Note:  This page is now outdated.  I'm leaving it here in case I teach this course in the future.

S.G.  9/09

This course focuses on critical moments in U.S. history in order to survey major themes in American democracy.  By examining how issues of race, class, and gender have shaped our legal and political system, we will explore the origins of present-day political problems and ideas.  Topics covered include the debate over the ratification of the Constitution, the evolution of industrial capitalism, the outbreak and aftermath of the Civil War, the campaign for woman suffrage, the Great Depression, the Cold War, the growth of the welfare state, the civil rights movement, the sexual revolution, the recession of the 1970's, the Reagan Era, the rise of the Information Age, and the globalization of post-industrial capitalism.  Throughout the course, particular attention will be paid to the ways in which social and economic inequalities have determined the scope of political change.

Requirements:

All required readings will be available on the Internet.  You must bring in written responses to all of the questions for class discussion to every relevant class.  Your responses may be brief, but they must be coherent.  Be prepared to hand in your responses upon my request.

Both the midterm and the final will be take-home exams that will require you to write brief essays on required readings.  Both the midterm and the final must be typed, carefully argued, and must display college-level writing skills.  If you have writing problems, you must visit the writing center before you submit any written assignments.

Attendance policy: If you miss more than three classes without providing a valid excuse via e-mail, you will fail this class.

Grade formula:  Class participation (based mainly on answers to questions for class discussion) equals 25%.  Midterm equals 25%.  Final Exam equals 50%.

First Assignment  

1. E-mail me at Susan_Gallagher@uml.edu.  Write your full name and the letters "AP" in the subject heading.

2. Download the documents listed in the first section below, print them out, read them carefully, and bring them to class.

3. Jot down short answers to each of the questions below as you go through the readings.  Be prepared to hand in your answers upon my request. 

1.  James Madison, Federalist #10  (print)

2. Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #6  (print)

3. The Bill of Rights (print out all amendments)

4. Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia  (1787)

5. General Historical Background

Second Assignment - Complete before 9/10

Bring in a newspaper or magazine article on a recent legal case involving constitutional issues.  Be prepared to discuss the article in class.

Questions for Class Discussion - 9/3 - 9/19:

1. How did Madison define the term "faction?"

2. What did Madison define as the main source of factional conflict?

3. Name Madison's solutions to the problem of factional conflict.

4. What did Hamilton identify as the leading principles of human nature?

5. How did Hamilton's view of human nature shape his conception of government?

6. Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?

7. What is the general function of the Bill of Rights?

8. How did the Founders' conception of human nature influence the scheme of American government?

9. Describe the tension between capitalism and democracy in American society.

10. How has the "war on terrorism" affected civil liberties in the United States?

11. Do you believe that Americans need to give up certain civil liberties in order to strengthen domestic security?

12. Do you believe that the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights are sufficiently protected?

13. Do you believe that all members of society are treated as equals in legal and political contests?

14. Do you believe that additional amendments should be added to the Constitution? If not, explain why not.  If so, explain why.

Assignment - Complete before 9/24

Bring in a newspaper or magazine article related to government regulation of economic activities.

Required Readings:

1. Andrew Carnegie, from "The Gospel of Wealth" (1889) (print)

2. Excerpt from Upton Sinclair, The Jungle (1906)

3. Lochner v. the People of the State of New York (1905)

4. Lochner v. New York - background (print)

5. Muller v. Oregon (1908)

6. Muller v. Oregon - background (print)

7. Herbert Hoover, Inaugural Address (1929)

8. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Inaugural Address, 1933

9. Huey Long, "Share the Wealth" (1934) (print)

10. Franklin D. Roosevelt, "The Four Freedoms" (1941) (print)

11. John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address (1961) (audio)

12. Lyndon B. Johnson, "The Great Society," 1966 (print)

• Mr. Carnegie Speaks (567K 52.68 sec.)

• Huey Long, "Share the Wealth"  " (audio)

• Herbert Hoover, Inaugural Address (audio)

Movie: The Great McGinty

Questions for class discussion:

1. Describe some of the assumptions underlying free market capitalism.

2. What is inconsistent in Andrew Carnegie's "Gospel of Wealth?"

3. What was Upton Sinclair's purpose in writing The Jungle?

4. What did The Jungle help to inspire?

5. How many rat parts have you eaten lately?

6. What was the main point at issue in Lochner v. New York?

7. On what grounds did the Court rule against government regulation of labor in Lochner v. New York?

8. What was the main point at issue in Muller v. Oregon?

9. On what grounds did the Court rule in favor of government regulation of labor in Muller v. Oregon?

10. Describe the main differences between Herbert Hoover's view of government regulation and the approach taken in FDR's New Deal.

11. What seems particularly American in Huey Long's "Share the Wealth?"

12. Why was Long denounced as "Un-American?"

13. What was F.D.R.'s main objective in promoting the New Deal?

14. What distinguishes J.F.K.'s Inaugural Address from more recent political speeches?

15. What did L.B.J define as characteristic of a "Great Society?"

16. Which aspects of the New Deal have been rejected in recent decades?

17. Which aspects of the New Deal remain in place in twenty-first century American society?

18. Do you believe that you have a right to receive a college education?

19. Do you believe that taxes should be raised?

10/8- 10/10 Movie: The Great McGinty (82 minutes)

10/8 - 10/10 The Role of Corruption in American Politics

• Marian Anderson: A Life in Song

• A VOICE OF HOPE

Click here to listen to Marion Anderson, Everytime I Feel de Spirit

Marion Anderson (1945), William Johnson

Racism, Violence & Inequality in  American Society

Required Readings - Part One 

1. Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) (background)

2. Opinion of the Court, Mr. Chief Justice Taney (print)

3. Dissenting Opinion, Mr. Justice McLean

4. Dissenting Opinion, Mr. Justice Curtis

5. Biographical sketch of Ida B. Wells

6. Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address (1863) (print)

7. Booker T. Washington, International Exposition Address (1895) (print)

8. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) (print) (updated 10/17)

9. Three Speeches by Frederick Douglass (print "What the Black Man Wants")

10. "Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others," from The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. Dubois (1903)

Questions for class discussion - Part One (Bring answers on 10/17)

1. What were the central points made in Dred Scott v. Sanford?

2. What documents did Justice Taney use to support his ruling in Dred Scott?

3. How did Dred Scott influence relations between the Northern and Southern States?

4. What were the central points made in Plessy v. Ferguson?

5. Upon what grounds did Justice Harlan dissent in Plessy?

6. Summarize the main theme of Booker T. Washington's International Exposition Address.

7. Summarize the main points made by Frederick Douglass in "What the Black Man Wants."

8. Contrast Booker T. Washington's approach to racial inequality with the stance adopted by Fredrick Douglass in "What the Black Man Wants."

Required Readings - Part Two

1. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) (print)

2. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 

3. Martin Luther King, "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (print)

4. Radicals of the 1960's - Read carefully; follow links

5. Robert F. Kennedy, Eulogy for Martin Luther King (1968) (audio)

6. Malcolm X, Four Speeches

7. The Origins of Affirmative Action (print)

8. The Debate Over Affirmative Action

9. The Affirmative Action and Diversity Project (Browse through this page.)

10. J.E.B. v. Alabama (Although this edited version is long, please print it out and bring it to class)

Questions for Class Discussion (Bring answers on 10/22)

Part Two

1. What is the relationship between Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education? 

2. Do you see any evidence of racism in Brown v. Board of Education?

3. What are some of the problems involved in using the courts to promote political change?

4. Name some of the factors that helped to inspire the Black Power Movement.

5. Contrast Martin Luther King's approach to racial inequality with Malcolm X's social and political views.

6. Why have so many Americans rejected Affirmative Action?

7. Do Affirmative Action policies promote the use of quotas?

8. Do Affirmative Action policies permit the hiring or promotion of unqualified individuals?

9. Is racial discrimination still a problem in the United States?

10. If we ignore gender and race in social, political, and economic contexts, who suffers?

11. If we focus on race and gender in social, political, and economic contexts, who suffers?

12. Upon what grounds did the Supreme Court reject the use of gender in jury selection in J.E.B v. Alabama?  Summarize Sandra Day O'Connor's reservations about the Court's decision.

Sexual Inequality in

American Society

 See additional readings in AP Part Two

Mr. & Mrs. America, Rex Clawson

1. The History of the Suffrage Movement by Marjorie Spruill Wheeler (print)

2. Historical Summary of Women's Participation in the Paid Work Force (print)

3. National Organization for Women (NOW), Statement of Purpose (1966) (print)

4. Gloria Steinem, "Women's Liberation Aims to Free Men Too," The Washington Post, June 7, 1970 (print)

5. Roe v. Wade in a Nutshell (1973) (print)

6. A Statistical Portrait of Women's Progress in the Twentieth Century (print)

Movie: Public Hearing/Private Pain: The Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill Hearings

Midterm Schedule

Midterm Exam Questions

10/22 Midterm exam posted online (bring to class on 10/24)

10/24 Midterm exam discussed in class

10/29 Midterm exam due in class

Midterm exam requirements:

You must answer three essay questions.  Each of your answers must be at least one page long (double spaced, one-inch margins, readable type).  If you have writing problems, please bring your exam to the Writing Center before you hand it in.  All students should use the Term Paper Checklist in order to avoid common mistakes.

Go to American Politics Part Two