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