American Government and Politics, Fall 2004
Graduate School of International Studies (Fri 1:00-4:00 P.M., Millennium Hall #202)
Okyeon Yi (Hong)
Office: 02-300-2141 (KNDU)
Email: okyeonh@hotmail.com or okyeonh@kndu.ac.kr
1. Course Description
This course introduces major theories and ongoing debates on the issues of political
institutions and processes in the United States. We will explore how the government
system works in the United States and how modern politics have altered the wellestablished institutions. Students are encouraged to keep up to date with current
political events by reading a national newspaper in the States, like the New York Times,
Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, etc. each day.
2. Course Assignments
Students will write two types of papers, a critical review and an empirical application.
1) In critical reviews, students draw one or more arguments from the texts, and make
one or more arguments of your own by extending, modifying, or challenging the
original arguments. They should elaborate and/or demonstrate the logic behind your
extension, modification, or criticism, and explore how others might evaluate your newly
developed arguments, either theoretically or empirically or both.
2) In empirical applications, students draw one or more core arguments from the texts,
and demonstrate how it/they applies/apply in some empirical case(s)—countrytime(s)—beyond those covered in the texts. They should explain how others could
evaluate such empirical application. Joint project is possible, only after consulting
with me.
3. Grading
critical review (30%), empirical application (final draft 30% + presentation 10%),
participation (30%)
*Each student is expected to present her/his empirical application draft for 15-20
minutes.
*Participation includes attendance and bi-weekly summary of a section from Kernell &
Smith.
4. Required Texts
1) Kernell, Samuel and Gary Jacobson. The Logic of American Politics. 2nd ed.
(Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2003)—available in Copy Room
2) Kernell, Samuel and Steven Smith. Eds. Principles and Practice of American
Politics: Classics and Contemporary Readings. (Washington, D.C.: CQ Press,
2004)—available in Copy Room
**Hamilton, Madison, Jay. The Federalist Papers. OR, it can be found, in its entirety,
online at http://memory.loc.gov/const/fed/fedpapers.html**
5. Class Schedule
Week 1: Introduction & Constitutional Framework
-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 2
-Kernell & Smith (2004), chap. 2
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Suggest: de Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America, chaps. 3-4, 7.8.
Week 2: Federalism
-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 3
-Kernell & Smith (2004), chap. 3
Suggest: Peterson, Paul. The Price of Federalism, chaps. 1-3.
Kincaid, John. “Devolution in the United States: Rhetoric and reality,” in
Kalypso Nicolaids and Robert Howse eds. The Federal Vision.
Week 3: Congress
-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 6
-Kernell & Smith (2004), chap. 6
Suggest: Polsby, Nelson. “The institutionalization of the U. S. House of
Representatives,” APSR (1968).
Matthews, Don. “The Folkways of the United States Senate,” APSR (1959).
Kingdon, John. “Models of Legislative Voting,” Journal of Politics (1977).
Week 4: The Presidency and Executive Branch
-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 7
-Kernell & Smith (2004), chap. 7
Suggest: Heclo, Hugh, “Issue networks and the executive establishment,” in Anthony
King. ed. The New American Political System.
Edwards, George et al. eds. Researching the Presidency, introduction, chap. 9
Week 5: Courts and Legal Process
-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 9
-Kernell & Smith (2004), chap. 9
Suggest: Horowitz, Donald. The Courts and Social Policy, chap. 2.
Casper, Jonathan. “The Supreme Court and national policy-making,” APSR
(1976).
Week 6: The Bureaucracy and Public Policy
-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 8
-Kernell & Smith (2004), chap. 8
Suggest: Hochschild, Jennifer. The New American Dilemma, preface, chaps. 1, 6.
Lowi, Theodore. “Distribution, regulation, and redistribution: The Functions of
government,” in R. Ripley ed. Public Policies and their Politics.
Week 7: The American Logic of Government
& Politics
-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 1
-Kernell & Smith (2004), chap. 1
Suggest: Dahl, Robert. Preface to Democratic Theory, chaps. 1, 4-5.
Walker, Jack. “Critique of the elitist theory of democracy.” APSR (1966).
Week 8: no class
*critical review due*
Week 9: Public Opinion
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-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 10
-Kernell & Smith (2004), chap. 10
Suggest: Kinder, Donald. “Diversity and complexity in American public opinion,” in
Ada Finifter ed., Political Science: The State of the Discipline.
Campbell, Angus et al. The American Voter, chaps. 6, 10.
Zaller, John. The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion, chaps. 3, 11-12.
Week 10: Voting & Elections
-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 11
-Kernell & Smith,(2004) chap. 11
Suggest: Verba and Nie. Participation in America, chaps. 3-4, 8, 10.
Abramson, Paul and John Aldrich. “The Decline of electoral participation in
America,” APSR (1982).
Rosenstone, Steven and Mark Hansen. Mobilization, Participation and
Democracy in America, chaps. 1-2, 8.
Week 11: Political Parties
-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 12
-Kernell & Smith (2004), chap. 12
Suggest: Sundquist, James. Dynamics of the Party System, chaps. 2, 16.
Eldersveld, Samuel. Political Parties in American Society 2nd ed., chaps. 15, 17.
Fiorina, Morris. “The Decline of collective responsibility in American
politics,” Daedalus (1980).
Week 12: Interest Groups
-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 13
-Kernell & Smith (2004), chap. 13
Suggest: Moe, Terry. “Toward a broader view of interest groups,” Journal of Politics
(1981).
Walker, Jack. “Origins and maintenance of interest groups,” APSR (1983).
Week 13: The Media
-Kernell & Jacobson (2003), chap. 14
-Kernell & Smith (2004), chap. 14
Suggest: Ross, Peter. “Four landmarks in voting research,” in E. Burdick and A.
Brodbeck, eds. American Voting Behavior.
Iyengar, Shanto, et al. “Experimental demonstrations of the not-so-minimal
consequences of television news programs,” APSR (1982).
Bartels, Larry. Presidential Primaries and the Dynamics of Public Choice, chap.
1, 6.
Week 14: Foreign Policy
*guest speaker*
For your reference, if you please.
-Allison, Graham. “Conceptual models and the Cuban Missile Crisis,” in J. Ikenberry.
American Foreign Policy (2002).
-Bailey, Michael et al. “The Institutional roots of American trade policy,” World
Politics (1997).
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-Peterson, Paul. “While America Slept,” in D. Dressang et al. eds. American
Government in a Changed World (2003).
Week 15: presentation (empirical application draft) *15-20 min/person*
Week 16: no class
*empirical application due*
**Articles available at www.jstor.org**
The following articles are listed under suggested readings.
APSR = American Political Science Review,
AJPS = American Journal of Political Science,
JP = Journal of Politics
1. Carey, George. “Separation of Powers and the Madisonian Model: A Reply to the
Critics.” APSR 72(1), March 1978, pp. 151-164.
2. Walker, Jack. “A Critique of the Elitist Theory of Democracy.” APSR 60(2), June
1966, pp. 285-295.
3. Bachrach, Peter and Morton Baratz. “Decisions and Nondecisions: An Analytical
Framework.” APSR 57(3), Sep. 1963, pp. 632-642. (Recommended reading)
4. Moe, Terry. “Toward a Broader View of Interest Groups.” JP 43(2), May 1981, pp.
531-543.
5. Walker, Jack. “The Origins and Maintenance of Interest Groups in America.” APSR
77(2), June 1983, pp. 390-406.
6. Abramson, Paul and John Aldrich. “The Decline of Electoral Participation in
America.” APSR 76(3), Sep. 1982, pp. 502-521.
7. Iyengar, Shanto, Mark Peters and Donald Kinder. “Experimental Demonstrations of
the ‘Not-So-Minimal’ Consequences of Television News Programs.” APSR 76(4),
Dec. 1982, pp. 848-858.
8. Miller, Warren and Donald Stokes. “Constituency Influence in Congress.” APSR
57(10< March 1963, pp. 45-56.
9. Achen, Christopher. “Measuring Representation.” AJPS 22(3), Aug. 1978, pp. 475510.
10. Fenno, Richard, Jr. “U. S. House Members in Their Constituencies: An
Exploration.” APSR 71(3), Sep. 1977, pp. 883-917.
11. Polsby, Nelson. “The Institutionalization of the U. S. House of Representatives.”
APSR 62(1), March 1968, pp. 144-168.
12. Matthews, Donald. “The Folkways of the United States Senate: Conformity to
Group Norms and Legislative Effectiveness.” APSR 53(4), Dec. 1959, pp. 10641089.
13. Kingdon, John. “Models of Legislative Voting.” JP 39(3), Aug. 1977, pp. 563-595.
14. Casper, Jonathan. “The Supreme Court and National Policy Making.” APSR 70(1),
March 1976, pp. 50-63.
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