Spring 2009

3 Credit Hours

Times to be announced

K. James Ryan, Ph.D.
Phone: 559-278-2379
Office Hours: Science II, Room 137
Email: kjryan@csufresno.edu

Course Description:

Crim 270T: Domestic Intelligence in a Liberal Democracy is a graduate course for those enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security. It is intended that the student acquire an understanding how the acquisition, analysis and dissemination of information to generate criminal intelligence can be facilitated in a free society.

Prerequisites:

Must be of Graduate Standing; may be enrolled in the Homeland Security Graduate Certificate Program.
 

Required Course Text

Mark M. Lowenthal, Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy (Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2000)

Abram N. Shulsky and G. Schmitt, Silent Warfare: Understanding the World of Intelligence (McLean, VA: Pergamon-Brassy’s, 2002)

And/or others to be determined.
 

Introduction:

The very nature of intelligence collection suggests an intrusion on individual privacy; however, in practice this is rarely the case. Nevertheless, serious issues raised in history make those who govern in a free democracy cautious when the government involves itself in acquiring information on its citizens to speculate if/when/how a future criminal act may occur. Collecting information for predictive intelligence is at the core of much law that prohibits information access without court approval. The function of criminal intelligence will be examined in the light of contemporary law and practice, such as 28 CFR Part 23 and supporting case law, including procedures to ensure the viability of information in a legal and practical sense.

Advisory:

Students must be aware that Crim 270T: Domestic Intelligence in a Liberal Democracy discusses contemporary issues in frank and occasionally vivid terms, including issues such as intelligence and: civil rights violations, state-sponsored terror, political violence and murder, among other issues the student may find personally objectionable. Students must be aware these issues will surface in context with course material.

Course Requirements:

Student evaluation will be based on the ability to understand and relate course material. Course grading will be based on attendance and participation, 10 small writing assignments of 1-2 pages, 1 presentation and a final paper (~10-15 pages). Students are cordially encouraged to remember that grades are earned, not given, and that the grading process herein is not relative, but absolute; i.e., students are not competing against each other for grades, but against a standard (see below).

Student Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course the student will be able to:

1. Identify the essential elements of the intelligence process;
2. Identify the varieties of intelligence and where domestic intelligence fits in among the rest;
3. Identify domestic intelligence agencies by name and function, differentiating between those performing government and non-government functions;
4. Describe business intelligence processes, benefactors, and consumers;
5. Explain how federal law protects information in regard to how it is collected and disseminated;
6. Explain how the intelligence process is affected by broadening the collection pool; improving the analysis equation; focusing/broadening the dissemination reports;
7. Describe competing theories of intelligence as they relate to political subdivisions (locally, regionally, nationally and internationally), and how ground-up versus top-down collection, analysis and dissemination vary.

Expectations:

Students are expected to attend class on time and only enrolled students may attend, as class size is limited. A significant portion of the course grade will come from class participation, based on preparedness and willingness to contribute to class discussion. Students are provided with a list of readings for each class. It is expected that assigned readings will be completed by the dates listed. The class involves Socratic interaction with supplemental multi-media presentations and handout material will be provided; therefore, attendance represented by passive recording device is prohibited.
 

There are no examinations or quizzes. The final paper is required as the final examination.  Weekly written problems will be submitted in the place of periodic examinations.

III. Assignments

Students will be expected to answer questions provided in class in essay format based on lecture and textbook problems. It is expected that to participate in class, the student will have examined the problems and formed a response in the form of a written a 1-2 page paper on how s/he would deal with the issue at hand. The "response" will contain rational and convincing arguments on how/why the student would act/respond to a problem in criminal intelligence, whether it related to the political or internal functions of the intelligence process. Written problem solutions are required in this class every week and a paper not turned in on time will receive a 0. In addition, as in the real world, there are no make-up problems or extra-credit assignments.

Each student will give 1 presentation, assigned (i.e., volunteered by date) in class. The presentation will be of how s/he would deal with one of the problems assigned for that week. The final paper will regard an in-depth problem and how the student would contend with issues presented therein.

IV. Electronic Devices Prohibited
The use of electronic devices in class is prohibited, to include cellular telephones, PDAs, computers, and/or any electronic video or audio recording device, without the expressed permission of the instructor.  Devices excepted are those which serve the impaired to enhance (but not to record) classroom presentation. Violators will be dismissed from class and subject to disciplinary policies of the university.

V. Important Weights**

Students with Disabilities*

Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the university, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. For more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities in Madden Library 1049 (278-2811).

Honor Code*

Members of the CSU Fresno academic community adhere to principles of academic integrity and mutual respect while engaged in university work and related activities." You should:

Cheating and Plagiarism*

Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or deceptive acts for the purpose of improving one's grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also include assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations. However, it is the intent of this definition that the term 'cheating' not be limited to examination situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by misrepresenting the material (i.e., their intellectual property) so used as one's own work." Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from a 0 or F on a particular assignment, through an F for the course, to expulsion from the university. For more information on the University's policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Class Schedule (Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) or the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations).

Computers*

At California State University, Fresno, computers and communications links to remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and research experience. Every student is required to have his/her own computer or have other personal access to a workstation (including a modem and a printer) with all the recommended software. The minimum and recommended standards for the workstations and software, which may vary by academic major, are updated periodically and are available from Information Technology Services (http://www.csufresno.edu/ ITS/) or the University Bookstore. In the curriculum and class assignments, students are presumed to have 24-hour access to a computer workstation and the necessary communication links to the University's information resources.

Disruptive Classroom Behavior*

The classroom is a special environment in which students and faculty come together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to this learning environment that respect for the rights of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism of the instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom are maintained. ... Differences of viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which are supportive of the learning process, creating an environment in which students and faculty may learn to reason with clarity and compassion, to share of themselves without losing their identities, and to develop and understanding of the community in which they live . . . Student conduct which disrupts the learning process shall not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class.

Copyright Policy*

Copyright laws and fair use policies protect the rights of those who have produced the material. The copy in this course has been provided for private study, scholarship, or research.  Other uses may require permission from the copyright holder.  The user of this work is responsible for adhering to copyright law of the U.S. (Title 17, U.S. Code). To help you familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, the University encourages you to visit its copyright web page, www.lib.csufresno.edu/extra/copyright/.

Digital Campus course web sites contain material protected by copyrights held by the instructor, other individuals or institutions. Such material is used for educational purposes in accord with copyright law and/or with permission given by the owners of the original material.  You may download one copy of the materials on any single computer for non-commercial, personal, or educational purposes only, provided that you (1) do not modify it, (2) use it only for the duration of this course, and (3) include both this notice and any copyright notice originally included with the material.   Beyond this use, no material from the course web site may be copied, reproduced, re-published, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way without the permission of the original copyright holder.  The instructor assumes no responsibility for individuals who improperly use copyrighted material placed on the web site.

*Quoted with permission from university publications.