DEMOCRATIC POSSIBILITIES

(POLS 295 – Section A: No. 91568)

Time: Wednesdays 3:35 – 6:20 p.m. Fall 2005

Place: 500 Old Mill

Professor Frank Bryan

Tel: 656-0570

Office: Room 503 Old Mill Building

Office Hours: Tues. and Thurs. 8:30-9:30 am and 11-12:15 pm; Wed. 2-3:30 pm; and by appointment

Web Page: http://www.uvm.edu/~fbryan

WebCT: http://webct.uvm.edu:8900

Email: frank.bryan@uvm.edu

This is a research seminar that directs students in the use of quantitative data to test hypothesizes derived from communitarian or what Jane Mansbridge calls “unitary” democracy and I call “real” democracy. It seeks to provide a thorough grounding in communitarian theory, an understanding of the world’s best operating example of real democracy, the New England town meeting, and the ability to use a number of statistical tools and methodological procedures. The fundamental question is: “Can ordinary citizens govern themselves?”

Required Text:

Frank Bryan, Real Democracy: The New England Town Meeting and How It Works

Additional Required Readings on reserve:

Daniel Kemmis Community and the Politics of Place (hard copy reserve)

Jane Mansbridge Beyond Adversary Democracy p. 3-35, 39-125 (E-reserve)

Carey McWilliams Democracy and the Citizen p. 79-101 (E-reserve)

Joseph Zimmerman The New England Town Meeting p. 83-101 & 164-196 (E-reserve)

Grading System:

Seminar Participation 30%

Final Paper 70%

CLASSROOM PROTOCOL

1. Students are expected to attend and be prepared for ALL regularly scheduled classes.

2. Students are expected to arrive on time and stay in class until the class period ends. If a student knows in advance that s/he will need to leave early, s/he should notify the instructor before the class period begins.

3. Students are expected to treat faculty and fellow students with respect. For example, students must not disrupt class by leaving and reentering during class, must not distract class by making noise, and must be attentive to comments being made by the instructors and by peers.

4. Instructors will inform students of any special alterations to the syllabus.

5. Students are expected to check their WebCT and UVM email on a regular basis.

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THE COURSE

Class Schedule

August 31 Introduction to the Seminar

September 7 The Communitarian Ideal

Mansbridge Beyond Adversary Democracy p. 3-35 (E-reserve)

McWilliams Democracy and the Citizen p. 79-101 (E-reserve)

Bryan Real Democracy p. 1-23

September 14 Town Meeting

Mansbridge Beyond Adversary Democracy p. 39-125 (E-reserve)

Zimmerman The New England Town Meeting p. 83-101 & 164-196 (E-

reserve)

Bryan Real Democracy p. 25-54; 255-297

September 21 Research Methods I: Fundamentals of Correlation and Regression

Daniel Kemmis Community and the Politics of Place (hard copy reserve)

September 28 Research Methods II: Designing and Using Graphs

No reading assignment

October 5 Attendance at Town Meeting

Bryan Real Democracy p. 57-136

October 12 Participation in Town Meeting

Bryan Real Democracy p. 139-186

October 19 Women in Town Meeting

Bryan Real Democracy p. 189-231

October 26 Conflict and Issues

Bryan Real Democracy p. 233-254

November 2 Preliminary Findings

Nov. 9, 16, 30 Student Presentations and Critiques

& Dec. 7