Bob Turner                                                                   bturner@skidmore.edu

315 Ladd                                                                     http://www.skidmore.edu/~bturner

Office Hours MW 1:20-3, by appointment

  or if my door is open

Introduction to American Government

Government 101

Fall 2008

 

This course is an introduction to the foundations and workings of the American political system. The main focus of the course is on the institutions and activities of the national government. The assignments and lectures in this course are designed to enhance your ability to think critically about politics, political choices, political institutions, and public policies. The course covers four main topics: the foundation of American politics, citizen participation in the political process, political institutions, and public policy.

 

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this class, students should understand:
  1. the theoretical and practical considerations that inspired the founding of the American political system and how they help and hinder democratic government;
  2. the causes and consequences of different forms of political participation;
  3. the structures and activities of Congress, the Presidency, and the Judiciary;
  4. the extent and causes of economic inequality in the United States;
  5. how individuals and groups can influence American politics;
  6. how political scientists make empirical and normative arguments.
 

Requirements

The grades for the course will be based on first midterm (15%), second midterm (25%), a short research paper (30%), and a final exam (30%).  Class participation will be taken into account for borderline grades.  As befitting your status at one of the “New Ivies” (US News and World Report 2006), I have high expectations of student performance. 

 

Course Absences

            A well functioning class that promotes learning requires good attendance. Students should inform me prior to class if they must miss class on a specific day.  You are allowed two personal days (absences), after that I will deduct 2.5% from your final grade.  For example, you receive a 90% as your final grade, but have missed four classes; your final grade is an 85%. 

 

Books and Readings

  1. Morris Fiorina and Paul Peterson The New American Democracy
  2. Bruce Miroff, Debating Democracy:  A Reader in American Politics.
  3. Fiorina, Abrams, and Pope, Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America
  4. ** indicates readings are in class reader
  5. Subscribe to ABC News The Note; go to http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/, click on Sign Up for The Note and enter the relevant information.  It provides a daily update with links to all the important politics news stories from around the web.  Read the New York Times every day.

 

You should complete the assigned reading before the topic is discussed in lecture.  Class discussions will use current events, the readings, and web assignments as a point of departure. 


September 3  Introduction—“Is there a new American Democracy”

Fiorina, Chapter 1

Miroff, Introduction p. 1-13

 

SECTION I.  THE FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

September 5 Creating the Constitution

Fiorina, Chapter 2 The U.S. Constitution

Web Assignment #1, Constitutional Scavenger Hunt

 

Sep 8 Federalists vs. the Anti-Federalists:  Debating the Constitution

Mock Constitutional Debate: Federalists vs. the Anti-federalists

James Madison, The Federalist, Nos. 51. Fiorina -Appendix A

Miroff, Chapter 1, The Founding  

James Madison, Federalist No. 10

Brutus, Anti-Federalist Papers, 18 October 1787

 

Sep 10 Interpreting the Constitution

            **Charles Beard, An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution, p. 68-70

**John Roche, A Reform Caucus in Action, p. 70-74

**Martin Diamond, A Reconsideration of the Framers Intent, p 74-78

 

Sep 12  Federalism in Theory

            Fiorina, Chapter 3

 

Sep 15 Federalism in Practice: Laboratories of Democracy or a Race to the Bottom?

            Miroff Chapter 3 The New Federalism

            Eggers and O’Leary, Beyond the Beltway

                        Donahue, The Devil in Devolution

 

Sep 17  What is the role of the market in a democracy?

            Miroff Chapter 5, How Democratic is the Free Market Economy?

            Friedman, Capitalism and Friedman

                        Bowles and Edwards, The Market Erodes Democratic Government

 

Sep 19  What is the role of a citizen in a democracy?

            Miroff Chapter 2 Democracy:  Overrated or Undervalued

           Mueller, Democracy’s Romantic Myths

                     Loeb, The Active Citizen

 

Sep 22 American Political Culture

            Fiorina Chapter 4

 

Sep 24  Immigration and American Political Culture

Miroff, Chapter 4 Immigration: Good or Bad for American Democracy?
            Ben Wattenberg, Immigration Is Good
            Newt Gingrich, Patriotic Immigration

Web Assignment #2  What Makes Us American?

 

Sept 26  FIRST MIDTERM

 

Section II.  POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

Sep 29   Public Opinion

            Fiorina, Chapter 5

 

Oct 1  Does the Public Have Opinions Worth Listening To?

            **Robert Nisbet, Public Opinion Versus Popular Opinion

            **Benjamin Page and Robert Shapiro, Public Opinion Is a Wise Judge

           

October 3 Media 

Fiorina, Chapter 5

 

October 6 Can the Internet Reduce Media Bias?

Miroff, Chapter 9 The New Media: Corporate Wasteland or Democratic Frontier?

Cass Sunstein, The Daily We

Robert McChesney, The Power of Producers

Peruse political blogs- http://www.skidmore.edu/~bturner/my_favorites.htm

 

October 8 Citizen Participation

Fiorina, Chapter 6

 

Oct 10  A Crisis in Civic Engagement?

Miroff Chapter 4:  Civil Society:  Does America Face a Crisis in Civic Engagement

Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone

Galston and Levine, America’s Civic Condition

 

Oct 13 Interest Groups

Fiorina, Chapter 8

 

Oct 15 Are Special Interests in Washington a Problem?

            Review Madison, Federalist #10

**John Moore, "The Grapes of Wrath"

**Cigler and Loomis, From Big Bird to Bill Gates, Organized Interests and the Emergence of Hyperpolitics

 

October 17  Political Parties 

            Fiorina, Chapter 8

 

October 20 and 22 Political Parties:  Party Realignment

            Judis and Texeira, The Emerging Democratic Majority

***Ch 1, The Rise and Fall of the Conservative Republican Majority, 11-37

***Ch 4, The Politics of the Emerging Democratic Majority, 117-143

 

October 24  Study Day

 

October 27 and 29  Is  There A Culture War in America?

            Fiorina, Culture War?  The Myth of a Polarized America

            Take Slate’s Red vs. Blue Quiz- http://slate.msn.com/Features/040712_RedBlueQuiz/quiz.html#

 

October 31, SECOND MIDTERM  Trick or Treat

 

SECTION III  POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS

Congress: The First Branch of Government

November 3  Getting Elected

**Reader Article on congressional elections

 

November 4  Election Day-  VOTE – Undecided?  

Try http://abcnews.go.com/politics/MatchoMatic/fullpage?id=5542139

 

November 5 Congress as a Representative Institution

** David Mayhew, Congress The Electoral Connection, p. 272-281

            Web Assignment #3 Congress as a Representative Institution due

 

November 7 Congress as a Lawmaking Institution

Miroff Chapter 13 Congress: Can It Serve the Public Good?

Mayer and Canon, Congressional Individualism and the Collective Dilemma

Barbara Sinclair, Political Parties in the House Today

**  Barbara Sinclair, Party Leaders and the New Legislative Process

 

The President: From Chief Clerk to Chief Executive

November 10-12 Choosing the President

            ** Reader articles

**Susan Page, “ Bush policies follow politics of states needed in 2004,”  USA TODAY

**Arthur Schlesinger Jr., "Not the People's Choice", The American Prospect, Mar 25, 2002.

 

November 14 Presidency, Powers and Practice 

            Fiorina, Chapter 10

            Web Assignment #4 

 

Nov 17  Presidency, Powers and Practice 

Miroff:  Chapter 14 The Presidency

     Fred I. Greenstein, Lessons from the Modern Presidency

                 Stephen Skowronek, The Changing Political Structures of Presidential Leadership

 

The Courts, The Least Dangerous Branch?

November 19 The Supreme Court 

Fiorina, Chapter 12

** Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist, No. 78

 

November 21 The Judiciary: What Should Its Role Be in a Democracy?

Miroff, Ch 15  The Judiciary: How Should It Interpret Our Constitution?

Antonin Scalia, Textualism and the Constitution
Stephen Breyer, Active Liberty and the Constitution

November 24 The Judiciary

** Rosenberg, The Supreme Court and the Implementation of the Abortion Decisions

SECTION IV ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND PUBLIC POLICY IN AMERICA

Dec 3  Economic Inequality: A Threat to Democracy?

Miroff, Ch 16

   W. Michael Cox and Richard Alm, Myths of Rich and Poor

   Paul Krugman, The Disappearing Middle

 

December 5, Economic Inequality and Public Policy

**Larry Bartels, Homer Gets a Tax Cut, Inequality and Public Policy in the American Mind

 

December 8, Economic Inequality and Public Policy

**Hacker and Pierson, Abandoning the Middle, The Bush Tax Cuts and the Limits of Democratic Control 

 

December 10  Conclusion

 

December 16 Final Exam 6-9pm, Ladd 307