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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PL 201"
COURSE NAME: "American Government"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2022
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Pamela Harris
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS: tbd
COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course examines the main principles of American government – democracy, federalism and the separation of powers – and the legislative, executive and judicial institutions that simultaneously embody and challenge them. Special attention will be paid to such topics as state and local governments, political parties and elections, the role of the people, civil rights, the role of the media, American political culture and foreign policy.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
1.     Introduction to American democracy
2.     The American Constitution: history
3.     Federalism
4.     Legislative Branch
5.     Executive Branch
6.     Judicial Branch
7.     Race and American Politics: slavery, discrimination, civil rights, voting and representation,  
        political violence and white supremacy
8.     Civil Liberties: speech, religion, guns, privacy
9.     State Governments 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1.     Understanding of the basic principles animating American government.
2.     Familiarity with the institutional mechanisms of American government.
3.     Ability to understand and critically evaluate the interplay between principles and institutions.
4.     Enriched understanding of contemporary U.S. politics
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
How Democratic is the American Constitution?Robert DahlYale UP9780300133721ebook    
American GovernmentGlen KrutzOpenstax978-1947172654     
The Warren Court and the Pursuit of JusticeMorton HorwitzHill and Wang978-0809016259KF8742 .H67    
The Sum of UsHeather McGheeProfile Books9781788169646     
They Don't Represent UsLawrence LessigDey St9780062945716     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Participation 10%
Midterm examination 25%
Research Paper  35%
Final examination 30%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the cou
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Class participation, for which attendance is fundamental, counts for 10% of the final grade. You are allowed 2 "free" absences, beyond which they may start to pull down this part of your grade. When taking one of these free absences, you may attend class remotely. 
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

1           Introduction to American democracy

 Dahl, How Democratic is the American Constitution? (2001), chs.1- 2; Frum, “America Must Become a Democracy,”The Atlantic,  Feb. 15, 2021.

2           Constitutional history

Dahl, ch. 3; Krutz, American Government, ch. 2; Yglesias “American Democracy is Doomed,” Vox, Oct. 8, 2015.

3           Federalism     

Krutz, ch. 3; Madison, Federalists 10 and 5;  Tarr, A. 2020. ‘Covid-19, the USA and the Generation of Constitutional Conflict’, 50 Shades of Federalism 1

                              

4           Legislative Branch   

Krutz, ch. 11; listen to “The Argument” podcast,  Should We Put the Filibuster Out of Its Misery?, New York Times, 2021; Lessig, They Don't Represent Us (2019); Ornstein "How the Republicans Broke Congress", New York Times, Dec. 2, 2017.

5-6      Executive Branch       

Krutz, ch. 12; Dahl ch. 4 and Bouie, “The Electoral College is the Biggest Threat to our Democracy,” New York Times,  Feb. 28, 2019; Gellman, The Election That Could Break America (Atlantic, Nov. 2020).  

7         Midterm review and examination        

8-9      Judicial Branch

Krutz, ch. 13; Hamilton, Federalist 78; Horwitz, The Warren Court, chs. 1-2; U.S. Supreme Court, Brown v. Board of Education (1954); Bazelon, How Will Trump's Supreme Court Remake America?, New York Times magazine, Feb. 27, 2020.

 10-11   Race and American Government

McGhee, The Sum of US (2021); Krutz, ch. 5; watch Eyes on the Prize, ep. 13;  Ta-Nahisi Coates, The Case for Reparations, the Atlantic, June 2014; watch the brief (17 min) documentary, Segregated by Design; U.S. Supreme Court, Shelby County v. Holder (2013); Horwitz, pp. 74-88; Brennan Center, The Redistricting Landscape, 2021-22.

 

12-13   Civil Liberties: guns, speech, religion, reproductive freedom       

Listen to Radiolab podcast, "What Up, Holmes?" (skip to 7min); Liptak, First Amendment, 'Patron Saint' of Protesters is Embraced by Corporations , New York Times, March 23, 2015; U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Employment Division v. Smith (1990), Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo (2020); Fulton v. City of Philadelphia (2021); Horwitz, pp. 106-111 and NPR, Supreme Court's New Supermajority: What it Means for Roe v. Wade (2021)

 

 14        State governments

Elazar, American Federalism: A View from the States, ch. 5; John Paul Stevens, "The Other Constitutions," New York Review of Books, Dec. 16, 2018;  Brownstein, Red and Blue America Aren't Experiencing the Same Pandemic, the Atlantic, March 20, 2020

15.       The future of American democracy

 

Horwitz, ch. 5; Dahl, chs. 6-7; Putnam & Skocpol, “Middle America Reboots Democracy,” Democracy, Feb. 20, 2018 and listen to this discussion with Stacie Abrams, on Feldman, Deep Background, Jan. 13, 2021.