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Introduction to American Politics |
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Alison Gash |
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Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 4:00
6:00 |
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This course provides an introduction to the basic elements of American government through the lens of campaigns and elections.We will cover important topics to help students prepare for advanced studies in political science or to become more informed consumers of American politics. We will explore the issues and questions debated by the founding fathers during the constitutional convention, how these debates were resolved and their implications.We will analyze the process of campaigning, how each branch of government is involved in campaigns and elections, and the consequences of elections for the policy process.The course will also identify other important players in the political process. How do parties and interest groups help to control who is elected?How does the public determine the outcome of elections?What is the role of the media? Throughout the course we will reference important and current political and policy debates to provide context to our discussions. |
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Course Requirements |
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Class will be a mixture of lecture and discussion.Students are expected to attend class, participate in class and complete all assignments.If you are unable to attend class please send an email explaining your absence.Excessive absences will be reflected in your grade.Students are expected to complete assignments on time.Students will lose of a letter grade if the assignment is handed in late on the assignment's due date and one letter grade for each day that the assignment is late.If you anticipate problems in completing the assignment please discuss this with me BEFORE the assignment is due so that we may identify potential alternatives. |
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First In-Class Exam: October 2nd (25%) |
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Second In-Class Exam: Nov. 6th (25%) |
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Final Paper: TBA(35%) |
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Class participation: (15%) |
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Attendance and Participation (7%) |
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Simulation (8%) |
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Required Books: |
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Polsby,
Wildavsky, and |
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Dahl,
How Democratic is the American Constitution |
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Jacobson, The Politics of Congressional Elections 7th Edition |
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Books are available for purchase at the school bookstore.All other readings will be supplied in class or electronically. |
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Policy on
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism |
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In all of your assignments, including your homework or
drafts of papers, you may use words or ideas written by other individuals in
publications, Web sites, or other sources, but only with proper attribution.
"Proper attribution" means that you have fully identified the
original source and extent of your use of the words or ideas of others that
you reproduce in your work for this course, usually in the form of a footnote
or parenthesis.However, the bulk of
your written work should be your own original thoughts.Published or web-based information should
only be used to supplement your own ideas.
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As a general rule, if you are citing from a published source or from a Web site and the quotation is short (up to a sentence or two), place it in quotation marks; if you employ a longer passage from a publication or Web site, please indent it and use single spacing. In both cases, be sure to cite the original source in a footnote or in parentheses. |
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Be warned, I conduct periodic web searches for language from student papers.If you have used language from publications or websites without giving them proper attribution I will find out. |
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Handing in
Assignments |
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Instructions for handing in assignments will be included on all written assignments and exams. Students are expected to hand in their assignments on time and in accordance with the instructions provided, unless alternate arrangements have been made with me prior to the assignment's due date.Students will lose a full grade on the assignment each day that the assignment is late. |
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When emailing assignments please do not consider your assignment submitted until you receive written confirmation that I have successfully opened your email and attachment.If you have not received written confirmation it will be your responsibility to make sure that I have received the assignment.If I am having difficulties opening the email and its attachment I will promptly inform you. |
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Grading Disputes |
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This rarely occurs, but if you are unhappy with a grade on a paper or exam, please submit in writing a description of your concerns at least 24 hours after you have received the grade in question.The 24 hours should be used as a cooling off period. Please note, however, that if I do review your work, I will be reviewing the entire exam or paper. This could result in a lower grade. |
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Receiving an
Incomplete |
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If you would like to receive an incomplete in this class
(in order to complete an assignment at a later date) please discuss it with
me beforehand.Incompletes will be
permitted on an individualized basis.
Students who have outstanding assignments at the time that grades are
due and who have not received preapproval for an incomplete will received an
"F" for the assignments they have not completed. |
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What I Expect
From You |
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Effort. All I ask is that you do the reading, put effort into your assignments, think about what the reading and lectures mean to you and demonstrate that you are putting in the effort to learn.Effort is more important than being right. Demonstrating the willingness and ambition to improve is highly valued!!! |
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Participation.One good way to demonstrate effort is through class participation.This includes providing your insights, opinions, questions during discussion sections; listening respectfully to other students' insights, opinions, questions; and/or visiting during office hours to discuss any issues that you find troubling or compelling. |
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What You Can
Expect From Me |
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Support:If you put in the effort, I will support you 100%. |
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Flexibility:Within reason I will respond to request for changes to the class format.I want to make the discussions as useful to you as possible. |
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Time:In addition to office hours I can meet with students during the week by appointment or via email.Please take advantage of office hours or appointments to discuss readings, papers, questions about class discussion, etc. |
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Advice:Have any questions on general college issues?Having problems handling the workload?Interested in grad/law school? Want an internship?Nervous about finding a job?I am happy to discuss any of these or other issues with you. |
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Reading Assignments |
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Introduction |
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What election procedures are
used in the |
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Sept. 2: |
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Sept. 4: Elections:An Overview |
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Democracy |
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What is democracy?What are the key aspects of a
democracy?How would you describe the
democracy that exists in the |
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Sept. 9:Federalist Papers 10 & 51 |
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Dahl, Chapter 1 |
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Sept. 11: Dahl, Chapters 2 & 3 |
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Presidential Elections |
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How are presidents elected in
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Sept. 16:Polsby et al., 97-102; 111-131 |
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Dahl, Chapter 4 |
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Sept: 18:Polsby, 131-150 |
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Stephen J. Wayne, "Presidential Elections and American Democracy" in The Executive Branch (2005) |
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Congressional Elections |
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How do elections for members of Congress differ from presidential elections? What resources are available to members of Congress?How does this shape behavior in Congress? |
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Sept. 23:Jacobson, Chapters 1-3 |
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Sept. 25: Jacobson, Chapter 4 |
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First in Class Exam |
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Sept. 30: Review |
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Oct. 2: Midterm |
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Courts and Elections |
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What role does the judiciary play in American elections?What role should they play? What resources does the Court have to exercise this power or authority?What problems emerge? |
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Oct. 7: Federalist 78 |
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Mark Graber, "From Republic to Democracy: The Judiciary and the Political Process," in The Judicial Branch (2005). |
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Oct. 9: Watch Recount (and remember, it is a dramatized version of the truth!) |
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Bush v. Gore 2004 |
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Individuals |
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Elections are all about the decisions of individual voters. How do these voters make up their minds on Election Day? What factors are used? What role do political parties play in the decision-making process of individual voters? |
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Oct. 14Polsby, Chapter 1 |
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Oct. 16Jacobson, Chapter 5 |
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Groups and Funding |
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How do interest groups and political parties operate in the election process?What resources do they provide? How do they shape the political agendas of individual candidates? Does this pose a problem in a system that relies on representative democracy? |
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Oct. 21Polsby, Chapter 2 |
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Oct. 23Polsby, 51-74. |
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Overview of Campaign Finance Reform (TBD) |
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The Media |
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Oct. 28Polsby, 74-85; 158-161; 183-207 |
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Nov. 30Stephen Ansolabehere and Shanto Iyengar, Going Negative |
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http://pcl.stanford.edu/common/docs/research/iyengar/1996/goingneg.html |
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"Going Negative Proved Positive in
Comeback," LA Times, March 5, 2008 |
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"McCain's Political Ads Go Negative
Against Obama," US News & World
Report, July 30, 2008 |
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Second In-Class Exam |
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Nov. 4: Election Day & Review |
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Nov. 6: Second In-Class Exam |
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Why Elections Matter |
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Government at Work |
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Nov. 11The Executive |
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Sydney Milkis, "Executive Power and Political Parties," in The Executive Branch (2005) |
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Nelson W. Polsby, "Presidential Cabinet-Making: Lessons for the Political System,"Political Science Quarterly (Spring, 1978) |
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Nov. 13Congress |
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Jacobson, Chapter 7 |
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Sarah Binder, "Elections, Parties, and Governance," in The Legislative Branch (2005) |
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Politics and Policymaking |
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Nov. 18Policymaking through Direct Democracy |
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The Populist I & R Movement |
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John G. Matsusaka."Have Voter Initiatives Paralyzed the |
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Barbara Gamble. "Putting Civil Rights to a Popular Vote." |
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Nov. 20:Race |
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David Canon, "Representing Racial and Ethnic Minorities," in The Legislative Branch (2005) |
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CBS Poll, Barack Obama, Race, and the 2008 Presidential Election, May 30-June 3, 2008. |
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Nov. 25:Abortion |
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Michael Hout, Abortion Politics in the United States, 1972-1994, Gender Politics, (Spring, 1999) |
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Susan Page, The Changing Politics
of Abortion, |
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Abortion and Judicial Appointments (TBD) |
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Dec. 2: Gay Rights |
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Kenneth Sherrill, Same Sex Marriage, Civil Unions, and the 2004 Presidential Election, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force |
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Daniel A. Smith et al., Same Sex Marriage Ballot Measures and the 2004 Presidential Election, State and Local Government Review (2006) |
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Selected newspaper articles |
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Dec. 4:The War/Terrorism |
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Theda Skocpol, "Will 9/11 and the War on Terror Revitalize American Civic Democracy?" in Principles and Practice of American Politics ((2004) |
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Scott Gartner and Gary Segura, "All Politics are Still Local: The Iraq War and the 2006 Midterm Election," PS Political Science & Politics (2008) |
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CBS Poll, "Americans Remain Pessimistic about the War, the Economy, and the President," May 30-June 3, 2008 |
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Selected newspaper articles |
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Dec. 9: The Economy |
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Lymari Morales, "Americans
Prioritize the Economy over Terrorism," |
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CBS Poll, "The Top Issues: Improvement
in |
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Dec. 11: Wrap-Up |