THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM
(POLS 21 – Section C: No. 11517)
Time: Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays 11:15 a.m.– 12:05 p.m. Spring 2005
Place: Lafayette 108
Professor Frank Bryan
Tel: 656-0570
Office: Room 540 Old Mill Building
Office Hours: Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays 8 – 11 a.m., and by appointment
Web Page: http://www.uvm.edu/~fbryan
WebCT: http://webct.uvm.edu:8900
Email: frank.bryan@uvm.edu
Examinations |
Date |
Weight |
|
|
|
First Exam |
Friday, February 18 |
30% |
Second Exam |
Friday, April 1 |
30% |
Final Exam |
Friday, May 13, 4 p.m. |
40% |
Texts: Susan Welch, et. al. Understanding American Government, 7th ed.
Allan J. Cigler and Burdett Loomis
American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 6th ed.
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 UVM and WebCT mail for this course on a regular basis.
*****************************************************************
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 & 10.4
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