AMERICAN GOVERNMENT II—NATIONAL AND LOCAL
AMST 206—SPRING 2004
Colin
S. Cavell, Ph.D. Course Room No.: S17-229
Class
SMW: 11:00-11:50 INTERNET: cscpo@arts.uob.bh
Office
Hours: By appointment Office No.: S17-263
VOICE:
17438775 (W) 17729091 (H)
An examination of the political institutions at the
national and local levels, such as the legislature, judiciary and the
executive. America’s economic policy,
bureaucracy, civil liberties, civil rights, and foreign and defense policies
will be surveyed.
Grading Policy: 20%
for Attendance*; 20% for the Class Presentation; 20% for the Midterm Exam; 20%
for the Research Paper; and 20% for the Final Exam. A Guidelines sheet will be
distributed outlining the requirements for your Class Presentation and for your
Research Paper.
Attendance Policy*: Attendance in class is mandatory. As well, you are expected to follow the syllabus and accordingly
be prepared for each day’s class. This
means that you must read the pre-assigned readings before class so that
you will be prepared to discuss and debate in class the subject matter
scheduled for that day and answer questions related to the issues being
covered. NOTE: TURN OFF all cell phones during class.
*Absence from class may be made up by preparing a two-page, typed (i.e. using maximum 12 point font size and maximum
double-spaced text with one-inch margin on all sides), summary on the missed material scheduled to be covered the
day(s) of your absence. The summary
must be in your own words and must not be copied material from the text(s), the
internet, or any other source(s).
Required
Texts:
Greenberg, Edward S. &
Benjamin I. Page. 2003. The Struggle for Democracy, Sixth Edition. New York, NY:
Longman.
Information USA [CD-ROM].
April 1999. Washington,
D.C.: United States Information Agency.
Feb. 23: Introduction to American
Government II: National and Local
PART
ONE: INTRODUCTION—MAIN THEMES
Feb. 25: Democracy and American Politics
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Appendix A-2 “The Declaration of Independence”; Ch. 1 “Robert Moses and
the Struggle for African-American Voting Rights,” “Democracy,” “The Democratic
Idea,” “Direct Versus Representative Democracy,” “Fundamental Principles of Representative
Democracy,” “BY THE NUMBERS: Is Voting
Turnout Declining in the United States?,” “Objections to Majoritarian
Representative Democracy,” “Democracy as an Evaluative Standard: How Democratic Are We?”
Feb.
28: Democracy and American Politics
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 1
“A Framework for Understanding How American Politics Works,” “Organizing
the Main Factors of Political Life,” “Connecting the Main Factors of Political
Life,” “Understanding American Politics Holistically,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK: The Voting Rights Act”
Mar. 1 & 2: Ashura Holiday
PART TWO: STRUCTURE
Mar. 3: The
Constitution
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Appendix A-4 “The Constitution of the United States”; Ch. 2
“Shay’s Rebellion,” “Thinking Critically About This Chapter,” “The
Political Theory of the Revolutionary Era,” “The Declaration of Independence,”
“The Articles of Confederation: The
First Constitution,” “Provisions of the Articles,” “Shortcomings of the
Articles,” “Factors Leading to the Constitutional Convention,” “The Republican
Beliefs of the Founders,” “Why the Founders Were Worried”
Mar. 6: The
Constitution
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 2
“The Constitutional Convention,” “Who Were the Framers?,” “Consensus and
Conflict at the Convention,” “What the Framers Created,” “USING THE
FRAMEWORK: Slavery in the
Constitution,” “The Struggle to Ratify the Constitution,” “The Changing
Constitution, Democracy, and American Politics,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE? A Republic or a Democracy?”
Mar. 8:
Federalism: States and Nation
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 3
“Welfare Reform and the States,” “Thinking Critically About This
Chapter,” “Federalism as a System of Government,” “The Nature of Federalism,”
“The Roots of Federalism,” “Federalism in the Constitution,” “Independent State
Powers,” “The States’ Roles in National Government,” “BY THE NUMBERS: How Do We Know How Many People There Are in
Each of the States?,” “Relations Among the States,” “The Evolution of American
Federalism,” “The Perpetual Debate About the Nature of American Federalism,”
“Federalism Before the Civil War,” “The Civil War and the Expansion of National
Power,” “Expanded National Activity Since the Civil War,” “Resurgence of the
States in the 1990s,” “Terrorism and the Resurgence of the Federal Government,”
“Changing American Federalism”
Mar. 10: Federalism: States and
Nation
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 3
“National Grants-in-Aid to the States,” “Origin and Growth of Grants,”
“Categorical Grants,” “Block Grants and Revenue Sharing,” “Debates About
Federal Money and Control,” “U.S. Federalism:
Pro and Con,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK:
Federalism and Out-of-State Tuition,” “What Sort of Federalism?,” “HOW
DEMOCRATIC ARE WE? Federalism, Majority
Rule, and Political Equality”
Mar. 13: The Structural Foundations of American Government and Politics
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 4
“‘B-1’ Bob Learns About His District,” “Thinking Critically About This
Chapter,” “American Society: How It Has
Changed and Why It Matters,” “Growing Diversity,” “Changing Location,”
“Changing Jobs and Occupations,” “The Aging of the American Population,” “BY
THE NUMBERS: Does Population Movement
and Change Affect the Electoral Fortunes of the Parties?,” “Income, Wealth, and
Poverty,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK: The
Persistence of Poverty”
Mar. 15: The Structural Foundations of American Government and Politics
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 4
“The American Economy,” “The Industrial Revolution and the Rise of the
Corporation,” “The Post—World War II Boom,” “The Temporary Fall from Grace,”
“Globalization and the American Economy,” “Will Globalization Slow?,” “The
United States in the International System,” “The United States as a Superpower
I,” “The United States as a Superpower II,” “The Foundational Beliefs of
American Political Culture,” “Competitive Individualism,” “Limited Government,”
“Free Enterprise,” “Citizenship and the Nature of the Political Order,”
“Populism,” “Structural Influences on American Politics,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE
WE? Is Real Democracy Possible in the
United States?”
PART THREE: POLITICAL LINKAGE
Mar. 17: Public Opinion
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 5
“The Vietnam War and the Public,” “Thinking Critically About This
Chapter,” “Democracy and Public Opinion,” “Measuring What People Think,”
“Individuals’ Ignorance,” “BY THE NUMBERS:
Do Americans Support Stem Cell Research? How Do We Know Which Survey to Believe?,” “Collective Knowledge
and Stability,” “How People Feel About Politics,” “The System in General,”
“Government Performance,” “Party Identification,” “Government’s Role,” “Policy
Preferences,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK: Why
No Gun Conrol?”
Mar. 20: Public Opinion
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 5
“How People Differ,” “Race and Ethnicity,” “Religion,” “Region,” “Social
Class,” “Education,” “Gender,” “Age,” “Does Public Opinion Strongly Influence
What Government Does?,” “‘Yes, It Does’,” “‘No, It Doesn’t’,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC
ARE WE? The Influence of Public Opinion
on American Government”
Mar. 22: The News Media
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 6
“Vernon Jordan Meets the Press,” “Thinking Critically About This
Chapter,” “Roles of the News Media in Democracy,” “Watchdog Over Government,”
“Clarifying Electoral Choices,” “Providing Policy Information,” “The Media
Landscape,” “Newspapers,” “Magazines,” “Radio,” “Television,” “The Internet,”
“How the Media Work,” “Organization of the News Media,” “Political Newsmaking,”
“Interpreting,” “Is the News Biased?,” “BY THE NUMBERS: How Much Serious Crime Is There in the
United States?,” “Prevailing Themes in Political News”
Mar. 24: The News Media
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 6
“Effects of the News Media on Politics,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK: Monica All the Time,” “Agenda Setting,” “Framing
and Effects on Policy Preferences,” “Impact on Policymaking,” “Cynicism,”
“Government Regulation of the Media,” “Print Media,” “The Electronic Media,”
“The Internet,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE?
The Media and Democratic Citizenship”
Mar. 27: Interest Groups and Business Corporations
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Appendix A-13 “The Federalist Papers, No. 10”;
Ch. 7 “Lobbying for China,”
“Thinking Critically About This Chapter,” “Interest Groups in a Democratic
Society: Contrasting Views,” “The Evils
of Factions,” “Interest Group Democracy:
The Pluralist Argument,” “Interest Group Formation: Structural, Political Linkage, and
Governmental Factors,” “Diverse Interests,” “Rules of the Game,” “The Growth in
Government,” “Disturbances,” “Incentives,” “What Interests Are Represented,”
“Private Interest Groups,” “Public Interest Groups,” “What Interest Groups Do,”
“The Inside Game,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK:
Airline Passenger Bill of Rights,” “The Outside Game”
Mar. 29: Interest Groups and Business Corporations
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 7
“Possible Flaws in the Pluralist Heaven,” “BY THE NUMBERS: How Can We Evaluate Our Congressional
Representatives?,” “Representational Inequalities,” “Resource Inequalities,”
“Access Inequality,” “The Special Place of Business Corporations,” “Curing the
Mischief of Factions,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE?
Interest Groups and American Politics”
Mar. 31: Social Movements
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 8
“Women Win the Right to Vote,” “Thinking Critically About This Chapter,”
“What Are Social Movements?,” “Major Social Movements in the United States,”
“Social Movements in a Majoritarian Democracy,” “Encouraging Participation,”
“Overcoming Political Inequality,” “Creating New Majorities,” “Overcoming
Gridlock,” “Factors That Encourage the Creation of Social Movements,” “The
Existence of Social Distress,” “Availability of Resources for Mobilization,” “A
Supportive Environment,” “A Sense of Efficacy Among Participants,” “A Spark to
Set Off the Flames”
Apr. 3-4: Formula 1 Holiday
Apr. 5:
Social Movements
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 8
“Tactics of Social Movements,” “Why Some Social Movements Succeed and
Others Do Not,” “Low-Impact Social Movements,” “Repressed Social Movements,”
“Partially Successful Social Movements,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK: ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’,” “Successful Social
Movements,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE?
Social Movements and American Politics”
Apr. 7:
Political Parties
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 9
“The Rise of the Campaign Party Machine,” “Thinking Critically About
This Chapter,” “The Role of Political Parties in a Democracy,” “History of the
Two-Party System,” “The First Party System:
Federalists Versus Democratic Republicans,” “The Second Party
System: Democrats Versus Whigs,” “From
the Civil War to 1896: Republicans and
Democrats in Balance,” “The Party System of 1896: Republican Dominance,” “The New Deal Party System: Democratic Party Dominance,” “The Sixth
Party System: Dealignment and Divided
Government,” “Why a Two-Party System?,” “Electoral Rules,” “Restrictions on
Minor Parties,” “Absence of a Strong Labor Movement,” “The Role of Minor
Parties in the Two-Party System”
Apr. 10: Political Parties
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 9
“The Parties as Organizations,” “The Ambiguous Nature of American
Political Parties,” “The Organization of American Political Parties,” “The
Primacy of Candidates,” “Ideology and Program,” “The Parties in Government and
in the Electorate,” “The Problem of Divided Government,” “USING THE
FRAMEWORK: Gridlock,” “Parties in the
Electorate,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE?
Political Parties and Responsive Government”
Apr. 12: Participation, Voting, and Elections
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 10
“The Contested 2000 Presidential Elections,” “Thinking Critically About
This Chapter,” “Elections and Democracy,” “The Prospective (or Responsible
Party) Voting Model,” “The Electoral Competition Voting Model,” “The
Retrospective (or Reward and Punishment) Voting Model,” “Imperfect Electoral
Democracy,” “The Nature of American Elections,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK: Elections Bring the New Deal,” “Political
Participation,” “Expansion of the Franchise,” “Low Voting Turnout,” “Who
Participates?,” “Income and Education,” “Race and Ethnicity,” “Age,” “Gender,”
“Does It Matter Who Votes?”
Apr. 14: Midterm Exam
Apr. 15-23: Mid-semester Break [No classes]
PART FOUR: GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNING
Apr. 24: Participation, Voting, and Elections
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 10
“Campaigning for Office,” “Contending for the Party Presidential
Nomination,” “The Autumn Campaign,” “Money and Elections,” “Election Outcomes,”
“How Voters Decide,” “The Electoral College,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE? Do Elections Matter?,” “BY THE NUMBERS: Did George W. Bush Really Win the 2000
Presidential Vote in Florida?”
Apr. 26: Congress
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Appendix A-15 “The Federalist Papers, No. 51”;
Ch. 11 “The 2002 Elections and
the Return of Unified Government,” “Thinking Critically About This Chapter,”
“Constitutional Foundations of the Modern Congress,” “Empowering Congress,”
“Constraining Congress,” “Bicameralism and Representation,” “Federalism,”
“Representation and Democracy,” “Styles of Representation,” “Race, Gender, and
Occupation in Congress,” “The Electoral Connection,” “BY THE NUMBERS: How Are Congressional Districts Drawn to
Include Equal Numbers of Voters?,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK: Campaign Finance Reform”
Apr. 28: Congress
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 11
“How Congress Works,” “Political Parties in Congress,” “Congressional
Leadership,” “Congressional Committees,” “Rules and Norms in the House and
Senate,” “Legislative Responsibilities:
How a Bill Becomes a Law,” “Legislative Oversight of the Executive
Branch,” “Congress, Public Policy, and the American People,” “Congress as
Policymaker,” “Congress and the American People,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE? Is Congress Out of Touch?”
May 1 & 2: Labor Day Holiday & Prophet’s Birthday Holiday
May 3: The
President
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 12
“George W. Bush’s War Presidency,” “Thinking Critically About This
Chapter,” “The Expanding Presidency,” “The Earliest and Latest Presidencies
Compared,” “The Founders’ Conception of the Presidency,” “The Dormant
Presidency,” “The Twentieth-Century Transformation,” “How Important Are
Individual Presidents?,” “The Many Roles of the President,” “Chief of State,”
“Commander in Chief,” “Legislator,” “Manager of the Economy,” “Chief Diplomat,”
“Head of the Political Party,” “The President’s Staff and Cabinet,” “The White
House Staff,” “The Executive Office of the President,” “The Vice-Presidency,”
“The Cabinet,” “The President and the Bureaucracy,” “Giving Orders,”
“Persuasion”
May 5: The
President
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 12
“The President and Congress:
Perpetual Tug-of-War,” “Conflict by Constitutional Design,” “What Makes
a President Successful with Congress?,” “The President and the People: An Evolving Relationship,” “Getting Closer
to the People,” “Leading Public Opinion,” “Responding to the Public,” “The Role
of Presidential Popularity,” “Interest Groups, Political Parties, and Social
Movements,” “Interest Groups,” “Political Parties,” “Social Movements,”
“Structural Influences on the Presidency,” “The International System,” “USING
THE FRAMEWORK: Clinton and Free Trade,”
“HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE? Presidents and
the American People,” “The Economy”
May 8: The
Federal Bureaucracy
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 13
“The Federal Bureaucracy After Nine-Eleven,” “Thinking Critically About
This Chapter,” “A Comparative View of the American Bureaucracy,” “Hostile
Political Culture,” “Incoherent Organization,” “Divided Control,”
“Transformation of the Bureaucracy,” “A Brief Administrative History of the
United States,” “How the Executive Branch Is Organized,” “BY THE NUMBERS: How Big Is the Federal Government? Is It Really Shrinking, as People Say?,”
“What Do Bureaucrats Do?,” “Executing the Law,” “Regulating (Rule Making),”
“USING THE FRAMEWORK: Bureaucratic
Rule-Making,” “Adjudicating,” “Who Are the Bureaucrats?,” “The Merit Services,”
“Political Appointees”
May 10: The
Federal Bureaucracy
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 13
“Political and Governmental Influences on Bureaucratic Behavior,” “The
Public,” “The President,” “Congress,” “Common Criticisms of the Federal Bureaucracy,”
“‘The Federal Bureaucracy Is Always Expanding’,” “‘The Federal Bureaucracy Is
Ineffective’,” “‘The Federal Bureaucracy Is Wasteful and Inefficient’,” “‘The
Federal Bureaucracy Is Mired in Red Tape’,” “Reforming the Federal
Bureaucracy,” “Scaling Back t he Size of the Bureaucracy,” “Reinventing
Government,” “Protecting Against Bureaucratic Abuses of Power,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC
ARE WE? The Bureaucracy and Democracy,”
“Increasing Popular Participation,” “Increasing Presidential Control”
May 12: The Courts
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Appendix A-17 “The Federalist Papers, No. 78”;
Ch. 14 “The Supreme Court Stops
the Florida Recount,” “Thinking Critically About This Chapter,” “The Structural
Context of Court Behavior,” “Constitutional Powers,” “The Power of Judicial
Review,” “The U.S. Court System:
Organization and Jurisdiction,” “Constitutional Provisions,” “Federal
District Courts,” “U.S. Courts of Appeal,” “The Supreme Court,” “Appointment to
the Federal Bench,” “Who Are the Appointees?,” “The Appointment Process,” “The
Supreme Court in Action,” “Norms of Operation,” “Controlling the Agenda,”
“Deciding Cases”
May 15: The Courts
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 14
“The Supreme Court as a National Policymaker,” “Structural Change and
Constitutional Interpretation,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK: Japanese-American Internment,” “The Debate Over Judicial
Activism,” “Outside Influences on the Court,” “Governmental Factors,”
“Political Linkage Factors,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE? Is the Supreme Court a Democratic or Nondemocratic Institution?”
PART FIVE: WHAT GOVERNMENT DOES
May 17: Freedom: The
Struggle for Civil Liberties
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 15
“Campus Speech Codes and Free Speech,” “Thinking Critically About This
Chapter,” “Civil Liberties in the Constitution,” “Rights and Liberties in the
Nineteenth Century,” “Economic Liberty in the Early Republic,” “Economic
Liberty After the Civil War”
May 19: Freedom: The
Struggle for Civil Liberties
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 15
“Nationalization of the Bill of Rights,” “Selective Incorporation,”
“Standards for Incorporation,” “Freedom of Speech,” “Freedom of the Press,”
“Free Exercise of Religion,” “Establishment of Religion,” “Privacy,” “Rights of
the Accused,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK: The
Death Penalty,” “Civil Liberties and the War on Terrorism,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE
WE? Civil Liberties and Democracy”
May 22:
Civil Rights: The Struggle for
Political Equality
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 16
“From Martin Luther King to Louis Farrakhan,” “Thinking Critically About
This Chapter,” “Civil Rights Before the Twentieth Century,” “An Initial Absence
of Civil Rights,” “The Civil War Amendments”
May 24:
Civil Rights: The Struggle for
Political Equality
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 16
“The Contemporary Status of Civil Rights,” “Civil Rights for Racial
Minorities,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK:
Affirmative Action,” “Civil Rights for Women,” “Enlarging the Civil
Rights Umbrella,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE?
Civil Rights in the United States”
May 26:
Domestic Policy: The Economy and
Social Welfare
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 17
“Whatever Happened to the Budget Surplus?,” “Thinking Critically About
This Chapter,” “Why Government Is Involved in the Economy and Social Welfare,”
“Economic Management,” “Social Welfare,” “Economic Policy,” “The Goals of
Economic Policy,” “The Tools of Macroeconomic Policy,” “The Federal Budget and
Fiscal Policy,” “Spending, Taxes, and Debt,” “Regulation,” “Making Economic
Policy: The Main Players”
May 29:
Domestic Policy: The Economy and
Social Welfare
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 17
“Social Welfare,” “Outline of the American Welfare State,” “Social
Security and Other Social Insurance Programs,” “Means-Tested Programs (Welfare),”
“BY THE NUMBERS: How Many Americans Are
Poor?,” “USING THE FRAMEWORK: Welfare
Reform,” “How the American Welfare State Compares with Others,” “Why the
American Welfare State Is Different,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE? Economic and Social Policy and the American
People”
May 31:
Foreign Policy and National Defense
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 18
“The Triumph of Unilateralism?,” “Thinking Critically About This
Chapter,” “Foreign Policy and Democracy:
A Contradiction in Terms?”
June 2:
Foreign Policy and National Defense
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 18
“The United States as a Superpower:
History and Structure,” “The Cold War,” “The End of the Cold War,” “The
Structural Bases of American Superpower Status”
June 5:
Foreign Policy and National Defense
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 18
“Problems of the Post—Cold War World,” “New Security Issues,” “Economic
and Social Dilemmas;” “Who Makes Foreign Policy?,” “The President and the
Executive Branch,” “Congress,” “Public Opinion and the News Media,”
“Corporations, Interest Groups, and Social Movements”
June 7:
Foreign Policy and National Defense
Readings: Greenberg & Page, Ch. 18
“USING THE FRAMEWORK: Air War in
Kosovo,” “HOW DEMOCRATIC ARE WE? The
American Public and the Making of Foreign Policy”
June 9: Last day of classes; Review
June 14: Final Exam 8:30-10:30
June 24: Last day for
submitting second semester’s grades