Lehrman American Studies Center

As befits the college’s revolutionary-era establishment, this university's Government and Foreign Affairs department emphasizes understanding America’s founding principles and its Constitution. This course, which introduces the principles, structure, and practice of American government, is a prerequisite for many of the department’s other offerings.

• The course has two basic parts. We initially investigate the principles of American government, particularly as they come to light in the founding of the U.S Constitution, and in basic debates about natural rights, majority rule, equality, citizenship, and federalism. This comprises the first two units. In the remaining units, three through eight, we study the three branches that make up the divided-powers structure of the government, as well as the topics of a) elections and parties, and b) U.S. foreign policy. We will do so with a good deal of attention to the historical development of these institutions and practices, but with a greater focus upon their current status.

• Throughout this course, emphasis is placed upon the study of constitutional law cases and other law-focused documents, such as various Federalist Papers. Such readings will be more important than our textbook. While many of them are immediately engaging, it must be said that more than a few of them make for difficult and dry reading, and particularly for students not used to such texts. But this simply reflects the fact that modern political power often turns upon mastery of “the details” wherein the crux (or more negatively, “the devil”) of a matter may be found. Thus, where “the going gets dry” or “where the going gets complicated” is in many cases precisely where those who are politically tough get going. That is, if you want to serve your country or change your world in the most effective manner, if you want to be a “go-to” man in your own community or career field, or even if you simply do not want to be rendered helpless by “lawyer-language” in the conduct of your own affairs, you must acquire the habits of study and the conceptual framework necessary to master such readings. This course will help you begin do so.

 

Texts and Readings:

1. Readings in American Government, 7th ed., David Nichols and Mary Nichols.
2. American Government: Brief Version, 8th ed., James Q. Wilson.
3. Various readings placed on Blackboard.

 

Schedule: (NN=Nichols and Nichols, BL=Blackboard)

Unit One: Founding 1) Th 8/29 Aristocratic v. Lockean Ideas of Government

• BL John Locke, selections, 2nd Treatise on Government
• BL Thomas Jefferson, “Ltr. to Roger Weightman”
• NN88 Thomas Jefferson, “The Natural Aristocracy”
• NN89 Alexis de Tocqueville, selection from Democracy in America

2) Tu 9/2 Declaration of Independence: Natural Rights

• BL John Dickinson, Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer, # 7, w/ intro. by *Forrest McDonald
• BL Alexander Hamilton, “The Farmer Refuted”
• Note: the “Farmer” Hamilton refutes is NOT the Pennsylvannia one!
• NN1 U.S. Declaration of Independence
• NN4 Martin Diamond, “The Revolution of Sober Expectations”
• WILSON, Chap. 1, pp. 9-11

• special written quiz: memorize second and third sentences of the Declaration

3) Th 9/4 Declaration of Independence: Natural Equality & Towhe Idea of a “People”

• NN2 Abraham Lincoln, “The Meaning of the Declaration”
• NN3 Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln, “Exchange on State Sovereignty and the Problem of Majority Rule”
• NN87 Kurt Vonnegut, “Harrison Bergeron”
• BL Herbert Storing, “Slavery and the Moral Foundations of the American Republic”
• BL John Jay, Federalist #2

4) Tu 9/9 Constitution: The Convention

• NN6 “Selections from the Records of the Federal Convention”
• NN7 James Madison, “The Work of the Constitutional Convention”
• NN10 John Adams, “The Role of the Rich and the Poor in the Legislature”
• NN12 Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #11
• NN13 Alexander Hamilton, “The Military in a Commercial Republic” more 9/9…

9/9 continued…

• WILSON, Chap. 2, pp. 12-31
• U.S. CONSTITUTION, Article I—this material not on quiz
• quiz

5) Th 9/11 Constitution: Republicanism and The Problem of Faction

• NN5 Centinel, “The Small Republic Argument”
• NN8 James Madison, Federalist #10
• NN9 James Madison, Federalist #51
• NN16 James Madison, Federalist #39, pp. 66-67
• U.S. CONSTITUTION, Articles II-IV—this material not on quiz

6) Tu 9/16 Constitution: Rights and Constitutionalism

• U.S. CONSTITUTION, Articles V-VII, Amendments 1-10.
• BL Virginia Bill of Rights
• BL Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “State Of Union Address,” skim

pp. 1-6, read in full pp. 7-9 on the “2nd Bill of Rights”

• NN66 Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “The New Goals of Politics”
• NN60 Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, “Exchange on the Binding of Generations”
• NN61 James Madison, Federalist #49
• BL Larry Sabato, “23 Proposals to Revitalize the U.S. Constitution”
• BL interview w/Larry Sabato
• quiz

7) No class Thu 9/18

Unit Two: Federalism and Citizenship

8) Tu, 9/23 Federalism and Civic Engagement

• WILSON 72-92
• BL Derthwick “America’s Federalism”
• NN15 Thomas Jefferson, “On Citizenship”
• NN18 Alexis de Tocqueville, “The Purposes Served by Local Self-Government”
• NN19 Robert Putnam, “Bowling Alone”
• quiz

9) Th 9/25 Constitutional Basis of Federalism

• NN16 James Madison, Federalist #39
• NN17 McCulloch v. Maryland
• NN 57 United States v. Morrison
• paper due for 8:30 section

10) Tu 9/30 Citizenship and the Debate about Slavery

• BL Dred Scott
• BL Speech on the Dred Scott Decision
• BL Douglass—excerpt from Life
• BL Douglass—Is the Constitution Anti-Slavery?

11) Thu 10/2 Civil Rights: Segregation and Voting--Reynolds, Plessy, Brown,

III. ELECTIONS AND PARTIES

12) Tu 10/7 Parties, Electoral College

• WILSON 127-145
• NN 21
• NN 23

13) Th 10/9 Interest Groups, Campaigns, Elections

• WILSON 145-198
• NN 24

14) Tu 10/14 Midterm

IV PRESIDENCY

15) Th 10/16 Introduction

• WILSON 237-269
• NN 38
• quiz—note that it’s on a Thursday

• No class Tu 10/21

16) Th 10/23 Character of the Office

• WILSON 255-269
• NN 39
• NN 40
• NN 41
• NN 42
• Oral Presentation: Why Undecideds Should Vote for Obama

17) Tu 10/28 Powers of the Office

• NN 36 War Powers
• NN 37 Iran Contra
• NN 44
• NN 45
• Oral Presentation: Why Undecideds Should Vote for McCain

18) Th 10/30 Emergency Powers

• NN 46
• NN 47
• WILSON 52-53
• BL Kleinerman?

VI CONGRESS

19) Tu 11/4 Survey

• WILSON, Chap. 9, 200-235
• NN29

20) Th 11/6

• NN30
• NN31
• NN32
• NN34
• NN35
• WILSON, Chap. 15, pp. 360-370; Chap 13 selections?

21) Tu 11/11 Discussion: Why did Senator “X” Win the Presidential Election of 2008?

• Readings to be assigned
• Review: Wilson Chapter on Elections

VII JUDICIARY

22) Th 11/13 NN50

• NN51
• NN52
• NN53 (excerpt from earlier)
• NN54
• WILSON

23) Tu 11/18 WILSON CHAPS 4 and 5

• NN 58 Brennan
• NN 58 Bork and BL Scalia
• BL Roper v. Simmons

24) Thu 11/20

• Heller (or Affirmative Action?)
• BL Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

25) Tu 11/25 Privacy

• Miller?, Griswold, Casey, Lawrence, CA case?
• BL Washington Thanksgiving Day
• 2:30 section paper due date
• Thanksgiving

VIII FOREIGN POLICY

26) 12/2 Tu NN 75 Neutrality Toward France

• NN 76 Madison
• NN 77 Wilson
• WILSON

27) 12/4 Th

• review Hamilton
• NN 78
• BL Nation Security Strategy
• BL Bush-second innagural
• BL Kessler

28) 12/9 Tu NN73 Cropsey?

• NN74 Morgenthau?
• BL Washington Farewell

 

Class Sessions:

• I alternate between periods of more formal lecture, which almost never take up the bulk of the class, and periods in which I employ a more interactive approach. During these latter periods I particularly turn to our readings, especially the non-textbook ones. The quality of these times depends a great deal upon your preparation and participation.

 

Grading:

• Quizzes: 20%
• Midterm: 20%
• Participation: 10%
• Final Exam: 40%
• Paper: 10%
• Note: in determining the final grade, use of “subjective” judgment (i.e., judgment driven by factors that cannot be reflected in point totals) may occur in some cases.

 

Quizzes:

• Formal quizzes, usually multiple choice, are given every Tuesday at the beginning of class. Your lowest two quiz grades will drop out; however, there are NO make-ups. Thus, absent or too-tardy students receive an F for that day’s quiz. Ad-hoc quizzing of individual students will also occur during class time, and will be factored into this grade.

• The primary aim of the quizzes is to make sure you are doing the readings in a timely manner; the way they focus your attention upon factual detail is an added benefit, but one of secondary importance. If a class section consistently demonstrates that 90% or more of the students are doing the reading (by obtaining Bs or better on the quizzes—a C grade generally indicates I have uncertainty about whether you did the reading) I will suspend quizzing for as long as I have the sense that that class remains on top of the readings. If I do so, some grade weight will likely shift towards participation.

 

Participation:

• Good participation means you contribute fairly regularly to the quality of class time. This can occur in a number of ways: giving good responses to my discussion questions, asking myself or one of your peers for clarification when needed, (politely) arguing against myself or one of your peers, asking useful questions, or even refraining from jumping in when others have established a useful line of conversation that you can contribute nothing to. The participation grade can also reflect your demeanor. For example, the always-silent-but-noticeably-attentive student will receive about 70% of the possible points. The always-silent-but-apparently-disengaged student will receive about 50% of the possible points.

• If you are contributing fairly regularly to class sessions in a way that advances our discussion, you will be awarded 90-100% of the points, and need do nothing more. There will be (limited) opportunities for short debate-like oral presentations on Supreme Court cases, which I particularly recommend for students whose temperament keeps them from “jumping into” discussion. There will also be several outside lectures through the Wilson program, attendance at which can help your participation grade.

 

Paper:

• 5-7 page essay; the question options and details regarding expectations are given two weeks before. The definitions of plagiarism given in the Bedford Handbook (available on HSC website) are enforced—if you have any confusion about these, get it cleared up by talking to myself, your rhetoric professor, or the staff in the writing center.

• The essay is due in printed form at the beginning of the respective class. A late paper may be handed in at the next class session, for a 12% deduction. Nothing is accepted later. (As an added mercy, a late paper may be e-mailed me within 24 hours after the due-time for a 6% deduction. Normally, I do not accept e-mailed work. Be aware of the slight risk here: if there are e-mail delivery or document-opening problems on my end or yours, it is as if the paper has not been turned in. If you do e-mail a paper for this 6% deduction, you must also print out a copy and give it to me at the next class session.)

• NOTE--SEPARATE DUE DATES: for the 8:30 section, September 25, for the 10:00 section, October 30, for the 2:30 section, November 25.

 

Midterm, Final, and the Case for Long-Term Preparation:

• The midterm, will be mostly fill-in the blank and short answer, perhaps with one or two short essays. October 14.

• The final exam will be similar, but will also feature a number of short identifications and essays. A number of its detail questions will cover the Constitution. December ****

• The best way to prepare for the final is to outline each reading in such a way so that you reduce it to no more than six key points that a) you could fit on a postcard, and b) utilize to jog your memory about the reading in general.(Do not mistake my meaning--no notes of any kind may be used during the tests.) Good analytic outlining is a difficult skill we will practice this semester—it requires you understand what a reading is as a “whole,” what “parts” constitute its argument, and how it “fits” into the particular unit of the course. If you do this sort of outlining each week, it will improve your comprehension and participation in addition to your performance on the final. Since my lectures are usually aimed at greater comprehension of the readings, good lecture notes will aid you in determining what about a given reading is particularly important, and what themes the course as a whole is emphasizing. In sum, intensive studying for a final-exam is far more effective when you have laid the groundwork for it all semester.

 

Extra Credit:

• There is none. If a deficiency or failure inspires in you a desire to redeem yourself, direct that desire towards excelling on the next quiz or major assignment, and into long-term preparation for the final exam.

 

Attendance:

• You are permitted up to four absences without harming your grade. However, with the exception of certain athletic or special events, designated as such by official policy, there are no excused absences. Thus, an absence occurs even in the case of a major illness or a family emergency; since you could be hit by one of these late in the semester, please do not acquire more than two absences for minor illnesses or what-have-you. Two or fewer absences can boost your participation grade. Three tardies counts as an absence. If you are tardy by more than fifteen minutes, this counts as an absence.

• For four absences, a letter of warning is sent. For five absences, 3% of your FINAL grade is deducted, for six, 6% is deducted, and so on. However, at seven absences, I will urge the Dean of Faculty to withdraw you from the class.

 

Commonsense General Expectations:

• You will read the texts carefully and reflectively. When you encounter something you strongly disagree with, you will first try to make sure you understand what is being said, and only when you are sure of this will you attempt to determine whether it is in fact wrong. You will have opinions, but if you cannot provide reasons for them you will not insist on them simply because they are somehow yours.

• You will be attentive in class and will always display the demeanor of one who is interested and who seeks to contribute to the common good of the class. Cell-phones, food, tobacco products, and other personal items will not be on your desk, nor in use—remember to turn cell phones off. You are expected to refrain from going to the restroom during class time.

 

Three Non-Commonsense Rules:

1) Laptop computers or similar items are not to be used in class. Exceptions are made for documented learning disabilities that call for them, according to university policy. 2) Hats and hoods are not to be worn in class. 3) I will be utilizing formal address, i.e., “Mr. Smith,” etc., in class. If you refer to another student in class discussion, you will do likewise—e.g., “Contrary to what Mr. Smith said, I noticed that on page five of the reading...etc.”