POL 190B: Democratic Theory Spring 2017 Room: Shiffman Humanities Ctr 125 W, 2:00 4:50 PM

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1 POL 190B: Democratic Theory Spring 2017 Room: Shiffman Humanities Ctr 125 W, 2:00 4:50 PM Professor Jeffrey Lenowitz Olin-Sang 206 Office Hours: Thursday 3:30-5 [by appointment] Course Description: This course focuses on the theory, concept, and practice of democracy. What is democracy? What are its basic principles and the chief institutional means through which democracies make decisions? What are its strengths? How do we evaluate the quality of democratic outcomes and is this even important? How does representative government fit into the concept of democracy? At the same time, this course will also interrogate powerful critiques of democracy that have existed since its inception, including worries related to tyrannical majorities, the lack of a common good, the ignorance of the masses, and the endangerment of individual liberty. In the end, students will hopefully come away from the course with a greater appreciation and knowledge of the rich theories of democracy that have evolved over the last two and a half millennia, and the continual challenges that humans face trying to articulate, justify, and implement the best form of this particular system of political order. Objectives & Learning Goals The goals of this course are many. Four of them are as follows: 1. To become acquainted with and gain general competence in the key normative problems, concepts, and questions in democratic theory. 2. To further develop and sharpen the ability to think critically in an analytically rigorous way, and to give articulate expression of this thinking through both oral communication and written work. 3. To give you the tools to become more active, knowledgeable, and critical democratic citizens; to shake up how you conceptualize and understand the rights and liberties you hold. 4. To develop the capacity to focus on and listen to presentations and discussion, to contribute actively and productively to the latter, to digest main points immediately, and to effectively take hand-written notes that synthesize class content. 1

2 Requirements and Grading: Attendance is mandatory unless accompanied by a legitimate explanation given ahead of time. However, attendance is not enough. Students are expected to complete all assigned readings in accordance with the class schedule and to be prepared to discuss them in depth. This course involves some lecture but is mostly based around vigorous discussion. This means doing the reading before class is absolutely necessary. Note that this is Four-Credit Course with three hours of class-time per week. This means that success is based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for class (readings, papers, exam preparation, etc.). The breakdown of the grading for undergraduates is as follows: Participation, 20% [attendance, classroom participation, online reading comments] Presentation, 10% [prepare 20 minutes of material and a handout] Take-home midterm, 20% Short Paper, 20% [ words] Final Paper, 30% [ words] Graduate students will write one long paper (20 30 pages) instead of the midterm and papers. * Please note that if you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately. Academic Integrity: All students are expected to be familiar with and to follow the University s policies on academic integrity (see Faculty may refer any suspected instances of alleged dishonesty to the Office of Student Development and Conduct. Instances of academic dishonesty may result in sanctions including but not limited to, failing grades being issued, educational programs, and other consequences. Technology Policy: 2

3 No phones, tablets, smart watches, recording devices, or computers should be in use during the class. Checking either of them will result in a reduced participation grade. However, if there are exceptional circumstances that require you to use a computer, come talk to me and we can see about the possibility of an exception. Late Assignment Policy: Late assignments, defined as any assignment turned in more than 15 minutes after the deadline with prior notification, will be downgraded one grade step (i.e. a B+ would automatically become a B). After this, a further grade step will be lost for every day that an assignment is late. For example, a B paper due on Friday but handed in on Monday will receive a C-. Papers submitted more than four days after the due date will not be accepted. Texts Available for Purchase: The following books should be purchased. All other readings will be available via Latte or through a course packet. Dahl, Robert A. Democracy and Its Critics. New Haven: Yale University Press, Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Basic Political Writings. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Class Schedule 1. Introduction (January 18) ORIGINS & FUNDAMENTALS Bobbio, Norberto. Democracy and Dictatorship. Translated by Peter Kenned. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, Chapter 4. Herodutus. The Histories. Book 3, Chapter [in-class] Thucydides. The Peloponnesian War. Book 2, Chapter [in-class] 2. Athenian Democracy (January 25) Ober, Josiah. Classical Athenian Democracy and Democracy Today. Athenian Legacies: Essays on the Politics of Going Together. Princeton: Princeton University Press,

4 Aristotle. Politics. Book III.1, 6-13; IV.3-4, 9 Dahl, Robert A. Democracy and Its Critics. Chapter 1 3. Republican Alternatives & Rousseau (February 1) Cicero. On Duties. Sections Dahl, Robert A. Democracy and Its Critics. Chapter 2. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract. I.1, 6-7; II.1-4, 6; IV Representative Democracy (February 8) Madison, James. Federalist 10. Mill, John Stewart. Considerations on Representative Government. Chapter 5, 8 Douglas, Frederick. Claims of our Common Cause: Address of the Colored Convention Held in Rochester, July 6-8, Shklar, Judith. American Citizenship: The Quest for Inclusion. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, Chapter 1. [OPTIONAL] 5. Aristocratic Representation & Majority Rule (February 15) Manin, Bernard. The Principles of Representative Government. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Chapter 4. Dahl, Robert A. Democracy and Its Critics. Chapter 10. Schwartzberg, Melissa. Counting the Many: The Origins and Limits of Supermajority Rule. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Chapter 5. Short Paper Due March 2 6. Tyranny of the Majority (March 8) CRITICS & CRITICISM 4

5 Constant, Benjamin. The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with that of the Moderns. Benjamin Constant: Political Writings. Translated and Edited by Biancamaria Fontana. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Constant, Benjamin. Principles of Politics Applicable to All Governments. Translated by Dennis O Keefe. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, Tocqueville. Democracy in America. Translated by Arthur Goldhammer. New York: Library of America, Volume I: Authors Introduction; Part II Possible Protections Against Tyranny (March 15) Rehfeld, Andrew. The Concept of Constituency. New York: Cambridge University Press, Chapter 9. McCormick, John. Machiavellian Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Chapter 7. MIDTERM DUE 8. Minimalist Critique; Guardianship (March 22) Downs, Anthony. An Economic Theory of Political Action in Democracy. Journal of Political Economy 65:2 (1957): Schumpeter, Joseph A. Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. New York: Harper Collins, Chapter 10. Garvey, Marcus. Governing the Ideal State. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. New York: Routledge, Dahl, Robert A. Democracy and Its Critics. Chapter 4 Selection from Plato s Republic. MODELS OF DEMOCRACY 9. Minimalism & Proceduralism (March 29) Przeworski, Adam. A Minimalist Conception of Democracy: A Defense. Democracy s Value. Edited by Ian Shapiro and Casiano Hacker-Cordon. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,

6 Schumpeter, Joseph A. Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. New York: Harper Collins, Chapter 11. Dahl, Robert A. Democracy and Its Critics. Chapters 6-8. [skim 7 if pressed for time] 10. Deliberative Democracy (April 5) Gutmann, Amy and Dennis Thompson. Why Deliberative Democracy? Princeton: Princeton University Press, Habermas, Jurgen. Three Normative Models of Democracy. Democracy and Difference. Edited by Seyla Benhabib. Princeton: Princeton University Press, Elster, Jon. The Market and the Forum: Three Varieties of Political Theory. Deliberative Democracy: Essays on Reason and Politics. Cambridge: MIT Press, More Deliberative Democracy, and Some Criticism (TBD) Ackerman, Bruce and James S. Fishkin. Deliberation Day. Journal of Political Philosophy 10, No. 2 (2002): Sanders, Lynn M. Against Deliberation. Political Theory 25, No. 3 (1997): Sunstein, Cass. The Law of Group Polarization. Journal of Political Philosophy 10:2, CONTEMPORARY ISSUES 12. Book (April 26) To be determined 13. Democracy, in America? (May 3) Gilens, Martin and Benjamin I. Page. Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens. Perspectives on Politics 12, No. 3 (2014):

7 Achen, Christopher H. and Larry M. Bartels. Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government. Princeton: Princeton University Press, Chapter 11. Müller, Jan-Werner. The People Must Be Extracted from Within the People : Reflections on Populism. Constellation 21, No. 4 (2014). FINAL PAPER DUE MAY 3 7