Fall 2020  |  POL 3225 Section 001: American Political Thought (16014)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
Completely Online
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Online Course
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/08/2020 - 12/16/2020
Off Campus
Virtual Rooms ONLINEONLY
Enrollment Status:
Open (78 of 83 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
This course provides an introduction to several key periods and some of the leading concepts and debates in American political thought. It might also focus on a broader theme such as: conceptions of destiny, mission, and exceptionalism; arguments over economic development and inequality; or debates over government and corporate power. The course will begin with Puritan religious and political thought, tracing its secularization over time. Considerable attention will be paid to the ideas behind the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, such as the social contract and the right of resistance to civil authority, civic republicanism, and the founders' new science of politics and government. The course will consider some if not all of the following: debates over slavery and emancipation, women's rights, the rise of imperialism and nationalism, race and racism, and the rise of rule by public and private bureaucratic organizations, and the consequences of these developments for the possibility of continued individual liberty, equality, and justice. This course requires considerable reading of difficult texts. The ultimate goal of this course is for students to gain a deeper understanding of American political thought as a product of the country's ever-evolving political discourse. prereq: Suggested prerequisite POL 1201
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?psoper+POL3225+Fall2020 This course is completely online in an asynchronous format. There are no scheduled meeting times.
Class Description:
In this course we will examine classic texts in the history of American political thought in order to understand how Americans have theorized about and argued over their political system, and to consider how we can draw upon these texts to address contemporary American political problems. Some of the questions we will address: What political and moral obligations do citizens have to the state, and to each other? What is the basis of legitimate state authority? What is the social contract, and how have Americans used social contract theory to legitimate their governments? What is the right of resistance, and when is it acceptable for individuals or a people to resist or rebel against their government? Does the Declaration of Independence merely list the reasons for separating from Great Britain, or is it also a founding document establishing American principles of liberty and equality? How does the Constitution limit (or fail to limit) the power of the state, and protect (or fail to protect) individual and corporate rights? Is class conflict over the distribution of wealth in society a recent development or a long-standing feature of American political discourse? How have religious texts and ideas been used as a basis for political argument? How relevant to our century and our political problems are the ideas of 50, 100, 150, 200, or more years ago? What, if anything, can we still learn and use from these past ideas and theories? How might they help us, or lead us astray, in addressing our own problems today? Prominent theorists covered include Winthrop, Franklin, Paine, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Hamilton, the Anti-Federalist "Brutus," Thoreau, Calhoun, Douglass, Lincoln, Sumner.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Any student interested in political theory, philosophy, American history, American politics, textual interpretation and analysis, or the roles of ideas, race, gender, and religion in politics.
Learning Objectives:
To understand significant texts in history of American political thought, both in relation to their original historical context and in terms of how they still resonate with our political concerns and problems today; to understand how Americans have thought about and argued over politics from the colonial period through the present; to cultivate students' analytical reasoning.
Exam Format:
80% Reports/Papers
20% Quizzes
Class Format:
80% Lecture
20% Discussion
Workload:
150 Pages Reading Per Week
30 Pages Writing Per Term
3 Paper(s)
2 Quiz(zes)
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/16014/1209
Past Syllabi:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/psoper_POL3225_Fall2017.doc (Fall 2017)
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
23 February 2017

ClassInfo Links - Fall 2020 Political Science Classes

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