Where Are We?... Why Are We Here?...
What Have We Done?
(dedicated to Admiral James Stockdale)
updated 23 April 2011
Soundclip from the 1992
Vice Presidential Debate
(thanks to Michael Harms for technical assistance)
On this page I will post (akin to "on this rock I shall build...") comments relevant to reading adjustments, course discussion points, etc., for the semester. Check back frequently -- via the mothership or the link on Blackboard to access this information.
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23 April: The end of the semester crunch has officially begun. We have 7 classes left; Saturday's ice/snow make-up day (10-11:30 AM, Tower Center Boardroom, 2nd floor of Carr Collins Hall) counts as two classes. This is how we will proceed:
Monday, 25 April: Finish Civil Liberties. Begin Presidency (Jillson Chapters 10, 11).
Wednesday, 27 April: Presidency (Rossiter, Neustadt, Rosen)
Friday, 29 April: Presidency (Supreme Court decisions)
Saturday, 30 April: finish Presidency. Congress (Jillson, Chapter 9).
Monday, 2 May: Congress (Fiorina, Mayhew, Dodd)
Tuesday, 3 May: Congress (Supreme Court decisions)
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15 April: For Monday's class, have all the Civil Liberties readings, including the cases, finished. On Wednesday, 20 April, we will turn to the Presidency. Have Jillson chapters 10 and 11 finished. The schedule for the rest of the semester will be published next week.
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18 February: For Monday's class, have Jillson chapters 4 and 5 read, and either turn in or send me (by 6 PM on Tuesday, 22 February) your results from all three political surveys linked under the "assignments" button. We will finish our discussion of Schattschneider and turn to "Individual Political Actors."
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9 February: Okay, we are adjusting through the ice age and now will move on with the rest of the semester. Bring your annotated "Interpreting the Federalist Papers" handout to class on Friday, 11 February. We will finish that discussion and move on to the "Concepts of Science, Politics, and Democracy" section of the course. We will start discussing Schattschneider on Monday, 14 February, so make sure to have him finished by that point. As I suggested in class on Monday, read Adamany's introduction before you read E.E., and then read it again after you finish him.
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1 February: Be through all the readings in the "Constitution" section of the syllabus, and make sure to bring the "Making Sense Out of Publius" handout to class on Wednesday, 2 February.
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22 January: Make sure you have read Roche's piece and McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), posted on Blackboard, for Monday's class. For Wednesday's class, (26 January), have Beard's piece in hand and start reading the assigned Federalist Papers.
ALSO... if you've not yet turned in two copies of the signed student contract, Monday is the last day to do so without penalty. Since it makes no sense to toss away points because of personal laziness/sloppiness, I'd suggest you get on this if you've not done it already.
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20 January: For tomorrow's class:
1) be prepared to ask whatever questions you have about the syllabus,
2) turn in two signed copies of the "student contract," and
3) have Jillson's first two chapters in hand.
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15 January: Our first class is Wednesday, 19 January, at 10 AM. Be sure that you do the things noted below before then.
The student contract is now posted. Please print up two copies, sign both, and turn them in to me in class no later than Friday, 21 January.
Go over the Blackboard page carefully, noting what it contains and how to find what it contains.
The syllabus is up-to-date, but don't print it out as I will distribute copies in class.
For our first class, I ask you to read Plato's "Cave" from the seventh book of The Republic. Think about why I would assign it to you at the outset of a course introducing you to American Government and Politics.
It would be for the best if you have read Jillson's Chapters 1 and 2, and Appendix A before our second class.
Once the semester begins, I will post here information of relevance to the content and conduct of our class.