govt h 110 a: honors introduction to american democracy ... · govt h 110 a: introduction to...

GOVT H 110 A: Introduction to American Democracy v.1

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73 Tremont, Rm. 5050

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GOVT H 110 A: Honors Introduction to American Democracy

Suffolk University Fall 2017

Prof. Brian M. Conley Office: Government Department, Room 1084, 10th Floor, 73 Tremont Street Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 12:00-1:00PM, and by appointment Email: [email protected] Phone: 617-994-6414 Catalog Description An introduction to the American political system and constitutional framework. Focus will be on the interplay of various institutions (the Presidency, Congress and the Judiciary) in creating public policies. Contemporary public issues will be discussed, as will the role of political theory in shaping American democracy. Attention will be given to the role of the news media, public opinion, political ideology, political parties and interest groups in the American system. In addition to the course readings, class discussion and assignments, there will also be a number of guest speakers in class who will help illustrate how prevailing social science theory and research relates to real world challenges. Prerequisites: None. Meets the Human Behavior and Societies Requirement Credit Hours: 4 This course follows the Federal Government’s Credit Hour definition: “An amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutional established equivalence that reasonably approximates no less than:

(1) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.” See: http://cihe.neasc.org/downloads/POLICIES/Pp111_PolicyOnCreditsAndDegrees.pdf

mailto:[email protected]


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Course Goals & Learning Objectives

Goals Objectives Assessments

Upon completing this course students will understand the interaction and relationships among people, institutions and the social environment.

Students will be able to assess core social science ideas, arguments, analytical concepts and literature.

Class Discussion In-Class Presentations Exams Response Essays Students will be able to identify how

distinct groups, interests and/or institutions interact locally and/or globally with each other.

Students will be able to analyze the political, economic and/or cultural impact of the subject matter.

Students will be able to understand that the social institutions and cultures are social constructions.

Upon completing this course students will understand the role of theory and research in social science analysis.

Students will be able to examine the theoretical and empirical findings of the relevant social science literature.

Class Discussion In-Class Presentations Exams Students will be able to assess the merits

of prevailing schools of thought within a specific social science discipline.

Students will be able to identify how a specific social science discipline understands and analyzes complex social phenomena.

Upon completing this course students will know how to apply a social science approach to the study of the social world.

Students will be able to apply social science concepts to the study of a specific case or trend, local group or institution.

Class Discussion In-Class Presentations Exams Response Essays Students will be able to employ relevant

social science methodology (qualitative and/or quantitative) when completing course assignments.

Upon completing this course students will understand how learning and

Students will be able to examine how learning and experiences inside and outside the classroom are connected and interdependent.*

Class Discussion Guest Speakers


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experiences inside and outside the classroom are connected and interdependent.

Students will be able to assess the merits of prevailing social science theory and research as they relate to real world challenges.

Career Development Goals

GOALS OBJECTIVES ASSESSMENTS Upon completion of this module, students will understand how to research and explore potential careers that are suited to their interests, skills, and values.

Analyze interests, skills, values, and experiences in the context of career planning for the US and internationally. Demonstrate familiarity with available methods and resources for exploring interests and developing skills. Identify skills and knowledge that are required for various careers.

Enrollment in FOCUS 2 and written reflection about the experience. FOCUS 2 is a career education decision-making model offered by the Career Development Center. Students who participate in the online educational piece

• Explore majors at Suffolk

• Explore occupations that match their personal attributes

• Plan academic career relevant experiences such as internships, study abroad, work experiences, and volunteering

Upon completion of this module, students will know how to pursue opportunities inside and outside the classroom that enable them to explore their interests and develop their skills and knowledge.

Identify academic and experiential opportunities to explore interests and/or develop professionally. Articulate personal and professional goals for desired skills. Identify steps needed to explore interests or reach desired skills. Design documents that

Discussion with Senior GVT majors (this includes students who are double majoring, minoring, etc.) including presentation on

• career options pursued by students after Suffolk.

• graduate school consideration (types of graduate school degrees, e.g. MA, JD, PhD;


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enable completion of these steps.

• navigating the first-year, sophomore year, junior year and senior year at Suffolk;

• internship opportunities in the Boston area and beyond, including opportunities at non-profits, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, media outlets, interest groups, consulting firms, etc.

Course Requirements A key component of the course will be learning how to organize and write a research paper, beginning with the development of a research question, followed by the drafting of a literature review, a research outline and concluding with a final research paper. Students will be evaluated on the basis of the following:

• Four (4) Writing Assignments • Response Pages • Midterm and Final Exam • Class Attendance and Participation • Focus 2: Career Development

1. Writing Assignments (4) The first assignment is a research question. The second is a corresponding literature review, and the third a research outline. These three assignments will serve as the building blocks of the final assignment: a 12-14 page research paper. Each assignment will be preceded by a writing seminar that focuses on that component of the paper. The readings for these seminars are available on the class website. 2. Response Pages You will also be required to submit two response pages per class. The response page assignments requires you to critically engage with the weekly class readings. The response page should be no longer than a single page. They will be due by the beginning of class each day and should be submitted though the course Blackboard site.


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3. Exams Students will be assessed on the basis of two in-class exams. Both exams will consist of a series of short answer questions and an essay. The first exam, scheduled for November 2, will cover the first part of the course, and the second, scheduled for December 7, will cover the remainder of the assigned material. Both will be preceded by a review of the relevant material. 4. Class Attendance and Participation: Students are expected to attend and participate in each class. An attendance sheet will be circulated at the beginning of each class. If you are unable to attend class, due to illness or a because of a conflict, please notify me by email. I also strongly encourage you to read any of the major national newspapers, journals of opinion, news magazines and political blogs as well as to watch cable and broadcast news programs in order to stay abreast of current political issues and developments. You should feel free at any time to introduce issues you find relevant in our class discussion or on the class blog.

5. FOCUS 2: Career Development Program

Students are also required to complete the online Focus 2 Career Development module and submit a brief evaluation of the program. You can find login instructions on the home page of the class website and the Focus 2 evaluation on the Assignment page.

Grading Due Dates Response Pages 17% Research Question: 5% Literature Review: 20% Paper Outline/Research Design: 5% Final Research Paper: 20% Mid-Term Exam 10% Final Exam 10% Attendance: 5% Participation: 5% Focus 2: 3%

Weekly September 26 November 14 November 28 December 20 November 2 December 7 *** *** November 7

Readings


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The Syllabus as well as ALL course Readings and Power Points and support materials will be posted on the following class website: http://blogs.cas.suffolk.edu/govt110/

Password: govt110 Student Engagement Hours To complete this course, students will need to dedicate, at a minimum, the following amount of time to the listed activities:

Item Activity Hours (total) Course Readings: 489 Pages x 8 min per 5.2 Review Power Points: 52 PP x .30 Hour per PP 26 Response Pages 17 x 1 Hour 17 Research Question: 2 Hours Preparation 2 Midterm Exam: 5 hours Exam Preparation 5 Literature Review: 12 Hours Preparation 12 Research Outline: 4 Hours Preparation 4 Final Exam: 10 Hours Preparation 10 Final Paper: 12 Hours Preparation 12 Class Attendance: 27 Classes x .75 minutes 33.7 Focus 2 Career Module: 3 Hour 3

Total: 189.9 University Policies:

Disability Statement: www.suffolk.edu/disability Absence and Attendance Policy from the Student Handbook: http://www.suffolk.edu/studenthandbook/19864.php Academic Misconduct Policy: http://www.suffolk.edu/studenthandbook/19863.php Academic Resources & Student Support Services: http://www.suffolk.edu/explore/54511.php Academic Grievances Policy: http://www.suffolk.edu/studenthandbook/67192.php

Unexpected Course Cancellation Plan (Inclement weather, illness, etc.) In the event that the university cancels classes, such as for severe weather, students are expected to continue with readings as originally scheduled. Any assignments scheduled during those missed classes, such as an exam or paper, are due at the next class meeting unless other instructions are posted at the course website or communicated via email.

http://blogs.cas.suffolk.edu/govt110/

http://www.suffolk.edu/disability

http://www.suffolk.edu/studenthandbook/19864.php


http://www.suffolk.edu/explore/54511.php



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Course Schedule: ****************************************************************************** Thursday: September 7: Introduction: Review Syllabus (I1) Part I: Foundations Constitution

Tuesday: September 12: (c1) Key Question/Issue: What theories of government and society shaped the Founders’ thinking about how to create a constitutional republic?

Readings: • Samuel Kernell and Gary Jacobson. 2012. The Logic of American

Politics. Washington DC: CQ Press. 57-64. • James Madison. 2011. Federalist 10. In The Lanahan Readings in the

American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. 5th edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers: 56-62.

• Richard Hofstadter. 2011. “The American Political Tradition.” In The Lanahan Readings in the American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. 5th edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers. 45-50.

Thursday: September 14: (c2) Key Question/Issue: To what extend did the Founders’ own economic interests shape how the Constitution was written? Readings: • Charles Beard. 2006. “Economic Interpretation of the Constitution.”

In The Enduring Debate: Classic and Contemporary Readings in American Politics, ed. David Cannon, John Coleman, Kenneth Mayer. New York: W.W. Norton and Co. 56-61.

• Robert Brown. 2006. “Charles Beard and the Constitution: A Critical Analysis of the Economic Interpretation of the Constitution.” In The Enduring Debate: Classic and Contemporary Readings in American Politics, ed. David Cannon, John Coleman, Kenneth Mayer. New York: W.W. Norton and Co. 62-67.

Writing Seminar: Research Question

Tuesday: September 19: (s1) Readings: • Wayne Booth et al. 2003. The Craft of Research. Chicago: University

of Chicago Press. Chapter 3, 14. • Lisa Baglione. 2007. Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A


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Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods. New York: Thomson, Wadsworth. 14-16.

Federalism

Thursday: September 21: (c3) Key Question/Issue: In what does federalism continue to impact politics in the contemporary US? Readings: • Samuel Kernell and Gary Jacobson. 2012. The Logic of American

Politics. Washington DC: CQ Press. 88-103. • Daniel Elazar. 2011. “Federalism.” In The Lanahan Readings in the

American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. 5th edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers. 124-128.

• United States v. Lopez. (1995). In The Lanahan Readings in the American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. 3rd edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers. 147-151.

At Issue: Constitution: Living or Not?

Tuesday: September 26: Research Question Due (c4) Key Question/Issue: Is the Constitution a “living” or a static document? Readings: • Antonin Scalia. 2006. “Common-Law Courts in a Civil-Law System:

The Role of the United States Federal Courts in Interpreting the Constitution and Laws.” In The Enduring Debate: Classic and Contemporary Readings in American Politics, ed. David Cannon, John Coleman, Kenneth Mayer. New York: W.W. Norton and Co. 268-275.

• Stephen Breyer. 2006. “Our Democratic Constitution.” In The Enduring Debate: Classic and Contemporary Readings in American Politics, ed. David Cannon, John Coleman, Kenneth Mayer. New York: W.W. Norton and Co. 276-288.

Writing Seminar: Literature Review

Thursday: September 28: (s 2) Key Question/Issue:

Readings: • Lisa Baglione. 2007. Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A

Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods. New York: Thomson, Wadsworth. Chapter 3.

• Laurence Jones and Edward Olson. 1996. Political Science Research: A Handbook of Scope and Methods. New York: Longman. 30-40.


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Part II: Political Institutions: Congress (Social Science Day)

Tuesday: October 3: (c5) Key Question/Issue: In your view, which branch of government in the US is the most powerful? Readings: • Samuel Kernell and Gary Jacobson. 2012. The Logic of American

Politics. Washington DC: CQ Press. 239-248. • United States Constitution. Article I, Section 8. • Herbert F Weisberg et al. 1999. “How Do Legislatures Operate?” In

Classics in Congressional Politics, ed. Herbert F Weisberg et al. New York: Longman, Inc. 192-206.

Thursday: October 5: (c6) Key Question/Issue: Why, in your analysis, is Congress so politically polarized? Readings: • Lawrence Dodd and Bruce Oppenheimer. 2012. “The House in a Time

of Crisis: Economic Turmoil and Partisan Upheaval.” In Congress Reconsidered, ed. Lawrence Dodd and Bruce Oppenheimer, 10th Edition. Washington, D.C: CQ Press. 27-58.

• Barbara Sinclair. 2009. “Multiple Paths: The Legislative Process in the House of Representatives,” in Herbert F Weisberg et al., eds., Classics in Congressional Politics (New York: Longman, Inc. 1999) 243-252.

• Barbara Sinclair. 2012. “The New World of U.S Senators.” In Congress Reconsidered, ed. Lawrence Dodd and Bruce Oppenheimer, 10th Edition. Washington, D.C: CQ Press. 1-26.

Tuesday: October 10: Suffolk Monday: No Class

Presidency Thursday: October 12: (c7) Key Question/Issue: According to Neustadt, what power most a modern president have if they want to exercise any influence over the political direction of the country? Readings: • Samuel Kernell and Gary Jacobson. 2012. The Logic of American

Politics. Washington DC: CQ Press. 315-333. • Richard Neustadt. 2011. “Presidential Power and the Modern

President” in Ann Serow and Everett Ladd, eds. The Lanahan Readings in the American Polity. 5th Edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers: 211-217.


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Tuesday: October 17: (c8) Key Question/Issue: How has presidential power evolved over the last century? Readings: • Joseph Pika and John Maltese. 2008. The Politics of the Presidency,

7th Edition. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 21-36. • Fred Greenstein. 2008. “Toward a Modern Presidency.” In

Understanding the Presidency, ed. James Pfiffner and Roger Davidson 5th Edition. New York: Longman. 55-58.

Judiciary

Thursday: October 19: (c9) Key Question/Issue: Do you think, as Hamilton does, that life-time

appointments are key to ensuring the independence and integrity of the Judiciary in the US? Readings: • Samuel Kernell and Gary Jacobson. 2012. The Logic of American

Politics. Washington DC: CQ Press. 401-413. • Alexander Hamilton. 2011. Federalist # 78. In The Lanahan Readings

in the American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. 5th edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers: 311-315.

Tuesday: October 24: (c10) Key Question/Issue: Do you think the Supreme Court should have the power to “say what the law is…”? Readings: • David Obrien. 2011. “Storm Center.” In The Lanahan Readings

in the American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. 5th edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers: 321-325.

At Issue: The Imperial Presidency

Thursday: October 26: (c11) Key Question/Issue: Do to think Presidents have become too powerful or “imperial” in the US over the last several decades? Readings: • Arthur Schlesinger. 2011. “The Imperial Presidency.” In The Lanahan

Readings in the American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. 5th edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers. 218-224.

• Andrew Rudalevige. 2008. “A New Imperial Presidency.” In Understanding the Presidency, ed. James Pfiffner and Roger Davidson. 5th Edition. New York: Longman: 494-512.

• Chitra Ragavan. 2006. “Cheney’s Guy.” US News and World Report May 29.

• Peter Maass. 2013. “How Laura Poitras Helped Snowden Spill His


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Secrets.” New York Times August 13. 1-15.

Midterm Exam Review Tuesday: October 31: • Midterm Exam Review

Midterm Exam

Thursday: November 2: Readings:

• Midterm Exam Part III: Political Participation and Electoral Politics

Political Participation and Parties

Tuesday: November 7: Focus 2 Seminar (c12) Key Question/Issue: What factors do you think encourage some people to get involved in politics while others remain disengaged? Readings: • Steven Rosenstone and John Hansen. 1993. Mobilization,

Participation and Democracy in America. New York: Macmillan. 10-20. • Samuel Kernell and Gary Jacobson. 2012. The Logic of American

Politics. Washington DC: CQ Press. 560-582. • Brian M. Conley. 2015. “Political Parties.” American Political Culture:

An Encyclopedia. New York: ABC-CLIO.

Social Movements Thursday: November 9: (c13) Key Question/Issue: What three features define, in Tilly’s analysis, what is commonly referred to as a “social movement”? Readings: • Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. 2006. “Introduction.” In The Social

Movements Reader: Cases and Concepts, ed. Jeff Goodwin and James Jasper. Boston: Blackwell Publishing. 3-7.

• Charles Tilly. 2004. Social Movements, 1768-2004. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers. Chapter 1.

At Issue: The 2016 Presidential Election

Tuesday: November 14: Literature Review Due (c14) Key Question/Issue: Why, in your analysis did Trump win, and Clinton lose the 2016 election? Readings: • (CW) Timothy Shenk. 2016. “The Dark History of Donald Trump’s

Rightwing Revolt.” The Guardian August 16.


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• (CW) Philip Elliott. 2016. “Why It’s Easy to Forget Hillary Clinton is Making History.” Time June 6.

• (CW) Kuttner, Robert. 2016. “Hillary Clinton and the Obama Legacy.” The American Prospect July 19.

Writing Seminar: Research Outline

Thursday: November 16: (s3) Key Question/Issue: Readings: • Wayne Booth et al. 2007. Writing a Research Paper in Political

Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods. New York: Thomson, Wadsworth. Chapter 12

Part VI: American Political Culture Liberalism

Tuesday: November 21: (c15) Key Question/Issue: Has the US, in your opinion, always been a so- called “liberal” country? Readings: • Louis Hartz. 2007. “The Liberal Tradition.” In The Lanahan Readings

in the American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. 4th edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers. 11-16.

• Alexis de Tocqueville. 2011. “Democracy in America.” In The Lanahan Readings in the American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. 5th edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers. Part I, Part II.

• Rogers Smith. 2006. “Beyond Tocqueville, Myrdal and Hartz: The Multiple Traditions in America.” In The Enduring Debate: Classic and Contemporary Readings in American Politics, ed. David Cannon, John Coleman, Kenneth Mayer. New York: W.W. Norton and Co. 17-26.

Thursday: November 23: Thanksgiving: No Class

Race Politics

Tuesday: November 28: Research Outline Due (c16) Key Question/Issue: In what ways has race impacted or defined the history and politics of the US? Readings: • Adolph Reed. 2001. “Unraveling the Relation of Race and Class in

American Politics.” Political Power and Social Theory 15: 265-274. • Jesse Myerson and Mychal Denzel Smith. 2015. “We’ll Need an

Economic Program to Make #BlackLives Matter. Here Are Three Ideas.” The Nation. January 7.

• Michele Swers. 2007. “The Difference Women Make.” In The


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Lanahan Readings in the American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. 4th edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers. 168-174.

• 1998. Bradwell v. Illinios. (1873). In Race, Class and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study, ed. Paula Rothenberg. New York: St. Martin Press. 482-484.

Gender Politics

Thursday: November 30: (c17) Key Question/Issue: In what ways has gender impacted or defined the history and politics of the US? Readings: • Michele Swers. 2007. “The Difference Women Make.” In The

Lanahan Readings in the American Polity, ed. Ann Serow and Everett Ladd. 4th edition. Baltimore: Lanahan Publishers. 168-174.

• 1998. Bradwell v. Illinios. (1873). In Race, Class and Gender in the United States: An Integrated Study, ed. Paula Rothenberg. New York: St. Martin Press. 482-484.

Tuesday: December 5: • Final Exam Review

Thursday: December 7: Last Class • Final Exam

Final Paper: Wednesday: December 20.

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