UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA
DEPARTMENT
OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
FALL
2004
POL
5153: AMERICAN POLITICS
Professor: Dr. Jan C. Hardt
Class Meets: T 7:30 ‑10:10 p.m
Office Hours: MWF 12‑12:50 p.m., TTh
9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., T 7:15-7:30 p.m.,
and other times by
appointment
Office Phone: LA 102B/ 974-5840
E‑Mail (SCHOOL): jhardt@ucok.edu (preferred method of
communication)
Course Description:
This is one of four
seminars (American Politics, Scope of the Discipline, Research Methods, and
Political Philosophy), that is required of all beginning M.A. students in
political science. The principle purpose of the Seminar on American Politics is
to introduce you to the professional world of the political science sub‑field
called American Politics. This course is designed to be similar in structure to
the typical American National Government course, but with graduate‑level
readings. The readings assigned for this course reflect different approaches.
Some approach political science from the traditionalist approach, while others
examine American politics from the behavioralist approach. It will be your job
as a student to pick out these approaches as you are reading and come to class
prepared to discuss each of the readings assigned for the week.
As a result, this
seminar will be different from most typical 4000/5000 level classes. While
there will be a few lectures, much emphasis will be placed on class discussion.
To encourage all students to participate, the first week of class will serve as
an introductory session where we will divide up some of the work for the class.
Each student will be responsible for being a discussion leader for at least one
session, probably two. Discussion leaders will be responsible for about 45
minutes of class or so. They will go into each topic in greater depth than
others and will lead off the discussion (I say lead off in that we will not
have "reports" read in class and will in general plan on active
weekly give‑and‑take discussions in which everyone has a basic
preparation). More on the discussion leader responsibilities will be provided
the first day of class. The other part of the class will be devoted to a
discussion/lecture session about information provided in that week's readings.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE COURSE: You will notice
below that I have spelled out the requirements for this course in some detail.
I have done this so that you will know what I expect from you and what you
should expect from yourself in this course. For this reason, I have given the
deadlines for all exams and papers in this syllabus, as well as how these
requirements are weighted in the final grade. Please read these requirements
carefully, and if you have any questions, I will be glad to answer to them.
Just stop by after class or during my office hours.
1. PARTICIPATION IN CLASS
Since the class size
is relatively small, participation in class and completion of the assigned
readings before the assigned class are expected. Readings are taken from the
required texts. In this class, it will be very important to read the materials
BEFORE coming to class, and as such, I have provided a list of the readings to
be read by each week. Students will be expected to participate in student‑led
discussions as well as professor‑led discussions. In a number of classes,
I will call on people at random so that the entire class can
benefit from your input. There will also probably be several in‑class
exercises that will require your participation. Moreover, attendance will be
taken in the class during the semester. This attendance will become part of
your participation grade. If you know ahead of time that you will be missing a
certain class, you should not only be prepared to get notes for that class from
a classmate, but you might also want to inform me ahead of time to find out
what you will miss. Your participation and attendance will count for 10% of
your total grade.
2. EXAMINATIONS
There will be two
midterm examinations and a final. All exams will include essay questions. The
exams will cover all readings, the material covered in lectures, any in‑class
discussions, and any videos we might see in class. The first two exams will
each be worth 10% of your grade and the final will be worth 20% of your total
grade.
Make‑up policy
for the exams is as follows: Students with legitimate excuses ‑‑
i.e. serious illness, death, etc. ‑‑ must notify me that they will
not be able to take the exam and explain why PRIOR to the scheduled exam
date. If I consider the reasons for missing an exam to be justified, a make‑up
will be given. Make‑up examinations should be taken promptly. The exam
dates are as follows:
First Examination First Hour ‑‑
September 28, 2004
Second
Examination First Hour B November 2, 2004
Final Examination
December 14, 2004 -- 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
3. SEMINAR ASSIGNMENTS
DISCUSSION LEADER: Each student will
become a discussion leader for at least one class, depending on the number of
students enrolled. Discussion leaders will be responsible for leading
discussion for about 45 minutes of the class. Discussion leaders should have
read the material for that week thoroughly and should be prepared with critical
questions to ask of their fellow students. Discussion sessions should by no
means be simply be a report of the readings by the discussion leader in charge,
but a good discussion will encourage other students to get involved. Discussion
leaders should assume that everyone in the class has done all the assigned
readings and address them to the broader theoretical questions raised in the
readings. Therefore, discussion leaders will be responsible for actually
leading the discussion of their peers. Discussion leaders may want to come to
class with a brief outline of their plan for the class or with other visual
aids. Students are encouraged to come see me before their turns as discussion
leaders for possible suggestions for that week. It is strongly recommended that
this be done at least one week in advance of your discussion date. Your
discussion leader participation will constitute 10% of your grade.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: The written
assignments will be four short papers (approximately 6-8 pages in length each,
but no more than 10) that conduct a critical analysis of the week's readings.
Critical analyses can include but are not limited to drawing comparisons or
contrasts, examining the readings chronologically, showing consistent themes,
or making methodological or approach comparisons. Each critical analysis should
focus on that week's readings, but should also make any relevant comparisons to
the prior week(s) readings. Each critical analysis will be due at the class
meeting at which we discuss the class reading (late papers not accepted). Because
papers will need to include the prior week(s) readings and that week's
readings, papers will not be accepted weeks 1, 2, 14 and 16. You should plan
your paper submissions accordingly. Two papers must be turned in before the
midterm due date (October 12th) to encourage you not to procrastinate. Running
out of weeks to submit papers will not be an acceptable excuse for turning in
late papers. Papers should be submitted with a stapled cover page which
indicates the week's readings that are the focus of that paper. Any adornments,
such as a binder or report cover, are not necessary. A simple staple will do.
The papers will constitute 40% of your grade.
4. MY POLICIES ON ALL WRITTEN WORK
PLAGIARISM: You will want to make sure that
you avoid all semblances of plagiarism in completing this assignment. All
written work must be your own. Copying the work of others, whether that of
fellow students or anyone else, constitutes plagiarism. The penalties for
plagiarism can range from failure in the course to expulsion from the
university. You should note that I take any case of plagiarism very
seriously. In fact, a copy of the departmental plagiarism statement has been
attached to this syllabus. As a consequence, any direct quotations that you use
from any of the readings or outside sources should be footnoted. For my
purposes, a set of parentheses containing the author and the page number, i.e.
(Burden, p. 10), is sufficient. Or you may choose to use standard footnotes.
Moreover, if you also use enough of the ideas of a particular author without
citing the source that can also constitute plagiarism following standard
plagiarism guidelines. If you have any questions about what constitutes
plagiarism, please do not hesitate to come and see me.
LATE PAPERS: Because all papers have been
assigned in advance, no late papers will be accepted for this class. There are
thirteen possible weeks to submit papers (weeks 3‑15). You can submit a
paper any of those weeks, so it is up to you to decide when you will turn in a
paper. There is one major exception: to discourage procrastination, two papers
must be turned in before the midterm due date (October 12). Failure to do so
will result in a reduction of 10 points for any paper that fails to meet that
requirement.
FORMAT: All papers should be typed with
standard fonts and margins. All papers should be spell‑checked (either by
hitting a button or manually using a dictionary) before they are turned in for
the final time. This may be obvious, but your papers should all include some
sort of thesis ‑‑ a point that you are trying to make, as well as
an introduction and a conclusion.
5. OFFICE HOURS
My office hours are listed on the front page
of this syllabus. Please feel free to use my office hours if you have questions
about the class, the readings, the exams, or the assignments. If you have
questions, it will be up to you to take the initiative to meet with me
in my office hours. You can also use my office hours just to come in and
introduce yourself! If my office hours are not convenient, I am willing to make
other arrangements so just stop by during my office hours or after class and
ask.
6. OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
If you have any special circumstances that I
should know about, please let me know as soon as you can. For example, if you
are an athlete, member of the band, etc., who will travel, let me know. Or you
may have a learning disability or other impairment that may require special
arrangements. The University of Central Oklahoma complies with Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who need special
accommodations must contact the assistant director of Disability Support
Services, Kim Fields, in room 309 of the Nigh University Center at
974-2549. It is the student’s
responsibility to contact the instructor as soon as possible after the DSS has
verified the need for accommodations to ensure that such accommodations are
implemented in a timely fashion. If you become ill during the course of the
semester and need to miss some classes, please inform me as soon as you
can so we can work out a schedule for you to complete the assignments.
7. GRADING:
Final grades for the course will be calculated
with 90% and above = A, 80% and above = B, and so forth. The following
percentages will be used to determine grades:
Class Participation and Attendance 10%
Four
Weekly Papers 40%
Discussion
Leader Work 10%
First
Exam 10%
Second
Exam 10%
Final
Exam 20%
8. OTHER
INFORMATION:
Emergencies During Finals Statement: If a university emergency occurs that
prevents the administration of a final examination, the student’s final course
grade will be calculated based on the work in the course completed to that
point and the faculty member’s considered judgment. Final exams will not be rescheduled, and a
grade of “I” will not be given as a result of the missed exam.
Expectation of Work OSHRE II-2-34 statement: It is expected that
a full-time college student will spend time each week in class attendance and
study out of class approaching a 40-hour work week. A person employed on a full-time basis should
not simultaneously expect to maintain a full-time schedule. At the undergraduate level, this means that
for each hour in class, a student is expected to spend at least two hours doing
homework.
Required
Readings:
Burden, Barry (ed.) (2003). Uncertainty in
American Politics, Cambridge University Press.
Dodd. Lawrence C., and Calvin Jillson (2003). The
Dynamics of American Politics: Approaches and Interpretations, Westview
Press.
Hudson, William E., (2004). American
Democracy in Peril: Eight Challenges to America=s Future, Fourth Edition, CQ
Press.
Lowery, David and Holly Brasher, (2004). Organized
Interests and American Government, McGraw-Hill Press.
Mahoney, Dennis J. and Harry V. Jaffa, (2004).
Politics and Progress: The Emergence of American Political Science,
Rowman and Littlefield.
Pomper, Gerald M. and Marc D. Weiner,
(2003). Future of American Democratic
Politics: Principles and Practices,
Rutgers University Press.
THE INSTITUTIONS OF AMERICAN POLITICS
Week
1, August 24:
Introduction B American Political
Thought & Democracies -- NO PAPERS TURNED IN!
Pomper/Weiner, Introduction: A Dialogue on American Democratic Politics
Hudson, Introduction: Models of Democracy
Dodd/Jillson, Ch. 1: Conversations on the Study of
American Politics
Division
of work for the class.
Week
2, August 31: History and Political Science -- NO PAPERS TURNED IN!
Dodd/Jillson, Ch. 2: Patterns and Periodicity in
American National Politics
Dodd/Jillson, Ch. 3: Pattern Recognition and Doing
Political History Dodd/Jillson, Ch. 4: Common Ground – History and Theories of
American Politics
Mahoney/Jaffa:
entire book, (chapter 9 is optional)
Week
3, September 7: Constitution, American Politics, & Separation of
Powers
Pomper/Weiner,
Ch. 1: Pluralism, Identity Politics, and Coalitions
Pomper/Weiner,
Ch. 2: Equality’s Troubles – Madison in Modern America
Pomper/Weiner,
Ch. 3: The Majoritarian Impulse and the Declining Significance of Place
Hudson, Ch. 1: The First Challenge: Separation of
Powers
Week
4, September 14: The United States and
Democracy
Pomper/Weiner, Ch. 5: The Future of Liberty in
American Democratic Politics?
Pomper/Weiner, Ch. 6: The Rhetoric of Democratic
Liberty
Week
5, September 21: The Presidency
Dodd/Jillson, Ch. 14: Beyond the Iconography of
Order – Notes for a “New Institutionalism”
Burden, Ch. 1:
Bargaining, Uncertainty, and the Growth of the White House Staff,
1940-2000
Lowery/Brasher,
Ch. 6: Organized Interests and the Executive Branch
Pomper/Weiner,
Ch. 12: Contentious Democracy – Presidential-Interest Group Relations
Week
6, September 28: The Bureaucracy -- 1st Exam worth 10%
Burden,
Ch. 2: Political Uncertainty and Administrative Procedures
Burden,
Ch. 3: Uncertainty, and Legislative Capacity for Controlling the Bureaucracy
Burden,
Ch. 4: Bureaucracy and Uncertainty
Week
7, October 5:
The Courts
Lowery/Brasher,
Ch. 7: Organized Interests and the
Judiciary
Pomper/Weiner,
Ch. 10: The Supreme Court and Bush v. Gore – Resolving Electoral Disputes
Hudson, Ch. 2: The Second Challenge – The Imperial
Judiciary
Week
8, October 12:
Congress -- TWO PAPERS DUE BY
THIS DATE ‑‑ MIDTERM WEEK
Burden, Ch. 5:
Uncertainty and the Political Debate
Lowery/Brasher, Ch. 5:
Organized Interests and the Legislature
Pomper/Weiner, Ch. 7:
The Future of Legislatures in Democratic Politics
Pomper/Weiner, Ch.8:
Legislative Politics – Institutional Democracy and Public Disaffection
POLITICAL
BEHAVIOR
Week 9, October 19: The Role of the Public and
Public Opinion
Burden,
Ch. 6: Declining Uncertainty – Presidents, Public Opinion, and Polls
Burden,
Ch. 7: Uncertainty in American Public Opinion
Lowery/Brasher,
Ch. 4: Organized Interests and the Public
Hudson,
Ch.3: The Third Challenge – Radical Individualism
FALL BREAK
B ENJOY!
Week 10, October 26: Political Behavior
Dodd/Jillson, Ch.
13: Politics as Persuasion
Dodd/Jillson, Ch. 9:
Rational Choice Theory and the Study of American Politics
Dodd/Jillson, Ch.
10: The Social Psychology of Politics
Dodd/Jillson, Ch.
11: Contexts, Intermediaries, and Political Behavior
Week 11, November 2: Voting Behavior -- Second
Exam Worth 10%
Burden, Ch. 8: Risk
& Uncertainty as Sources of Incumbent Insecurity
Burden, Ch. 9: Black
Candidates, White Voters – Uncertainty & Information Shape the White Vote
Hudson, Ch. 4: The Fourth Challenge – Citizen
Participation
Week 12, November 9: Elections/Parties
Pomper/Weiner, Ch.
9: The Impact of Bush v. Gore on Future Democratic Politics
Hudson, Ch. 5: The
Fifth Challenge – Trivialized Elections
Pomper/Weiner, Ch.
11: Democratic Ends and Political Parties in America
Week 13, November 16: Interest
Groups
Lowery/Brasher, Ch.
1: Representing Interests – An Argument
Lowery/Brasher, Ch.
2: Organization Mobilization and Maintenance
Lowery/Brasher, Ch.
3: Interest Organization Communities
Dodd/Jillson, Ch. 12: Group Politics Reexamined
– From Pluralism to Political Economy
Week 14, November 23: Race, Class, Ethnicity,
and Exceptionalism
Pomper/Weiner, Ch.
4: The Future of Democratic Participation: The Significance of Immigration,
Race, and Class
Hudson, Ch. 6: The
Sixth Challenge – The “Privileged Position” of Business
Hudson, Ch. 7: The
Seventh Challenge – Inequality
Dodd/Jillson: Ch. 5:
American Exceptionalism Reconsidered: Culture or Institutions?
THANKSGIVING.
BE THANKFUL.
PUBLIC POLICY
Week 15, November 30: American Public
Policy
Hudson, Ch. 8: The Eighth Challenge – The
National Security State
Dodd/Jillson: Ch. 6:
Liberalism and the Course of American Social Welfare Policy
Dodd/Jillson: Ch. 7:
Macroeconomic Change and the Political Transformation in the United States
Dodd/Jillson: Ch. 8:
The Origins of Social Policy in the United States – A Polity-Centered Analysis
Week 16: December 7: Reforms, Conclusions,
Last ThoughtsB NO PAPERS!
Lowery/Brasher, Ch.
8: Consequences and Reforms
Pomper/Weiner,
Conclusion: Perspectives on the Future of American Democratic Politics
Dodd/Jillson: Ch.
15: Political Learning & Political Change – Understanding Development
Dodd/Jillson: Ch.
16: Ideas, Interests, and Institutions
FINAL EXAM: Scheduled for Tuesday, December 14th,
from 7:30‑9:30 p.m. Students will be expected to take the exam at the
scheduled time and date. Any student wishing to petition to be an exception
should submit a request to me IN WRITING by December 6th at the latest. You
should know in advance that I don't consider flight schedules, oversleeping,
jobs, etc. to be legitimate reasons for missing an exam scheduled by the
registrar so please plan accordingly. If
a University emergency occurs that prevents the administration of a final
examination, the student’s final course work will be calculated based on the
work in the course completed to that point in time and the faculty member’s
considered judgment. Final exams will
not be rescheduled, and a grade of “I” will not be given as a result of the
missed exam