POLS 180: Introduction to American Politics
Fall 2022 • Mon/Wed/Fri • 11:00am –11:50am • KEL 116
Instructor: Dr. Brian Bernhardt
E-mail: bbernhardt@western.edu
Phone: 970-943-3025
Office Hours: Monday: 12:00pm-1:00pm • Wednesday: 10:00am-11:00am,
12:00pm-1:00pm, and 2:00pm-3:00pm • Friday: 12:00pm-1:00pm
Office: Kelley 205
“As government expands, liberty contracts.”
•
Ronald Reagan
“Let us never forget that government is not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our
democracy are not a President and senators and congressman and government officials, but the
voters of this country.”
• Franklin D. Roosevelt
“I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the
safety of my country…Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high
places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by
working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the
Republic is destroyed.
• Abraham Lincoln
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet
deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain
without thunder and lightning… Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never has and it
never will.”
• Frederick Douglass
Course Description:
The concept of “politics” is understood in many different ways. For some people, politics is a
corrupt enterprise carried out by power-hungry people who engage in mud-slinging and backstabbing. For others, politics signifies a realm of our shared social life when people come
together to address issues of common concern. There is surely some truth to both accounts.
In this course, we will think about political science as the study of power. Of course, power
itself comes in many forms. On the one hand, consider the “power of” people to create
something new, or join together for a common purpose. This is a constitutive or constructive
power and might be mobilized to found a new constitutional order or build a social movement
to right a social wrong. On the other hand, consider the ability of someone to exercise “power
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over” other people, to compel them to do something against their wishes. This is a dominating
or oppressive power and might be mobilized to keep a people in check or to take away their
riches, resources, or rights. I will contend that the central challenge of democratic politics is to
mobilize power that is responsive and accountable to citizens – “government of the people, by
the people, for the people,” in Lincoln’s famous words – while avoiding the very real possibility
that power can be concentrated in a few hands and devolve into tyranny.
This course will introduce you to the study of power in the American context. The course is
divided into the three parts, each of which addresses a different form or manifestation of power
that is relevant to a well-rounded understanding of American politics: 1) governmental power,
2) economic power, and 3) people power. Each of these forms of power presents its own
challenges and conundrums and wrestling with these is critical in order to become an
intelligent and engaged American citizen.
PART I: GOVERNMENTAL POWER
While most people agree that there is a need for government to protect our basic rights and
liberties and to perform numerous social services, it is also clear that the government can become
too powerful and constitute a threat to the basic rights and liberties it is supposed to protect.
• What is the proper role of government in a democratic society?
• What debates did our founders have about the extent of governmental power?
• How does our political system aim to strike a balance between mobilizing and
constraining government power?
• Has that balance been struck, or has there been a growth of governmental power?
PART II: ECONOMIC POWER
The risk of concentrated power is present not only in the government, but in the economy, as well.
Though private enterprise is a key element of American political culture, there is a real concern
that increasing inequality and heightened corporate power undercut democratic self-government.
• What are corporations and what is their appropriate role in a democratic society?
• How has corporate power and economic inequality developed throughout U.S. history?
• How, and to what extent, does economic power translate into political power?
• Does the power of corporations today threaten the democratic ideal?
PART III: PEOPLE POWER
Power is not just something that comes down from above – from a politician or a CEO – but is
also generated from below. Indeed, many of our most treasured rights and liberties are the result
of social movements that struggled against powerful governmental and economic institutions.
• How do people exercise power outside of authorized political channels, like voting?
• What are some of the key social movements in U.S. history; what strategies and tactics
did they employ; and what gains did they win?
• What is the role of disruptive protest in a democratic society?
• How, and to what extent, are social movements relevant or necessary today?
Please note: The syllabus is subject to revision. Should this occur, I will email the class with
updates as soon as possible.
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Course Requirements and Grading:
Reading Quizzes (30%): Attendance in this class is both an essential part of the learning
process and a significant part of your grade. By attendance I, of course, mean your physical
presence in class. But I do not just mean that. To truly be present, you need to be prepared for
class, meaning that you have completed the reading and given it some critical thought. As
such, attendance will generally be taken via a short quiz, conducted at the beginning of each
class session, based on the reading for that day. You will use your cellphone to respond using
Poll Everywhere. On occasion, you will complete a short writing assignment, which you will
submit on Canvas by the beginning of class. There are no make-ups for the quizzes, so you
need to be on-time to receive credit.
• Readings: Each of the assigned readings should be completed before class the day they
are listed on the syllabus. Careful reading of the assigned text will be necessary to
successfully answer the quiz questions. I highly recommend that you highlight or
underline important passages and take notes as you read to capture the main
argument(s) and significant details.
• Absences: Each student is allowed up to three “freebie” absences. Please note that
legitimate absences COUNT against your freebie absences. Accordingly, you should use
your freebie absences wisely (if at all). Student-athletes and others with extensive
university commitments should consult with me regarding make-up work required for
absences. I will drop your three lowest quiz grades. So, if you miss three reading quizzes
(your freebie absences), I will drop the zeros you receive on quizzes for those days.
Alternatively, if you miss fewer than three class periods, I will drop the lowest quiz
grade(s) you received on days you were in attendance, up to a total of three dropped
grades. As such, it is in your interest to not use your freebie absences, if you are able.
Exams (15% each; 45% total): There will be three exams during the semester, each covering
one of the above sections: Governmental Power, Economic Power, and People Power. Though
each exam will primarily focus on the material covered in that part of the course, there may be
some questions which are cumulative in nature. The exams will generally require short answer
and short essay responses. See the course calendar below for exam dates. There are no makeup exams, unless special arrangements have been made IN ADVANCE with the instructor.
Final Paper (20%): You will be required to turn in one essay at the end of the semester in
response to the following prompt: Identify one form of concentrated governmental power or
concentrated economic power. First, carefully explain: a) the evidence/data that such a
concentration of power exists (i.e. argue why people should be concerned about this issue); and b)
why this particular concentration of power threatens one or more of our key American values of
liberty, equality, and democracy. Second, what potential solutions exist and (utilizing historical
and theoretical insights from class) what role should people power play in bringing those
solutions about? This paper must be 4-6 double-spaced pages in 12-point Times New Roman
font. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade for every 24 hour period they are late.
Participation (5%): You are expected to come to live class sessions prepared to participate,
which requires careful reading of the text(s) for every class period. Participation will be
evaluated on both quality and quantity, and should be relevant to course material. Consistent
and intelligent participation may be rewarded with additional points on the final grade.
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Required Texts (Available for Free on Canvas):
Author: Brian Bernhardt
Title: Power in America
Date: 2022 • Unpublished/In-Progress Manuscript
Author: Ted Nace
Title: Gangs of America: The Rise of Corporate Power and the Disabling of Democracy
Date: 2005: Berrett Koehler Publishers • ISBN: 9781576753194
Course Schedule:
Week 1: Politics, Power, and the Democratic Ideal
Monday, August 22
Course Introduction: What is Politics?
No Reading
Wednesday, August 24
The Three Powers Approach to American Politics
“POLS 180 Course Syllabus”
Power in America, Ch. 1 (p. 3-13)
Friday, August 26
From Political Polarization to Common Concerns and Shared Political Values
Power in America, Ch. 2 (p. 14-25)
PART I: GOVERNMENTAL POWER
Week 2: The Declaration, the Articles, and the Constitutional Debate
Monday, August 29
Thinking Through the 4th of July: Patriotism and Dissent in American Politics
Power in America, Ch. 3 (p. 26-35), including:
• “The Declaration of Independence” (p. 28-30)
• “What to the Slave is the 4th of July” by Fredrick Douglass (p. 32-34)
Wednesday, August 31
The Constitutional Debate and the Anti-Federalist Challenge
Power in America, Ch. 4 (p. 36-48), including:
• Anti-Federalist Papers, by “Brutus” (p. 41-48)
Friday, September 2
The Federalist Response, Pt. 1 (Factions)
“Federalist #10” in Power in America (p. 49-54)
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Week 3: The Separation of Powers and the Role of Citizens
Monday, September 5
NO CLASS – Labor Day
No Reading
Wednesday, September 7
The Federalist Response, Pt. 2 (Separation of Powers)
“Federalist #51” in Power in America (p. 55-58)
Friday, September 9
The Role of Citizens in Checking Governmental Power
No Reading
Week 4: The Constitution as Constraining and Mobilizing Governmental Power
Monday, September 12
Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
We the People, Ch. 4 (Canvas)
Wednesday, September 14
Federalism: Balanced State and National Power or Growing National Power?
No Reading
Friday, September 16
The Presidency and the Challenge of Presidential Power
We the People, Ch. 10 (Canvas)
Week 5: Bureaucracy and “Big Government”
Monday, September 19
Big Government? Competing Measures of the Size of Government
No Reading (Consider getting started on the next reading, which is longer than usual)
Wednesday, September 21
Police, Prisons, and the Growth of Government
“The Lockdown” in The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander (Canvas)
Friday, September 23
Police, Prisons, and the Growth of Government (cont.)
No Reading
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Week 6: Concluding Governmental Power
Monday, September 26
The Supreme Court and the Challenge of Judicial Power
“Federalist #78” in Power in America, (p. 59-64)
Wednesday, September 28
Review for Exam #1
No Reading
Friday, September 30
***EXAM #1***
No Reading
PART II: ECONOMIC POWER
Week 7: Corporations in Early American Politics
Monday, October 3
Pluralism or Corporate Dominance?
Gangs of America, Introduction and Ch. 1 (p. 1 – 18)
Wednesday, October 5
Early American Opposition to Corporations (1770-1850)
Gangs of America, Ch. 4 and 5 (p. 38-55)
Friday, October 7
The 14th Amendment and the Expansion of Corporate Rights (1860-1900)
Gangs of America, Ch. 7 (p. 70-86)
Week 8: The Development of Corporations and Economic Power
Monday, October 10
Social Darwinism and Labor Struggles in the Gilded Age (1886-1937)
Gangs of America, part of Ch. 11 (p. 118 – the break on 131)
Wednesday, October 12
Constraining Corporate Power: From the Gilded Age to the Golden Age (1937-1970)
Gangs of America, end of Ch. 11 (p. 131-136)
Friday, October 14
NO CLASS – Mid-Fall Break
No Reading
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Week 9: Economic Inequality and the Concentration of Economic Power
Monday, October 17
The Growth of Economic Inequality
No Reading (Complete Inequality for All Viewing Guide)
Wednesday, October 19
The Growth of Economic Inequality
No Reading (Inequality for All Viewing Guide Due)
Friday, October 21
Capital Strikes Back: The Mobilization of Corporate Political Power (1971-Present)
Gangs of America, Ch. 12 (p. 137-151)
Week 10: Converting Economic Power to Political Power
Monday, October 24
Interest Groups and Lobbying
Power in America, Ch. 6
Wednesday, October 26
Campaign Finance and Elections
We the People, Ch. 7, “Money is the Mother’s Milk of Politics” (Canvas)
Gangs of America, Ch. 13 (p. 152-160)
Friday, October 28
Catch-Up Day
No Reading
Week 11: Concluding Economic Power
Monday, October 31
Corporate Personhood and Corporate Speech
Gangs of America, Ch. 14 (p. 161-177)
Wednesday, November 2
Review for Exam #2
No Reading
Friday, November 4
***EXAM #2***
No Reading
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PART III: PEOPLE POWER
Week 12: Introduction to Social Movements and Disruptive Power
Monday, November 7
Politics Beyond Pluralism, Democracy Beyond Voting
No Reading
Wednesday, November 9
Interdependence and the Nature of Disruptive Power
“The Nature of Disruptive Power” in Challenging Authority, Francis Fox Piven (Canvas)
Friday, November 11
Disruptive Power (cont.)
No Reading
Week 13: Disruptive Power in the Civil Rights Movement
Monday, November 14
Introduction to the Civil Rights Movement
Power in America, Ch. 7, including:
• “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. (Canvas)
Wednesday, November 16
The Civil Rights Movement and the Selma Campaign
No Reading (Complete Selma Viewing Guide)
Friday, November 18
The Civil Rights Movement and the Selma Campaign
No Reading (Complete Selma Viewing Guide)
NO CLASS – Thanksgiving Break (November 21-25)
Week 14: The Significance of People Power in American Politics
Monday, November 28
The Civil Rights Movement and the Selma Campaign
No Reading (Selma Viewing Guide Due)
Wednesday, November 30
The “Big Bangs” of Reform and the Politics of Rollback
Ch. 5 (p. 81-89) and Ch. 6 (p. 109-111 and p. 116-125) in Challenging Authority, Piven (Canvas)
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Friday, December 2
Catch-Up Day
Reading TBD
Week 15: Course Conclusion
Monday, December 5
Paper Workshop
No Reading (Work on Paper Before Class)
Wednesday, December 7
Review for Exam #3 and Course Debrief
Power in America, Ch. 8
Friday, December 9
***EXAM #3***
No Reading
***Final Paper Due: Thursday, December 15th at 12:30pm***
General Education and GT Pathways* Goals:
POLS 180 is a General Education course in Area 1 (Social Sciences). As such, the course
includes several content goals appropriate for the social and behavioral sciences. Students will:
• Demonstrate knowledge of political systems through a study of American government, and
the role of corporations and citizens within that system, from the founding era to the
present day.
• Use the social sciences to analyze and interpret issues by reading and interpreting data in a
variety of formats, and finding appropriate indicators or measures for major political
concepts.
• Explain diverse perspectives and groups by engaging with major debates in American
politics.
In addition, you will develop several specific competencies and student learning objectives,
including:
• Critical thinking, which includes a) Using information to describe a problem or issue
and/or articulate a question related to a topic; b) Evaluating the relevance of context
when presenting a position, identifying assumptions, and analyzing one’s own and others’
assumptions; and c) establishing a conclusion that is tied to the range of information
presented and reflecting on implications and consequences of stated conclusion.
• Civil Knowledge, which entails the ability to connect disciplinary knowledge to civil
engagement through one’s own participation in civil life, politics, and/or government.
*The Colorado Commission on Higher Education has approved POLS 180 for inclusion in the Guaranteed Transfer
(GT) Pathways program in the GT-SS1 category. For transferring students, successful completion with a minimum
C‒ grade guarantees transfer and application of credit in this GT Pathways category. For more information on the
GT Pathways program, go to http://highered.colorado.gov/academics/transfers/GT Pathways/curriculum.html
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University and Course Policies:
Computer Policy: Because this is a discussion-based course that requires the active and
engaged participation of students, the use of computers or other web-browsing devices is
not allowed, unless specifically approved for a student accommodation by the disabilities
services coordinator.
Classroom Behavior: Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining a civil and
inclusive learning environment. Students must act in a courteous, respectful, and
professional manner toward other students and the instructor. Students who fail to adhere to
such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline, including withdrawal from the course.
The instructor has the professional responsibility to treat all students with understanding,
dignity and respect.
Email Communication: Email will be used to communicate and provide important
information to students in this course. All emails will be sent to your Western-assigned email
address – check it every day! Students who send email correspondence to university staff and
faculty from addresses other than their Western assigned email accounts must take full
responsibility for the consequences that may arise due to missed or delayed messages.
Academic Integrity: The academic community operates on the basis of honesty, integrity, and
fair play. As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and
uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The University assumes, as a basic and
minimum standard of conduct in academic matters, that students will be honest and that they
will submit for credit only the products of their own efforts. Both the ideals of scholarship and
the need for practices that are fair require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for
academic credit. Dishonest work may include, but is not limited to, the following infractions:
• Plagiarism: Presenting another person’s work as one’s own (including paraphrasing or
summarizing the works of another person without acknowledgment) and the submitting
of another student’s work as one’s own is considered plagiarism. Plagiarism frequently
involves a failure to acknowledge in the text, notes, or footnotes the quotation of
paragraphs, sentences, or even a few phrases written or spoken by someone else.
• Cheating: Giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after a quiz/exam is
considered cheating. Examples of unauthorized help include communicating with other
students about quiz/exam content, and the unauthorized use of notes or texts during a
quiz/exam.
• Falsification and Lying: It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or
fabricate information in an academic exercise or assignment (e.g., false or misleading
citation of sources). It is also a violation of academic honesty to communicate false
information to the instructor in order to, for example, avoid an unexcused absence or a
late penalty, or to receive an extension on an assignment.
• Multiple Submissions: It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial
portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the
instructor(s) to whom the material is submitted for additional credit.
• Consequences of Violation: Violations of academic integrity may result in the
following: a grade of “F” or a “zero” for the assignment; an “F” for the course, withdrawal
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from the course; or suspension or expulsion from the University. All cases of academic
dishonesty will be reported to Academic Affairs.
Students with Disabilities: Western Colorado University seeks to provide reasonable
accommodations for all qualified persons with disabilities. It is the student's responsibility to
register with Disability Services in Taylor 300 (970.943.7056) and to contact faculty members in
a timely fashion (i.e. within the first two weeks of the semester, or within two weeks of
registering with Disability Services) to arrange for suitable accommodations.
Religious Observances: The instructor will make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal
with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams,
assignments or required attendance. Students must inform the instructor of such needs during
the first two weeks of the semester.
Sexual Harassment: Western Colorado University has no tolerance for sexual harassment. If
you are aware of, or you have been subjected to, sexual harassment, please contact Emma
Hempel, Interim Title IX Coordinator at 650.383.4753 x137, or
ehempel@grandriversolutions.com. You may also contact the Gunnison Police Department at
970.641.8200. For access to confidential services you may contact the Campus Counseling
Center, Crystal Hall 104, 970.943.2482 or the Campus Medical Clinic, Tomichi Hall 104,
970.943.2707. For more information about Western’s Title IX policies, see
https://western.edu/student-life/health-wellness/title-ix-sexual-harassment-discriminationpolicies/ or visit the Office of Student Affairs, Taylor Hall 301.
Additional Resources for Students:
Writing Center: The goal of the Western Writing Center is to help students become stronger
writers. One-on-one writing conferences focus on the specific needs of each student. The
Writing Center is not an editing service. Rather, a consultant will help students recognize
areas of the paper that can be improved and teach students how to make those improvements.
Writing conferences can focus on various aspects of the writing process: brainstorming, thesis
development, sentence and paragraph structure, essay organization, citations, formatting,
grammar, and style. The objective is for students to reach their potential as writers in the
future. The Writing Center is located in Savage Library Room 122 and hours are posted here:
https://www.western.edu/writing-center
Food Security: Students who have difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to
eat at any time, and believe that this may affect their performance in any course are urged to
utilize food security resources on campus and in the Gunnison community. Such resources
include the Gunnison Country Food Pantry, Free Bread Thursdays, Pop-Up Pantry, and Chipeta
Gardens. The Gunnison Country Food Pantry is located at 321 C N. Main Street. Their hours are
1-4 PM on Mondays, and 1-7 on Wednesdays. Free bread is available every Thursday on the first
floor of the University Center. Omicron Delta Kappa and Gunnison Country Food Pantry offer
the Pop-Up Pantry three times per semester on the first floor of the University Center 10 AM - 2
PM. Please contact Omicron Delta Kappa at odk@western.edu for more information or
assistance. Additionally, all students are welcome to harvest produce as needed from Chipeta
Gardens located on campus at the south entrance of Chipeta Hall.
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