Spring 2023  |  POL 3464 Section 001: The Politics of Economic Inequality (65517)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/17/2023 - 05/01/2023
Tue, Thu 09:45AM - 11:00AM
UMTC, West Bank
Blegen Hall 250
Enrollment Status:
Open (84 of 85 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Distributional issues are at the core of the study of politics. This is because while democracy is premised on formal political equality, if wealth and property can shape political power then equal rights do not mean equal influence. This class meets the UMN "Race, Power, and Justice in the US" Liberal Education theme by engaging the question of the tension between democracy and economic inequality. What policies increase or decrease inequality? What are the political consequences of rising inequality - in general and particularly for ethnic and racial minorities? The course focuses on the USA but puts American politics in global perspective. To do so, the course explores how dominant socio-economic groups in the US have historically shaped political institutions and attitudes to generate, perpetuate, and defend inequality. We will also explore the extent to which and why white and non-white citizens have bought into the concept of the "American Dream," undermining efforts to redress social injustice.
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?dsamuels+POL3464+Spring2023
Class Description:
Distributional issues are at the core of the study of politics. This is because while democracy is premised on formal political equality, if wealth and property can shape political power then equal rights do not mean equal influence. This class meets the UMN "Race, Power and Justice in the US" Liberal Education theme by engaging the question of the tension between democracy and economic inequality. What policies increase or decrease inequality? What are the political consequences of rising inequality - in general and particularly for ethnic and racial minorities? The course focuses on the USA but puts American politics in global perspective. To do so, the course explores how dominant socio-economic groups in the US have historically shaped political institutions and attitudes to generate, perpetuate, and defend inequality. We will also explore the extent to which and why white and non-white citizens have bought into the concept
of the "American Dream," undermining efforts to redress social injustice.

Readings are drawn from across the social sciences, and are chosen to highlight the key questions at stake in the study of the tension between inequality and democracy.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Anyone interested in learning how scholars measure inequality and try to understand its political origins and consequences
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this course you will be able to understand and contribute to debates about
1) the tension between democracy and property
2) how social scientists measure inequality
3) why some Americans prioritize liberty over equality and others the reverse
4) the origins and evolution of inequality
5) the different ways countries respond to inequality through taxation and social-welfare spending
6) how structural inequalities of race, ethnicity and gender intersect with growing income and wealth gaps
7) how personal work and family experience shape perceptions of inequality
8) the consequences of inequality for political representation
9) how individuals can take action to support policy remedies for inequality.
Grading:
Grades will be based on 10 short assignments (2 pp each), participation in a group project/class debate, and in-class oral and online written participation
Exam Format:
There is no midterm or final in this class
Class Format:
Lecture, group discussion and activities
Workload:
Reading will *average* about 100 pages per week. Students will also frequently engage with videos and interactive websites
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/65517/1233
Past Syllabi:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/dsamuels_POL3464_Spring2020.pdf (Spring 2020)
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
10 December 2021

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