York University

AP/POLS 3540 3.0 – American Government & Politics

Fall 2018

Instructor:         Prof. Rodney Loeppky

Office:               South Ross 631

Class Location: ACW 204

Time:                 Thursday, 14:30-16:30

Office Hours:    Wednesday, 13:00-15:00

Course Description

This course is intended as a critical introduction to American government and political process.  Its objective is to give students a foundational understanding of the American political system, paying special attention to its constitutional, institutional and conventional features.  Course content will be drawn from historical and contemporary events in American politics, with an eye to understanding both continuities and important shifts in governance and citizenship.

Course Requirements

The evaluative components of the course are comprised of an essay proposal (20%), one term paper (50%) and an in-class final exam (30%).   The grading scheme places weight on the research-based components of the course, and essay proposal work should be started immediately.  The entire point of a proposal is to give students incentive to start research early while receiving adequate feedback for the term paper.  The in-class exam will be based on both lecture and course materials, and it may require you to evaluate a practical political scenario with the tools you have received in this course.  More information will be provided as we approach the exam date.

Course Requirement Summary:

Essay Proposal                       October 4th                                                     20%

Term Essay                             November 15^th                                               50%

Final Exam (In Class)            November 29th                                                 30%

Required Text

The 11^th, 12^th, 13^th  or 14^th edition of Theodore J. Lowi, Benjamin Ginsberg, Kenneth A. Shepsle and Stephen Ansolabehere, American Government: Power and Purpose (New York: W.W. Norton).  Whichever edition you get, make sure it is the full edition and not the 'core' or 'brief' editions, as the latter do not have chapters on public policy.  The full 14th edition has been ordered for the bookstore.

Weekly Course Content

Introduction

Week 1 (Sept 6) – Introduction of Course

The Current (never-ending) Conjuncture – Where are we?

            No Readings Assigned.

Developing America

Week 2 (Sept 13) – American ‘Exceptionalism’ and the Constitution.

Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle, and Ansolabehere, Chapters 2

Week 3 (Sept 20) – Federalism and a Political Culture of Rights and Liberties

Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle, and Ansolabehere, Chapters 3, 4 & 5.

Institutional Foundations of American Politics

Week 4 (Sept 27) – Congress and its Complexities

            Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle, and Ansolabehere, Chapter 6.

Week 5 (Oct 4) – The Power of the Presidency

            Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle, and Ansolabehere, Chapter 7.

*Term paper proposal due.

Reading Week (October 6-12)

Week 6 (Oct 18) – The Machinery of Bureaucracy

            Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle, and Ansolabehere, Chapter 8.

Week 7 (Oct 25) – The Courts and Judicial Review

            Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle, and Ansolabehere, Chapter 9

Policy and Process in American Politics

Week 8 (Nov 1) – Political Parties and Elections

            Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle, and Ansolabehere, Chapters 11 & 12.

Week 9 (Nov 8) – The State and the Economy

                               Interest Groups and Lobbies

Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle, and Ansolabehere, Chapters 13 & 15.

Week 10 (Nov 15) – Class Politics, Poverty and Social Policy in the United States

            Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle, and Ansolabehere, Chapter 16.

            ***Note: Term Paper Due.

Week 11 (Nov 22) – Media and the Shaping of American Politics

            Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle, and Ansolabehere, Chapter 14.

Week 12 (Nov 29) – In Class Final Exam (2 hours).