Instructor: Dr. Harbour
Office: East Ruffner 228
Office telephone: 395-2219
Office hours:
MWF 11:00-12:00 TR 9:30-10:30
bharbour@longwood.edu
Table of Contents
Course Description
Texts
Course Objectives
Class Schedule
Course Requirements
Grading
Attendance Policy
Honor Code
Class Discussion
Critical Thinking Writing Exercises
Taking Exams
Bibliography
Course Description:
An introduction to the principal thinkers and the central themes in American
political thought. (1865 to the Present)
Texts:
Isaac Kramnick and Theodore J. Lowi. American Political Thought. A Norton Anthology. New York:
W. W. Norton & Company, 2009.
Don E. Eberly.
Editor. The
Essential Civil Society Reader: The Classic Essays.
New
York: Rowman
& Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2000.
Students should also follow ideological debates in contemporary American
politics by going to the sites found below.
There are important think tanks on both
the left and right and each produce informative research on contemporary
political issues.
You may read studies
representing contemporary liberalism by going to the online site of the Center
for American Progress at:
http://www.americanprogress.org/ and Brookings at: http://www.brookings.edu/
There are important political
magazines found on both the left and right that feature stories and editorials
on contemporary political issues.
You may read articles
representing different contemporary liberal views by going to the online
version of The New Republic at:
http://www.tnr.com/
You may read studies
representing contemporary conservatism by going to the online site of The
Heritage Foundation at:
http://www.heritage.org/ and the American Enterprise Institute For
Public Policy Research at: http://www.aei.org/
You may read articles
representing different contemporary conservative views by going to the online
version of The National Review at:
http://www.nationalreview.com/#
Students may also keep up with current political events and may follow the news
through the following online sites:
http://www.nyt.com/
http://www.cnn.com/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
http://www.foxnews.com/index.html
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5
A good nonpartisan source of news may also be found at the National Journal at: http://www.nationaljournal.com/
Every test will have at least one question dealing with current events and the ideological debates surrounding them.
A useful site for checking on the facts presented in public forums:
http://www.factcheck.org/
Many thoughtful students sometimes wonder how much they can trust
information about politics they encounter when viewing political ads and reading
political editorials. They also worry about the objectivity of media news
reports. Both conservatives and liberals complain about the distortion of facts
found in the political ads run by the other side and various websites sponsored
by opposition ideological groups. Distorting the views and positions of the
opposition to make them look as bad as possible is an all too typical campaign
technique. As a citizen and a student you not only should consider examining
many different perspectives and sources of information but also make use of
above site sponsored by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. The
experts at this site checks out the factual accuracy of many political
speeches, ads, and news releases. They take on both the left and the
right, finding errors put out by democrats and republicans. This site is
especially useful when elections approach in examining current political
debates over public policy.
Various optional background readings will be available in Dr. Harbour’s office.
Thornton Anderson. Jacobson’s
Development of American Political Thought. New York:
Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1961.
Sue Davis. American Political Thought: Four Hundred Years of Ideas and
Ideologies.
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1996.
Kenneth M. Dolbeare. American Political
Thought. Monterey, California: Duxbury Press,
1981.
Kenneth M. Dolbeare and Linda J. Medcalf. American
Ideologies Today. Second Edition.
New
York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1993.
Amitai Etzioni. Rights
and the Common Good: The Communitarian Perspective. New York:
St. Martin’s Press, Inc., 1995.
Allen Pendleton Grimes. American Political Thought.
Hinsdale, Illinois: Drydeen Press,
1960.
David A. Hollinger and Charles Capper. Editors. The American Intellectual Tradition, Vol II
1865 to the Present. Third Edition.
New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Alpheus Thomas Mason and Gordon E. Baker. American
Political Thought. Fourth Edition. New
York: Oxford University Press, 1985.
Paul Schumaker, Dwight C Kiel, Thomas W. Heilke. Ideological Voices: An Anthology in Modern
Political Ideas. New York:
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,1997.
William Graham Sumner. What Social Classes Owe to Each Other. New York: Caxton, 1947.
Thorstein Veblen. The
Theory of the Leisure Class. New York: Penguin Books,
1979.
Gayle Graham Yates. What Women Want: The Ideas of the Movement.
Cambaridge, Mass:
Harvard University Press, 1975.
Other Reading:
A good online source for articles on topics concerning American political
thought is the Britannica site found at:
http://www.britannica.com/
Click HERE for the Study Guide which contains questions for reading and thinking about the assignments, links to useful web sties containing materials on the topics being explored, and suggestions on developing your research for the critical thinking writing assignments.
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a capacity for critical and analytical thought about issues central to the American political tradition.
2. Demonstrate an ability to communicate their knowledge and beliefs about the principal thinkers and central themes in the tradition of American political thought.
3. Discuss the ideas that constitute essential features of the American political system.
4. Identify information regarding American political thought necessary and useful for responsible citizenship.
5. Discuss important philosophical and ethical issues associated with American political thought.
6. Interpret the meaning and significance of the symbols that influence American political thinking today.
7. Describe the major ways in which political scientists have tried to understand American political thought.
8. Discuss how American political beliefs have shaped and been shaped by the dynamic social forces found in our society.
Week 1 (Aug. 22-26) Introduction to
American Political Thought; The
Emergence of Social Darwinism
Read: Kramnick & Lowi –
Articles by Sumner, Carnegie, Conwell, Ward
Special Topics:
M: Introduction to American political
thought
W: What were the claims advanced by 19th
century advocates of laissez-faire liberalism and social Darwinism?
F: How does the debate over the claims
of social Darwinism continue to this day?
(Student presentation: Alexandria Cole on William Graham
Sumner)
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 1
Write a three page essay in which you explain the ideas advanced by 19th
century advocates of laissez-faire liberalism and social Darwinism.
Evaluate the arguments for and against those theories.
This assignment is due on Friday.
Week 2 (Aug. 29 – Sept. 2) Populism, Social Protest, and
Alternative Visions
Read: Kramnick & Lowi, Articles by George, Bellamy, Lloyd, Ward, Donnelly,
Weaver, Watson, Lewelling, Bryan
Special Topics:
M: What were some of the chief
criticisms of social and economic conditions advanced by the populists?
(Student presentation: William Cabot-Bryans on William Jennings
Bryan)
W: What were some of the alternative
visions for society advanced by social critics such as George and Bellamy?
(Student presentation: Kevin McCarthy on Lester Ward)
F: How do some populist themes continue
to this day?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 2
Write a three page essay in which you explain the main arguments advanced by
the populists. Evaluate their ideas.
This assignment is due on Friday.
Week 3 (Sept. 5-9) American Socialism; Anarchism
Read: Kramnick & Lowi, Articles by Tucker, Goldman, Rauschenbusch, De Leon, and Debs
Special Topics:
M: No classes Monday, Labor Day
W: American Socialists
(Student presentation: Kala Quinn on Walter Rauschenbusch)
F: American Anarchists
(Student presentation: Courtney Johnson on Emma Goldman)
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 3
Write a three page essay explaining and evaluating the ideas advanced by Emma
Goldman.
This assignment is due on Friday.
Week 4 (Sept. 12-16) Union Protests
Read: Kramnick & Lowi,
Articles by Debs and Gompers
Special Topics:
Monday: What were the conditions that
helped to pave the way for union movements?
Wednesday: What were some of the
principal political and economic ideas advanced by the union movement?
Friday: NOTE: You will have your first test on Friday, Sept. 16.
This test will count for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Week 5 (Sept. 19-23) Pragmatism, Social Reform, and the Progressives
Read: Kramnick & Lowi,
Articles by Steffens, Sinclair, Ryan, Addams, Rauschenbusch, Veblen, James,
Dewey, Beard, Croly, T. Roosevelt, Wilson
Special Topics:
M: Pragmatism
(Krista Andres on John Dewey and
Instrumentalism)
W: The Progressives
(Student presentations: Michael Tegler on Thorstein
Veblen; Elizabeth Berry on Woodrow Wilson; Bobby Smith on Charles Beard)
F: How do some of the themes of the
Progressives continue to this day?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 4
Write a three page essay in which you explain the meaning of pragmatism and
then discuss what the progressives owed to pragmatism.
This assignment is due on Friday.
Week 6 (Sept. 26-30) New Deal and Great Society Liberalism
Read: Kramnick & Lowi,
Articles by Hoover, Beard, Dewey, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Tugwell, Wallace, Lippmann
1941 Four Freedoms: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrthefourfreedoms.htm
1944 The Economic Bill of Rights: http://www.apj.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=130&Itemid
1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights: http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
Special Topics:
M: New Deal Liberalism
(Student presentation: David Brandon on The Four Freedoms and an
Economic Bill of Rights)
W: Great Society Liberalism
F: How do the debates over New Deal
Liberalism and Great Society Liberalism continue to this day?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 5
Write a three page essay in which you explain the theoretical underpinnings
of the liberalism represented by the New Deal and Great Society.
This assignment is due on Friday.
Week 7 (Oct. 3-7) Contemporary Liberalism
Read:
Kramnick & Lowi,
Articles by Rawls, Sandel, Walzer,
Rorty, Etzioni
There are important think
tanks on both the left and right and each produce informative research on
contemporary political issues.
You may read studies
representing contemporary liberalism by going to the online site of the Center
for American Progress at:
http://www.americanprogress.org/ and Brookings at: http://www.brookings.edu/
There are important political magazines
found on both the left and right that feature stories and editorials on
contemporary political issues.
You may read articles
representing different contemporary liberal views by going to the online version
of The New Republic at:
http://www.tnr.com/
Special Topics:
M: Liberalism and neo-liberalism
W: Process and Values
F: What are the main political and
economic proposals advanced by contemporary liberals?
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 6
Write a three page essay in which you explain the some of the major differences
dividing contemporary liberals. What
values unite them? What is it that
separates them?
This assignment is due on Friday.
Fall Break: October 10-11
Week 8 (Oct. 12-14) More on Contemporary Liberalism; Second Test
Special Topics:
M:
No classes – fall break
W: More on contemporary liberalism
(Student presentations: Kathryn Vaught on John Rawls; Michael Crumpler on Michael Walzer)
F: Note: You will have
your second test on Friday, October 14. This test will count for
1/6 of your semester grade.
Week 9 (Oct. 17-21) America and the World; Debating the Constitution
Read: Kramnick & Lowi, Articles by George Washington, Strong, Beveridge, Sumner, Platform of the American
Anti-Imperialist League, Niebuhr, Kennan
Students interested in a generally liberal approach to interpreting the
Constitution, especially on First Amendment issues can find interesting
material at the website of the American Civil Liberties Union: http://www.aclu.org/
Students interest in a generally conservative approach to interpreting the
Constitution can find interesting material at the website of the Federalist Society:
http://www.fed-soc.org/aboutus/
Special Topics:
M: What role should America play in the
world?
(Student presentation: Vanessa Lieurance
on Samuel Huntington)
W: Liberalism and Neoconservatism
(Student presentations: Christopher Cheatham on Paul Wolfowitz; James Cochran on Francis Fukuyama versus Dustin
Meadows on Robert Kagan)
F: Debating the Constitution and
Judicial Activism
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 7
Write a three page essay in which you explain the differences between those who
disagree over America’s role in the world.
This assignment is due on Friday.
Week 10 (Oct. 24-28) Immigration, Race, the Civil Rights Movement
Read: Kramnick & Lowi,
Articles by Slater and George, Strong, T. Roosevelt, Lodge, Amendments 13, 14,
15, Chief Joseph, Crazy Horse, Smohalla, Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896 (Brown and Harlan), Booker T.
Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Garvey, Evans, Hughes, King, SNCC, Malcolm X,
Rustin, Carmichael, Thurgood Marshall, Cornel
West
One may read articles about contemporary civil rights issues at the website of
the NAACP at: http://www.naacp.org/home/index.htm
and access informative articles on civil rights issues and hate groups at the
website of the Southern Poverty Law Center at:
http://www.splcenter.org/index.jsp
Special Topics:
M: On what Basis did Du Bois and others
Challenge Racism early in the 20th Century?
(Student presentation: Robin Brown on Du Bois)
W: What were the Central Issues
Surrounding the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960?
(Student presentation: Taylor McPeake on Martin Luther King, Jr.)
F: Contemporary debates over Immigration
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 8.
Write a three page essay in which you explain the theoretical justification
advanced by Martin Luther King, Jr. for his views on civil disobedience.
Explain whether or not you find his arguments convincing.
This assignment is due on Friday.
Week 11 (Oct. 31 - Nov. 4) Liberalism and the challenge from The New Left;
Environmentalism
Read: Kramnick & Lowi, Articles by Robert Dahl, Daniel Bell, C. Wright Mills, SDS (The Port
Huron Statement), Savio, Rubin, McKibben
One of the most influential thinkers who influenced “critical theory” and New
Left theorists was Herbert Marcuse, and one may get access to his works and
commentaries on them at the Herbert Marcuse official homepage at: http://www.marcuse.org/herbert/
One may read many articles on the contemporary environmental movement by going
to the Greenpeace/USA website at: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/
One may read about one of the most important theorists of the environmental
movement by going to the Aldo Leopold Archives and access some of his works
at: http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/AldoLeopold/
And one may read brief selections from his works at: http://gargravarr.cc.utexas.edu/chrisj/leopold-quotes.html
Special Topics:
M: The New Left’s critique of
American society
(Student presentation: Jonathan Seid on C. Wright Mills)
W: The Environmentalist Movement
(Student presentation: Cooper Machlan on
Aldo Leopold)
F: How do some of the debates surrounding the ideas of the New Left continue
today?
(Student presentations: Tess Lione on
Michael Parenti; Joseph Orr on Howard Zinn; Bobbie Smith on Noam Chomsky)
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 9
Write a three page essay in which you explain and evaluate the critique of
American society advanced by the New Left.
This assignment is due on Friday.
Week 12 (Nov. 7-11) Conservatism in America
Read: Kramnick & Lowi, Articles by Adams, Twelve Southerners, Buckley,
Chambers, Hartz, Lippmann, Goldwater, YAF (The Sharon
Statement), Kristol, Bloom, Robertson, Nozick, Freidman
There are important think tanks on
both the left and right and each produce informative research on contemporary
political issues.
You may read studies
representing contemporary conservatism by going to the online site of The
Heritage Foundation at:
http://www.heritage.org/ and the American Enterprise Institute For
Public Policy Research at: http://www.aei.org/
There are important political
magazines found on both the left and right that feature stories and editorials
on contemporary political issues.
You may read articles
representing different contemporary conservative views by going to the online
version of The National Review at:
http://www.nationalreview.com/#
Special Topics:
M: What are the principal schools of
thought within American conservatism?
(Student presentations: Breanna Doll on
Peter Viereck; Lee Hopkins on Ayn
Rand)
W: What are the most important ideas
advanced by contemporary conservatives?
(Student presentation: Corey Morris on Barry Goldwater; Ryan Downey
on Milton Friedman; Jeff Connelly on Robert Nozick)
Friday: NOTE: You will have your third test on Friday,
November 11. This test will count for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Week 13 (Nov. 14-18) Feminism
Read: Kramnick & Lowi,
Articles by Adams, Murray, Grimke, Beecher, Stanton, Brownson,
Woodhull, Anthony, Gilman, Addams, Friedan, NOW Bill of Rights, Redstockings Manifesto, Millett, Schaffly,
Hooks
Many feminist organizations have
informative web sites containing articles advancing their positions on
contemporary issues. One useful site is
that of
The National Organization of Women
found at: http://www.now.org/
Special Topics:
M: What were the main themes of the
Feminism found in the 19th and early 20th Centuries?
W: What were some of the main themes and
competing schools of thought developed within Feminism in the second half of
the 20th Century?
F: What are the
most Important Challenges facing Feminism today?
(Student presentation: Destiny Jones on Gloria Jean Watkins – pen
name bell hooks)
Critical Thinking Writing Exercise No. 10
Write a three page essay in which you explain the most important claims
advanced by feminist theory. How do you assess the strengths of these
claims? You are quite justified in developing this essay if you wish to point
out the problems with the question being asked.
This assignment is due on Friday.
Week 14 (Nov. 21 - 22) Civil Society Theory Part I
Read: Articles from Eberly: "The Meaning,
Origins, and Applications of Civil Society" by Don E. Eberly;
"The Quest for
Community: A Study in
the Ethics of Order and Freedom" by Robert Nisbet;
"Whose Keeper? Social Science and
Moral Obligation"
by Alan Wolfe; "The Good Society: We Live Through Our Institutions"
Robert Bellah; "The
Demoralization of
Society: What's wrong with Civil Society" by Gertrude Himmelfarb;
"Democracy on Trial: The Role of
Civil Society in
Sustaining Democratic Values" by Jean Bethke Elshtain; "Communitarianism
and the Moral Dimension"
by Amitai
Etzioni; "To Empower People: from State to Civil
Society" by Peter Berger and Richard John Neuhaus;
"Professionalized
Services: Disabling Help for Communities and Citizens" by John McKnight;
"Culture, Incentives, and
the Underclass" by
James Wilson; "The Urban Church: Faith, Outreach and the Inner City
Poor" by John Dilulio.
Special Topics:
M: Civil Society Theory; Moral Issues in
Civil Society and Social Capital
Thanksgiving Vacation November 23-27 No Classes
Week 15 (Nov. 28- Dec. 2) Civil
Society Theory Part II; Beyond Ideology
Read: Articles from Eberly: "The Lost City: The
Case for Social Authority" by Allan Ehrenhalt;
"Trust: The Social Virtues and
the Creation of
Prosperity" by Francis Fukuyama; "Democracy's Discontent: The
Procedural Republic" by Michael
Sandel;
"Rights Talk: The Impoverishment of Political Discourse" by Mary Ann Glendon; "The Progressive Assault of
Civic Community" by
William A. Schambra; "Individualism, Liberalism
and Democratic Civic Society" by William
Galston;
"American Exceptionalism Revisited: The Role of
Civil Society" by Daniel Bell; "Politics, Morality, and
Civility"
by Vaclav Havel.
Special Topics:
M: Social Trust and Authority; The
Democratic State and Civil Society
(Student presentation: Gregory Feitel on
Hannah Arendt)
W: Individualism and American Exceptionalism
F: What do Civil Society Theory and Communitarianism
have in common with conservatism?
Classes end Dec. 2
Reading Day: Dec. 3
Exam Period: Dec. 5-9
Final Exam: The final exam will be on Friday, Dec. 9
at 3:00 P.M. – 5:30 PM.. The final exam will be worth 1/6 of
your semester grade.
Return to Table of Contents
Course Requirements:
Three tests
Ten Critical Thinking Writing Exercises (This will address the writing
intensive aspects of this course.)
Final comprehensive examination
Class discussion (This is a speaking intensive course; students will make
special oral presentations to the class to be scheduled throughout the
semester. These special presentations
will be viewed as part of your total participation in class discussion. Students will select a particular thinker to
make a report on, and once everyone has selected a thinker the dates of the
presentations will be posted on the syllabus.)
Grading:
Your semester grade will be based on three tests, the combined score on 10
critical thinking writing exercises, the final exam, and your contribution to
class discussion. Each will count for 1/6 of your semester grade.
Grading: This course
uses the + and – grading scale.
The total
possible number of points to earn for the course is 600. Grades will be assigned according to the
following percentages:
A+ =
98-100%
A =
92-97%
A-
= 90-91%
B+ =
88-89%
B =
82-87%
B-
= 80-81%
C+ =
78-79%
C =
72-77%
C-
= 70-71%
D+ =
68-69%
D =
62-67%
D- =
60-61%
F = 59%
and below
Students
with Disabilities:
If you have
a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in
this course, please let me know at the beginning of the semester or when given
an assignment for which an accommodation is required. The Director of Disability Support Services
can be reached at x2391.
Attendance Policy:
The attendance policy for this course is the University policy found in the
University Catalog and Student Handbook:
Students are expected to attend all classes. Failure to attend class
regularly impairs academic performance. Absences are disruptive to the
educational process for others. This is especially true when absences cause
interruptions for clarification of material previously covered, failure to
assume assigned responsibilities for class presentations, or failure to adjust
to changes in assigned material or due dates. It is the responsibility of
each instructor to give students a copy of his or her attendance policy in the
course syllabus. Instructors may assign a grade of “0” or “F” on work missed
because of unexcused absences. Instructors have the right to lower a student's
course grade, but no more than one letter grade, if the student misses 10
percent of the scheduled class meeting times for unexcused absences.
Instructors have the right to assign a course grade of “F” when the student has
missed a total (excused and unexcused) of 25 percent of the scheduled class
meeting times. Students must assume full responsibility for any loss incurred
because of absence, whether excused or unexcused. Instructors should permit
students to make up work when the absence is excused. Excused absences are
those resulting from the student's participation in a University sponsored
activity, from recognizable emergencies, or from serious illness. Faculty may
require documentation for excused absences in their attendance policy. Student
Health Services can provide documentation only for students hospitalized
locally or absent at the direction of Student Health Services personnel.
Honor Code:
Students are expected to live by the Longwood University Honor Code. All work
done for the class must be pledged. Your instructor will not tolerate any form
of cheating.
Class Discussion:
Your instructor values class participation. Students are encouraged to ask
questions and to express their knowledge and beliefs about the material and
issues being dealt with in class. Students are expected to make contributions
to class discussion.
Your grade in this regard (which is worth 1/6 of your semester grade) will
be based upon your daily contributions during the semester. Since this is a speaking intensive course,
part of the class participation grade will be based on the formal presentations
students make to the class.
Return to Table of Contents
Critical Thinking Writing Exercises:
There will be 10 critical thinking writing exercises. These papers will usually
be 3 pages in length and be handed in at the beginning of class on the day they
are due. They are not to be sent as an email attachment. Late
papers will lose points. They will be done in Microsoft Word with a Font size
12 and double spaced. Any documentation for these exercises will be done
according to the Turabian format for a research
paper. Failure to cite sources properly will cost points and may result in a 0
for the paper.
A shorter version of that style manual can be found on the History style
manual at the following web address: <http://www.longwood.edu/history/HDPTSTS2.htm>
Taking Exams:
All tests and exams must be taken on time. You are expected to provide
proof for any legitimate reason (illness, participation in a University
sponsored activity, or recognizable emergency) you have for missing a test or
exam. Critical thinking writing exercises handed in past the time they
are due will lose points.
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