By Stephen Clements, Jun 12, 2009 in Pedagogy and Teaching
Inasmuch as several other blogs revolve around course design questions, I thought I would place one of my own issues on the table for discussion, both in the online forum and at the Institute.
About a year ago I began designing a PS 101 American Politics and Government course that would serve several purposes. First, it would excite students about studying politics, both to entice them into the PS major or minor and to increase the general level of "political literacy" on campus. Second, it would ground their understanding of American politics and government in the founding principles of the framers. And third, it would introduce a course approach that obliged students to read, discuss, and respond to intriguing books and other narrative materials—books that have an authorial voice, that make clear arguments, and that employ different types of evidence, data, and analysis—rather than plow laboriously through 800 page textbooks on the subject. This course would involve lectures, of course, but my role would be as much about helping students digest and understand relevant books as it would be to help structure their thinking about the American political arena.
In a nutshell, here is what I came up with. We spend the first few weeks discussing about two dozen key Federalist Papers entries, along with other early documents including the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution itself. Then we read a book on the presidency (Charles Jones's The American Presidency: A Very Short Introduction), another on Congress (John Hilley's The Challenge of Legislation), and a third book on the judiciary (William Rehnquist's history volume entitled The Supreme Court). We then turn to the Berry/Wilcox book on The Interest Group Society, which deals with organized interests, political parties, and lobbying. And we spend the last few weeks of the course covering sundry topics, including the federal budget (contours, deficits, national debt, looming entitlement explosion) and the red state/blue state political culture divide. I should add, as well, that I try to link all of these readings and topics to current events in politics (this is easier to do, by the way, than I expected).
I am fairly pleased with the results so far after two semesters of offering the course, but recognize there is room for improvement, especially in terms of the constellation of books I use on the three branches of government. I'm looking for volumes available in paperback, that can be relatively inexpensive for students to purchase, that are accessible to 18 and 19 year old college students, and that convey the spirit of work and politics each branch. So I'm constantly prowling for books that meet these criteria.
And I'm also open to a different paradigm for PS 101. But I think I'd like to stick with the goals for the course that I articulated earlier.
3 Responses to "The Elusive Quest for the Perfect PS 101 Course Design..."
Anonymous on Jun 14, 2009
Dear Mr. Clements,
I read your post with interest, as I too have wrestled with this and similar questions. As implied in your first objective, in trying to design a good introduction to American politics course one is confronted with the challenge of introducing and enticing students about the problems of politics and political science. How does one do that?
As I'm sure you are aware, many universities and colleges offer a first year comprehensive introduction to the study of politics. This, however, is an especially difficult challenge for a teacher. How does one introduce the major problems of politics, both ancient and modern political science, the particulars of American government, comparative politics, political philosophy and theory … etc. and all in a one or two semester course?
With similar high ambition, I also try to introduce American politics with the same (or similar) three objectives that you state: entice students into political science for their good and the common good, ground students in the Founders’ achievements and intent, and do all of this using good books. The way I have tried to do all of this is by capitalizing on an image and placing American politics in context.
Of course, like political science, American politics and its context are broad. The 'Federalist Papers' suggest the proposed constitution is an attempt to overcome the problems of republican government and the problems of Ancient politics, notably Athens and Rome. How does one make clear the brilliant solutions of the American Founders? How does one place their achievements in context so that their innovations can be properly recognized by students? Again, how does one introduce both Ancient and Modern political science? And what one image can help with all of that?
Now, one cannot do everything, nor should one even try. Where, however, should one start? In order for a course to make sense, for it to be intelligible, it should be a coherent whole. Perhaps this is especially relevant for political science. Be this as it may, an introductory course should initiate students in the basics of the science as well as some of its heights, scope, and diversity. It must somehow introduce the problems that are addressed by the science and all of this must be done in a clear and comprehensive manner for a freshman audience. What’s a political science teacher to do?
Like you, I think it’s important to try to interest students in the subject. I also think an introduction to political science should serve students whether or not they decide to major in the subject. The course should serve the citizen as well as the potential scientist. I think showing students fundamental political problems as well as the noble attempts to meet these challenges helps to capture student interest in the subject, literature, and science.
Further, I like to give students something clear and concrete they can take home, something easy to grasp, but also something with which they can spend a lifetime trying to wrestle. So regardless of whether it is the last time a student wants to think about political science or if they decide they would like to spend the rest of their life in pursuit of this knowledge, the whole class needs a single helpful image.
Plato’s Socrates (a teacher of world-historical proportions) repeatedly demonstrates (teaches) the benefit of using images to teach. Trying to imitate Socrates is not as hubristic as it may first seem. Machiavelli advises that the prudent man should attempt to follow in the paths beaten by great men. So, to at least smell like a teacher of political science, I use an image and I borrow it from one of the greatest poets in the Western Tradition, Shakespeare’s 'Coriolanus'.
Now before I continue, I need to give credit to the man who taught me this. Prof. Darcy Wudel has an excellent essay called, “Shakespeare’s 'Coriolanus' in the Political Science Classroom” (PS, vol. 35, #2, June 2002, pp. 217-222). Not only is this an exciting interpretation of a great play helping to unravel the play's mystery, Prof. Wudel offers sound practical advice on how this great play is of particular help in introducing political problems, political science, the 'Federalist Papers', as well as Tocqueville.
Suffice it to say, in my experience, Prof. Wudel is right. Besides teaching volumes about politics itself, this play serves as an excellent introduction to American politics. I strongly recommend his essay to you and any other teacher who is looking for a (different) way to introduce American politics. I’ll let Prof. Wudel’s essay speak for itself.
I would only add one further thought. 'Coriolanus' is also very helpful for introducing two ancient political scientists, Plato and Aristotle. 'Coriolanus' works picture-perfectly to conceptualize the political science of the 'Republic', Socrates’ decline of the regimes, the problems and solutions of timocracy, the nature of the mixed regime, how man is a political animal and his nature outside of the city ... etc. 'Coriolanus' makes Aristotle palatable to undergraduates. Students are introduced to Ancient Greece and Rome (essential aspects of a classical education). Students independently recognize how authors throughout the tradition speak to one another and begin to see how our tradition is a tradition (an important aspect of politics to be learned). And, again, the play itself is wonderful on its own. Much more could be said. Let this suggestion, however, suffice to point out how Shakespeare's 'Coriolanus' may serve as the center piece to illustrate an introduction to politics and political science.
This entire suggestion is, admittedly, a “different paradigm” from what you offer. At the end of your post, however, you extend an invitation for this. Hence, this is not offered as a critique. It is offered in the same spirit as your blog and the invitation you extend. It is offered in the spirit of sharing with a fellow traveler, one who aims at the same beloved and “elusive quest”.
Sincerely, Bryan Smith
Carl Scott on Jun 15, 2009
hey Bryan...Carl here! Well, there are so many things we can do in a 101...but my old Fordham colleague Bryan is a fine teacher with a contagious passion, and he's right about Coriolanus being a good option. I have fond memories of seeing a production of Coriolanus with him in NYC. I got the Coriolanus bug from our old Fordham teacher Mary Nichols, who now chairs the Politics dept. at Baylor. Under her direction, a number of her students set up a website called Great Books and Film, and she charged me with organizing a unit on poltical ambition, that memorably compared Coriolanus with the film Patton. The unit also tied in Lincoln's Lyceum address--again, the theme was how republican politics has to deal with political ambition. In a 101 course, I think Wudel is right that the best use of the play is to get students thinking about how dysfunctional republican politics can be without separation of powers, bicameralism, constitutionalism, etc.
Carl Scott on Jun 15, 2009
and Mr. Clements, thanks for the branch-by-branch alternative books to the American government textbook. I'll have to check those out. FYI, I hear that pretty soon an Amer gov text by Joseph Bessette and others will be coming out. That may be the text that breaks the usual mold of these boring beasts...here's hoping.
one thing to remember for this thread: at some schools PS 101 is an 'Intro to Politics" course, at others, it is specifically an Intro to American Politics" course. The former has far more freedom of course design, even if, IMO, it should always contain healthy portions of the Federalist Papers.