Course Description

To consider information policies and resources of the government of the United States and to develop an understanding of how those policies have evolved, and how they affect both the political system, the average citizen, and the overall structure of information dissemination in this country.

Required Textbooks

Note: If the UA Bookstore does not have these in stock yet, you can order directly from the publishers' Web sites or from your favorite Web-based bookstore (such as amazon.com).

Cornelius M. Kerwin. Rulemaking: How Government Agencies Write Law and Make Policy. 3rd. ed. CQ Press, 2003. ISBN 156802780X

Peter Hernon, Robert E. Dugan, and John A. Shuler. U.S. Government on the Web Getting the Information You Need. 3rd ed. Libraries Unlimited, 2003. ISBN: 1591580862

Assignments

Exercises: Working individually, complete 4 out of 5 exercises involving searches for government information. Total possible points: 40

Quizzes: Working individually, complete 3 quizzes. Total possible points: 15

Agency Publications Watch: Working in teams of two, benchmark the publications available at the beginning of the semester from a U.S. federal government agency Web site. Prepare a final report for the class documenting changes in the publications available at at the end of the semester. Total possible points: 35

Participation: Contribute substantive, insightful posts to the discussion boards. Total possible points: 10

Class Schedule Outline

Week 1 (begins Aug. 31) ~~ Read Kerwin, Rulemaking, Preface & Ch. 1-2; quiz

Week 2 (begins Sep. 7) ~~ Read Kerwin, Rulemaking, Ch.3-4; quiz

Week 3 (begins Sep. 14) ~~ Read Kerwin, Rulemaking, Ch. 5-6; quiz

Week 4 (begins Sep. 21) ~~ Government Printing Office & Federal Depository Library Program; Joint Committee on Printing; Office of Management & Budget

Week 5 (begins Sep. 28) ~~ Agency Publications Watch benchmark report due

Week 6 (begins Oct. 5) ~~ Administrative law & Agencies exercise due

Week 7 (begins Oct. 12) ~~ The Congress: Historical and Current Information

Week 8 (begins Oct. 19) ~~ Statutory law & Congressional information exercise due

Week 9 (begins Oct. 26) ~~ The Federal Judiciary

Week10 (begins Nov. 2) ~~ Case law & Courts information exercise due

Week 11 (begins Nov. 9) ~~ The Census Bureau

Week 12 (begins Nov. 16) ~~ Statistical information exercise due

Week 13 (begins Nov. 23) ~~ National Technical Information Service; Department of Energy; National Library of Medicine

Week 14 (begins Nov. 30) ~ Scientific, technical, & medical information exercise due

Week 15 (begins Dec. 7) ~~ Agency Publications Watch final report due Dec. 14