DEMOCRATIC POSSIBILITIES
(POLS 295 – Section B: No. 91404)
Time: Wednesdays 3:35 – 6:25 p.m. Fall 2004
Place: 523 Old Mill
Professor Frank Bryan
Tel: 656-0570
Office: Room 540 Old Mill Building
Office Hours: Tues. and Thurs. 11-12:30 pm, Wed. 1:30 – 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 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 mail.
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THE COURSE
Class
Schedule
September 1 Introduction to
the Seminar
September 8 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 15 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 22 Research Methods
I: Fundamentals of Correlation and Regression
Daniel
Kemmis Community and the Politics of
Place (hard copy reserve)
September 29 Research Methods
II: Designing and Using Graphs
No
reading assignment
October 6 Attendance at Town
Meeting
Bryan Real Democracy p. 57-136
October 13 Participation in
Town Meeting
Bryan Real Democracy p. 139-186
October 20 Women in Town Meeting
Bryan Real Democracy p. 189-231
October 27 Conflict and
Issues
Bryan Real Democracy p. 233-254
November 3 Preliminary
Findings
Nov. 10, 17 Student Presentations and
Critiques
& Dec. 1, 8