Cleveland State University Department of Political Science

Transcription

1 Cleveland State University Department of Political Science PSC 317 Political Parties and Elections Dr. Joel Lieske Fall 2013 Office: RT 1751 MC 307A 2-3:15 pm Phone: (216) Hours: T-Th 4-5 pm & by appointment Course Description This is an upper-division course in political parties and elections. It covers such topics as: political culture and democracy, critical elections in American politics, turnout and voting patterns, the linkage between political parties and interest groups, partisan realignment, public opinion and ideology, political communications and the mass media, elections and campaigns, presidential and congressional voting behavior, partisan control of government, trends in public policy, and the future of American politics. This course is intended to provide: (1) a broad understanding of the crucial role that political parties and elections play in our democratic system, (2) a practical knowledge of American politics, (3) a basic understanding of the assumptions and evidence that undergird different theories of American democracy and voting behavior; and (4) the opportunity to conduct independent research on electoral politics. This course assumes completion of PSC 111 (American Government) or its equivalent. But since it tends to attract students from a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds, I do not want to exclude, a priori, non-majors with particular interests and needs. In any event, if this is your first course in political science and you have any concerns, please let me know. Course Responsibilities Class members are expected to read the required assignments in the syllabus prior to the meeting for which they have been assigned and come to class prepared for discussion. The written assignments include two midterm examinations, a state election report on the 2016 presidential and congressional elections, and a final examination. In addition, students are expected to make a short PowerPoint presentation (no longer than 7-10 minutes) that summarizes the major findings and conclusions of their state election report and send the instructor a copy. Guidelines for the report and a list of the states that have gone Democratic one of more times since 1996 are provided at the end of this syllabus. You will be able to pick a state from this list for your report based on the results of a class lottery that will be conducted on September 6 th. Grades The midterm examinations will each count 20 percent of the final grade. The state election report will count another 20 percent. The oral report will count for 5 percent. The final examination will county another 25 percent. Class attendance will count a final 10 percent of your grade.. Your final grade will be determined by where you fall on the following grade distribution: 1

2 A 94+ A B B B C C C D F <50 University grading policies require instructors to attach minuses and pluses in the A to C range. After that, only whole letter grades are recorded. You can earn extra credit by participating in class discussions. Sustained class participation can raise your grade by as much as one letter. Texts Two books have been designated as course texts: (1) Marjorie Randon Hershey, Party Politics in America, 17th edition, 2017 [Hershey] (2) John Aldrich, Jamie Carson, Brad Gomez, and David Rohde, Continuity and Change in the 2016 Elections, 2019 [Aldrich] These are available at the book store. In addition, you may find the following supplementary materials helpful for your state election report: (3) This is a link that was put together for Political Science by Librarian Fran Mentch. She is happy to meet with students individually to help with their research. Just click her Schedule Appointment button to set up a time. (4) Larry Sabato, Kyle Kondik, and Geofrey (eds.) Trumped: The 2016 Election That Broke All the Rules, 013. This is probably the best edited collection of essays on the 2016 presidential election. (5) Michael Nelson (ed), The Elections of 2016, This is another excellent collection of +essays on the 2016 elections. (6) Elizabeth Theiss-Moore, Michael Wagner, William Flanigan, and Nancy Zingale, Political Behavior of the American Electorate, 14 th edition. This is an excellent review and summary of American voting behavior. (7) Virginia Gray, Russell Hanson, and Thad Kousser, eds. Politics in the American States, 11 th edition, This contains a wealth of information on the political processes, governmental institutions, and public policies of the American states. It also includes a black and white map of America s changing regional subcultures that is based on a cultural classification of all U. S. counties by the instructor. (8) Thomas Dye and Susan MacManus, Politics in States and Communities, 15 th edition, This is the leading text on American state government and politics. It includes my color- 2

3 coded map of America s changing regional subcultures and a short section I helped write on American political culture. But it is not necessary to buy the last six books. Finally, I recommend the Prentice Hall Reference Guide by Muriel Harris for any questions regarding mechanics, usage, grammar, and style. Plagiarism Plagiarism can be defined as the improper citation of reference materials. You can use an author's words verbatim as long as you put them in quotation marks and attribute the source of your information. If you paraphrase an author's ideas, you only need to cite the source. But if you lift entire passages or sentences from a source without giving due credit, you may be guilty of plagiarism. To help you guard against this common pitfall, I have established a class account with At the end of this syllabus is an attachment that explains the procedures you need to follow in submitting your work electronically. The class number is " ". The class password is "Diogenes". In addition to the hard copy of your term paper that I receive, you are required to submit an electronic copy to this web site. Since you have been granted access to the originality reports, you can see the percentage of all words that have been drawn from other sources as well as a breakdown of the percentage that is drawn from each source. This information should help you to insure the integrity of your written work. It should also act as an incentive to keep the amount of quoted remarks to a bare minimum. You should keep running these checks until you turn in your completed type-written paper. COURSE OUTLINE Date August 28 August 30 Topic and Assigned Readings Overview of the Course: Parties, Elections, and the American Democratic Experiment No Class: Get ahead on your readings. I. PARTIES AND PARTY SYSTEMS September 4 A. Political Parties Hershey, xxiii-29. B. The American Two-Party System Hershey, II. THE POLITICAL PARTY AS AN ORGANIZATION September 6 A. The State and Local Party Organizations Hershey, Class lottery to pick a state for an election report. You are required to select a state from the list at the end of the syllabus. These are states that have gone Democratic at least once since

4 September 11 B. The Parties National Organizations Hershey, C. Party Activists Hershey, III. THE POLITICAL PARTY IN THE ELECTORATE September 13 A. Party Identification Hershey, September 18 B. Party Coalitions and Party Change Hershey, C. Parties and Voter Turnout Hershey, IV. PARTIES, NOMINATIONS, AND ELECTIONS September 20 A. How Parties Choose Candidates Hershey, September 25 B. Choosing the Presidential Nominees Hershey, , C. The General Election Hershey, September 27 D. Financing the Campaigns Hershey, V. THE PARTY IN GOVERNMENT October 2 A. Parties in Congress and State Legislatures Hershey, B. The Party in the Executive and the Courts. Hershey, October 4 C. The Semi-Responsible Parties 4

5 Hershey, D. The Place of Parties in American Politics Hershey, October 9 October 11 No Class: Columbus Day (a.k.a. Indigenous Peoples Day) First Examination VI. THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION October 16 A. Introduction and the Nomination Struggle Aldrich, October 18 B. The General Election Campaign Aldrich, October 23 C. The Election Results Aldrich, VII. VOTING BEHAVIOR IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION October 25 A. Who Voted? Aldrich, October 30 B. Social Forces and the Vote Aldrich, November 1 C. Candidates, Issues, and thevote Aldrich, November 6 D. Party Loyalties, Policy Preferences, and the Vote Aldrich, November 8 E. Congressional Candidates and Outcomes in 2016 Aldrich, November 13 G. The Congressional Electorate in 2016 Aldrich, November 15 H. The 2016 Elections and the Future of American Politics 5

6 Aldrich, VIII.. November 20 November 22 November 27 STATE ELECTION REPORTS Oral Reports No Class: Happy Thanksgiving! Oral Reports Written State Election Report Due December 4 December 6 December 13 Oral Reports Oral Reports Final Exam: 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm * * * Guidelines for State Election Report Your report should be no longer than eight to ten double-spaced, typewritten pages including references. I prefer scientific formatting, as used in most professional journals, such as the American Political Science Review. Content The report should include the following items: 1. General Introduction and Overview: A sketch of the state=s political history and culture. 2. The Electorate: Profile of the state=s population, its racial-ethnic mix, religious and social make-up, urban-suburban-rural divisions, political subcultures, and partisan trends. 3. State Government and Politics: Discussion of the party system, dominant interest groups, and trends in political participation and voting behavior; size and terms of office for upper and lower houses; party control of legislative, executive, and judicial branches; liberal-conservative patterns in state policies; and recent political developments and institutional reforms. 4. Political Issues and Problems: Discussion of the state=s economic base and any problems of growth or decline that are affecting the state=s economy; the adequacy of funding for traditional state services such as education, welfare, and transportation; the ability of state government to meet the demands for social services and assimilate new immigrant and migrant groups; and growth management issues that are affecting the quality of life and the physical environment. 5. Party and Candidate Campaign Strategies and Tactics: Discussion of the likely House and Senate candidates in the 2018 elections and an analysis of the campaigns that are being launched for elective office. Be sure to include a discussion of uncontested seats. 6

7 6. Likely Outcomes of the 2018 Party Primaries and General Elections for the House and Senate: Discussion of the state s congressional delegation and analysis of the campaigns being waged by the two parties to gain and hold on to House and Senate seats. Data Sources These suggestions are designed to supplement the internet sources that are cited in the course texts. Probably your best and most reliable sources of information are the links that have been provided in the Political Parties and Politics tab of Political Science. To get there, click on the following links: CSU home page Libraries Michael Schwartz Library Research Guides Political Science Websites - Political Parties and Politics. There you will find a number of useful resources. But probably the most useful is the Almanac of American Politics, which is on a two-hour course reserve. Unfortunately, the Library had to end its subscription to the National Journal, which included the Almanac, because of bureaucratic budget cuts. In addition to this source you may want to consult the following. For summary information on state political cultures, I recommend Daniel Elazar=s The American Mosaic and Neal Pierce and Jerry Hagstrom=s The Book of America: Inside 50 States. For most states you can find informative books that discuss their political histories and cultures such as John Fenton=s Midwest Politics. You may also want to read my articles on U. S. regional subcultures in The Journal of Politics and Political Research Quarterly. For background information on state party systems, David Mayhew=s Placing Parties in American Politics is a classic. For state-by-state information on prior elections, you may wish to consult the Election Data Change Book, The Almanac of American Politics, and Dave Leip=s Atlas of U. S. Presidential Elections. Leip=s web site is: For the latest postings on state and national polls, you may want to check periodically with or If you need additional sources, see me or Fran Mentch, our political science librarian. Suggestion Get started on this project at once, and finish it as soon as possible. Do not procrastinate. Begin now. Remember to spend as much time writing your report as you do researching it. Make sure it is free of grammatical and spelling errors. It should be polished and interesting to read. It should also represent your best written work. Good luck. List of States That Have Gone Democratic at Least Once Since 1996 (States with an asterisk are part of the so-called Democratic Blue Wall that voted Democratic in at least four of five elections, ) New England 7

8 Maine* New Hampshire* Vermont* Massachusetts* Connecticut* Rhode Island* Mid-Atlantic New York* Pennsylvania* New Jersey* Border Maryland* Delaware* South Virginia North Carolina Florida Midwest Minnesota* Iowa Wisconsin* Illinois* Michigan* Indiana Ohio Mountain Colorado New Mexico Nevada West Coast Washington* Oregon* California* Hawaii* University Commitment to Students with Disabilities Educational access is the provision of classroom accommodations, auxiliary aids and services to ensure equal educational opportunities for all students regardless of their disability. Any student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should 8

9 contact the Office of Disability Services at (216) The Office is located in MC 147. Accommodations need to be requested in advance and will not be granted retroactively. 9

10