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UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Introduction to American Politics Political Science 130
Spring Semester 2014
Instructor: Professor John DiIulio [
Course Administrator and Head of Recitations: Mr. Matt Mongiello [
Recitation Leaders: Mr. Anthony Grasso [; Mr. Matt Mongiello [; Mr. James Morone [; Ms. Ashley Tallevi [; and Ms. Carly Regina [
Mission: To help Penn undergraduates who study hard and participate actively in the course to learn considerably more than they already know about American politics and government; to encourage each student to become more discerning about the historical, constitutional, electoral, legislative, administrative, and other facets of the subject; and to stimulate within each student a life-long interest in how the U.S. political system works and how, if at all, it might be improved in ways that benefit Americans and the peoples of other nations.
Required Books: The six books listed below are available for purchase at the Penn Bookstore, but students are free to obtain them from whatever sources they choose. There are a limited number of copies of each book on reserve at Van Pelt Library. Please note:
**Any unabridged edition of THE FEDERALIST PAPERS will do.
**The second edition of the Green and Gerber book, and the fourteenth edition of the now 20-chapter Wilson textbook, is the edition of each book that will be referenced in lectures and recitations and tested for on the multiple-choice, short-answer, or essay portions of examinations.
**Each of the other three books is in its first and only edition.
**The course instructor, a co-author of the Wilson textbook, donates an amount greater than all royalties earned on course-related book purchases to Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences.
· James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, THE FEDERALIST PAPERS. Any unabridged edition will do.
· James Q. Wilson et al, AMERICAN GOVERNMENT: INSTITUTIONS AND POLICIES, 14th Edition (Cengage, 2014).
· Donald Green and Alan Gerber, GET OUT THE VOTE: HOW TO INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT, 2nd Edition (Brookings Institution, 2008).
· Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein, IT’S EVEN WORSE THAN IT LOOKS: HOW THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM COLLIDED WITH THE NEW POLITICS OF EXTREMISM (Basic Books, 2012).
· Andrew J. Taylor, CONGRESS: A PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL (Westview Press, 2013).
· Jeffrey Birnbaum and Alan Murray, SHOWDOWN AT GUCCI GULCH: LAWYERS, LOBBYISTS, AND THE UNLIKELY TIUMPH OF TAX REFORM (Vintage, 1988).
Grading: Final course grades are curved: B+ begins just below the median point total. There are no extra-credit options. The four graded course components total 1,000 points as follows:
· Recitations 20% (200 points): There are sixteen weeks in the semester. In this course, recitations begin during the second week of the semester. Recitations for this course do not meet week 1 (first week), week 9 (spring break week), or week 16 (last week) of the semester. Thus, recitations for this course meet thirteen times this semester. Each student must attend the recitation section to which he or she has been assigned by the registrar (no switching at any point during the semester). Recitation attendance is strictly required. The rules of the College of Arts and Sciences that govern class attendance apply to this requirement. Even for a student that performs at “A” level in all other components of the course, unexcused absences from recitation may result in a reduced grade or a failing final grade. Recitations are small-group discussion sessions that relate to assigned course material. While current events and “what’s in the headlines” might be germane to certain recitation sessions, recitations are a forum to discuss specific questions related to particular readings. A week-by-week list of recitation focus questions appears on pages 9 and 10 of this syllabus. Recitation leaders facilitate discussion. Recitation leaders also serve as graders for the papers and exams of the students in their respective recitations. But recitation leaders do not have any discretion over the content or scheduling of course assignments. Lively discussion among students is one hallmark of a good recitation. Per the rules of the College, students are expected to be courteous and civil. Recitations are settings where students should actively listen to one another and participate in a group discussion: except in emergencies, no electronic communications devices of any type may be used by students while in recitation. There is a maximum of 20 points allotted for each recitation. A student’s final recitation grade is the sum of his or her ten best point totals.
· Papers 25% (250 points): Each student writes two essays. The first essay is worth 10% (100 points) and is due March 6. The second essay is worth 15% (150 points) and is due April 30. The two essay topics and related instructions appear on page 11 of this syllabus. Except in documented (before or after the fact) cases of health problems or other circumstances that the College recognizes as legitimate reasons for missing a paper deadline, each essay must be submitted when it is due (no extensions). Recitation leaders do not have the discretion to grant extensions on papers. Late papers are not accepted. Before writing the first paper, students are encouraged to review the College’s policies regarding plagiarism.
· Note on Plagiarism: One may be tempted to use material from assorted online summaries or “paper writing” services. Resist! The course staff is aware of what is out there on the books and topics in question. Methods of checking for Internet-related and fee-for-service plagiarism have become more sophisticated. Per the rules of the College, to commit plagiarism in any form is to risk penalties that could include temporary or permanent loss of degree candidacy. Plagiarism, like all academic cheating, undermines a student’s educational development (and at these prices!) And, morally speaking, it is just plain wrong.
· Three Midterm/In-Class Examinations 30% (300 points—100 points each):
February 4: A multiple-choice exam covering weeks 1-3.
February 27: A half objective-answer and half essay exam covering weeks 4-7.
March 27: An essay exam covering weeks 8-11.
There will be no “review sessions,” but recitation leaders will hold additional office hours the week before each midterm/in-class examination.
· Final Examination 25% (250 points): Final examination period is May 5-13. At a time and place to be assigned by the registrar, the final examination for this course will be administered. It will cover all post-midterm examination material, and it will also cover bits of pre-midterm examination material (which bits will be specified in advance of the final examination). With the exception of students with special needs that are certified by the Weingarten Center, be advised that students must take the final examination at the time and place that is assigned by the registrar. The instructor and course staff may not administer the final examination at any other time or place. The final examination will have three parts. Part one will consist of multiple-choice questions. Part two will consist of a few brief essay questions. Part three will consist of a single major essay question to which all students respond. There will be no “review sessions,” but recitation leaders will have additional office hours in the week before the final examination. Details about the final exam will be provided during the final lecture.
Class/Recitation Communications: This course will not be on “Blackboard” or other online platforms, but throughout the semester, the instructor and/or the course administrator will initiate class-wide communications (memos, teaching notes, links to certain materials, course announcements) via emails. Recitation leaders will also initiate recitation-wide communications via email. Look for the subject “PSCI 130.” Each student is responsible for staying current and complying with all class-wide and recitation-wide email communications. The instructor may be reached by any PSCI 130 student via email (powerjr @ sas.upenn.edu), and is available for student visits by appointment on Wednesday mornings and many other days/times that could be arranged most weeks.
Week 1
January 16
Orientation: What is “politics”? Why bother to study American politics and its “ABCs”?
**Political Science 130 Syllabus, Spring 2014
**Wilson, chapter 1
**Federalist, Nos. 1 and 10
**Mann and Ornstein, introduction
**Taylor, preface and chapter 1
PART ONE: Constitutionalism, Federalism, and Political Culture
Week 2
January 21
American Constitutionalism: Unbalanced, unfair, undemocratic, and unholy?
**Wilson, chapter 2 and Appendixes (Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, “I Have a Dream”)
**Federalist, Nos. 2, 9, 10, 23, 47, 51, and 55
January 23
The Federalists versus the Antifederalists: James Madison won, but was Patrick Henry right?
**Wilson, page 99 only, section on “Applying the Bill of Rights to the States”
**Federalist, Nos. 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 21, 37, 38, 39, 44, 45, 46, 51, 78, and 84
Week 3
January 28
Federalism I: Should who gets what depend on who lives where?
**Wilson, chapter 3
**Federalist, Nos. 10, 39, 44, 45, and 46
January 30
Federalism II: How, if at all, can “big inter-government by proxy” be improved?
**Wilson, chapters 15 and Chapter 20 (pages 515-523 only)
**Federalist, Nos. 23 and 70
Week 4
February 4: First In-Class Examination: Weeks 1-3 (Multiple-Choice)
February 6
Political Culture: Is there a single key to understanding the U.S. political experience?
**Wilson, chapter 4
PART TWO: Opinions, Interests, and Participation
Week 5
February 11
Public Opinion: Who or what’s the “majority,” and does it suffer from “errors and delusions”?
**Wilson, chapter 7
**Federalist, Nos. 10 and 63
February 13
The Media: What’s the Jeffersonian case for a “free press” now?
**Wilson, chapters 5 (pages 103-107 only) and 12
Week 6
February 18
Political Participation: What is “youth voter turnout,” and how does it matter?
**Wilson, chapter 8
**Green and Gerber, chapters 1-5
February 20
Campaigns and Elections I: What works to “GOTV”?
**Wilson, chapter 10
**Green and Gerber, chapters 6-10
Week 7
February 25
Campaigns and Elections II: Live GOTV case study—“Project Applecart”
**Alan S. Gerber et al, “Social Pressure and Voter Turnout: Evidence from a Large-Scale Field Experiment,” American Political Science Review, February 2008: link to be provided
**Matt Kalmans and Sacha Samotin, Materials on “Project Applecart”: links to be provided
February 27
Second In-Class Examination (Weeks 4-7): Half Objective-Answer, Half Essay
Week 8
March 4
Interest Groups: “Factions” all, then and now?
**Wilson, chapters 9 and 11
**Federalist, No. 10
March 6 (FIRST PAPER DUE IN CLASS: see page 11)
Political Parties: Is the “baneful spirit” alive—and is the “party over”?
**Wilson, chapter 9
Week 9
March 11 and March 13: SPRING BREAK, CLASS DOES NOT MEET
PART III: Institutions of Government
Week 10
March 18
Congress I: Why is it “the first branch”?
**Wilson, chapter 13 and Appendix, Article I of the U.S. Constitution
**Federalist, Nos. 10, 47-57, and 62-66
**Mann and Ornstein, chapters 1-2
**Taylor, chapters 2-3
March 20
Congress II: Is it now “the broken branch”?
**Mann and Ornstein, chapters 3-5
**Taylor, chapters 4-6
Week 11
March 25
Congress III: What’s your preliminary verdict?
**Mann and Ornstein, chapters 6-7
**Taylor, chapters 7-9
March 27
Third In-Class Examination (Weeks 8-11): All essays
Week 12
April 1
The Presidency I: Traditional, Modern, or Hyper-Rhetorical?
**Wilson, chapter 14 and Appendix, Article II of the U.S. Constitution
**Federalist, Nos. 67-77
April 3
The Presidency II: Executive Orders, Signing Statements, and War-Making: Wither checks and balances?
**Wilson, chapter 19
**Federalist, Nos. 23-26, 41-42, 64
Week 13
April 8
Federal Judiciary: Representative democracy’s “least dangerous branch”?
**Wilson, chapter 16 and page A10 (Article III of the U.S. Constitution)
**Federalist, Nos. 78-83
April 10
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: So you want to be a judge?
**Wilson, chapters 5 and 6 and Appendix, Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
PART IV: Policymaking, Constitutionalism, and Reform
Week 14
April 15
Legislative-Executive Relations I: “Separated institutions sharing powers”?
**Birnbaum and Murray, chapters 1-6
April 17
Legislative-Executive Relations II: Can the system still yield “general interest” legislation?
**Birnbaum and Murray, chapters 7-11
**Wilson, chapter 18
Week 15
April 22
Policymaking: Live “policy entrepreneur” case study—“faith-based” from Clinton to GWB to Obama
**Wilson, chapter 17
April 24
Mr. Madison’s “communion suit”: Are you ready for far-reaching reforms—which, and why?
**Wilson, chapter 13 (page 333, “What’s Your Issue?” only) and chapter 20 (pages 523-527 only)
**The Brookings Institution and Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison’s Montpelier, essays by J. DiIulio, P. Nivola, J. Raush, and R. S. Melnick (2013): links to be provided
Week 16
April 29
American Constitutionalism revisited: Will you embrace Madison on Bourbon Street?
**Website of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana
**Pennsylvania Gazette article on “Penn in the Gulf Coast”: link to be provided
SECOND PAPER: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, HARD COPY DUE TO YOUR RECITATION LEADER BEFORE 5:00 p.m.
READING PERIOD: May 1-2
FINAL EXAMINATION PERIOD: May 5-13
Weekly Recitation Focus Questions
Klenias: Somehow or other, stranger, you are once again belittling our lawmakers.
Athenian: No! But if I am, I am not doing it intentionally…Let’s follow wherever the argument carries us, if you will.
--Plato, The Laws, Book II
PART I: Constitutionalism, Federalism, and Political Culture
Week 1: Recitations in this course do not meet during week 1.
Week 2: Exactly what does Madison argue in Federalist No. 10 regarding “factions,” the “public good,” and the case for a large and diverse “republic”?
Week 3: What is “federalism”? How does Madison describe America’s “compound republic”? What is the “selective incorporation” of the Bill of Rights? How much (if at all) do you think state laws should be allowed to vary with respect to minors’ access to abortions, the death penalty, funding for local public schools, environmental protection regulations, and other matters? How do intergovernmental relations and “proxy government” define the everyday implementation of most national policies and programs?
Week 4: What is “political culture” and what are the main elements of American political culture? Do you think it is true that Americans are now polarized by party and ideology, or is such polarization confined mainly to political officeholders and other political elites? In any case, do you reckon that an increase in mass political polarization would be tantamount to a change in American political culture?
PART II: Opinions, Interests, and Participation
Week 5: What role did the Framers of the Constitution think “public opinion” ought to play in America’s representative democracy? What, if any, type of “majority” was supposed “to rule,” and subject to what conditions? How much faith did they have in “the people,” with or without “enlightened statesmen” at “the helm” in government (or in the Senate, specifically)? Did they make a case for a “free press”—and just how “free” did they think the press ought to be? If the Madison of No. 10 could see America today and knew all about instant communications technology, what do you suppose he might Tweet to Jefferson about the influence of “mass media” on American civic life?