1
DRAFT
Politics 193a: Special Topics
Seminar: The Rise of Trump
Spring 2018
Tuesday and Thursday, 2:00 – 3:20
Professor Jill Greenlee
Email:
Office: 205 Olin-Sang
Office Hours: Thursday 9:00- 11:00 and by appointment
COURSE OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES:What dynamics ledto election of President Donald J. Trump in 2016? What does research in political science tell us about the political behavior of voters and the factors that lead to their vote choice in the 2016 presidential election? This course will explore a rich set of political science scholarship that offers insights into the dynamics that lead to the election of this controversial political newcomer. Rather than offering students a clear “answer” to the question of why President Trump was elected, the course will introduce students to research on a range of topics including political polarization, economic inequality, gender and racial attitudes, misinformation, and the media. By learning from research on more general topics, we will better be able to draw informed conclusions about the 2016 election and the contemporary political landscape in America.
Within the Politics department, this course fulfills the seminar requirement and the American politics distribution requirement.
As with all courses in the Politics Department, this class requires three hours of work (i.e. reading, writing, studying) for every hour spent in the classroom. Please plan to spend an average of 9 hours per week preparing for this course.
PREREQUISITES: Students must have a basic knowledge of the American political system. Preference in the course will be given Politics majors.The course will be limited to juniors and seniors.
LEARNING GOALS: In line with the learning goals for the Politics Department, we will work together to do the following:
-Develop the core skills of the discipline. Political science is a field that requires students to think carefully and analytically about arguments, and to build arguments based on the proper evaluation of evidence. Students also must be able to articulate reasoned arguments in writing and orally. In this course we also will become familiar with some research methods employed by political scientists, including qualitative and quantitative methods.
-Acquire knowledge about the political system. Students in this course will learn about political institutions, the distribution of power within the political system, and how actors have worked both within and outside of political institutions to bring out political outcomes
-Develop an understanding of core dynamics in political behavior. In addition to discussing institutions, we will also focus on how individuals think and act in the political world.
-Gain contemporary insights into what factors contributed to the outcome of the 2016 election. Though our readings will often come from political science scholarship published long before the election of President Trump, we will work to think critically about how this research does and does not offer us insights into the 2016 election.
-Practice engaging in healthy political discussions. In this course we will discuss the characteristics and role of healthy political discourse in the political world. We will practice cultivating these characteristics in our classroom discussions.
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:
We will learn together through bi-weekly lectures and discussion, written work, and an exam. You are responsible for completing all the assigned readings in the course, and completing all of the paper assignments. You are also responsible to posting reading responses on LATTE, and contributing to in class discussions.
The final grade will be based on the following:
1)Discussion questions and in-class leadership10pts
2)Short paper 110pts
3)Short paper 220pts
4)Term Paper30pts
5)Participation 20pts
6)Attendance10pts
Each student will sign up to lead one class discussion of the assigned materials. Prior to leading class, each student will submit to me a set of 6-8 discussion questions (these should be submitted by 5pm the night before the class). Students will be expected to have done the reading for the day with great care, and be prepared to lead an engaging conversation about the substance of the assigned material. Preparation includes reading the Reading Responses that students post on the course LATTE page.
The shortpapers (3-4 page)will be based on a prompt that I provide. These papers will require you to engage with the course materials, and do not require outside research.
The termpaper (15-20 pages) will offer each student the opportunity to dig more deeply into one topic that we have covered during the course. This paper will require substantial reading outside of the course materials.
The participation portion of the course will be based on both in-class contributions to our discussion, as well as the completion of 5 “reading responses” throughout the course of the semester; one response must be submitted for each of the 4 sections in the course (as delineated in the syllabus). These reading responses need not be formal papers, but rather thoughtful reactions to the materials that we have read that week. These responses should be 2 paragraphs in length, well written, and edited. You should post them on LATTE no later than 5pm the day before our class meets. The content of these responses can focus on a critique of one or several of the readings, questions that the readings raise for you, or comments on how the readings tie into previously discussed materials in the course. All students are encouraged to log onto LATTE before class to read their colleagues posts in order to ensure an enriching discussion during our meeting.
Finally, attendance in this course is vital to success. Two free absences during the term are permitted. Additional absences will result in a deduction of one point per absence from your attendance grade.
Though I will discuss in greater detail how the papers, leading class discussion, and general participation will be evaluated, in general each of the course requirements is intended to measure 1) factual knowledge, 2) ability to understand and apply theoretical reasoning, 3) ability to craft coherent and consistent arguments, and 4) ability to articulate ideas clearly, both in written and verbal forms. You should keep this in mind as you think about your own progress and performance in the course.
Please feel free to speak with me at any time about the course requirements and their evaluation. In addition, if you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately. You can also learn about resources on campus by contacting the Disabled Students’ Program.
Late policy: I do not grant extensions (unless there are extenuating circumstances). However, you may opt to turn in your work late for a penalty of 1/3rd of a letter grade for every 24 hours late.
In order to pass this course, you must complete all of the assignments.
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and may result in a failing grade for the course. Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, and any act designed to avoid participating honestly in the learning process. Scholastic dishonesty also includes, but is not limited to, providing false or misleading information to receive a postponement or extension on a test or assignment, and submission of essentially the same written assignment for two different courses without the prior permission of faculty members.
Computer policy: No computers are permitted in the classroom, unless you have academic accommodations that specify your need for a computer to take notes.
COMMUNICATION: I am accessible via email, and will try to respond to all messages within 24 hours. If you have a simple question, email is a fine way to communicate. For lengthier discussions, you should come to my office hours. Should there be a snow day during the semester, I will send an email to you via LATTE to make adjustments or arrangements, if necessary.
STUDENT SUPPORT:
If you are a student who needs academic accommodations because of a documented disability, please contact me and present your letter of accommodation as soon as possible.
If you have questions about documenting a disability or requesting academic accommodations, you should contact Beth Rodgers-Kay in Academic Services (x6-3470 or .)
Letters of accommodation should be presented at the start of the semester to ensure provision of accommodations, and absolutely before the day of an exam or test. Accommodations cannot be granted retroactively
CLASSROOM CODE OF CONDUCT: In addition to coming to each class fully prepared to participate (i.e. having done all the readings), I ask that you:
- Come to class with an open mind and check your ideology at the door. This class is not about our political preferences, but rather about objective, analytical thinking about institutions and political behavior.
- Be respectful. Please arrive at class on time, participate, listen, and stay engaged. Put your cell phone away and turn the ringer off.
COURSE TEXTS: We will be reading three books in this course:
All three of these books can be purchased at the campus bookstore or on-line. Other readings can be found on the Latte page for this class.
Hochschild, Jennifer L. and Katherine Levine Einstein. 2015. Do Facts Matter?: Information and Misinformation in American Politics. The Julian J. Rothbaum Distinguished Lecture Series. Norman: The University of Oklahoma Press.
Cramer, Katherine J.The politics of resentment: Rural consciousness in Wisconsin and the rise of Scott Walker. University of Chicago Press, 2016.
Cramer Walsh, Katherine. 2004. Talking about Politics: Informal Groups and Social Idneitty in American Life. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
Class Schedule and Readings
SECTION ONE: SETTING THE SCENE
Class 1: Introduction and Discussion on Writing
January 9
Classes 2 and 3: Dysfunction in Washington
Rausch, Jonathan. “How American Politics Became Ineffective.” The Atlantic.
Chait, Jonathan, “Why American Politics Really Went Insane” New York Magazine.
Classes 4 and 5: The Primary Process
Cohen, M., Karol, D., Noel, H. and Zaller, J., 2009.The party decides: Presidential nominations before and after reform. University of Chicago Press. Selected chapters
SECTION TWO: FOUNDATIONS OF POLITICAL PREFERENCES
Classes 6 and 7: Ideology - and Discussion of the First Paper
Converse, Philip. 1964. “The Nature of Belief Systems in the Mass Publics.” Ed. D.E. Apter, Ideology and Discontent, Free Press.
Federico, Christopher. 2017. “The Structure, Foundations and Expression of Ideology.” New Directions in American Politics
Cramer Walsh, Katherine. 2004. Talking about Politics: Informal Groups and Social Identity in American Life. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Chapters 1 - 3.
Classes 8 and 9: Partisan Identification
Green, Donald, Bradley Palmquist, and Eric Schickler. 2002. Partisan Hearts and Minds: Political Parties. Selected chapters.
SECTION THREE: THE SHIFTING TECTONIC PLATES IN AMERICAN POLITICS
Classes 10 and 11: Economic Inequality & Geography
Cramer, Katherine J.The politics of resentment: Rural consciousness in Wisconsin and the rise of Scott Walker. University of Chicago Press, 2016.
Classes 12 and 13: The “American Dream”and Writing Exercise
Hochschild, Arlie Russell. 2016. Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right. The New Press. Selected Chapters.
“Inequality and the American Dream: The world’s most impressive economic machine needs a little adjusting.” The Economist. June 15, 2006
Classes 14 and 15: Political Polarization
Hetherington, Mark. 2017. “Partisanship and Polarization in Contemporary Politics.” New Directions in American Politics
Grossmann, Matt, and David A. Hopkins.Asymmetric politics: Ideological Republicans and group interest Democrats. Oxford University Press, 2016, selected chapters.
Classes 16 and 17: Information- and Discussion of the Second Paper
Hochschild, Jennifer L. and Katherine Levine Einstein. 2015. Do Facts Matter?: Information and Misinformation in American Politics. The Julian J. Rothbaum Distinguished Lecture Series. Norman: The University of Oklahoma Press.
Lawrence, Eric, John Sides, and Henry Farrell. "Self-segregation or deliberation? Blog readership, participation, and polarization in American politics."Perspectives on Politics8, no. 1 (2010): 141-157.
Cramer Walsh, Katherine. 2004. Talking about Politics: Informal Groups and Social Identity in American Life. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Chapters. 6 & 7.
SECTION FOUR: THE DYNAMICS OF 2016
Classes 18 and 19: Gender- and Discussion of the Final Paper
Center for American Women in Politics, 2017, Finding Gender in the Election.
Junn, Jane. 2017. “The Trump Majority: White Womanhood and the Making of Female Voters in the US” in Politics, Groups, and Identities. 5:2, 343-352.
Classes 20 and 21: Race
Barreto, Matt A. and Christopher S. Parker. 2017. “Public Opinion and Reactionary Movements: From the Klan to the Tea Party. New Directions in American Politics
Schaffner, Brian F., Matthew MacWilliams, and TatisheNteta. "Explaining White polarization in the 2016 vote for President: The sobering role of racism and sexism."Unpublished manuscript in preparation(2016).
Classes22 and 23: American Identity and Immigration
Sides, John. 2017. “Race, Religion, and Immigration in 2016
How the Debate over American Identity Shaped the Election and What It Means for a Trump Presidency” Democracy Fund, Voter Study Group
Abrajano, Marisa and ZoltanHajnal. 2015. White Backlash. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Introduction, Chapters 1 and 2.
Class 24 and 25: The 2016 Election and Beyond
Griffin, Robert and Ruy Teixeira. “The Story of Trump’s Appeal: A Portrait of Trump Voters.” The Democracy Fund Voter Study Group.
Drutman, Lee. 2017. “Political Divisions in 2016 and Beyond: Tensions Between and Within the Two Parties.”The Democracy Fund Voter Study Group.
Cramer Walsh, Katherine. 2004. Talking about Politics: Informal Groups and Social Identity in American Life. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Chapters. Chapter 8.
Final Papers Due: May 1 by 5pm via email. You must wait for confirmation that I have received your paper before you jet off to a remote island that has no internet access.