Seminar in Political Theory: American Political Thought
POLI 494, sec. 3190 Spring 2007 Prof. Moran
Class Hours M, 7-9:45 Classroom G-314 (arrrgh!) My office: K-646 Office Hours M, 8-9 am; 5:30-6:30 pm T, 11am – noon W, 8-9 am; 10 am - noon M, 5:30 – 6:30 pm Phone 201-200-3259 Email fmoran@njcu.edu Web Page http://faculty.njcu.edu/fmoran I.          Description Our seminar in political theory for the spring 2007 semester will focus on American political thought. We will trace the evolution and development of American political ideas from the colonial period, through the founding, to the civil war and reconstruction, industrialization, and post-World War II developments. We will be using primary source documents -- both in hard print and on the internet -- for this excursion. As this is a seminar, students are responsible for a significant amount of the teaching and learning that will take place.
II.        Materials We have one required textbook for the course: Dolbeare, Kenneth and Michael S. Cummings, eds. 2004.  American Political Thought. Washington, D.C.:  Congressional Quarterly Press.
III. Course Objectives At the end of this course, each of you will have: developed a deeper appreciation of the ideas which have animated American politics from the founding to the present; developed an awareness of the debates in the relevant literature -- historical, contemporary, scholarly, etc. -- that have animated discussion and commentary on American political thought; been encouraged and tutored -- through independent research, collaborative group projects, writing assignments, and faculty comment on such assignments -- to develop reasoning and problem solving abilities beyond the level of recognition and recall including evaluation, synthesis, and integration of ideas and concepts developed the self-discipline -- by doing assigned readings and other out-of-class assignments --  to assume responsibility for completing a significant amount of the learning in the course; improved your ability to express thoughts in a public forum.
IV.       Course Structure This is a seminar. As such, it is meant to provide a different learning experience from the other classes you take at this university. Seminars are an opportunity for each of you to assume a much more active role in the learning process, including providing significant insight and contributions to the classroom experience. You will notice on the syllabus that each week you are assigned to read some primary source documents. Most of these are collected in the textbook I've asked you to purchase, some will be distributed as handouts, and some will be accessed through the internet. Each of you is required and expected to read each of the works assigned before class. Each week I will distribute a short study guide for upcoming readings of issues that should be addressed by the numbers of that particular group. If you miss a class the study guide is available on-line. The success of a seminar depends on each of you pulling your weight in doing the work. This means doing the required reading, writing papers, and otherwise coming prepared for class. If you attend class irregularly or prepared inadequately, you are shortchanging yourself and the other participants in the seminar. Thanks.
V.        Requirements   The basic requirements for the grade in this course fall into two categories:  a final exam and a 15 minute presentation to the class on a research topic of your choice (subject to my approval).  The final will be held on the date set by the University (14 May).  A study guide will be distributed well in advance of the exam. The oral presentations will fall during the last 2 weeks of the semester.  Each of you will present a 15 minute “poster” presentation (more on that will be distributed in class separately) to the class based on research that you completed during the course of the semester.  You will submit a written version – complete with references – of the presentation when you take the final exam.  The written version should be between 10 and 15 pages.  Each of these projects will be weighed by the following percentages for determining the overall grade for the course: Oral presentation         30% Written paper              30% Final Exam                  30% Participation                10%
VI.       Class Schedule Part I:  From Colony to State 22 Jan: Introduction Reading: Pick up the textbook  The readings listed are the readings being discussed that week in class, so have them read before coming to class. 29 Jan:  Colonization and the Beginnings of America Reading: Winthrop; Wise; Franklin, “Observations” and “Albany”* *Unless otherwise stipulated, all readings are in Dolbeare. 5 Feb: The Road to Revolution Reading: Paine; Declaration; Adams (“Letters to Abigail Adams”); Articles of Confederation 12 Feb: Constitutional Debates Reading: Constitution; Adams; Madison (Federalist #10, #51), Hamilton (Federalist #15, #21); “Dissent of Pennsylvania Minority;” see website for more anti-federalist writings. February 19: No Class -- President’s Day Holiday Would the Framer’s have approved of that idea?
Part II: Growing Pains in the Development of Democracy
26 Feb: Forging a New Nation:  The Early Years of the Republic Reading: Marbury v Madison; Emerson 215 - 221; Thoreau 5 March: Race, Labor, and Gender Issues I Reading:          Brownson, Stanton, Douglas  12 March: No Class. Spring Break!
Part III: Civil War and Reconstruction
19 March: Civil War Reading:       Calhoun; Fitzhugh; Lincoln; Dred Scott readings (available on the web site) 26 March: Reconstruction Reading:         All of Section 22 in Dolbeare 2 April: Industrialization  Reading:          Sumner; Populism; Lloyd, Twain, Bierce 9 April: Race, Labor, & Gender II Reading: Goldman; Dubois; Debs; Croly 16 April: The American Dream Reading: Progressivism; Wilson; Taylor; Dewey; Roosevelt
Part IV Post WW2 and Recent Developments
23 April: Race, Labor, Women III   Reading:          King; Malcolm X; Friedan; SDS Statement, Bush   30 Apr. – 7 May: Oral Presentations 14 May: Final Exam @ 7 :00 in G-314
Caveats 1. This syllabus is meant as a guide for the course. While I will do my best to maintain the pace outlined above, I am not guaranteeing that that will in fact occur. Any substantive changes related to due dates, course content, or course requirements will be distributed in class. 2. Please do your best to get to class on time. I am well aware of the joys of traveling in this little corner of the Garden State. That being said, you all know traffic is a nightmare and parking can be a pain, so plan accordingly. Habitual tardiness adversely affects the “Participation” part of the grade. 3. Keep the food consumption to a minimum. Coffee, tea, or something to drink is fine; a five-course meal from the truck is not. If you’re gonna chow down, bring enough to share with everybody or keep it out of the classroom (and I strongly prefer the latter – eat on your own time). 4. Turn off the cell phones, iPods, two ways, or whatever latest bit of technological wizardry you possess. If I hear or see any of these in use during class, class stops and it’s quiz time.m The grades for the quizzes will be factored in to the “participation” part of the course. 5. Respect your colleagues. Politics is great fun to talk about and I want to encourage you all to express your thoughts freely, but be mindful of the impact your words can have on others in the room. 6. Missed and Late Exam Policy: If we have any take home exams, all exams are due on the date assigned. Exams received after that time will be docked 1/3 of a grade for each class day late, with a full weekend counting as a single class date. That is, if the exam is due Wednesday and you submit it on Monday, you’ll be considered to have been 2 class days late and the grade will drop 2/3. For instance, a B exam becomes a C+. In the event of missed in-class exam (including the final), you will receive a grade of “F” for the missed work unless you give me prior notification of the conflict and reason for missing the exam. 7. Plagiarism: All submitted work must be the product of your own thought. If you are found to have plagiarized all or part of an assignment, you will receive a grade of “F” for that assignment. Furthermore, notification of, and supporting documentation for, the violation will be forwarded to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Dean of Students. Consult your student handbook for the gory details.