| WEEK # | TOPICS | READINGS |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction and Politics of the American Constitution | ||
| 1 | Introduction and Organization | (no readings) |
| 2 | Theories and Theoretical Tools | Session 1
Session 2 Articles of Confederation and U.S. Constitution Federalist Paper 51: Madison, James. "The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments." Independent Journal (February 6, 1788). Federalist Paper 84: Hamilton, Alexander. "Certain General and Miscellaneous Objections to the Constitution Considered and Answered." Independent Journal (July 16, July 26, August 9, 1788). |
| Pluralism and Its Critiques | ||
| 3 | Pluralism | Federalist Paper 10: Madison, James. "The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection (continued)." Daily Advertiser (November 22, 1787). Dahl. Books I and IV in Who Governs? |
| 4 | Economic Interests |
Schattschneider. Semisovereign People. Chapters 1-5. |
| 5 | Race | Kinder and Sanders. Divided by Color. |
| 6 | Collective Action | Olson. The Logic of Collective Action. Especially chapters 1-2. |
| Voting and Elections | ||
| 7 | Party and Ideology |
|
| 8 | Responsiveness | Ansolabehere, Steve, Jim Snyder, and Charles Stewart. "Candidate Positions in Congressional Elections." American Journal of Political Science 45 (January 2001): 136-159. Fiorina, Morris. "The Decline of Collective Responsibility in American Politics." Daedalus (Summer 1980): 25-46. |
| 9 | Retrospective Voting Issue Ownership | Session 1: Retrospective Voting Achen, Christopher, and Larry Bartels. "Blind Retrospection: Electoral Responses to Drought, Flu, and Shark Attacks." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Boston, MA, August 28, 2002. Session 2: Issue Ownership Petrocik, et al. "Issue Ownership and Presidential Campaigning, 1952-2000." Political Science Quarterly 118, no. 4 (December 1, 2003): 599-626. |
| 10 | Voting and Seats Election Reading | Session 1: Voting and Seats Tufte, Edward. "Determinants of the Outcomes of Midterm Congressional Elections." The American Political Science Review 69, no. 3 (September 1975): 812-826. |
| Law Making | ||
| 11 | Representation | Mayhew, Congress: The Electoral Connection |
| 12-13 | Policy Making | Session 1 Brady and Volden. Revolving Gridlock. Chapter 3. Note: Starting with chapter 3, this book is an easy and mostly informative read. Session 2 Brady and Volden. Revolving Gridlock. Chapters 6-7. |
| Media and Politics | ||
| 14 | Zaller's Theory | Session 1 Zaller, John. A Theory of Media Politics: How the Interests of Politicians, Journalists, and Citizens Shape the News. Unpublished book manuscript, October 1999, chapters 1-4. Session 2 Zaller, John. A Theory of Media Politics: How the Interests of Politicians, Journalists, and Citizens Shape the News. Unpublished book manuscript, October 1999, chapters 5-7. |
Table of Contents
Study Materials
Readings
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This section features a list of books required for the course as well as the readings by week.
Brady, David W., and Craig Volden. Revolving Gridlock: Politics and Policy from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2005. ISBN: 9780813343204.
Dahl, Robert Alan. Who Governs?: Democracy and Power in American Society. New Haven, CT: Yale University, 1961 or 1963. ISBN: 9780300000511 (1989 edition).
Kinder, Donald R., and Lynn M. Sanders. Divided By Color: Racial Politics and Democratic Ideals. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago, 1996. ISBN: 9780226435732.
Olson, Mancur. The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, 1965 or 1971. ISBN: 9780674537507 (1971 edition).
Mayhew, David R. Congress: The Electoral Connection. New Haven, CT: Yale University, 1975. ISBN: 9780300018097.
Schattschneider, E. E. Semisovereign People: A Realist's View of Democracy in America. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975. ISBN: 9780030133664.