THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM

                                                  (POLS 21 – Section E:  No. 91273 )

 

Time:  Tuesday/Thursday  11 am – 12:15                                                                    Fall 2003

                                                                                                                                                           

Place:   Lafayette 111

 

Professor Frank Bryan          

Tel:                   656-0570

Office:              Room 540 Old Mill Building

Office Hours:    Tues. and Thurs. 9-11 am, Wed. 1:30 – 2:30 pm,  and by appointment

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

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

 

 

Examinations

Date

Weight

 

 

 

First Exam

Thurs., Oct. 9

30%

Second Exam

Thurs. Nov. 20

30%

Final Exam

Thurs. Dec. 18 at 8 a.m.

40%

 

 

Texts:               Susan Welch, et. al. Understanding American Government, 6th ed.

Cigler and Loomis American Politics

 

                                                                                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 additions.

*****************************************************************

                                                                    THE COURSE

 

Part I.   Introduction:  In Politics is the Future of the World

 

            A.   “There's Still Time Brother.”  The gap between political and physical science and what it means. 

            B.   The Abortion Debate:  A View from Political Science

 

            C.   Does the American Government Work?  18th Century Architecture, 21st Century Problems

 

Readings:

Welch: Chapter 1

 

            Cigler and Loomis   1.1 & 1.3

 

Part II   “Elephants and Roses,” Defining Politics American Style.

 

A.   “The Model A Ford,” A Systems Framework for Analyzing American Politics.

 

B.   The Authoritative Allocation of Values

 

C.   Breaking the Definition Down

 

Readings:

            Welch: Chapter 2

           

            Cigler and Loomis   2.2 &  2.4

 

Part III  Fleshing Out the Definitions with Examples

 

A.   Inputs, Outputs, and Feedback:  Amending the Constitution.

 

B.   Inputs:  Socialization, Recruitment, Articulation, Aggregation

 

C.   Outputs:  Rule Making, Rule Application, Rule Adjudication

 

Readings:

Welch: Chapter 3

 

            Cigler and Loomis 3.2 & 3.6

 

Part IV. Political Socialization

 

A.   “Children Say the Damnedest Things,” The Origin of Political Value Systems.

 

B.   “The Matt Dillon Syndrome,” Political Values in Adult America.

 

C.   “What If You Had an Election and Nobody Came?” Putting Socialization to the Test.

 

Readings:

Welch: Chapters 4, 5

 

Cigler and Loomis  4.1, 5.3, 8.1

 

 

Part V.  Political Articulation and Aggregation:  Establishing the Agenda

 

A.   “Who’s Minding the Store?” Interest Group Liberalism Goes Amuck.

 

B.   “Ebb and Flows,” The American Party System in Historical Perspective.

 

            C.   “Real Republicans Clean Their Paint Brushes,” The American Party System:  Realignment or Disalignment.

 

Readings:

Welch: Chapters 6, 7, 8,  9

 

            Cigler and Loomis   9.3, 6.1,7.3

 

           

Part VI. Rule Making–Adjusting the Agenda:  Congress

 

A.   “Erogenous Zones in Congress,” Following the Dance of Lawmaking.

 

            B.   “The Madison Square Garden Analogy—Interest Group Pluralism and the Congressional Process.”

 

C.   “Democracy in Deadlock?”  A Case Analysis.

 

Readings:

Welch: Chapter 10

 

            Cigler and Loomis 10.1 & 10.3

 

 

Part VII. Rule Making–Promoting the Agenda:  Presidency

 

A.   “An Imperial Presidency?” The Growth of the Presidential Office.

 

B.   “10,” Ranking Presidential Greatness.

 

C.   “From Kennedy to Clinton” Analyzing Presidential Character.

 

Readings:

Welch: Chapter 11

 

            Cigler and Loomis 11.3 & 11.4

 

           

Part VIII.  Rule Making–Applying the Agenda:  The Bureaucracy

 

A.   “An Imperial Bureaucracy?” The Growth of Bureaucratic Power in America.

 

B.   “You Can’t Get There from Here,” A Structural Map of the Federal Bureaucracy.

 

C.   “Plato With a Brief Case,” Models of Bureaucratic Behavior.

 

Readings:

Welch: Chapter 12

            

            Cigler and Loomis 12.1 & 12.3

 

 

Part IX. Rule Making–Interpreting the Agenda:  The Courts

 

A.   “There Ain’t No Miller Time,” How the Court System Operates.

 

B.   “Don’t Just Sit There.  Do Something,” Activism and Restraint at the Court.

 

C.   “Opening a Pandora's Box,” Baker vs. Carr and Judicial Policy Making.

 

Readings:

Welch: Chapter 13

 

Cigler and Loomis  13.1 & 13.4