PSCI 410(S) Seminar in American Politics

The focal point of this seminar will be on the comparison of politics at the founding of the Republic and in our own time. That comparison will center on the political beliefs and values as well as the political actions of the times, then and now. Among the topics that will be considered are: the competing conceptions of democracy; the appropriate roles of the various institutions of politics (the press, political parties, local, state, and national politics); and, the social and economic systems and their diverse effects. Has the American political system changed, and in what ways, and has it changed for the better and/or worse? Has the increasing diversity of the American population, the growth of imperial responsibility, the impact of the world economy on America (and of the American economy on the world), the pace of technological change, among other modern features, made democratic politics more or less possible? Requirements: paper based on original materials and oral presentations in the seminar. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing. Enrollment limited to 15. Senior majors have precedence.

Hour:  MARCUS