PSCI 216: American National Government
Learning Community: “Identity, Community, and the Struggle for Meaningful Democracy.”
Semester:  Fall 2000
Class Period:  MWF 9:00-9:50 AM
Room:  CLS 2020
Dr. Leaman's Office:  CLS 2050
Office Hours: MWF 8:10-8:50 AM and 10:10-10:50 AM; W 5:30-7:00 PM; or by appointment.
Telephone:  773-794-2687
Website:  www.neiu.edu/~dleaman
E-mail:  d-leaman@neiu.edu
Description:  This course introduces you to the history and to the major institutions, processes, group actors, and movements
of American national government and politics.  Following the lead of our main textbook authors, we will organize our
exploration around the theme of democracy, especially the ongoing debate between elite democracy and popular democracy.
What kind of “democracy” does the U.S. currently have?  What kind of “democracy” would you like it to have?  While we will learn many important facts and concepts during this course, we will also have the opportunity to think about and form our own philosophy of government and politics.
    Besides the main textbook, this course includes two other important “texts”.  Barbara Kingsolver’s  Holding the Line will
broaden our understanding of American politics by showing us the kinds of political battles, far from the frontlines of
Washington, that have shaped our country and our communities.  Focusing on a labor strike and the role of women, Kingsolver might also offer us some ideas about how we might be more active participants in the ongoing “struggle for meaningful democracy.”  Also, the Crosstabs computer software exercises that we will use at several points in the course will expand our understanding of American society and government through basic data analysis of public opinion and Congressional voting.
    The goals of this course include, first, providing a broad foundation for understanding and participating in American politics
and, second, strengthening your competencies in essay writing and data analysis.  As we work our way through this course, I
hope that we all will come to be more knowledgeable (rather than overwhelmed), more intellectually critical (rather than
cynical), and more empowered (rather than apathetic).  Good luck to all of us.

Learning Community: This course is one of three courses (the other two being ACAD DEV 103:  University Seminar and
ENGL 101: Writing I) that make up a new “learning community” called “Identity, Community, and the Struggle for Meaningful
Democracy.”  The purpose of this learning community is to increase interaction and coordination among students and
professors so as to enhance overall learning.  For example, we hope that the study skills you work on in your University
Seminar will help you to better tackle assignments in American National Government and that the issues of community, identity,
and struggle that you deal with in American National Government will give you insight for your discussion and writing on those
general and related topics in Writing I.  And so on.  Also, because the three courses in our learning community run
back-to-back in the same classroom, we expect that there will be a few occasions where a special event (e.g. a guest speaker,
a video, or a field trip) will run for more than one class period and a few days that we will switch the order of classes.  In
addition, you will see that 25% of your final grade in all three classes (10% for WebBoard writing and 15% for your final
paper) is the same for all three classes.  This reduces your overall workload in this learning community.

Course Requirements: In addition to the reading assignments listed below, PSCI 216 features three written non-cumulative
exams, two essays (the second one will count for all three courses), and a few short computer data assignments.  Due dates are listed on the course calendar.  You should always expect to spend at least ten hours per week working on this class (including class time).  Any changes in the schedule will be announced in advance.  The penalty for lateness on any assignment is one letter grade PER DAY of lateness.  In addition, perfect class attendance is required; more than four absences and/or frequent
tardiness will result in a failing grade for the participation portion of your course grade.  If you have trouble keeping up with
course work, please come and talk with me!  I want to help you to succeed.

Textbooks: There are two textbooks to buy for this class.  Please purchase them immediately.

Bruce Miroff, Raymond Seidelman, and Todd Swanstrom, The Democratic Debate: An Introduction to American Politics.

Barbara Kingsolver, Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983.

Written Exams: Each of the three exams, consisting of short answer and short essay questions, will cover five chapters of the
main textbook (chs. 1-5, 6-10, and 11-14, 16).  There will also be a few questions from the Kingsolver book.  Exam dates are listed on the course calendar.

Essays: You are lucky to be taking American National Government during a major election year!  Essay #1 will engage you
with election year 2000 by asking you to focus on a specific candidate who is campaigning for national office.  After being
matched with a candidate early in the term, you will be expected to research the political background, three distinctive policy
positions, and electoral prospects for your candidate.  You will then present your findings in a 3-4 page essay, typed and
double-spaced.  Essay #2 will be your thoughtful and personal response to Holding the Line (see the list of “questions to think
about” on the final page of this syllabus), Push, and other class readings and discussions.  Essay #2, which counts for all three
courses, will be typewritten, double-spaced, 5-7 pages, and will go through a first draft and revised final draft..

WebBoard and Electronic Mailing List: One of the goals of this course, and of this learning community, is to give you lots of opportunities to write informally and to discuss course topics with each other.  To make that possible, we will all be subscribed to an electronic mailing list and to a WebBoard.  You will expected to check your e-mail regularly for announcements and to participate in weekly small group interactive discussions on the WebBoard that deal with course and learning community
topics.  You will generally receive your question on Monday and be expected to respond to it by Wednesday OR to your
WebBoard discussion mate responses by Friday.  The WebBoard, your weekly computer “journal”, can be accessed through
Professor Leaman’s home page: www.neiu.edu/~dleaman.  Please go there and subscribe right away.

Crosstabs Exercises: You will be expected to complete four Crosstab computer data exercises to build your data analysis
skills and to broaden your understanding of American politics.  See the course calendar for specific assignments.  More
information will be provided early in the term.

Grading: The various components of your grade have the “weights” listed below.  Your final grade is calculated according to
the standard percentages listed in the college catalogue (A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%; F = Below
60%).
 

Three written exams 150 points (50 points each) 37.5%
Essay #1 40 points 10%
Essay #2* 60 points 15%
Crosstabs exercises 40 points (10 points each) 10%
WebBoard writing* 40 points 10%
Responses to Holding the Line 30 points 7.5%
Attendance/participation 40 points 10%
TOTAL 400 points 100%

 
*These assignments and grades are common to all three classes -- and will count for all three!

POLITICS CLUB: Class members are invited to participate in Politics Club activities.  Such activities generally take place
every other Tuesday during the Activity Hour, 1:40-2:40 PM.


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COURSE CALENDAR

Week 1  The Declaration and the Constitution: Origins of the Democratic Debate
August 28 and 30; September 1

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapters 1 and 2


Week 2  Public Opinion and Political Culture
Labor Day holiday; September 6 and 8

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 3
             Kingsolver, Introduction and pp.1-18

Begin Essay #1 research on political candidate


Week 3  The American Political Economy
September 11, 13, and 15

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 4
             Kingsolver, pp.18-48


Week 4  Voting, Non-Voting, and Elections
September 18, 20, and 22

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 5
             Crosstabs exercise #1

Exam #1 on September 29


Week 5  The Politics of Corporate Mass Media -- and the Alternatives
September 25, 27, and 29

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 6
             Kingsolver, pp.49-78


Week 6  Political Parties and Political Party Systems
October 2, 4, and 6

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 7
             Kingsolver, pp.78-107


Week 7  Campaigns: Organized Money Versus Organized People
October 9, 11, and 13

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 8
             Crosstabs exercise #2


Week 8  Interest Groups and the Interest Group System
October 16, 18, and 20

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 9
             Kingsolver, pp. 107-133

Essay #1 due on October 27


Week 9  Popular Social Movements in American History
October 23, 25, and 27

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 10
             Kingsolver, pp. 134-162

Exam #2 on November 3


Week 10  Congress and Types of Representation
October 30; November 1 and 3

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 11
             Crosstabs exercise #3


Week 11  The Presidency and Elite Democracy
November 6, 8, and 10

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 12
             Kingsolver, pp. 163-196

Field trip to prison on November 15

Essay #2 due on November 17 (Revised final draft due on December 1)


Week 12  Bureaucracy: Myths and Realities
November 13, 15, and 17

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 13
             Crosstabs exercise #4


Week 13  The Supreme Court and the Judicial System
November 20 and 22; Thanksgiving holiday

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 14


Week 14  Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
November 27 and 29; December 1

READ:  Miroff, et al., chapter 16


Week 15+  Summing Up: Identity, Community, and the Struggle for Meaningful Democracy
December 4, 6, 8, and 11

READ:  Finish up any missed readings and review for final exam

(Final) Exam #3: Wednesday, December 13, 10:00-11:50 AM
 

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APPENDIX:  Questions to think about while reading Holding the Line, by Barbara Kingsolver

1.  As text chapter 3 points out, American political culture is one of the most individualistic anywhere.  Yet we are also “a
country of joiners.”  What does Kingsolver’s book tell us about the differences between individual and collective identity and
action?  What is the purpose and what are the advantages or disadvantages of collective (“union”) action?  Why did these
women believe in it so strongly?

2.  Some social scientists have argued that women tend to have different methods and goals than men when it comes to politics
and organizing.  Do you agree?  In this strike, why do you think women took the lead?  How would you describe their methods and goals?  How was their “holding the line” connected to their personal lives and their personal empowerment?

3.  Thinking about the debate between elite democracy and popular democracy, what does this story suggest about the type
and quality of U.S. “democracy” in the following areas --

a.  Protection of civil liberties?  (see text chapter 16)

b.  Information from mass media?  (see text chapter 6)

c.  Treatment by law enforcement? (see text chapter 16)

d.  Competition of political parties?  (see text chapter 7 and Kingsolver, pp. 184-185)

4.  As discussed in text chapter 2, the Framers (18th century republicans) elevated private property rights above other political
and human rights.  What does the story of this strike suggest about the current relationship between human rights and property
rights?  Do you think the “right to organize” and the “right to strike” ought to be protected?  Why or why not?

5.  As discussed in text chapters 4 and 8-10, one major battle in interest group politics is the struggle between business
(employers) and labor (employees), between “organized money” and “organized people”.  What does this story suggest about
the relative powers of business and labor?  What are the sources of power of each group?

6.  As discussed in text chapter 4, corporate globalization is a major characteristic of our early 21st century world.  How does
the story of this strike in Arizona relate to the theme of globalization?  How were these workers affected by the global economy and how did their struggle become global (pp. 187-189)?  Can labor unions control global corporate power?

7.  Was this strike about money?  If not, what was it about?  Given the power of global corporations, do you think these
women were on a “fool’s mission”?  Why or why not?  What rights do you think are worth fighting for?  In the current
American political system and in our globalized economy, what do you think are the best ways to protect or acquire those
rights?