Fall 2005                                                                                                                     Prof. Gary Mucciaroni

Political Science 410                                                                                                Tuesdays, 5:15 - 7:20pm

                                                        Government in American Society

This is a survey course at the graduate level for students in the field of American politics.  The course deals with several broad issues-- the nature and location of power in the United States, the characteristics and limits of democracy, the relationship between citizens and government, the institutional design of American government, and how institutions promote or hinder deliberation and the shaping of public policy.

Assignments.  Students are expected to complete the readings for each week and be prepared to discuss them.  One quarter of the final grade will be determined by oral participation, which will include one oral presentation on the supplemental reading (see attachment).  There are three take-home written assignments due as indicated in the course outline below.  They will be given out in class one or two weeks prior to the date when they are due. Due dates are subject to change at the discretion of the seminar leader.  Each assignment is worth one-quarter of the final grade. 

Office hours.  I am located in room 409 Gladfelter Hall.  My office hours are by appointment.  Phone: 204-6195  Email: gmucciar@temple.edu

Books for Purchase, at the Zavelle Bookstore, 1520 N. Broad St.:

Frank Baumgartner and Bryan Jones, Agendas and Instability in American Politics.

Lawrence R. Jacobs and Robert Y. Shapiro Politicians Don’t Pander:  Political Manipulation and the Loss of Democratic Responsiveness

Murray Edelman, The Symbolic Uses of Politcs

Robert Dahl, A Preface to Democratic Theory.

Richard Fenno, Homestyle.

James Morone, The Democratic Wish.

Douglas Arnold, The Logic of Congressional Action.

Gary C. Jacobson, The Politics of Congressional Elections.

Stephen Skowronek, The Politics Presidents Make.

E.E. Schattschneider, The Semi-sovereign People: A Realist’s View of Democracy in America.

James Q. Wilson, Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It.

                                                                       Course Outline

I.                      Power and Democracy

Aug 30            Introduction and Organization of Seminar

Sep 6               Democratic Theories

Dahl, entire.

Sep 13             Dilemmas of Pluralist Democracy

Schattschneider, chapters 1-4.

Lowi, Theodore.  "American Business, Public Policy, Case Studies and Political Theory." World Politics 56 (1964): 676-715.

Charles Lindblom, Politics and Markets, chapters 12-14.

Bachrach, Peter and Morton Baratz.  1962. "Two Faces of   Power," American Political Science Review 56 (1962):947-52.

Sep 20             Symbolic Politics

                        Edelman, entire.

Sep 27             American Political Culture              

Morone, entire.

II.                    Citizens and Government

Oct 4               Public Opinion and Governing I     

Benjamin Page and Robert Shapiro, The Rational Public: Fifty Years of Trends in Americans' Policy Preferences, chapters 1 and 2.

William Mishler and Reginald S. Sheehan, “Public Opinion, the Attitudinal Model, and Supreme Court Decision-making: A Micro-Analytic Perspective,” The Journal of Politics vol. 58 (February 1996): 169-200.

Oct 11             Public Opinion and Governing  II

Jacobs and Shapiro, entire.

Oct 18             Elections and Governing                              First Assignment Due

                        Jacobson, entire.

Oct 25             Representation

            Fenno, entire.

III.                   Institutions and Policymaking

Nov 1             Presidency

Skowronek, entire

Nov 8              Congress                                Second Assignment Due

Arnold, entire.

Nov 15                        Bureaucracy

                        Wilson, entire.

Nov 29                        Judiciary   

Robert A. Dahl, “Decision-making in a Democracy:  The Supreme Court as a National Policy-maker,” Journal of Public Law vol. 6 (1957), pp.279-95.

Jonathan D. Casper, “The Supreme Court and National Policy-making,” American Political Science Review vol. 70 (1976), pp. 50-63.

Dec 6               Issues, Institutions and Policy-making

David Robertson and Dennis Judd, The Development of American Public   Policy, chs. 1-3.

Baumgartner and Jones, chs. 1-5.

TBA                Third Assignment Due

Oral Presentations on Supplemental for PS 410 - Fall 2005

Matriculated students in Political Science are required to make one oral presentation during the semester based upon the supplemental readings supplied on the sheet attached.  The supplemental readings are available in Paley Library or from Prof. Mucciaroni.

Following alphabetical order, students will sign-up for their presentations at our first meeting.  Presentations will begin on  Sep. 20th.  The presentations should be no longer than 15 minutes.  If the reading is very long, students should consult with Prof. Mucciaroni to discuss which part(s) of the readings are the most relevant or important for the presentation.

The following guide should be used in preparation:  What is the book about?  What is the main argument or conclusion of the book?  Briefly, what kinds of evidence or arguments are used to support the main argument or conclusion(s)?  What do you think are its strengths and weaknesses, if any?  Where relevant, how is the supplemental reading related to the required reading for the week?  That is, where do they agree, disagree or differ in terms of the questions they pose, the arguments they put forward, or the conclusions they reach, etc.? 

Students should make a one-page synopsis or outline of their oral presentation available evening before the seminar meets.  Copies should be sent via email to all members of the seminar and hard copies should be brought to the seminar.

                                               Supplemental Readings for Oral Presentations

Please choose from the following list:

                                                                                                                                                     Presenter(s)

Sep 20             Deborah Stone, Policy Paradox and Political Reason.

Sep 27             Louis Hartz, The Liberal Tradition in America.

Samuel Huntington, The Promise of Disharmony.                                                 

Grant McConnell, Private Power and American Democracy

Oct 4               Paul Brace and Barbara Hinckley, Follow the Leader.

                        Robert Erikson, Gerald Wright and John McIver,

 Statehouse Democracy

Oct 11             Benjamin Page, Who Deliberates?                 

Oct 18             Robert Stein and Kenneth Bickers, Perpetuating the Pork Barrel.

David Mayhew, The Electoral Connection.       

Oct 25             John Coleman, Party Decline in America.

                        John Aldrich, Why Parties?

Nov 1              Samuel Kernell, Going Public.

                        Richard Neustadt, Presidential Power                                                                                

Nov 8              Joseph Bessette,  The Mild Voice of Reason

                        Keith Krehbiel, Pivotal Politics

Nov 15                        Marc Landy, et. al  The Environmental Protection Agency.                                   

Lee Fritschler and James Hoefler, Smoking and Politics.

Nov 29            David M. O’Brien, Storm Center: The Supreme Court in American Politics

                        Jeffrey Segal and Harold Spaeth, The Supreme Court and the Attitudinal Model

Dec 6               Christopher Bosso, Pesticides and Politics.                                                                            Gary Mucciaroni, Reversals of Fortune.