Urban Politics
Samuel T. Bassett (bassett@lakeforest.edu)
Class Meeting
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 9:00-09:50
Young Hall 309
POLS 234 – Spring 2015
Syllabus
Office Hours
10:00-11:00 Mondays, Fridays and by appointment
Young Hall 221
Introduction
This course is designed to introduce students to the politics of American cities, including the central city,
suburbs, and the metropolitan area as a whole. The course will examine canon theory and contemporary
empirical research concerning power dynamics in local politics.
We will use several texts throughout the course. Students should acquire copies of Judd and Swanstrom’s
City Politics (9th edition), Riordon’s Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Sugrue’s Origins of the Urban Crisis,
Stone’s Regime Politics, Gallagher’s End of Suburbs, and Florida’s Rise of the Creative Class. Luckily,
many of these books are classics and all are commonly used; copies should be available at discounted
prices for students on a budget. Several additional readings will supplement the course and will be
available online or through college resources.
Grades at a Glance
Quizzes (22 points, 2 each)
Midterm Examination (9 points)
Final Examination (9 points)
Reading Presentation (10 points)
Term Paper (50 points)
Attendance / Participation
Procedures
This course will be run in a quasi-seminar format. I will provide brief presentations concerning the
material, followed by discussion from students in the class. It is essential that you are prepared to
participate at all times in the class. As a result, students should complete reading assignments before
class begins.
Class attendance is mandatory. If you must miss class, then please contact me in advance. Excessive
absences may be the cause of a grade decrease; see below. If you must miss class, please provide notice
in advance if possible. This procedure is not meant to be an impediment; it is established to open a
channel of communication for students who may have legitimate need to miss class.
Reliance on elementary education, secondary education for civics, and political bias will not prepare a
student to sufficiently answer the rigorous questions posed in this class. I strongly recommend that you
set aside your preconceived notions and approach this course as a fresh study.
Please note that I will neither accept late papers nor administer make up exams, except in cases of
documented emergencies. If you know that you will be unable to attend an exam, it is your responsibility
to arrange taking the assessment before the assigned date. I will only accept digital copies of papers or
projects. All papers should have Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced with default kerning
and margins. Incomplete, excessively short, or rough drafts will be heavily penalized.
Moodle will be the hub for information throughout the course. Check Moodle for syllabus revisions,
course announcements, assignment information, and lecture notes. Students should also check their Lake
Forest email address for course communication.
Students should take all necessary steps to avoid the appearance of plagiarism, plagiarism, or any other
form of dishonorable academic conduct. Plagiarized assignments could be the cause for failing an
assessment or the course. This course will follow the college’s plagiarism policies, as per the student and
faculty handbooks.
If you are a student with a disability requiring some accommodation for participation in this class, please
let me know as soon as possible.
This syllabus is subject to amendment as deemed necessary by the instructor. Students will be informed
in writing (most likely electronically) of any changes.
Assignments
The course will be taught on a total-points system. Individual assignments will not be curved, but final
grades may be curved at the end of the semester if advantageous to the students. Otherwise, the standard
90-80-70-60 schedule will be used.
Attendance and Participation –
Attendance is mandatory. If a student must miss a session, then the student should inform the instructor
before class begins, as possible. Participation is a critical component for seminar style classes. Your
colleagues should be viewed as resources for your academic success, and you should be prepared to be a
resource as well. Students may use the Internet for background research during lecture and discussion,
however using electronics for non-class activities may severely harm a participation grade. Class
discussions require tolerance for others and their ideas. Just because you disagree with another’s
viewpoint does not mean that they are wrong. Unruly or absent students may face a one point deduction
from their final grade per day.
Quizzes – 22 points; 2 points each
Twelve quizzes will be administered throughout the course, using the Moodle applet. Quizzes will
consist of several multiple choice questions regarding the readings in that unit. Students will have until
posted deadlines to complete the online quizzes. All submitted answers are final. The lowest quiz score
will be dropped from the average. There will be no extensions to complete the moodle quizzes.
Midterm Examination – 9 points – Due March 6, 2015
There will be one midterm examination. The midterm exam will provide multiple prompts, but students
will respond to only one (1) free response question. All questions will concern material from the previous
portions of the course. Essays should include an argumentative thesis, several paragraphs organized
around the thesis statement, empirical facts, and analysis explaining how the presented facts pertain to the
thesis. The midterm exams will be a “take home” assignment. As a result, students may access online
and hardcopy resources; however, care should be taken to provide proper citations and prevent any
potential plagiarism.
Reading Reports – 10 points
Students will be responsible for a short presentation (10 minutes) about a reading from outside of the
class. A list of readings (and presentation dates) will be available at the beginning of the semester. These
presentations should include a one-page handout of key points to be distributed to classmates.
Term Paper and Presentation – 40 points – Due April 20, 2015
Students will produce a term paper examining the role that interest groups play in American politics.
Papers should include an argumentative thesis, several paragraphs organized around the thesis statement,
empirical facts, and analysis explaining how the presented facts pertain to the thesis. During the last full
week of the semester, students will present their findings to the class in a short (10-15 minute)
presentation.
Final Examination – 9 points – Saturday, May 2, 2015
There will be one final examination. The final exam will provide multiple prompts, but students will
respond to only one (1) free response questionsThe final exam may concern any material throughout the
course. Essays should include an argumentative thesis, several paragraphs organized around the thesis
statement, empirical facts, and analysis explaining how the presented facts pertain to the thesis. All
questions will concern material from the previous portions of the course. The midterm exams will be a
“take home” assignment. As a result, students may access online and hardcopy resources; however, care
should be taken to provide proper citations and prevent any potential plagiarism. Responses are expected
promptly by 4:30.
POLS 225 Spring 2015 Schedule
January 14, 2015
Introduction
January 16, 2015
Cities and Frontier
January 19, 2015
Industrialization
January 21, 2015
Industrialization and the Frontier
January 23, 2015
Immigration
January 26, 2015
Machines
January 28, 2015
Why Machines Worked and the Shame of Cities
January 30, 2015
Reform!
February 2, 2015
Political Monopolies, Machines vs Business
February 4, 2015
Realignment and the Great Depression
February 6, 2015
Rise of Early Suburbs
February 9, 2015
National Policy and the Emerging Urban-Suburban Divide
February 11, 2015
Federal Programs and Race
February 13, 2015
The Arsenal of Democracy
February 16, 2015
Housing
February 18, 2015
Boomtown Employment and Racial Discrimination
February 20, 2015
Space and Race
February 23, 2015
Rise of the Sunbelt
February 25, 2015
Atlanta’s Urban Regime
February 27, 2015
A Stressed Coalition and the Urban Crisis
March 2, 2015
Stabilizing the Regime
March 4, 2015
Regime Theory
March 6, 2015
Regimes as a Theory
March 9, 2015
March 11, 2015
March 13, 2015
Judd and Swanstrom C1
Wade (M), Turner (M)
Judd and Swanstrom C2
Cronon (M)
Judd and Swanstrom C3
Riordon
Addams (M) & Steffens (M)
Judd and Swanstrom C4
Trounstine (M)
Judd and Swanstrom C5
Judd and Swanstrom C6
Judd and Swanstrom C7
Judd and Swanstrom C8
Sugrue C1
Sugrue C2-3
Sugrue C4-6
Sugrue C7-9
Judd and Swanstrom C9
Stone C1-C3
Stone C4-C6
Stone C7-C9
Stone C9-C12
Mossberger and Stoker (M)
Midterm Due
Spring Break
March 16, 2015
Rise of Suburbia
March 18, 2015
Fragmentation and Turf Wars
March 20, 2015
Why Suburbs?
March 23, 2015
Suburban Life
March 25, 2015
American Dream or American Nightmare
March 30, 2015
The End or Future of Suburbs?
April 1, 2015
The Los Angeles School of Urbanism
April 3, 2015
Contemporary Reform and Paradise Plundered
April 6, 2015
The Fiscal Crunch
April 8, 2015
Why do Cities Decline?
April 10, 2015
Bargaining in the Global Economy
April 13, 2015
The Creative Economy
April 15, 2015
Place and Skills Matter
April 17, 2015
Creativity and Inequality
April 20, 2015
The Urban Renaissance
April 22, 2015
Presentations
April 24, 2015
Presentations
April 27, 2015
Course Coda
April 29, 2015
May 1, 2015
May 2, 2015
FINAL EXAMINATION DUE BY 4:30 PM
Judd and Swanstrom C10
Judd and Swanstrom C11
Gallagher C1-2
Gallagher C3-4
Gallagher C5-6
Gallagher C7
Dear & Dahmann (M) ; Bridges (M)
Erie et al (M)
Judd and Swanstrom C12
Glaeser (M)
Kantor and Savitch (M)
Florida C1-3
Florida C10-12
Florida C16-C18
Judd and Swanstrom C13
Term Paper Due
Bennett (M)
No Class
FINAL EXAMINATION