THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
Winter 2001
Chris Achen
Office hours:Tues. 3:30-5:30
or by appointment
611 Church, Rm. 246
achen@umich.edu
Arlene Saxonhouse
Office hours: Wed. 3:30 -5:00
or by appointment
611 Church Street, Rm. 350
awsaxon@umich.edu
Weeks
1. Introduction: Why this Course? Overview of the Current State of the Discipline
Gabriel Almond, "Separate Tables: Schools and Sects in Political Science," in A Discipline
Divided: Schools and Sects in Political Science (Sage, 1990) pp. 13-31. HANDOUT
2. Nineteenth Century Beginnings: Hegelianism, Constitutionalism, Separation from other
Disciplines. Influence of German Universities
Francis Lieber (1858), "History and Political Science, Necessary Studies in Free
Countries," (PR).
John Burgess, The Foundations of Political Science. (Extracted from Political Science and
Comparative Constitutional Law, 1890) ([1933] 1994) Books 2-4.
Somit and Tanenhaus, The Development of American Political Science, 1964,
Chapters 2-7, pp. 11-85 (PR)
Mark C. Smith, Social Science in the Crucible (1994). Chap. 1.
**John G. Gunnell, "In Search of the State: Political Science as an Emerging Discipline
in the U.S.," in Discourses on Society: The Shaping of the Social Sciences, ed. Peter
Wagner and Bjom Wittrock. (PR)
**George M. Marsden, The Soul of the American University, 1994, Chap. 10 (PR)
**Albert Lepawski, "The Politics of Epistemology," WPQ, (1964) 17:21-52. (PR)
Recommended:
William A. Dunning, review of W. W. Willoughby's An Examination of the
Nature of the State, Political Science Quarterly 11,3 (Sept., 1896): 545-548 (JSTOR)
Woodrow Wilson, "The Study of Administration," Political Science Quarterly 2
(1887) 197-222. (J-STOR)
Naomi Lynn, "Self-Portrait: Profile of Political Scientists," in Ada Finifter,
ed., Political Science: The State Of The Discipline (APSA, 1983), 95-123.
A. Lawrence Lowell, Governments and Parties in Continental Europe, 1896
Dorothy Ross Origins Of American Social Science (1991)
3. Logical Positivism and the Rise of Scientific Aspirations
Federalist Papers 10 and 51
A.J. Ayer (1936), Language Truth and Logic, Chapters 1,4- 7.
T.D. Weldon (1953), The Vocabulary of Politics, Chap. 3, pp. 45-75 (PR)
Robert Dahl (1956), Preface to Democratic Theory
Political Science 608
Winter 2001
4. The Chicago School, Early Quantitative Applications, Behavioral Movement, Survey Research
Harold Lasswell (1936), Politics: Who Gets What, When and How
Harold F. Gosnell, "Statisticians and Political Scientists," APSR (1933), 27:392-403
(J-STOR).
David Gow, "Quantification and Statistics in the Early Years of American Political
Science,1800-1922," Political Methodology 11:1-18 (PR)
Robert Dahl, "The Behavioral Approach in Political Science: Epitaph for a
Monument to a Successful Protest." APSR (1961) 55:763- 72. (J-STOR)
David E. Price, "Community and Control: Critical Democratic Theory in the Progressive
Period," APSR 1974 (68:4) (J-STOR)
**Charles Merriam, "The Present State of the Study of Politics," APSR (1921) 15:173-85.
(J-STOR)
**A Lawrence Lowell, "The Physiology of Politics: Presidential Address" APSR (1910)
4:1-15.
Recommended:
Purcell, Edward A. The Crisis Of Democratic Theory; Scientific Naturalism & The
Problem Of Value (1973)
Karl, Barry D. Charles E. Merriam and the Study of Politics (1974)
5. Psychology and Politics
Harold Lasswell (1930), Psychopathology and World Politics, Chaps. 1,2, 9 and 10 (PR)
Jerome Frank (1930), Law and the Modern Mind, Chapters 1,2, and 3 (PR)
Theodor Adorno (1950), The Authoritarian Personality, Chaps. 7 and 18 (PR)
Robert Lane (1959), Political Life, Chapters 1,7-10 (PR)
**Graham Wallas (1910), Human Nature in Politics, Chaps TBA
6. Voting Studies and the "Democratic Myth "
Philip Converse (1964), "The Nature of Belief Systems in Mass Publics," in Ideology
and Discontent, ed. David Apter. (PR)
Bernard Berelson (1954), Voting: A Study of Opinion Formation in a Presidential
Campaign, Chapter 14 (PR)
V.O. Key (1966), Responsible Electorate: Rationality in Presidential Voting, Chaps.
1 and 2 (PR)
Paul Lazarfeld, " An Episode in the History of Social Research: A Memoir," The
Intellectual Migration: Europe and America, 1930-1960, eds. Donald Fleming and
Bernard Bailyn. Pp. 270-337 (PR).
Walter Lippmann, Public Opinion (1922) Chaps TBA
**John Dickinson, "Democratic Realities and Democratic Dogma, " APSR 24:2 (May
1930) pp. 283-309 (J-STOR)
**Walter Berns (1962), "Voting Studies," in Essays on the Scientific Study of Politics,
pp. 36-62. (PR)
Recommended:
Walter Lippmann, The Phantom Public (1927), Part I.
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Winter 2001
7. Supporting Democracy, Backing Administrative Efficiency: Public Administration, Public
Policy, and the Growing Separation from Political Science. Issues of Inclusiveness and Political
Relevance.
Max Weber (1919), "Politics as a Vocation" (PR)
Charles Lindblom (1959), "The Science of Muddling Through," Politics and Social
Life, Nelson Polsby, ed. (PR)
Ido Oren (nd.), " A Skeleton in Our Closet: Disciplinary Sympathy Toward Nazism
in the 1930's" ms. (PR)
Herbert J. Storing (1962), "The Science of Administration," in Essays on the
Scientific Study of Politics, pp. 123-150.
**Barry Karl (1970), Introduction to Charles Merriam's New Aspects of Politics which
was originally published in 1925. (PR)
Recommended:
Leonard White (1950), "Political Science, mid-century," Journal of Politics 12:13-19.
(J-STOR)
8. Realism and Science in International Relations
Reinhold Niebuhr (1932), Moral Man and Immoral Society, Preface, Chaps 1,4, and
10.
Arnold Wolfers (1962), Discord and Collaborations Chap ?.
Hans Morgenthau (1960), Politics Among Nations, Chap. 1.
Quincy Wright (1942), Study of War (abridged edition), Chaps. 20,21,23,24.
E.H. Carr (1939), The Twenty Years Crisis, Chaps. 5 and 6; first edition, pp.280-84;
second edition (1964) 221-23. (PR)
Karl Deutsch (1953), Nationalism and Social Communication Chaps. 1 and 4. (PR)
Ido Oren, "The Subjectivity of the 'Democratic Peace: Changing U.S. Perceptions of
Imperial Germany," International Security, Fal11995, pp. 147-184 (PR).
Lewis Richardson, Arms and Insecurity (1960), Chapter 2.
9. Interest Groups, Group Theory, and Democracy
Albion Small and George Vincent (1894), Introduction to the Study of Society, pp.349-57.
Arthur F. Bentley (1908), The Process of Government, pp. 3-26,162-72,175-222, and
481-84 (PR)
Harold Laski (1917), Studies in the Problem of Sovereignty Chaps. TBA
David Truman (1951/1971 second edition), The Governmental Process, Preface to the
Second Edition, Chaps. 1,2,3 (to pg. 65), 5, 16 (PR)
E.E. Schattschneider (1942), Party Government, pp. 30-34, Chaps., 3, 4, and 8 (PR)
**Harold Gosnell (1935), Negro Politicians
**G. David Garson (1978), Group Theories of Politics, Chap. 1-3 (PR)
**Mary Parker Follett, (1918) The New State Group: Organization the Solution Of Popular
Government Chapters 19 And 20
Recommended:
Earl Latham, "The Group Basis of Politics: Notes for a Theory,"APSR 46:2
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Winter 2001
(June 1952), pp. 376-97. (J-STOR)
10. Pluralism and the Role of Political Leadership
Robert Dahl, (1961) Who Governs? Chaps. 1, 16-19, 28 (PR).
Jack Walker, "A Critique of the Elitist Theory of Democracy," APSR (Jun., 1966),
60:285-295. (J-STOR)
Robert Dahl, "Further Reflections on 'The Elitist Theory of Democracy"' APSR (Jun.,
1966), 60: 296-305. J-STOR)
M. Meyerson and E. Banfield, (1955) Politics, Planning and the Public Interest: The
Case of Public Housing in Chicago Chapter 11 (PR)
E. Banfield, (1961) Political Influence, Chaps. 11-12 (PR)
**John Dewey, (1927) The Public and Its Problems
**Gabriel Almond (1988), "The Return to the State," APSR 82,3: 853-874
Recommended:
H.J. Laski, A Grammar of Politics (1925)
E. Pendleton Herring(1929), Group Representation Before Congress
GDH Cole (1920), Social Theory
11. Anthropology/Sociology, Systems Theory, Structural Functionalism, and Comparative
Politics
Gabriel Almond and G.B. Powell, (1974) Comparative Politics Chap. 2 (PR)
David Easton, (1953) The Political System: An Inquiry into the Stale of Political
Science, Chaps. 1-2. (PR)
Karl Deutsch, (1963) Nerves of Government, Chapters 5, 11, and pp. 258-61 (PR)
[NOTE: Read after Easton)
Irving Louis Horowitz, (1974) The Rise And Fall Of Project Camelot; Studies In The
Relationship Between Social Science And Practical Politics. Chaps TBA
Recommended:
Hans Daalder (1997), Comparative European Politics: The Story of a Profession
George P. Richardson (1991), Feedback Thought in Social Science and Systems Theory
12. The European Emigres, the New School, and the Straussians
George Sabine, "What is Political Theory?," The Journal of Politics, Vol. 1, No. 1. (Feb.,
1939), pp. 1-16.
Leo Strauss, (1962) " An Epilogue," in Essays on the Scientific Study of Politics (PR)
Hannah Arendt, (1958) The Origins of Totalitarianism, Chapter 13 (PR)
John G. Gunnell, "American Political Science, Liberalism and the Invention of
Political Theory, " APSR (1988) 82:70-87 (J-STOR).
**John H. Hallowell, "Politics and Ethics," The American Political Science Review, Vol. 38,
No. 4. (Aug., 1944), pp. 639-655. William F. Whyte, "Politics and Ethics: A Reply
to John H. Hallowell" (in Politics and Ethics--A Symposium) The American
Political Science Review, Vol. 40, No. 2. (Apr., 1946), pp. 301-307. John H.
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Winter 2001
Hallowell, "Politics and Ethics: A Rejoinder to William F. Whyte" (in Politics and
Ethics--A Symposium) The American Political Science Review, Vol. 40, No. 2. (Apr.,
1946), pp. 307-312.
13. Marxism, the New Left, and the Caucus for a New Political Science
Charles Beard, (1913) An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United
States. Chaps. 1, 3, and 6. (PR)
David Easton, "The New Revolution in Political Science," APSR (1969) 63:1051
1061. (J-STOR)
Charles Lindblom, "Another State of Mind," APSR (1982) 76: 9-21. (J-STOR)
Christian Bay, "Politics and Pseudo-politics: A Critical Evaluation of Some Behavior
Literature," APSR (1965) 59:39-51. (J-STOR)
Benjamin Lippincott, "The Bias of American Political Science," The Journal of
Politics, (1940) 2:125-139. (J-STOR)
Theodore J. Lowi (1992), "The State in Political Science: How We Become What We
Study," APSR (Mar., 1992) 86:1-7. (J-STOR)
14. Economics and Politics
George Catlin (1927), Science and Method of Politics, pp. 91-100,131-45,206-22 (PR)
Kenneth Arrow, (1951) Social Choice And Individual Values, Chaps, TBA (PR)
Anthony Downs (1957), An Economic Theory of Democracy, Chaps.. 2-4,7-8, 14
15. Conclusion: Why so many Approaches and So Few Arrivals? Is a Unifying Theory a
Plausible or Sensible Goal? A Middle Range Discipline?
David Hollinger, "Academic Culture at Michigan 1938-1988: The Apotheosis of
Pluralism," Rackham Reports (PR)
Philip E. Converse, "Disciplinary Response: Social Sciences," Rackham Reports (PR)
Requirements:
Each week students should hand in at the beginning of class a two page reaction paper
comparing at least two of the readings. This is the writing requirement for the class. There will
be no final paper, but we will weigh heavily effective class participation in calculating the grade.
In addition, students will be asked to report on one of the double asterisked readings at least
once during the semester.
The following books have been ordered and should be available in the book stores.
A.J. Ayer, Language, Truth and Logic (Dover)
Robert A. Dahl, A Preface to Democratic Theory (Chicago )
John Burgess, The Foundations of Political Science. (Transaction)
Other readings will be available in the package/mail room in Church Street (PR) or are available
through J-STOR.
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Political Science 608
Winter 2001
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