UNIT 1. Foundations of American Politics

A. BASIC DOCUMENTS

1. The Declaration of Independence, 1776.

This document formally announces that 13 former British colonies have become the free and independent United States of America. It eloquently identifies certain historic principles on which their claim to independence rests.

2. The Constitution of the United States, 1787.

The Constitution provides an organizational blueprint for the national government and for the federal relationship between the national government and the states. In addition, the first 10 amendments, commonly known as the Bill of Rights, spell out limits on what the government can do. A commentary accompanying the actual document provides a brief account of the writing of the Constitution and also notes some of its significant features.

3. The Size and Variety of the Union as a Check on Faction, James Madison, The Federalist Papers, No. 10, 1787.

James Madison argues in support of the union of the 13 states under the new Constitution. According to Madison, a system of representative democracy governing a large territory and many people will help control the undesirable effects of "faction".

4. Checks and Balances, James Madison, The Federalist Papers, No. 51, 1787.

According to James Madison, both the separation of powers among three branches of government and the division of powers between the states and the central government will help preserve representative democracy under the new Constitution.

B. CONTEMPORARY VIEWS AND VALUES

5. What Good Is Government?, William J. Bennett and John J. DiIulio Jr., Commentary, November 1997.

The authors assess the state of big government in the United States today and conclude that the era of big government is far from over. They also analyze two currently popular alternatives to the status quo: devolution of power from Washington to the states, and greater dependence on voluntary organizations and institutions to do what needs to be done.

6. Chomp!, Jim Hightower, Utne Reader, March/April 1998.

Jim Hightower identifies corporatism as a dangerous ism that undermines American democracy. He explains how large corporations have adversely affected citizens' lives and suggests ways to remedy the situation.

7. The New Power, Robert B. Reich, The American Prospect, November 23, 1999.

Robert Reich identifies who is losing power and who is gaining power in the American political system, and he discusses the implications of these changes for Americans.

8. America's Ignorant Voters, Michael Schudson, The Wilson Quarterly, Spring 2000.

Michael Schudson describes the low levels of political knowledge among average Americans and notes the remarkable stability in these levels over the past half-century. Schudson also discusses how these levels of political knowledge can be reconciled with the practice of American democracy.

9. American Federalism: Half-Full or Half-Empty?, Martha Derthick, Brookings Review, Winter 2000.

Martha Derthick describes the condition of American federalism in three different spheres and suggests that complications and ambiguity characterize the contemporary federal system.

C. CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL MATTERS

10. Vigilante Justices, Antonin Scalia, National Review, February 10, 1997.

Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia evaluates the approach to constitutional interpretation known as "The Living Constitution". He argues that such an evolutionary approach in the long run renders the Constitution useless and irrelevant in the American political system.

11. Guns and Tobacco: Government by Litigation, Stuart Taylor Jr., National Journal, March 25, 2000.

Stuart Taylor identifies what he sees as a disturbing new trend: making public policy through litigation in the courts instead of in Congress and the executive branch of government.

12. Drawing Legal Lines, David Byrd, National Journal, April 8, 2000.

David Byrd reviews recent Supreme Court rulings on race in redistricting cases, and he suggests that the 2000 census will bring new rounds of contentious litigation.

13. Speech Isn't Cheap, Wendy Kaminer, The American Prospect, July 31, 2000.

Wendy Kaminer explores the connection between money and freedom of expression in the United States. She concludes that enacting limits on so-called independent expenditures will weaken American democracy.

14. Disability Act's First 10 Years and the Challenges Ahead, David Nather, CQ Weekly, July 22, 2000.

In this essay, David Nather describes various legislative proposals aimed at remedying perceived problems or omissions in the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.

UNIT 2. Structures of American Politics 2000

A. THE PRESIDENCY

15. Gone Are the Giants, Burt Solomon, National Journal, May 27, 2000.

Burt Solomon argues that relatively unimpressive individuals--and not political "giants"--have come to occupy all three branches of government in recent decades. He also explores why this trend has occurred.

16. Hooked on Polls, Carl M. Cannon, National Journal, October 17, 1998.

Carl Cannon chronicles the way that presidents have used public opinion polls to determine their courses of action. He laments the increasing influence of polls on what presidents do.

17. Did Clinton Succeed or Fail?, Robert Kuttner and E. J. Dionne, The American Prospect, August 28, 2000.

Two well-known political observers, Robert Kuttner and E. J. Dionne, exchange views about whether the Clinton presidency was a success or a failure. In so doing, they review and assess major events during Clinton's two terms in the White House.

18. Trivial Pursuits: Clinton's Record, Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, November 20, 2000.

While assessing the Clinton presidency, Ramesh Ponnuru argues that Clinton's most important legacy is the shrinking of the presidency during his time in office.

B. CONGRESS

19. Crackup of the Committees, Richard E. Cohen, National Journal, July 31, 1999.

Richard Cohen chronicles the decline in the power of congressional committees on Capitol Hill. He suggests that the decline has been gradual and deliberate and discusses the implications for the way Congress functions.

20. King of the Roads, Mark Murray, National Journal, September 23, 2000.

The power, tactics, and accomplishments of Congressman Bud Shuster, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, are detailed by Mark Murray.

21. Can It Be Done?, Richard E. Cohen and Louis Jacobson, National Journal, November 18, 2000.

The authors of this report explore the prospects for abolishing the Electoral College in the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election. They conclude that various factors make enactment of such a proposal in Congress unlikely.

22. Uninsured Americans Linger on Congress' Waiting List, Mary Agnes Carey, CQ Weekly, September 9, 2000.

Establishing a health plan that would be of benefit to all Americans is a daunting task that is greatly complicated by political agendas, lobbyists, and the natural momentum of the existing medical system.

C. THE JUDICIARY

23. A Judge Speaks Out, H. Lee Sarokin, The Nation, October 13, 1997.

H. Lee Sarokin, a former federal judge, argues that the recent politicization of the judiciary by politicians and news media alike is undermining the rule of law in the United States. He explains why he thinks it is crucially important for judges to uphold various controversial provisions of the Bill of Rights.

24. The Gipper's Constitution, Stephen Pomper, The Washington Monthly, December 1999.

Stephen Pomper recounts how Republican federal judges who were nominated by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush continue to dominate judicial decision making. He summarizes the kinds of conservative decisions that they have made.

25. Up For Grabs: The Supreme Court and the Election, Tom Wicker, The Nation, October 9, 2000.

The overriding issue that President George W. Bush might have to address will be his appointments to the Supreme Court, and it will have a lasting impact on American society. The future of reproductive rights, civil rights, campaign finance reform, environmental protection, and much more will be affected by those serving on the highest court of the land.

D. BUREAUCRACY

26. Turkey Farm, Robert Maranto, The Washington Monthly, November 1999.

Robert Maranto examines the difficulties of firing an unproductive civil servant, the problems posed for the operation of government bureaucracy as a whole, and the possibilities for remedying the situation.

27. Finding the Civil Service's Hidden Sex Appeal: Why the Brightest Young People Shy Away From Government, Nicholas Thompson, The Washington Monthly, November 2000.

Nicholas Thompson describes appealing and unappealing aspects of working in the U.S. Civil Service. He laments that the unappealing aspects seem to be driving away too many prospective government employees.

UNIT 3. Process of American Politics

A. POLITICIANS, PARTIES, AND VOTERS

28. Running Scared, Anthony King, The Atlantic Monthly, January 1997.

Anthony King argues that the American political system is anchored in what he considers to be a permanent election campaign. In turn, according to King, American politicians are "hyper-responsive" and American government suffers accordingly.

29. Who Needs Political Parties?, Richard M. Valelly, The American Prospect, August 14, 2000.

Three different perspectives of contemporary political scientists on the two-party system in the United States are identified by Richard Valelly in this essay. He explains and assesses each perspective.

30. Adding Values, Anna Greenberg and Stanley B. Greenberg, The American Prospect, August 28, 2000.

Anna and Stanley Greenberg report that Americans generally view Democrats as less attractive than Republicans with respect to family values. They suggest ways that progressive Democrats might do a better job of presenting themselves and their policies in this area of public concern.

B. THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS

31. Making Every Vote Count, Lani Guinier, The Nation, December 4, 2000.

Lani Guinier discusses some basic questions about elections in the United States: who votes, how do they vote, for whom do they vote, how are their votes counted, and what happens after the voting.

32. One Cheer for Soft Money: The Case for Strong Political Parties, Steven E. Schier, The Washington Monthly, July/August 2000.

Steven Schier makes a case for campaign finance reforms that will regulate but not eliminate soft money, and will thus strengthen political parties, not weaken them.

C. INTEREST GROUPS

33. Government's End, Jonathan Rauch, National Journal, January 8, 2000.

Jonathan Rauch explains why the U.S. government has reached a state of perpetual stalemate. He describes the situation as one in which it cannot become either much smaller or much larger and there is very little opportunity to change.

34. Under the Gun, Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, Fortune, December 6, 1999.

Jeffrey Birnbaum examines the long-term weakness and short-term strength of the National Rifle Association (NRA), one of the United States' best-known and most formidable interest groups.

35. Associations Without Members, Theda Skocpol, The American Prospect, July/August 1999.

Theda Skocpol outlines the way that Americans' civic and political associations have changed from traditional membership organizations to advocacy groups since the 1960s.

D. MEDIA

36. Missed Information: The Reporting Tool That Reporters Don't Use, Michael Doyle, The Washington Monthly, May 2000.

Michael Doyle reports that journalists use the Freedom of Information Act, first passed in 1996, far less than originally expected and argues that reporters would be wise to take more advantage of the act.

37. www.democracy.com, The Economist, April 3, 1999.

This selection describes Scorecard, a Web site set up by the Environmental Defense Fund to provide ordinary citizens with access to relevant data about pollution and polluters. The article also explores the implications for American democracy of this and other innovations made possible by new communications technology.

38. The Two-Bucks-a-Minute Democracy, Michael Lewis, New York Times Magazine, November 5, 2000.

A new Internet-based polling operation developed by two Stanford University political scientists is described by Michael Lewis in this article. He discusses its implications for our conceptions of how American democracy should function.

E. THE 2000 ELECTIONS

39. Bush and Gore: Perfect Winners of a Perfect Race. Almost, Jonathan Rauch, National Journal, March 18, 2000.

Jonathan Rauch assesses the 2000 presidential nominating process in a highly positive way. He concludes that the winners of the Republican and Democratic nominations, George W. Bush and Al Gore, had proved themselves to be worthy presidential candidates for their parties.

40. The Last Straw Poll: Seven Things From Campaign 2000 to Eliminate, Kate O'Beirne, National Review, November 20, 2000.

Assessing the 2000 presidential selection process, Kate O'Beirne identifies seven things that she would like to see eliminated from the process in 2004, including straw polls, open primaries, and the Commission on Presidential Debates.

41. Selling America to the Highest Bidder, The Economist, November 11, 2000.

This selection provides an overview of the role of money in the 2000 elections in the United States. It addresses the amounts spent, the explanations for such large expenditures, and the problems such expenditures pose for the practice of democracy.

42. Ten Observations on the 2000 Florida Controversy, Bruce Stinebrickner, McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2000.

In this essay, Bruce Stinebrickner presents 10 sets of comments on the 2000 presidential election controversy in Florida. The topics include hypocrisy, the "cult of the Constitution", the Electoral College, and exit polls.

43. The Old College Try: How We Pick the Prez, Byron York, National Review, December 4, 2000.

The value of the Electoral College was put to its strongest test in the 2000 presidential election. The value of this element in the presidential selection process is examined in this article by Byron York.

UNIT 4. Products of American Politics

A. DOMESTIC AND ECONOMIC POLICY

44. Welfare Reform, Act 2, Marilyn Werber Serafini, National Journal, June 24, 2000.

Marilyn Werber Serafini discusses the impact of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act, and she presents the challenges and problems that face Congress as it prepares to take additional legislative action.

45. $80,000 and a Dream: A Simple Plan for Generating Equal Opportunity, Bruce Ackerman and Anne Alstott, The American Prospect, July 17, 2000.

To bring the United States closer to genuine equality of opportunity, Bruce Ackerman and Anne Alstott propose that every young American adult, provided that he or she has completed high school, be given a one-time grant of $80,000.

46. Yes and No to Gun Control, Gary Rosen, Commentary, September 2000.

Gary Rosen assesses the arguments for and against gun control and identifies a middle ground that stands between the two groups of "true believers" on each side of the issue.

B. FOREIGN POLICY

47. Musclebound: The Limits of U.S. Power, Stephen M. Walt, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, March/April 1999.

Stephen Walt notes the economic, military, and cultural dominance of the United States in the world today as well as the reality that the United States does not always get its way in world affairs. He explores four reasons why even the world's sole superpower does not always succeed in getting what it wants.

48. The Longest War, The Economist, April 29, 2000.

This selection examines contemporary American attitudes about the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War, which ended more than a quarter-century ago. It gives several reasons supporting the view that a change in attitudes has occurred.

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