Department
of Political Science POS
442
Arizona
State University Spring,
2005
American Political Thought
Professor
Required for purchase:
R. Hofstadter, American Political Tradition (Vintage paperback)
K.M. Dolbeare and M.S. Cummings (eds.), American Political Thought (CQ Press paperback), 5th edn.
Hamilton, Madison and Jay, The
Federalist, ed.
COPAC: a photocopied packet of course readings available at Uni- Print, 710 S. Forest Avenue, Tempe
Aims and expectations:
This course has several aims. One is to give a wide-ranging, if necessarily selective, overview of the history of American political thought. Our second aim is to consider in some detail the ideas of several seminal American political thinkers, in light of the problems they faced and attempted to resolve. These problems include the relation of church and state, whether and how to exercise the right of revolution, how to construct a workable constitution, what is the proper relation between state and federal government, what role the government should play in the economy, whether citizens can ever legitimately resist the authority of the state, the tragedy of slavery and civil war, the fate of the American Indians, the settlement of the west, the political and economic emancipation of women, the effects of wealth and class divisions on political power and participation, and questions concerning war and peace, freedom, equality and community.
The course consists of a mixture of lectures and class discussion. You should come to class prepared to discuss the readings and your reflections on them. And because you cannot discuss the readings without being in class, attendance is required. The roll will be called 10 times during the semester. Each unexcused absence will cost the absentee 2 points (= 2%) of his or her final grade, for a possible total of 20 points deducted from the final grade.
Grading:
Your grade in this course will be based upon the following: a mid-term examination (20%), first paper (20%), final paper (30%), and a final examination (30%). The extent and quality of your participation in class discussion will be weighed in assigning the final course grade. So: don't be shy; speak up!
Other Policies
(1) ASU rules allow instructors to give a grade of Incomplete (I) only in cases of dire emergency. (2) There will be no opportunity for extra credit work. (3) Make-up examinations will only be given to those who either receive the instructors permission before a scheduled examination or provide a written medical excuse, including a physicians diagnosis, or give evidence of some other genuine emergency. (4) Students may not submit papers via e-mail except in an emergency and with the instructor's prior permission. (5) Students who are participating in university-sanctioned activities that require them to miss class must identify themselves to the instructor early in the semester and provide a copy of their travel schedules in order to receive permission to make up missed assignments.
Academic Honesty
What counts as academic (dis)honesty is spelled out in the Policy on Academic Honesty at the end of the syllabus. Anyone guilty of plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty will receive a grade of "XE" for the course (the X on the permanent transcript indicates that failure was due to academic dishonesty). You should feel free to discuss assignments with other students, but you must write your own papers and take your own tests. If you are still not sure about what counts as plagiarism or have other questions about these or other matters, please see Professor Ball or the TA. Our office hours are:
Professor
Ball
6780 Coor Hall 6779 Coor Hall
T, Th 12:00 - 1:30 M, W 10:45 - 12:00
and by appointment and by appointment
(480) 965-3034 (480) 965-5881
terence.ball@asu.edu zavadil@asu.edu
I. Introduction and overview (18 January)
Richard Hofstadter, Preface and Introduction to The American Political Tradition (APT)
II. Puritan Political Thought: The European background (20 January)
no required reading; lecture only
III. American Puritan Political Thought (25-27 January)
John Winthrop, "The Little Speech [on Liberty]" in Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought
John Winthrop, "A Model of Christian Charity" - COPAC
Cotton Mather, "A Platform of Church Discipline" - COPAC
Roger Williams, "The Bloudy Tenet of Persecution" - COPAC
John Wise, "Democracy is Founded in Scripture" in Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought
IV. The American Revolution: The English Background (1 February)
John Locke, "On the Dissolution of Government," Second Treatise on Government, ch. XIX - COPAC
V. The American Revolution (3 - 15 February)
From Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought:
Samuel Adams, "The Rights of the Colonists"
Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence
Thomas Paine, Common Sense, The American Crisis I and
The Rights of Man, Part I
Hofstadter, American Political Tradition, ch. 2
VI. From Revolution to Constitution (17 - 22 February)
From Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought:
John Adams, "Thoughts on Government," "A Defense of the Constitutions of the United States," and his correspondence with Abigail Adams
From The Federalist (appendices):
The Articles of Confederation
Constitution of the United States
Hofstadter, American Political Tradition, ch. 1
VII. The Ratification Debate of 1787-88 (24 February - 1 March)
T. Ball, Introduction to The Federalist
"Publius" (Hamilton, Madison, and Jay), The Federalist, no's
1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 14-16, 23, 37, 39, 47, 48, 51, 62, 63, 70,
78, 84, 85
"Brutus" (Robert Yates?), Letters I and III, The Federalist
Bill of Rights [first ten amendments to the Constitution] in
The Federalist (appendix)
From Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought:
Dissent of the Pennsylvania Minority
Letter from Samuel Adams to Richard Henry Lee
Richard Henry Lee (?), Letters from the Federal Farmer
Jefferson to Madison, 20 December 1787 - COPAC
First paper due (3 March)
Review session for Mid-Term Examination (3 March)
Mid-Term Examination
Tuesday, 8 March
VIII. Competing Visions: Hamilton vs. Jefferson (10 March)
From Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought:
Alexander Hamilton, Report on Credit, Opinion on the Constitutionality of the [National] Bank, and Report on Manufactures
Thomas Jefferson, Madison's Report to the Virginia General Assembly, Notes on Virginia, First Inaugural Address, and selected letters
Spring Break -- 15-17 March
IX. Democracy and the Rise of Liberal Individualism (22 - 24 March)
From Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought:
Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison
McCulloch v. Maryland
Henry David Thoreau, "Civil Disobedience"
Orestes Brownson, "The Laboring Classes"
Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Divinity School Address," "The Over-Soul," and "Self-Reliance" - COPAC
Hofstadter, American Political Tradition, ch. 3
X. Women: Emancipation and Enfranchisement (29 March)
From Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought:
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, "Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions" and "Address to the New York State Legislature"
XI. Slavery and Abolitionism (31 March - 5 April)
Hofstadter, American Political Tradition, ch. 4
From Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought:
John C. Calhoun, from A Disquisition on Government
George Fitzhugh, from Cannibals All!
Frederick Douglass, "Speech at the Anti-Slavery Association" and "The Various Phases of Anti-Slavery"
XII. Civil War (7 - 12 April)
Hofstadter, American Political Tradition, ch. 5
From Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought:
Abraham Lincoln, Speech on the Dred Scott Decision, Letter to Boston Republicans, Cooper Union Address, First Inaugural Address, Gettysburgh Address, Second Annual Message to Congress, Second Inaugural Address
XIII. Reconstruction and its Aftermath (14 April)
From Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought:
Constitutional Amendments 13, 14, and 15
Excerpts from The Revolution
Debates at meetings of the Equal Rights Association
Susan B. Anthony, Statement at the Close of Her Trial
and her Petition for Remission of Her Fine
XIV. Social Darwinism (19 April)
Hofstadter, American Political Tradition, ch. 7
From Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought:
William Graham Sumner, from What Social Classes Owe to Each Other and "The Conquest of the United States by Spain"
XV. Socialism and Populism (21 April)
From Dolbeare & Cummings, American Political Thought:
Edward Bellamy, from Looking Backward
The Ocala Demands
The Populist Party Platform of 1882
Henry Demarest Lloyd, "Revolution: The Evolution of Socialism"
Francis Bellamy, "Pledge of Allegiance" (1892) - COPAC
XVI. Anarchism and Progressivism (26 April)
From Dolbeare, American Political Thought:
Emma Goldman, "Anarchism: What it Really Stands For" and "The Tragedy of Women's Emancipation"
W.E.B. Du Bois, from The Souls of Black Folk
Eugene V. Debs, "Revolutionary Unionism" and his Speech to the Jury
Herbert Croly, from The Promise of American Life
XVII. Re-thinking Democracy (28 April)
Hofstadter, American Political Tradition, ch's 8-12
From Dolbeare, American Political Thought:
Woodrow Wilson, "The Meaning of Democracy"
John Dewey, from The Public and its Problems
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Commonwealth Club Address, Campaign Address, An Economic Bill of Rights
Second paper due 3 May
Review for Final Examination (3
May)
Final Examination Friday, 6 May, 10:00 - 11:50
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
POLICY ON ACADEMIC HONESTY
Preamble: Academic honesty is the foundation and cornerstone of scholarship and education. Faculty and students alike are under an obligation to be honest themselves and to encourage honesty in others. The following policy statement is meant to specify and clarify what this means in practice.
Academic Honesty: Academic honesty includes, but is not confined to: doing one's own work, accurately quoting and citing all sources, acknowledging any help received from others, and taking care to claim credit only for one's own work.
Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: fabrication or falsification of sources and/or quotations, cheating on examinations or other assignments, plagiarizing, forging or altering academic documents, and claiming or taking credit for work that is not one's own. Examples include but are not limited to: altering grades on a transcript (forgery), making up quotations (fabrication), falsely representing others' work as your own (plagiarism), referring to books or notes during a closed-book exam (cheating), taking a paper off the Internet or some other source and falsely claiming it as one's own (plagiarism), or submitting the same paper for two courses without first obtaining permission from instructors in both courses (cheating).
Plagiarism is defined as the taking of ideas and/or words from another person and passing them off as one's own. All direct quotations must be enclosed within quotation marks (") or indented and single-spaced, and the source and page number(s) cited in parentheses or in a footnote. Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism, a very serious academic offense. Ignorance is no excuse.
The penalty for plagiarism or any other form of academic dishonesty is an "E" for the paper, exam or other assignment, and an "XE" for the entire course (the "X" indicates that failure was due to academic dishonesty). Your name and offense will also be placed on lists in the Dean's and Registrar's offices and will become part of your permanent academic record. You will be put on academic probation and may be subject to expulsion from ASU.