
New Frontiers

 Describe Kennedy’s vision of the New Frontier.

 Explain how the U.S. became involved in the politics of Southeast Asia.

Course Assignments

Summative Evaluation: Kennedy’s New Frontier 200-150 words minimum

The following topics were part of President Kennedy’s New Frontier Program.
Pick one of the topics, explain its success, or lack thereof, why was it successful,
why was it not? Finally, which one of the list do you consider to be the most
important, why?

Remember to use the writing format described in week one. Don’t forget your
resources.

 End Recession
 Restore Growth
 Civil Rights Leaders
 Goals for public education
 Aid to elderly with health care
 Minimum Wage
 Space Program
 Peace Corp.
 Give examples and explain.

Assignment: Southeast Asia

o Explain how the U.S. became involved in the politics of Southeast Asia.
Give examples.

o Explain how this involvement, during the 1950s, affected the U.S.in:
Political Policies
Family Life
Financial
Outline-Title page, Introduction, The Decade of the 1950s-preparing for final
assignment-

1.Final assignment-read assignment carefully-value280 points.

2. Do you understand the format?

3. Due this week-an outline of the title page-see sample

paper with APA formatting in the Center for Academic
Excellency. Title page should be formatted like sample.

4.Introduction- Your paper will benefit from a strong introduction.

The introduction provides an opportunity to capture the
reader's attention with a “hook.” It also indicates what the
paper will be about and how you will approach the topic. Refer
to the 5-paragraph tutorial from Writing Wizards in the
Tutorials & Guides section of the Center for Writing Excellence
for more information about writing introductions (UOP,2010).

5.Decade of the 1950s- By the time the first part of the

outline is due, we have finished the Decade of the 1950s, and
most of the 1960s. What one event we studied, in your
opinion, made the most impact on society? When you choose the
reason, there should be several examples that can be used to
explain why it was important. The one event is based on your
opinion. However, your opinion should be based on research.
Two different resources required for each decade. You may use
the text for more than one decade.
Summary of Week 3 Deliverables

location where
Assignment Day Due
assignment will be posted
Outline-Title page,
Introduction, Decade
of the 1950s- Assignment Forum Due Day 3
preparing for final
assignment
Kennedy’s New
Frontier-Summative  Assignment Forum Due Day2
Review
 Southeast Asia  Assignment Forum Due Day 7
Week Four________________________________________________

Liberal Reforms

 Explain how the minority groups’ struggle for civil rights began in the 1950s.’

 Describe the social structure and lifestyles of the Counterculture.

 Examine the social and political ramifications of LBJ’s Great Society and the
continued struggle for social justice.

Course Assignments

Readings

 Read Chapter 29 & 30 of the text.

Summative Review: Johnson’s Great Society

Exercise: Johnson’s Great Society

 Due Date: Day 5 [post to the Assignment section of eCampus]

 Rank the top five Great Society Programs you think contributed to sweeping
reform in this nation.
 Identify what you consider to be the most significant program on that list.
 Summarize and explain that program in 150-200 words. Make sure you give
specific examples from the course readings!
 Post to assignments tab as Microsoft .doc/ .docx file.

Outline-The Decade of the 1960s and the 1970s-preparing for

final assignment
 Use format from Week 3.

Discussion Questions

 How did the minority groups’ struggle for civil rights begin in the 1950s? Which
event from this time do you think was most responsible for bringing public
attention to the American Civil Rights Movement? Explain why you selected this
event.-Choose one event-be specific.
Respond to the events your classmates see as most important by reflecting how the
same activities would influence society today. What about today’s society would make
the public reaction similar or different?

 Describe the social structure and lifestyles of the 1960s Counterculture. How did
the Vietnam War influence the Counterculture? Do you think there is a
counterculture today?

 Respond to your classmates’ answers by adding or elaborating on information

related to the 1960s Counterculture and about where we see sub cultural
reactions to today’s social, economic, and political issues

Participation______________________________________________________

 All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during
the week.

Summary of Week 4 Deliverables

Location where
Assignment assignment will be Day Due
posted
Outline Decade of
1960s and 1970s-
Assignment Forum Due Day 3
preparing for final
assignment
 DQ 1  Main Forum  Due Day 2
 DQ 2  Main Forum  Due Day 4
Johnson’s Great
Society-Summative  Assignment Forum  Due Day 5
Review
Week Five___________________________________________________
The Vietnam War

 Compare Nixon’s policies of engagement to foreign policy strategies used during

the Cold War.
 Describe the connection between student unrest and the Vietnam War.
 Explain the political and social outcomes of the end of the war in Vietnam.

Course Assignments

Summative Review: Nixon’s Politics

 Submit a 150- to 200-word response comparing Nixon’s policies of engagement

with foreign policy strategies used during the Cold War.

Assignment: The Vietnam War

 Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you address the following points:

○ Describe the connection between student unrest and the Vietnam War,
noting how each affected the other.

○ Explain the political and social outcomes of the end of the Vietnam War.

○ Use at least two resources to support your response, including one related to
the connection of student unrest and the war, and another related to the
political and social outcomes of the war.

○ Format your paper according to APA standards.

○ Post your assignment as an attachment.

Outline-The Decade of the 1980s, the 1990s, and the Conclusion-preparing for
final assignment-
 Use same format as week three.
 Conclusion- Your paper will benefit from a strong conclusion. A concluding
paragraph summarizes the main idea from each decade, ties the main
points together neatly for the reader, and ends with a sense of finality.
Avoid introducing new ideas in the conclusion(UOP, 2010).
Summary of Week 5 Deliverables
Assignment Location where assignment Day Due
will be posted
Nixon’s Politics-Summative Assignment Forum Due Day 2
Review
The Vietnam War Assignment Forum Due Day 7
Outline-Decade of the 1980s, Assignment Forum Due Day 3
the 1990s, and a Conclusion
Week Six____________________________________________________

Nixon’s Legacy

 Measure the impact of the Watergate scandal on public perception of government

power.

Course Assignments

Readings

 Read Chapter 31 & pp. 941–956 of the text.


Outline-Hypotheses and Reference Page-See same format as week three.

 Always start your references on a new page.] [Please check the Reference
and Citation Examples document in the Tutorials & Guides section of the
Center for Writing Excellence for examples of correct formatting. Then
carefully check your citations and references to be sure that they are
formatted correctly (UOP, 2010).

Discussion Questions

 If you had been a voter at the time of Nixon's impeachment and resignation, how
would the Watergate scandal have affected your perception of government
power? Do you think the Watergate scandal has had an enduring effect on the
public's perception of government power today? Explain your answer.

o Respond by considering how later politicians had to respond to reactions

similar to those of your classmates’ in order to restore public confidence in
government figures.

 Post your response to the following: Investigative reporters are bolder today than
they were 30 or 40 years ago. How do you think the influence of Watergate has
contributed to this boldness? Do you think investigative reporters are justified in
being bold to get information for the public, or do you think they are too
aggressive?

o Respond to your classmates’ answers by playing devil’s advocate. This

means that when a response posts asserting investigators are too
aggressive, ask how it is that the investigators can get at the truth. When a
response posts asserting that investigators are justified in being bold to get
information, ask how it is that people can preserve their privacy and not be
tried by public opinion. Remember that this point or counterpoint type of
discussion must be conducted with mature courtesy.
Participation_____________________________________________________

 All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during
the week.

Summary of Week 6 Deliverables

Location where assignment will

Assignment Day Due
be posted
Outline-
Hypotheses and Assignment Forum Day Due 3
Reference Page
DQ 1  Main Forum Due Day 2
DQ 2  Main Forum Due Day 4
Week Seven_________________________________________________

Reaganomics

 Explain how the politics introduced during the Reagan presidency contributed to
conservative politics and stimulation of the economy.

 Describe the social, economic, and political composition of the decade of

corporate greed.

Course Assignments

Summative Review: Reagan’s Economics

 Submit a 150- to 200-word response in which you explain how Reagan’s policies
reflected conservative politics and contributed to stimulation of the economy.

Assignment: Decade of Corporate Greed

 Review the Electronic Reserve Readings for this week, located on your student
web site, which provide additional information about Reaganomics and the
decade of corporate greed. These readings demonstrate different viewpoints, so
read carefully to understand the arguments both for and against Reaganomics.
Notice that an article in favor of Reaganomics may give you arguments against it,
and vice versa.

o Create a Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation of 6 to 9 slides in which you

address the following point:

o Describe the social, economic, and political composition of the decade of

corporate greed and how it affected the political climate of the 1980s. Keep in
mind that Reagan's tax policies favored some people over others.

o Include text and visual elements in your slides; however, visual elements
may not comprise more than one third of your information. This means, for
example, that no more than 3 of 9 slides may be pictures, or no more than
one third of each slide may be pictures.

o Include speaker notes.

o Post your presentation as an attachment.

Summary of Week 7 Deliverables

Assignment Location where assignment Day Due

will be posted
Summative Review: Assignment Forum Due Day 2
Reagan’s Economics

Assignment: Decade of Assignment Forum Due Day 7

Corporate Greed

Outline- Correct returned Assignment Forum Due Day 3

outlines where indicated-merge
all sections of outline into one
Week Eight__________________________________________________
End of the Cold War

 Relate the political events of the 1980s to the collapse of communism in Europe
and the end of the Cold War.

Course Assignments

Readings

 Read pages 956–965 & Chapter 33 of the text.

Discussion Questions

 Which political events of the 1980s had the most influence on the collapse of
Communism in Europe and the end of the Cold War? Explain your answer.

 Respond by discussing how history may have been different if the events
in your classmates’ answers had not happened or if they had happened at a
different time. For example, if they had happened either, sooner or later, how
might they have affected other events? Explain these differences in detail.

 Looking at how Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies changed the Soviet Union, would
you consider him a patriot, or in a sense, a subversive? Explain your answer.

 Respond by using the reasons your classmates discuss to compare how other
historic figures may be considered similarly either patriots or subversives.

Participation _________________________________________________________

 All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during
the week.

Summary of Week 8 Deliverables

Location where assignment will

Assignment Due Day
be posted
DQ 1 Main Forum Due Day 2
DQ 2 Main Forum Due Day 4
WEEK NINE_________________________________________________

Moving Toward a Global Community

 Explain the role of the U.S. in the emerging global community.

Course Assignments

Capstone CheckPoint: End of the Cold War

 Submit a 150- to 200-word response in which you explain the role of the U.S. in
the emerging global community.

○ Resources: Appendixes A and C

Final Project: Most Significant Events

Write a 1,750- to 2,050-word essay in which you address the following points:

 Choose one social, economic, or political event that you studied from each of the
five decades following World War II—1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s—
that you think had a more powerful effect on the American people than other
events within the same decade.

○ Resources: Appendix A

○ Introduce the paper with a short explanation of the overall purpose of the final
project.

○ Conclude the paper by hypothesizing changes you anticipate to happen in the

U.S. social, economic, or political climate of the next ten years. Explain the
reasons for your hypothesis.

○ Review the Electronic Reserve Reading for this course, located on your
student Web site, to get an idea of how you might present your hypothesis.
Notice how you may trace the thread of a topic through the last five decades
as you lead up to your prediction. Notice also how you may make personal
comments—the hypothesis is an opinion, so you may show your bias. You are
not expected to write as much as the supplemental reading, but it might be
helpful.
 ○ Include at least two references in each decade’s section of your paper.
○ Organize all sections into a unified, final paper with subtitles for each section.
○ Refer to Appendix C to verify that you have written a collegiate paper.
o Format your paper according to APA standards.
o Post your paper as an attachment.

Summary of Week 9 Deliverables

Location where assignment

Assignment Day Due
will be posted
End of the Cold
War Capstone- Assignment Forum Due Day 2
Checkpoint
Final Project-Most
Assignment Forum Due Day 7
Significant Event