PS
308: US Political Thought
Spring 2007
Tuesday/Thursday 2-3:20
Room: 123 Pacific
CRN#: 34354
Office: 261 PLC
Office hours: or by appointment
Course Description:
Think of this class as
exploring the canon of US Political Thought.
The course is based on primary source documents that embody political
theory written by authors in the
Throughout the history of
This course will follow the
development of American political thought over time to identify the questions
theorists have posed for themselves within a historical context that framed
their work and impacted their ideas on politics. This course will focus on the ideas as
written by the authors, their strengths, insights, and power; but we will also
focus on the loose ends, the flaws, the unsaid assumptions, the ironies, and
implications of these political thinkers.
By the end of the course,
you should be able to understand the inherent tensions in American political
thought or any ideal that has come to be known as an American ‘value.’ We will
learn how to approach political thought and ideas with a critical and analytic
eye in order to do the same with any idea we come up against in our daily
lives.
Required Reading Materials:
Note: This is a reading-based course. The lectures/discussions will derive from the ideas we read in the primary text documents, which is all we will be reading for class. There are a lot of authors to cover in this course, though not a tremendous amount of pages given the nature of reading original political thought. So be wary of the time you allot for reading for this course, the pages will take more time than other types of reading.
American Political
Thought. 5th
edition, Dolbeare, Kenneth, Michael S.
Cummings,
eds.
Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Blackboard- other readings will be linked on the
syllabus and on Blackboard under ‘Course Documents’ for your convenience. Will be cited as BB in schedule
Course Requirements and Expectations:
It is expected that you attend class for your own benefit. I hope to create an environment that welcomes discussion, as these topics and readings can be fun and thought-provoking. I will expect that you have done the readings assigned for that class day prior to class in order to be able to engage with the material and thoughts during the class time itself.
Assignments and Evaluation:
The following will make up your course grade:
The Term Paper Components are thoroughly documented on Blackboard under “Assignments.”
Extra Credit: I have one opportunity for extra credit. I do not require attendance, but I will bring an attendance sheet to class everyday for students to sign in. If at the end of the term you have come to class consistently and are on the border for the higher grade, I will bump you up to the higher grade. Consistently means at least 15/19 classes (does not include Mid-Term day). If I or the GTFs catch you leaving after you’ve signed in, I will mark you as absent for the day.
Other Policies:
Paper assignments are due at the beginning of class. If you turn it in late, please take it to my locked box on the 9th floor of PLC. Papers sent over email or left under the door are not accepted. If you know you will have problems being in class when they are due, you can email it to me before 2pm that day and then bring a hard copy to my locked box for on-time credit.
Late papers or late exams: I will not accept late papers for full credit except for cases of documented medical or family emergencies. If you find yourself in this situation, contact me before the deadline (in person, by email, by voicemail). Late papers will be docked half a letter grade for each calendar day late (A will become a B+, a B- will become a C, etc.). After 3 days, the papers will not be accepted at all unless I give you approval.
Academic Dishonesty: You are expected to do your own work and credit others whose work you use in your papers. Getting caught cheating or plagiarizing will result in failure of the class. Plagiarism is using someone else’s words without giving them due credit. If in doubt, always cite! If you have any questions about plagiarism, please contact the professor or GTF before you submit your paper, or refer to the Student Conduct Code or the Office of Student Judicial Affiars: http://studentlife.uoregon.edu/judicial/judicial_mainpage.htm.
***Signing someone else in on the attendance sheet is cheating, under the same penalties as other forms.
Students with disabilities: If you have a documented disability
and anticipate needing accommodations in this course, please make arrangements
to meet with me soon. Please request that the Counselor for Students with
Disabilities send a letter verifying your disability.
Re-grading of materials: If you wish to contest your grade, you must provide a 1-page written explanation of why you wish to have the assignment re-graded. Neither I or the GTFs will talk to you about your papers or the exams, even for miscalculations, until 24 hours after they have been returned.
A note on instructor bias: I have political biases, as does everyone. Being an instructor puts me in a position of authority and influence. I definitely have opinions and values, but I also try to seek out information that may challenge these personal biases. As your instructor, I will constantly strive to be aware of my biases and try to counter them with an honest and fair assessment of the other sides. What I ask from you is that you too become aware of your learned biases and be respectful of others. This will lead to a more accepting and more exciting learning environment where we will all be striving to understand our own biases so that we may attain knowledge beyond simply bolstering our already formed opinions and values.
Course Outline:
Week 2: Foundations continued- the nature of union, role of national government
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/local/JUNK/econrev/ser/html/destruction.html
·
Social Darwinism and Socialism
Week 7: The
Rise of the
Week 10: Current Issues, Post-60s Revolution.
·
6/3: Debating Racial Politics
·
6/5: Presidential Platforms, Where is the Theory?-
o
FINAL Take-home EXAM DUE Day of
Final Exam by 5pm, to my office or to my locked box.
Late exams will be docked 1 letter grade per day
overdue. Finals week is hectic for
students and GTFs, and late papers cause a lot of problems. Thanks!!