This course covers the history of American politics, starting with the colonial period and emphasizing the years from the Civil War era to the present. It focuses on broad questions and themes which relate to the past and present and American government and politics. These include
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the development of federalism, and the changing roles of local, state and national governments |
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the activities, structures, and values associated with political parties |
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the various forms of political participation, from the expansion of suffrage to the influence of interest groups |
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how political leadership has changed and stayed the same over 250 years |
The purpose of this course is to provide a basic narrative and analytical structure for understanding American political history. This requires some attention to the social, economic, and cultural forces which generated American political life, but those topics are mentioned only as they connect directly with politics. The course has no prerequisites, and students with no college-level background in American history or politics may enroll, however students who have already taken courses in history or political science will also find the comparative and analytical approach valuable.
Required Reading
(In past semesters I have used the following books)
A. James Reichley. The Life of the Parties: A History of American Political
Parties.
James L. Sundquist. Dynamics of the Party System : Alignment and Realignment
of
Political Parties in the United States.
John A. Thompson. Woodrow Wilson .
Michael Schaller and George Rising. The Republican Ascendancy: American
Politics,
1968-2001.
Grades
midterm exam 30%
final exam 30%
projects 20%
video reviews 10%
class participation 10%
Exams
A midterm and a final, both broadly-focused essay exams.
Projects
Designed to help students understand how historians "do" history, these projects involve the use of historical materials (many of which are available online) and writing a 6-7 page paper. This may deal with various subjects, including party platforms, elections, or political groups.
Videos
Students watch and discuss in class several videos. They also and write brief synopses of the videos.
Class Participation
One aim of this class is to encourage discussion and questions about political history. Participation requires attendance, and I will use various means to gauge your attendance, including brief in-class writing assignments. If you miss more than three classes, I will take notice - more than five and your grade will be lowered.
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