I. FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN POLITICS
A.
Introduction and Organization- September 6-8
1. Writing a Fundamental Law
B.
Philosophical Foundations- September 11-13-15
1. Wilson, Chapters 1 & 2
2. Tocqueville: “The Social State of Anglo-Americans”
C.
Federal Republic- September 18-20-22 (Conference)
1. Wilson: Chapter 3
2. The Federalist: No. 10 & 51.
3. Tocqueville: History of the Federal Constitution”
II. GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS
A.
The Legislature- September 25-27-29
1. Wilson: Chapter 11
2. The Federalist: No. 57 & 62.
3. Tocqueville: “Legislative Powers”
B.
The Presidency-October 2-4-6
1. Wilson: Chapters 12 & 20.
2. The Federalist: No. 70
3. Tocqueville: “The Executive Power”; Accidental Causes
That May Increase the Influence of the
Executive Power”; “ Mode of Election”.
C.
The Bureaucracy-October 10 (Yom Kippur)-11-13
1. Wilson: Chapter 13.
2. Tocqueville: “Tyranny of the Majority”; “Why the Ideas
of Democratic Peoples About Government
Naturally Favor the Concentration of Political Power”.
D.
The Courts-October 16-18-20
1. Wilson: Chapter 14
2. The Federalist: No. 80
3. Tocqueville: “The Federal Courts”; “High Standing
of the Supreme Court Among the Great
Authorities in the State”
III. NON-GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS
A.
Parties and Elections- October 23-25-27
1. Wilson: Chapter 6, 7, 8.
B.
Public Opinion and the Media-October 30- November 6-8-10
1. Wilson: Chapters 5 & 10.
2. Tocqueville: “Why American Writers and Speakers Are
Often Bombastic”; “Some Observations on
the Theatre Among Democratic Peoples”.
C.
Interest Groups & Mass Movements- November 1-3
1. Wilson: Chapter 9 & 22
2. The History of Women’s Suffrage (Omit Reminiscences
of Emily Collins”)
IV. MAKING PUBLIC POLICY
A. The
Policy Process- November 13-15-17 (Conference)
1. Wilson: Chapter 15
B. Economic
Policy- November 20-22-24 (Thanksgiving)
1. Wilson: Chapters 16 & 17.
C. Civil
Rights Policy- November 27-29-December 1
1. Wilson: Chapters 18 & 19.
2. Tocqueville: “The Situation of the Black Race in the
United States”.
3. Douglass, F.: “What Are the Colored People Doing For
Themselves”.
4. du Bois, W.E.B.: “The Conservation of Races”.
5. Malcolm X: “The Ballot or the Bullet”.
D.
An Administrative State? - December 4-6-8
1. Barry Karl: The Uneasy State
REVIEW…………….. December 13
FINAL EXAM………..
December 18 at 9 AM