INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
POLITICAL SCIENCE 1002
FALL 2013
WF, 11:10am-12:25
MONROE 114
Politics is still the greatest and most honorable adventure
John Buchan, Pilgrims Way, 1940
Dr. Mark Dalhouse
(202) 870-8469
mark@wiidc.org or mark.dalhouse@gmail.com
Office Hours by Appointment
The Course:
Political Science 1002 is an introduction to American politics and government at the national level. It is
designed to introduce you to the nature of political behavior, American political institutions, and the
broader political system. This course is also designed to encourage you to consider the responsibilities of
citizenship, to construct a working definition of active citizenship, and to think of ways in which you can
be involved at the local, state and national political level. Political Science 1002 will also use case studies
of recent American political history and current events to provide context for our study of government
institutions, the current structure and direction of American politics, and how decisions are made at the
national level. We will also consider additional actors on the American political stage including the
influence and role of the media, what the advent of social media has meant to governing and
campaigning, the role of American public opinion, the role and influence of grassroots political
movements, and the way in which specific issues have galvanized large numbers of American voters.
Students who successfully complete the course should achieve these learning outcomes:
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A basic knowledge of the structures and functions of American governmental institutions, their
constitutional basis, and how public opinion, political parties and interest groups influence the
political system
An ability to analyze a public policy issue and propose a solution, while recognizing the
consequences of the proposed solution and balancing competing perspectives
An ability to analyze and evaluate theories and concepts from scholarly literature that seek to
explain political behavior and phenomena
The ability to write critically in explicating basic concepts of American politics including the use
of primary sources and analyzing points of view and perspectives that are widely divergent
An understanding of the current contours of American politics and how the US political system
has arrived at its current electoral alignment by analyzing historical trends and developments
over the past fifty years
An understanding of active citizenship and how individual citizens can influence policy at the
local, state and national levels
This course satisfies G-PAC requirements in critical thinking and civic engagement.
Texts for this course:
John Geer, Wendy Schiller, Jeffrey Segal and Dana Glencross. Gateways to Democracy: An Introduction
to American Government
The Washington Post
The New York Times
Additional readings, chapters & articles will be posted on Blackboard
Learning Assessment: This course satisfies G-PAC requirements in critical thinking. Success in this course
will be measured by the student accomplishing the following:
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Paper 1—Active Citizenship in 21st century American Politics (20% of grade): This paper will
assess your ability to think, read and write critically about a political trend or movement of your
choosing that has appeared on the American political scene since 2000. Your paper will explain
the factors giving rise to this trend or movement, how it has influenced or reshaped American
politics, its influence on government policy, and a critical assessment of how its critics have
evaluated the movement or trend. You will need to be able to engage in research, construct
alternative interpretations and assessments of your topic, and convey your own interpretation
in a formally prepared essay. 7-10 pgs.
Paper 2-Policy Memo (20% of grade): The policy memo will assess your ability to understand
and analyze a current policy issue, construct appropriate political advice to an elected or
appointed official, and defend that choice against alternative points of view. It will require you
to know that official’s political orientation, the power of her or his office, how that relates to the
policy in question, what the diverse points of view regarding that policy might be, and then how
to articulate clear and actionable guidance to the official. This will be prepared according to
professional memo specifications (useful if you plan to work in politics or policy). 7-10 pgs.
Two Examinations (first exam is 20% of grade; final is 30%): The examinations will assess
whether or not you have acquired a basic knowledge of the course material. The exams will also
assess your ability to analyze and evaluate abstract information with short essay questions.
Exams will cover material from the assigned readings and information presented in class
lectures and discussions. The second exam is not cumulative.
Participation (10% of grade): This course is a mixture of lecture and discussion. You will be
graded on the quality of your participation in discussion. Good participation means that you do
the assigned readings, reflect upon the assigned readings, and attend class. Attendance does
not determine your entire participation grade, but it is a factor. Each student is allowed to miss
two classes unless other excused by the instructor.
*Academic integrity policies will be strictly enforced. It is your responsibility to be thoroughly
familiar with the GWU Code of Academic Integrity (http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.html
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should
contact the Office of Disability Support Services at 202-994-8250 or dss@gwu.edu in the Marvin Center,
Suite 242, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. These arrangements
must be made through DSS. For additional information, please also see http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss.
In the Event of an Emergency or Crisis during Class
If we experience an emergency during class time, we will try to stay at this
location until we hear that we can move about safely. If we have to leave the
classroom, we will meet at the front of Monroe on G Street in order to account for
everyone and to make certain that everyone is safe. Please refer to Campus
Advisories for the latest information on the University’s operating status:
http://www.campusadvisories.gwu.edu/.
Course Schedule:
Wednesday, August 28: Introductions & Expectations. Please read Harvard Institute of Politics,
http://www.iop.harvard.edu/spring-2013-survey for Friday.
Friday, August 30: Discussion of Millennial Generation Political Attitudes & Harvard Survey.
Please read Geer, Gateways to Democracy, Chap. 1 for Wednesday
Wednesday, September 4: Democracy and the American Constitutional System; Defining
“Active Citizenship.” Read Lewis, Walking with the Wind on Blackboard for Friday, September
6.
Friday, September 6: Lewis reading discussion. Read Geer, Gateways to Democracy, Chapter 2,
pp. 36-57 & Blackboard reading commemorating 9/11 & Federalist # 10, 51
Wednesday, September 11: Remembering 9/11 twelve years later. The Constitutional
Convention and the formation of the American Experiment. Read Geer, Gateways to
Democracy, pp. 57-68 for Friday and Blackboard NSA surveillance reading.
Friday, September 13: The Ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Case study: is
the NSA violating your Fourth Amendment Rights? Read Geer, Gateways, Chapter 3 for
Wednesday and Blackboard reading on Federalism & Response to Hurricane Katrina.
Wednesday, September 18: Guest speaker, Robert Muse, Lead Counsel for Senate Committee
investigating Federal Government Response to Hurricane Katrina. For Friday, read Geer,
Gateways, Chapter 4, pp. 106-117 and Blackboard PATRIOT Act reading & Campus Speech
Codes reading.
Friday, September 20: Civil Liberties and National Crisis. Case Studies: The PATRIOT Act &
Campus Speech Codes. For Wednesday, read Geer, Gateways, pp. 118-134. Review website for
the First Amendment Center, www.firstamendmentcenter.org. Choose case for class discussion
on Wednesday.
Wednesday, September 25: Discussion of political free expression. For Friday, read Geer,
Gateways, Chapter 5, pp. 138-161; Blackboard, President Kennedy, June 11, 1963 speech,
President Johnson March 1965 speech & June 2013 Supreme Court ruling on Section 5, Voting
Rights Act of 1965.
Friday, September 27: Discussion of Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Voter ID Laws, 2013.
Paper # 1 due on Wednesday, October 2.
Wednesday, October 2: Paper # 1 due today. Finish Geer, Gateways, Chapter 5 for Friday.
Friday, October 4: Defining civil rights in 2013; same-sex marriage, profiling & immigration and
the response of the Federal Government. For Wednesday, read Blackboard selections on these
issues.
Wednesday, October 9: Defining civil rights in 2013 & response of Federal Government, cont.
Friday, October 11: Guest speaker, David Halperin, former speechwriter for President Clinton &
Director of Campus Progress. For Wednesday, read Geer, Gateways, Chapter 6 & Blackboard
case study on polls and the 1948 & 1980 elections.
Wednesday, October 16: Presidential Campaigns and the Nominating Process. For Friday, read
Geer, Gateways, Chapter 9 & 10.
Friday, October 18: Presidential Campaigns and the Nominating Process.
Wednesday, October 23: Exam # 1. For Friday, read Blackboard, President Nixon and the
“Silent Majority,” Nov. 3, 1969.
Friday, October 25: Wrap up of Presidential Campaigns and the Nominating Process. The
realignment of American politics since the 1960s. For Wednesday, October 30, read Geer,
Gateways, Chapter 11.
Wednesday, October 30: Guest speaker, Troy St. Clair, Chief of Staff to US Representative G.K.
Butterfield (D-NC) & discussion of Congress. For Friday, read Blackboard selection on Fall
2013 Budget Negotiations on the Hill.
Friday, November 1: Impasse on the Hill? The Budget, Obama & the Republicans. For
Wednesday, November 6, read Geer, Gateways, Chapter 12 & Blackboard selection, David
Gergen on Presidential Leadership.
Wednesday, November 6: The Presidency in the 21st century. For Friday, read Blackboard case
studies, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.
Friday, November 8: Discussion of Kennedy, Reagan readings. The Presidency in the 21st
century. For Wednesday, November 13, read Geer, Gateways, Chapter 14, and Blackboard on
the Roberts Court.
Wednesday, November 13. Discussion of the Federal Judiciary with Peter J. Kadzik, Principal
Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs, US Department of Justice. For
Friday, November 15, read Blackboard selection on FISA Court.
Friday, November 15: The Judiciary in an age of terrorism. FISA Court. For Wednesday,
November 20, read Geer, Gateways, Chapter 7.
Wednesday, November 20: The News Media & the Internet. Evaluating the impact of the 24
hour news cycle on politics and policy. Paper # 2 due Friday, November 22.
Friday, November 22: Paper # 2 due. The News Media and the Internet, cont. Happy
Thanksgiving!!
Week of November 25, no class. Enjoy the holiday! Please read Geer, Gateways, Chapter 8, for
Wednesday, December 4.
Wednesday, December 4: Interest Groups in US Politics and Government.
Friday, December 6: Wrap up for semester. Review for final exam.
The University will announce our finals time slot at some point during the semester. You
are strongly advised not to make travel plans for winter break until the schedule has been
announced.