COURSE DESCRIPTION: The concept of generations can be a good starting point for the exploration of American politics.  Generational influence on politics can be viewed from several perspectives such as:  (1) cohort analysis; (2) life development; (3) political socialization, (4) cycles of history; (5) demographic implications; and (6) generational conflict.  This course will use the framework of generational analysis to examine a wide variety of political phenomena in the United States.

Dr. Brett S. Sharp, Assistant Professor graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Ph.D. in Political Science specializing in the areas of American Government, Public Administration, and Public Policy. He is currently the Associate Director of the Oklahoma Policy Research Center at UCO.

Office Hours:   Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00-10:00 AM or Tue/Thurs 5:00-5:45 PM (and by appointment)

E-Mail:  bsharp@ucok.edu

Telephone: (405) 974-5526

Fax: (405) 974-3823

Web Site: http://www.libarts.ucok.edu/political/faculty/sharp

READINGS:

Generations:  The History of America's Future by Strauss & Howe.  This book will be available shortly at the UCO bookstore, or can be ordered directly through Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com for less than $15.00 (ISBN: 0688119123).

Click Here for Barnes & Noble                    Click Here for Amazon.Com

Other Required Readings (on the web):

Halstead, Ted. (August 1999). A Politics for Generation X.  The Atlantic Monthly.

Hochschild, Arlie Russell. (February 2001).  A Generation Without Public Passion.  The Atlantic Monthly.

Kantrowitz, Barbara and Naughton, Keith (November 12, 2001). Generation 9-11.  Newsweek.

Putnam, Robert D. (January 1995).  Bowling Alone:  America's Declining Social Capital.  The Journal of Democracy.

Putnam, Robert D. (December 1, 1996). The Strange Disappearance of Civic America.  The American Prospect.

Seminar on Civic Engagement in America. 100 Things You Can Do To Build Social Capital.

Sharp, Brett S. (1991).  Book Review on Generations and Politics:  A Panel Study of Young Adults and Their Parents by Jennings & Niemi.

Other Recommended Readings and Resources:

Howe, Neil & Strauss, William. (1992 December).  The New Generation Gap.  The Atlantic Monthly.

Lemann, Nicholas. (April 1996). Kicking in Groups.  The Atlantic Monthly.

Peterson, Peter G. (2000, September 18).  Our Graying Budget Priorities.  The New York Times.

Poirier, Richard. (October 1968).  The War Against the Young.  The Atlantic Monthly.

Sirianni, Carmen Sirianni & Friedland, Lewis. Civic Practices Network, Social Capital.

Putnam, Robert D. (2000). Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Touchstone.  [Available at UCO Bookstore, Barnes & Noble, etc.]

TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED

    The Generational Driven Decline of Social Capital

        Strategies for Reversing the Trend

    Generational Alignment in Solving American Public Policy Problems

    Generational Impact on Elected Leaders

    The "Gray Dawn" Scenario

        Alternative Views

    Impact of Terror Attacks on Emerging Generation

GRADING COMPONENTS

    Class Participation                5%

    Group Project                    15%

    Exam                                 50%

    Activity & Report              30%

Class attendance is an important part of succeeding in this class and is expected of all students. Class time provides an opportunity for you to ask questions, clarify issues, and deepen your understanding of the concepts covered in the text. If you are absent, you are responsible for getting any notes, assignments, and schedule changes made during the time you are gone.  If you come in late, you are responsible for seeing that the attendance record is correct. Class attendance may affect marginal grades and will certainly impact the participation grade.

GROUP PRESENTATION

In addition, students will have another opportunity to earn points by participating in an in-class assignment culminating in a group presentation.  For purposes of this exercise, the class will be broken up into 3-4 teams to present their analysis of the assignment. Time in and out of class will be required for the completion of this assignment. Further guidance on this project will be provided during class.  Grades will be based on overall presentation, demonstrated teamwork, content, organization, and creativity.

All students are required to complete an activity within the week following the end of the course.  Read the list of 100 Things You Can Do to Increase Social Capital in the required readings section of this syllabus.  Select one of these activities that you do not normally do on a regular basis and do it sometime during the week following class.  Write up a 2-3 page report in which you outline the details and significance of this activity.  Papers will be graded on activity selection, format, grammar, style, content delivery, analysis, and general quality.  These papers are due back in my office, preferably typewritten and in hard copy.  If that is inconvenient, papers may be e-mailed to the address above but not as attachments.  Put your paper in the text portion of the e-mail message and I will format on this end.

There will be one exam given on Sunday afternoon.  It will be comprised of short answer, and/or multiple choice questions. The exam will be comprehensive. Make up examinations will not be offered except for documented emergencies. Even then, an alternate form of the examination will likely be substituted.

Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Adaptive Needs Coordinator Lori Bright at 974-2549 (AD 211), or see me after class as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

Cheating = Failure (please refer to Academic Integrity Statement below).

As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The Political Science Department expects that its students will conduct themselves honestly. This means, above all, that students submit for credit work that is the product of their own efforts. Principles of academic integrity require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit, and that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable conduct in the course of their academic work.

The examples and definitions given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic honesty and integrity is judged. The list is merely illustrative of some of the more common infractions. It is not intended to be exhaustive. Any question a student has about what constitutes inappropriate behavior should be directed towards their instructor. The rule of thumb to follow is: If in doubt, ASK!

Definitions and Examples

Plagiarism - Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism includes not only the exact use of another’s words, word for word, but also the paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly, or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility. In case of doubt, give a citation of the author you are using. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one's reliance on other sources is plagiarism. A plagiarized paper will result in a failing grade on the work in question, and perhaps, for the entire course.

Cheating on Examinations - Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help include the use of notes, texts, or "crib sheets" during an examination (unless receiving instructor approval), or sharing information with another student either during or after an examination.

Falsification - It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or to fabricate information in an academic exercise or assignment (e.g. false or misleading citation of sources, the falsification of the results of experiments or of computer data).

Multiple Submissions - It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the instructor to whom the material is being submitted the second time.

Please continue checking this website for announcements, updates, and links to additional resources.