The Irony and End of Democracy: POLS 2305.92L Fall 2017 U.S. Federal Government and Politics Online Class Jenny Bryson Clark Office Hours: By appointment Office Ph: (956) 872-3510 E-mail: Jennifer.clark@utrgv.edu or bryson06@gmail.com Text: We the People: An Introduction to American Politics (Any Full Edition). Benjamin Ginsberg, Theodore J. Lowi, Margaret Weir, Caroline J. Tolbert, Robert J. Spitzer.
Course Description Almost nine months into the Trump administration this is an especially important time to learn about American/federal politics and policy. This course will introduce you to ideas about institutional structures, political actors and constitutional debates in American/federal government and politics. We will examine the historical framework; connect the three branches of government to contemporary politics and elections. Explore the role of race and gender and critique the American constitutional system through comparative politics, and examine the role the U.S. plays on the international stage. Course Outline (Supplemental reading assignments are subject to change. (Dates are to be used as a guide). Supplementary readings and links to films (when available) are embedded in blackboard The Ideal of Democracy Freedom versus Order, Do we have a Democracy? (week 1 and 2) (Read Ch. 1) 1. Government and the individual in a democracy a. Freedom versus order The War on Terror (watch the Road to Guantanamo) b. Life without government the pros and cons of anarchism 2. The theory of democratic government the nature of man a. The contribution of Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau 3. Types of political systems Ideologies in the 20 th century a. Fascism/Nazism Super patriotism the effects of 9/11 b. Communism in the 20 th Century totalitarian systems Watch The Road to Guantanamo Types of Economic Systems c. Authoritarian and Democratic Socialism d. Capitalism and Democracy (watch Michael Moore s Sicko or Capitalism a Love Story) 4. Theories of power - oligarchic plutocracy or democracy the rise of the corporate state Political Compass assignment due The Emergence of the American Political Tradition (week 3) (read Ch.2) The problem of constitutionalism and the problem of self-government with justice 1. The Mayflower Compact 2. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut 3. The Massachusetts Body of Liberties 4. The Virginia Declaration of Rights The Revolutionary Spirit and the Road to Independence Tom Paine and Common Sense Read part of an adaptation of Howard Fast s Citizen Tom Paine A Constitution for the Few-(week 4) (read Ch.2 and the Federalist Papers (embedded in Bb) 1. The Articles of Confederation 2. The Philadelphia Convention a. The major issues and compromises b. The propertyless majority versus the propertied minority c. Charles Beard s theory, and the views of the Anti-Federalists. Ratifying the Constitution The Federalist Papers 1. Publius and the problem of self-government with justice a. The problem of majority tyranny
b. The problem of fragmentation and paralysis 2. Publius and the problem of constitutionalism 3. Organization of the Constitution, procedures for amending the Constitution 4. Interpreting the Constitution Essay 1 due The Three Branches of Government The Judiciary How Fair is Our Judicial System? (week 5) (read Ch. 12,13, 15_ 1. Selection and make-up of the federal judiciary (read Ch.15) 2. The gendering of the Highest Court in the land 3. Constitutional interpretation & judicial review 4. Judicial activism and judicial restraint, pros and cons A Congress for Money (Read Ch. 12) 1. America s divided government vs. Britain s parliamentary system 2. The power struggle between the president and Congress The President (week 6) (readings in Bb and Ch.13) 1. What do we look for in a president? Donald Trump versus Hilary Clinton 2. The growth of presidential power - prerogative power, executive agreements and executive privilege 3. The U.S. President as leader of the free world 4. The Power Struggle between Congress and POTUS The Bill of Rights (Week 7&8) (Read Ch. 4) 1. Civil Liberties and the First Amendment a. Freedom of expression why is freedom of expression so valuable? Symbolic speech, obscenity and pornography, political satire and Charlie Hebdo b. The Establishment Clause why is religious freedom valuable? c. The Free Exercise Clause when can states regulate religious behavior? (Oregon v. Smith (1990)) 2. Due Process the rights of criminal defendants no knock searches Hudson v. Michigan (2006) 3. The death penalty - Is the death penalty cruel and unusual punishment? Roper v. Simmons (2005), and Atkins v Virginia (2002) 4. Gun control (watch Bowling for Columbine) 5. The erosion of our Civil Liberties Circumventing the First Amendment 6. The evolution of the U.S. Patriot Act extraordinary rendition - Silencing Political Dissent and the torture question, Rasul v. Bush, (2004) Essay 2 due Equality and Civil Rights (week 9&10)( read Ch. 5) 1. Segregation & the Constitution 2. Civil Disobedience (read - Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail) 3. Black Nationalism to Black lives Matter 4. Affirmative Action - reverse discrimination or not? 5. Gender equality - women in the 19 th century (read - The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions). 6. The Equal Rights Amendment, comparable worth. Reverse discrimination gone too far - Should Hooter s be forced to allow men to work as servers?
6. International gender equality comparison - women in Afghanistan, female circumcision, honor killings. 7. Modern day slavery - Trafficking in persons Political Participation: Voting, Campaigns and Elections (week 11) Read (Ch. 8 & 10) 1. Unconventional participation 2. Voter restrictions - Should non-citizens be allowed to vote? 3. Elections The Greatest Show on Earth money and campaigning Citizens United 4. How do Facebook, Twitter and other social networks change campaigning? 5. The primaries, conventions and debates 6. Manipulating the vote - A case study of Florida 2000 Ohio 2004, 2016. Political Parties and Interest Groups (week 12) (Ch. 9 & 11) 1. The two party monopoly Demopublicans and Republicrats 2. Proportional representation making every vote count (case study of Israel and Germany) 3. Third parties in the U.S. 4. The Responsible party model 5. Different types of interest groups & strategies 6. Criticisms of interest groups - Do interest groups give policy an upper class bias? 8. The implications of Citizens United: Corporate hi-jacking or freedom of expression Essay 3 due The Media (week 13) (Ch. 7) 1. Media power the propaganda machine 2. Manufacturing Consent the political economy of the mass media 3. How free are the media? Filters the owners, advertisers, sources and flak 4. The ideological monopoly- following the official line 5. The agenda setting media the media's impact on government policy 6. An analysis of The Media in a Time of War 7. An analysis of The Revolution will not be televised (optional) 8. Social media as a news source Global/foreign policy (week 14 and 15) (Ch. 18) 1. Historical formation of U.S. foreign policy isolationism to the World s Policeman 2. The power of foreign aid a subtle invasion of sovereignty 3. The Post Cold War Era and USFP 4. The War Against Drugs U.S. Foreign aid and Colombia 5. The War Against Terrorism - an analysis of USFP and what led to September 11 (read Chalmers Johnson, Blowback) 6. Jihad versus McWorld (Read - Benjamin Barber, Jihad versus McWorld) 7. The Global Political Economy - Globalization and multinational corporations 8. NAFTA/FTAA & the WTO - Corporate rule and the end of Democracy Essay 4 due
Course Requirements and Grading: The final grade will be determined by the following: Political Compass quiz and essay - 15% Essay 1 10% Essay 2 10% Abstract and annotated bibliography 10% Research Paper 25% Political Cartoon or Slavery footprint quiz and essay 10% Essay 3 10% Essay 4 10% The class has several different requirements, each of which contributes only a small percentage of the final grade. The reasoning behind this is to try and minimize stress, to keep workloads manageable. The Political Compass, Slavery Footprint or the political cartoon are designed to promote critical thinking. Essay 1-4 will consist of time-released essay questions, in which students will have the opportunity to analyze, and organize their thoughts into 3-4 page essays based on the coursework. Students are required to write a guided policy research paper. There are two stages to this assignment and two separate grades. Stage one the abstract and annotated bibliography, stage two the actual research paper (instructions can be found in the modules in BB). On line Class Requirements Students must meet all class requirements. It is strongly recommended to make a habit of checking into BB on a weekly basis. Read the materials it is the student s responsibility to read the materials Personal Responsibility We are all responsible for our performance; reading the material and participating in our education otherwise it is a meritocracy! There will be opportunities for extra credit assignments, attending lectures, participating in political forums etc., during the semester. These activities will be announced during the semester. Also, see extra credit readings at the end of the syllabus. The following is required to be included in all syllabi. Learning Objectives/Outcomes for the Course The course is designed to develop and document content knowledge in 5 areas: 1. To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the separation of powers as described in the U.S. constitution; 2. To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Congress and its institutions; 3. To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the Presidency and the workings of federal agencies; 4. To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the federal judicial system; and, 5. To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the processes by which federal domestic policy are made and executed. Learning Objectives for Core Curriculum Requirements
This course fulfills a core area requirement in Government/Political Science: (i) Courses in this category focus on consideration of the Constitution of the United States and the constitutions of the states, with special emphasis on that of Texas. (ii) Courses in this area involve the analysis of governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and their political and philosophical foundations. (iii) The following four core objectives must be addressed in each course approved to fulfill this category requirement: Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, Personal Responsibility, and Social Responsibility. The core objectives are defined as: Critical Thinking Students will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of written texts and other information sources by analyzing and evaluating the logic, validity, and relevance of the information in them to solve challenging problems, to arrive at well-reasoned conclusions, and to develop and explore new questions. Communication Skills Students will demonstrate the ability to adapt their communications to a particular context, audience, and purpose using language, genre conventions, and sources appropriate to a specific discipline and/or communication task. Personal Responsibility Students will demonstrate an awareness of the range of human values and beliefs that they draw upon to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making. Social Responsibility Students will recognize and describe cultural diversity, the role of civic engagement in society, and the link between ethics and behavior.
Extra Credit Reading List Super Patriotism, Michael Parenti 23 Things they don t tell you about Capitalism Ha Joon Chang Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By in America, Barbara Ehrenreich Slander, Ann Coulter The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, Naomi Klein The Beast, Living and Dying in Central America, Oscar Martinez Living and Dying in Central America, Oscar Martinez Guantanamo Diary, Memoirs of Mohamedou Ould Slahi Drug War Capitalism, Dawn Paley Cartoons courtesy of Mark Wuerker