Mark B - California State University, Sacramento



Mark Brown, Ph.D.Department of GovernmentCSU, SacramentoFall 2015Office: Tahoe Hall 3124Office Hours: T-Th 12-1:00, 3-4:00 PM, and by appointmentOffice Tel.: 916-278-6430mark.brown@csus.eduDemocratic TheoryGOVT 115 TuTh 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM Amador Hall 252Course DescriptionThis is an advanced undergraduate course on contemporary democratic theory and practice. We will draw on some historical sources, but the focus will be on current dilemmas of democratic politics. To get a clear sense of what is at stake in these dilemmas, we will read works by advocates of different forms and theories of democracy. The course is divided into five sections: 1) debates over the origins and meaning of democracy, including Western and non-Western sources of democracy, and the relation between liberal, republican, participatory, and elite conceptions of democracy; 2) the relation of democracy and capitalism; 3) debates over the promise and limits of political deliberation and representation, including the non-electoral representation of social groups, nonhumans, and future generations; 4) debates over the meaning of citizenship and "the people," especially as they relate to questions of race, class, and gender, as well as issues regarding immigrants, felons, and other liminal citizens; 5) debates over the relation of democracy and public knowledge with regard to citizen competence, technical expertise, the mass media, and populist movements. Learning ObjectivesThe goal of the course is to improve students' ability to analyze and evaluate the historical sources, conceptual logic, and practical implications of different ways of thinking about democracy. Students who successfully complete this course will have: learned about some of the key ideas and dilemmas associated with democratic theory and practice;learned about the value, purpose, and limits of political theory; improved their ability to read, discuss, and write about politics and political theory; improved their capacity to analyze and evaluate difficult texts in both writing and discussion.Required TextsThe articles listed in the course schedule are on the course SacCT site. Please print them and bring the appropriate copy to each class. You will also need the following books: Joel Olson, The Abolition of White Democracy. University of Minnesota Press, 2004. ISBN: 0-8166-4278-8Todd Gitlin, Occupy Nation: The Roots, the Spirit, and the Promise of Occupy Wall Street. It Books, HarperCollins Publishers, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-06-220092-1Requirements and GradingAttendance, preparedness, participation (10%): You may miss two classes without penalty, so please plan carefully. Each additional absence, unless excused, will reduce your attendance grade by one full grade. I will only excuse absences for serious reasons (e.g., doctor visit, family emergency, military duty, jury duty, religious holiday), and only with documentation. Please do not email me about your absence. If you want me to excuse an absence, then when you return to class, give me a written statement with the date(s) of your absence, the reason, and documentation. If you accumulate more than six unexcused absences, you will most likely fail the course. If you arrive to class late, please enter quietly and take a seat. Much of the reading assigned in this course is quite difficult, so you will need to take an active approach to understanding the texts. I expect students to attend class having read (and sometimes re-read) all of the assigned reading, prepared to ask questions and engage in discussion. For most students, taking careful notes on paper or on a computer works better than the “highlighter” method. Because we will often look up specific passages in the course texts during class, you must bring the appropriate text to every class. Students will occasionally be divided into discussion groups for in-class exercises that will contribute to your grade.Ten surprise quizzes (10%): On ten occasions during the semester, at the beginning of class, we will have a quiz that will ask you to respond to one or more questions about the main ideas from the reading assigned for that day. The quizzes will not ask you to recall minor details, and if you have completed the reading and given it some thought, they will be relatively easy. Missed quizzes cannot be made-up. I will drop your lowest score for the final quiz grade.Three analytical essays (20% each). Students will analyze and evaluate key issues from the course in three 5-page essays (double-spaced, 1 inch margins, 12-point font). Your essays should show that you have thought deeply about the course texts and that you can use them to make an argument of your own. Completed essays should be submitted on the due dates indicated in the syllabus. For the first essay, a rough draft of at least four pages is due on the date indicated for in-class peer review. The peer review will include a checklist of essential elements. If the final essay that you submit does not satisfy the checklist, I will return it to you unread, and you will have one week to submit a revised version. Essays that require resubmission will be docked one letter grade. Beyond the checklist, rough drafts will be graded pass/fail, and they will be worth ten percent of the final essay grade. The same procedure will apply to the other essays, but without the peer review. For each essay, after I grade it, you may submit a rewrite, in which case your final essay grade will be the average of the original and the rewrite. Rewrites must be submitted with the original, and they must include a detailed explanation of how you revised the essay. Rewrites must be submitted within two weeks of essay due date. Late essays will be marked down one letter grade per day. However, even if your essay is extremely late, you should still submit it, because you cannot pass the class without completing all the assignments.Take-home final exam (20%). The final exam will ask students to demonstrate a clear understanding of key authors, arguments, and concepts from the course. It will cover the entire course. You will be asked to select 10 questions from a list of 15 and write about 125 words per question. The exam will be available online one week before the due date. Grades and late assignments: Final grades will be calculated according to the traditional scale: A > 93%...A- > 90%...B+ > 88%...B > 83%…etc. Wireless DevicesSome students like to use a laptop, tablet, or smart phone to take notes during class or to read course material. But in a classroom, wireless devices can be extremely distracting, not only for the person using the device but also for other students and the instructor. Several studies have shown that wireless devices may reduce student learning. The general policy of this course is that wireless devices may be used to take notes, but the wireless receiver must be turned off. Cell phones must be turned off or set to mute. I will also ask students to close or put away wireless devices at specific times, such as during class discussions or when students are working in small groups. And of course students may not use wireless devices at any time for surfing, texting, checking email, or any other activities not directly related to the course. Violations of this policy will affect your grade. If you require special accommodation in this regard, please let me know.Additional MattersI expect students to arrive on time and stay for the entire class. If you need to leave early, please sit near the door and let me know before class starts. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please let me know. You will need to provide disability documentation to the CSUS Office of Services to Students with Disabilities (SSWD), Lassen Hall 1008, (916) 278-6955. Your feedback on the course readings, classroom discussions, and any other aspect of the course is always welcome. If you are having trouble with any aspect of the course, or if you would just like to talk over the material, please stop by during my office hours or make an appointment to see me. Don't wait until the end of the semester!Finally, it should go without saying that plagiarism—that is, presenting someone else's work as your own—is a serious violation of academic integrity and university policy, not to mention basic honesty. Plagiarism will be punished in proportion to the severity of the case, but any plagiarism is likely to result in a failing grade for the course and may lead to additional administrative penalties, including expulsion from the University. If you are not sure what plagiarism is, please ask me or consult the library plagiarism information website at Schedule and Readings. Books are marked with an asterisk (*). All other readings and films are on the course SacCT site. PART I: DEMOCRACY IN QUESTIONSept. 1Sept. 31. Introduction: Conceptions of DemocracyCourse overview. Leonard Cohen, "Democracy"Benjamin Isakhan, “Introduction: The Complex and Contested History of Democracy,” in The Edinburgh Companion to the History of Democracy, ed. Benjamin Isakhan and Stephen Stockwell. Edinburgh University Press, 2012.Bishnu N. Mohapatra, "Introducing the Democracy Manifesto and a global conversation" (7 May 2011).Sept. 8Sept. 102. Histories of DemocracyPericles’ Funeral OrationBernard Manin, "Direct Democracy and Representation: Selection of Officials in Athens," The Principles of Representative Government (1997).John Keane, "Bad Moons, Little Dreams," The Life and Death of Democracy (2009).Amartya Sen, "Democracy and Its Global Roots: Why Democratization Is Not the Same as Westernization," New Republic 6 (2003): 28–35.Sept. 15Sept. 173. Minimalist Democracy and Participatory DemocracyLippmann, The Phantom Public (1925), chap. 1-4. Joseph Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy (1942), excerpt. Carole Pateman, Participation and Democratic Theory (1970), excerpt.Tom Hayden, “Participatory Democracy: From the Port Huron Statement to Occupy Wall Street,” The Nation (April 16, 2012).Film: “Berkeley in the Sixties” (recommended)FIRST ESSAY DRAFT DUE IN CLASSPART II: DEMOCRACY AND CAPITALISMSept. 22Sept. 24Feb. 244. Economic PowerFIRST ESSAY DUE IN CLASSMilton Friedman, "The Role of Government in a Free Society," Capitalism and Freedom (1962), 22-36.Robert Dahl, "Why Market-Capitalism Favors Democracy," and "Why Market-Capitalism Harms Democracy," in On Democracy (1998), 166-179.Martin?Gilens and Benjamin I.?Page, “Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens,” Perspectives on Politics 12:3 (2014): 564-581.Michael Sandel, “What Isn’t for Sale?” The Atlantic (April 2012).Film: “Legalize Democracy”Sept. 29Oct. 15. Popular Power*Todd Gitlin, Occupy Nation, Part I-II.*Todd Gitlin, Occupy Nation, Part III.Oct. 6Oct. 86. Economic DemocracyTom Malleson, “Economic Democracy: The Left’s Big Idea for the 21st Century?” New Political Science 35:1 (2013): 84-108. SECOND ESSAY DUE IN CLASSPART III: REASON, INTERESTS, IDENTIES, AND REPRESENTATIONOct. 13Oct. 157. Deliberative DemocracyRobert B. Talisse, “Deliberation,” Oxford Handbook of Political Philosophy (2012).James S?Fishkin and Robert C?Luskin, "Experimenting with a Democratic Ideal: Deliberative Polling and Public Opinion," Acta Politica 40 (2005): 284–298. Lynn M. Sanders, “Against Deliberation,” Political Theory 25:3 (1997).Oct. 20Oct. 228. Democracy and RepresentationHanna Fenichel Pitkin, “Representation and Democracy: Uneasy Alliance.” Scandinavian Political Studies 27, no. 3 (2004): 335–342.Andrew J. Perrin and Katherine McFarland, "The Sociology of Political Representation and Deliberation," Sociology Compass 2:4 (2008): 1228-1244.Oct. 27Oct. 299. Representing Groups, Nonvoters, Nonhumans, Future GenerationsJane Mansbridge, Should Blacks Represent Blacks and Women Represent Women? A Contingent ‘Yes’. Journal of Politics 61(3): 628-57.John O’Neill, “Representing People, Representing Nature, Representing the World.” Environment and Planning C 19:4 (2001): 483-500.PART IV: DEMOCRACY'S BOUNDARIESNov. 3Nov. 510. Citizenship and Social StandingLinda Bosniak, “Citizenship,” The Oxford Handbook of Legal Studies (2005). TBANov. 10Nov. 1211. Race and Democracy*Joel Olson, The Abolition of White Democracy, chap. 1-3.*Joel Olson, The Abolition of White Democracy, chap. 4-5.Film: Tim Wise, “White Like Me”Nov. 17Nov. 1912. Immigrants, Felons, and Liminal CitizensJoseph H. Carens, “Aliens and Citizens: The Case for Open Borders,” The Review of Politics 49: 2 (1987): 251-273.Stephen Macedo, “The Moral Dilemma of US Immigration Policy,” in Swain, ed., Debating Immigration.Jean Chung, “Felony Disenfranchisement: A Primer,” The Sentencing Project (June 2013). THIRD ESSAY DUE IN CLASSPART V: DEMOCRACY AND PUBLIC KNOWLEDGENov. 2413. Mass Media and Digital DemocracyMichael Schudson, “Reluctant Stewards: Journalism in a Democratic Society,” Daedalus 142:2 (2013): 159-176.Malcolm Gladwell, “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not be Tweeted,” The New Yorker, October 4, 2010.Dec. 1Dec. 314. Experts and PublicsRobert Dahl, Democracy and Its Critics, chaps. 4-5.Steven Epstein, "The Construction of Lay Expertise: AIDS Activism and the Forging of Credibility in the Reform of Clinical Trials," Science Technology Human Values 20:4 (1995): 408-437.Dec. 8Dec. 1015. Populism and DemocracyWilliamson, et al., "The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism," Perspectives on Politics 9 (2011): 25-43.Class summary and reviewDec. 17FINAL EXAM DUE ONLINE 11:59 PM ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download