3. Class Discussion. Discussion sections will center on the readings, lectures, and films. Many of these sessions will involve discussions about public policy issues. Students are encouraged to debate these and disagree -- but to do so based on information and evidence as well as their own values.

4. Writing. Each student will have a minimum of six writing assignments during the term ‑‑ four short essays (or other assignments) based on readings, a midterm exam, and a final exam. In grading your written work, we will look not only at the content, but also at the style. Be sure to proofread your papers before handing them in. Look for spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors. Be clear and concise. Don't repeat yourself. Cite your sources. Make sure you understand the assignment. It helps to do an outline before you begin writing. Show it to your discussion section professor and discuss it with him/her before revising. Students are also urged to take advantage of the college's Center for Teaching and Learning (ground floor of the library) to get help with their essays. Don't be hesitant. The Center staff is eager to assist you and can help you improve your writing significantly. For most essays and both exams the following eight criteria will be used:

1. Do you have a clear thesis? This should be a sentence or two early in your essay.

2. Have you employed appropriate concepts?

3. Have you presented persuasive evidence to support your thesis or arguments?

4. Have you made appropriate reference to the assigned readings?

5. Have you made a tie‑in to current events? Refer to items in the daily newspapers when appropriate.

6. Have you sought to find a creative twist ‑‑ a different viewpoint, a distinctive argument, unusual evidence?

7. Is your prose readable? Read your prose aloud to check on this.

8. Is your essay mechanically flawless? Typos, misspellings, and punctuation errors are inexcusable.

5. Newspapers Clippings

I encourage students in Politics 101 to get in the habit of reading a daily newspaper. The most useful papers are the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Wall Street Journal. You can get a subscription to any of these publications, buy some of them in the bookstore, or read them in the library. You can also subscribe to the Washington Post National Weekly, which includes the best articles from the previous week's Washington Post. You can subscribe via the web.

Our library also subscribes to many "opinion magazines." These are weekly publications that look at politics and policy from a particular perspective -- conservative, moderate, liberal, progressive, libertarian, religious, feminist, environmental, etc. Among the more interesting are the Nation, American Prospect, Weekly Standard, New Republic, In These Times, Commonweal, and National Review.

In an effort to help students develop the newspaper habit (which includes articles, commentaries and editorials on government, politics and public policy), you are asked to submit at the beginning of each Thursday section meeting a timely item from a daily newspaper which is directly applicable to one of the issues addressed in the Politics 101 readings for that week. Each week, attach a few notes that explain why you have chosen this article -- how it is relevant for the topics covered in class that week. These notes must involve no more than 100 words.

A minimum of ten clippings is required during our 13 week semester, but it is strongly suggested that you submit one each Thursday. (No make‑ups will be permitted.) Make sure you put your name on the clipping and that the name and date of the newspaper is identified.

On Thursdays, I will ask at least one student (selected randomly) to present very briefly to the group his/her clipping and its significance. This presentation should be no more than two or three minutes describing how the article, editorial or opinion piece illustrates and/or amplifies some aspect of that week's topic.

Grades

Your grades will be based on four factors:

25% on attendance and participation in class sessions and films, and your performance on the weekly news clipping assignments.

25% on the four written assignments.

25% on a mid-term examination.

25% on a final examination.

Required Books to Purchase

1. Bruce Miroff, Raymond Seidelman, and Todd Swanstrom, The Democratic Debate: An Introduction to American Politics, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, third edition, 2002.

2. Jonathan Kozol, Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools, New York: Crown Publishers, 1991.

3. G. William Domhoff, Who Rules America? Fourth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002.

4. Stephen J. Rose, Social Stratification in the United States: The New American Profile Poster: New Press, 2000.

Poster

The Rose book comes with a poster called “Social Stratification in the United States.” Please put this poster up on a wall in your room at the beginning of the semester. Look at it occasionally. Try to figure out your reaction to it during the semester. What is your initial reaction?. Does it change during the semester? We’ll discuss the poster a few times during the semester.

Helpful Materials on Library Reserve

I will place examples of very good writing assignments in a folder on reserve in the Library for those who are interested in seeing what constitutes good responses to the bi-weekly writing assignments. (The names of the student authors are removed but the instructor's comments on the essays do appear as well as the grade assigned.) It will be at the circulation desk.

Interesting Websites About American Politics

The internet has opened up a wide array of sources about American politics. There are thousands of websites on every conceivable topic. Fortunately, the University of Michigan has assembled the best of these resources and put them on its website. It includes such topics as upcoming elections at the federal, state, and local levels; biographies; campaign finances; political cartoons; members of Congress (including voting records); political consultants; a wide variety of domestic and foreign policy issues; lobby groups; news sources and periodicals; political advertising; political parties; the Presidency; public opinion; think tanks; and advocacy groups. We encourage you to browse this website at:

Project Vote Smart (http://www.vote-smart.org)

All students should become familiar with Project Vote Smart, a non-profit organization that provides a great deal of information about our members of Congress, including their biographies, voting records, sources of campaign funds, and other data. I will ask you to use this information, available on the group’s website, throughout the semester.

Extra Credit for Political Participation

I encourage students in Politics 101 not only to vote but also to participate directly in the political process and to stay abreast of the campaigns and issues through the news media.

Some students may wish to take advantage of Occidental's location in a very active and interesting political environment. Not all students in Politics 101 will have the time, motivation or mobility needed to participate in this optional feature of the course. But, as an incentive for those who wish to do so, we will give students extra credit for participating in a political campaign or working in a political office. Student who complete this assignment will increase their final grade by a third of a grade – in other words, from a C to a C+, or from an A- to an A.

There are ten weeks between the beginning of the semester and election day -- Tuesday, November 5. We will give extra credit to students who spend a minimum of 20 hours volunteering in one of the current campaigns or in a political office. Here are the choices:

Campaigns for U.S. President. . The election won’t be held until November 2004, but each candidate, including the incumbent (President Busy) is already campaigning. You can work for the Republican incumbent, one of the Democratic challengers, or one of the candidates from other parties, such as the Green Party, Libertarian Party, etc. It is too early for most incumbent members of Congress to be gearing up their campaigns, but candidates for President are already campaigning.

There are no major races for LA office or state legislature this fall.

Volunteers who show enthusiasm and take initiative often stand out and are noticed by campaign staff and candidates. Over the years, a number of Oxy students who have volunteered in campaigns have been offered jobs with the candidates after they are elected. (Of course, this meant they worked for the winner!)

Political Offices: You can also volunteer to work for a current elected official – a member of the LA City Council, a member of the California Assembly or Senate, or a U.S. Senator of Congressperson.

To document your participation, write a three page report describing what you did and summarizing the insights and understanding you gained from this participation. Explain what your responsibilities were. Discuss how this experience supplemented what you learned in Politics 101. Did it reinforce what you learned? Did it challenge what you learned? Include the name and phone number of someone on the campaign staff or volunteer coordinator who can verify your participation.

How do you go about volunteering? First, you have to select a campaign or a police officeholder. In the case of candidates for office, decide campaign you want to work for. You can decide on the basis of the candidate or on the basis of the political party, or on the basis of a particular issue (for example, does this candidate support your views about abortion, or gun control, or funding for public education). You can work for a candidate from any of the political parties (Republican, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, etc).

Once you’ve decided which campaign or office you want to work for, call the office, offer your time and enthusiasm. Be sure to tell them how much time you have available and what days are best for you. (A lot of campaign work occurs on weekends and a nights).

What will you do? Volunteers perform a variety of tasks. They make phone calls. They do office work. They attend rallies and candidates forums. They answer the phone. They distribute literature at shopping malls and door-to-door. The accompany the candidate to events. You’ll need to get to and from the campaign on your own. Some campaign offices are accessible by bus and a few (in Eagle Rock) by foot. By the way, no prior experience is required to do campaign volunteer work.

Use the WWW to find out more information about these campaigns.

Speakers on Campus

There will be a number of speakers on campus this semester discussing topics related to this course. We will alert you to these events and strongly encourage you to attend.

“West Wing”

I encourage students to regularly watch the TV show, “West Wing,” Wednesdays at 9 pm.

“West Wing” depicts the inner workings of the White House and the relationship of the President to Congress, the court system, lobby groups, public opinion, and other factors. Evaluate how realistic the show is by comparing it to the readings in class and the way the Presidency is depicted in newspapers and magazines.

Academic Honesty

We will distribute in class a hand-out about academic honesty and plagiarism. We take these issues very serious and so should you.

Students with Disabilities

Accommodation of disability-related needs is available. Please let me know if you need some kind of accommodation.

Topics and Reading Schedule

Part I: Democracy

Week 1 The Democratic Debate: Different Views About Democracy

Thursday August 28, Tuesday Sept. 2, and Thursday Sept. 4

Topics: What did the founders of our country mean by the term “democracy”? What were their different views about the concept of democracy? What is the difference between “elite” and “popular” conceptions of democracy? How are those different views reflected in political debates and controversies today?

Films: “Occupation” (44 min.) and “Holding Ground” (58 min.)

Miroff, Seidelman, and Swanstrom, The Democratic Debate (MSS)

Chapter 1, "Introduction: The Democratic Debate"

Declaration of Independence (MSS, Appendix, pp. A1-A3)

*Young, "George Robert Twelves Hewes, A Patriot Shoemaker of Boston" (in The Way We Lived)

*Zinn, "Young Ladies Who Can Picket" (from Zinn, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train)

*Greenhouse, "5 Years After Workers' Vote, Appeals Stall Shipyard Union" (New York Times, July 10, 1998) and Darce, "Avondale Ordered to Rehire 22" (New Orleans Times-Picayune, July 11, 2001)

*Appelbaum and Dreier, "The Campus Anti-Sweatshop Movement" (The American Prospect, August/September 1999)

*Walljasper, "When Activists Win" (The Nation, March 3, 1997)

*Greenhouse, “Battle Lines Drawn Over Ergonomic Rules” (NY Times, Nov. 18, 2000) and “Bush Plan to Avert Work Injuries Seeks Voluntary Steps By Industry” (NY Times, April 6, 2002)

*Cong. Bernard Sanders, "Whither American Democracy?" (LA Times, Jan. 16, 1994)

Week 2 Is Government Necessary to Have a Good Society?

Tuesday Sept. 9 and Thursday Sept. 11

Topics: How did the founders of our country disagree about how to set up our government? What were the critical issues over which they disagreed? How much influence should ordinary citizens have in our governmental decision-making? Is democracy about majority rule or minority protections? Is democracy the same thing as freedom? How central is the role of private property in American democracy? What vehicles do ordinary citizens have for getting their views and voices heard? What are the obstacles to achieving a full democracy? To what degree was American democracy set up to govern a society that no longer exists? What is “federalism?”What roles are most appropriate at different levels of government – federal, state, local? We will use the debate over smoking – and the politics of public health -- to illustrate these concepts.

Film: “Never Say Die” (46 min.)

America's Ambivalence About Government

MSS: Chapter 2, "The Revolution and the Constitution”

MSS: James Madison, "Federalist No. 10" (Appendix, pp. A12-A16)

*Brownstein, "The Government Once Scorned, Becomes Savior" (LA Times, Sept.19, 2001)

*Seib, "The Federal System: You Can Get Away from Washington‑‑But Not Government" (Wall Street Journal, June 21, 1995)

*Kettl, "Clueless in the Capital" (Washington Monthly, July/August 1999)

*Alperovitz, “Tax the Plutocrats” (The Nation, Jan. 27, 2003)

Federalism: What Level of Government Should Do What?

MSS: Chapter 15, “State and Local Politics: The Dilemma of Federalism”

*Hansen, “The 2000 Outcome: Blame Federalism” (Washington Post, Dec. 1, 2001)

*Lueck, "Bush Poses Changes to Medicaid to Give States Greater Flexibility" (Wall Street Journal, Aug 6, 2001)

*Shogren, “States, White House at Odds on Environment” (LA Times, Dec. 29, 2002)

*Hertsgaard, “California Green Light” (The Nation, August 19/26, 2002)

*Nichols, “Local Heroes” (The Nation, June 9, 2003)

*Chait, “Rogue State: The Case Against Delaware” (New Republic, August 19/26, 2002)

Democracy and Public Health: Case Study of the Tobacco Industry and Smoking

*Bartecchi, MacKenzie and Schrier, “The Medical Effects of Tobacco Consumption”

(Scientific American, May 1995)

*Chart: “Adult Per Capita Cigarette Consumption and Major Smoking and Health

vents, United States, 1900-1999"

*Chart: “U.S. Consumption and Prices of Cigarettes, 1954-1992"

*Roberts and Watson, “Should Cigarettes Be Outlawed?” (U.S. News, April 18, 1994)

*Ellingwood, “Montgomery Eateries Dread Smoking Ban” (LA Times, Dec. 17, 2002)

*”High Taxes, Get Tough Legislation Are Forcing More Canadians to Curtail or

Quit Smoking” (Seattle Times, Nov. 7, 1993)

*Wilgoren, “Facing New Costs, Some Smokers Say `Enough,’” (NY Times, July 17,

2002)

*Broder, “Cigarette Makers in a $368 Billion Accord to Curb Lawsuits and Curtail Marketing” (NY Times, June 21, 1997)

*”The Tobacco Settlement” (LA Times, June 21, 1997)

*McKenzie, “Tobacco Deal: Legal Mugging by Government” (LA Times, July 15, 1997)

*Goldberg, “Big Tobacco’s Endgame” (NY Times Magazine, June 21, 1998)

*Greenhouse, “Justices Rein In Local Regulation of Tobacco Ads” (NY Times, June 29, 2001)

*Gronke, “Tobacco Control Proposal Criticized” (LA Times, July 28, 2001)

*Gorman, “Smoker Agrees to $100 Million Award” (LA Times, August 22, 2001)

*Holley, “Philip Morris Angers Czechs With Tobacco Toll Report” (LA Times, Aug. 5, 2001)

*Girion and Levin, "RJ Reynolds Fined for Ads Aimed at Teens" (LA Times, June 7,

2002)

*”33% Drop in Teen Smoking" (LA Times, October 5, 2001)

Week 3 What Does Government Really Do?

Tuesday, Sept. 16 and Thursday, Sept. 18

Topics: The relationship between individuals, business, and government. The key functions of government: regulate the behavior of institutions and individuals; provide services; invest in people and institutions (businesses, industries, universities, etc) to improve social and economic conditions; and promote public safety and national security. To accomplish these tasks, it must also raise revenues. What is the appropriate role and size of government? Is "big government" the problem or the solution? What are the arguments for and against government's role? What do we mean by "liberal," "conservative," "centrist," "radical" and other labels for describing different views about what government should and should not do? How does the United States compare with other democratic countries in terms of the role of government? How is democracy in the U.S. similar to and different from democracies in other nations? Did September 11^th change our views on the appropriate role and size of government?

Film: “Trade Secrets” (120 min.)

Regulate the Behavior of Institutions and People

*Reich, "The Bridgestone Tire Controversy" (from Locked in the Cabinet, 1997)

*Bradsher, “Stricter Rules for Tire Safety Were Scrapped by Reagan” (NY Times, Sept. 4, 2000)

*Mintz, "Remembering Thalidomide" (Washington Post Weekly, July 22-28, 1996)

*Warrick, "Is U.S. Beef Safe to Eat?" (Washington Post Weekly, April 16-22, 2001)

*Hakim, “Auto Union and Honda Dispute Safety Record at Plants in Ohio” (NY Times, June 26, 2002)

Invest in People and Institutions

*Broder, "Gramm's Life of Entitlements" (Washington Post, March 6, 1995)

*David Horsey, “Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C...” (Cartoon, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 2003)

*Nazario, "Going to School Hungry" (LA Times, November 20, 1994)

*Gorman, "Faces of the Uninsured" (National Journal, July 17, 1999)

*Bergmann, "Decent Child Care at Decent Wages" (American Prospect, Jan. 1-15, 2001)

*Hage, Fischer, and Black, "America's Other Welfare State" (U.S. News & World

Report, April 10, 1995)

Provide Public Services

*Gosselin, “The 90s: Private Boom Stingy on Public Good” (LA Times, Aug. 5, 2001)

*Isaacs and Schroeder, “Where the Public Good Prevailed” (American Prospect, June 4, 2001)

*Cimons, "Fluoridation: A Shining Public Health Success" (LA Times, Jan. 26, 1995)

*Toner, "Political Battle Lines Are Clearly Drawn in Fight Over Medicare Drug Coverage" (NY Times, July 24, 2000)

Promote Public Safety and National Security

MSS: Chapter 18, “Foreign Policy in the National Security State”

*Soros, “America’s Global Role” (American Prospect, June 2003)

*Gitlin, “Can the Peace Movement Reinvent Itself?” (LA Times, March 23, 2003)

*Dreier and Reiman, "Prisoners of Misleading Facts," Dissent, Spring 1996

*Fortunato, “Corporate Crime and Voting Rights” (Dissent, Summer 2002)

*Parenti, "The Prison Industrial Complex" (Corporate Watch, September 1999)

*Herbert, “Who Gets The Death Penalty?” (NY Times, May 13, 2002)

Is The United States Unique?

*Kingdon, America the Unusual, 1999. (“Introduction” and “Public Policy”)

*Havemann, "Diagnosis: Healthier in Europe" (LA Times, Dec. 30, 1992)

*Dreier and Bernard, "Kinder, Gentler Canada" (American Prospect, Winter 1993)

*Greenhouse, "If the French Can Do It, Why Can't We?" (NY Times Magazine, Nov. 14, 1993)

*Williams, “So, This is Heaven: Norway” (LA Times, Nov. 8, 2001)

*Wilgoren, “Education Study Finds U.S. Falling Short” (NY Times, June 13, 2001)

*Gornick and Meyers, “Support for Working Families: What the U.S. Can Learn From Europe” (American Prospect, January 1-15, 2001)

*”America: A Unique Outlook?” (American Enterprise, March/April 1990)

*Pine, "Are Americans Overtaxed?" (LA Times, April 30, 1998)

America By the Numbers: Comparing the U.S. and Other Democracies

Percent of Total Household Wealth Controlled by the Top 1%

Share of National Income: Rich-Poor Ratio

Per Capita Income Using Market Exchange Rates, 1960-98

Index of Hourly Compensation Costs

Tax Revenues in OECD Countries, 1965-1993, as a Percent of GDP

Infant Mortality

Elderly Poverty

Child Poverty

Living in Poverty

Average Annual Exit Rate From Poverty

Union Density By Country

Voter Turnout

High School Graduation Rates

Number of Days in an Average School Year

Mean Scale Score in Mathematics and Science of Grade 8, 1995

Ratio of Teacher Salary to GDP Per Capita (Primary and Lower Secondary)

Youth Homicide

Prisoners (Per 1,000 People)

Total Health Expenditure as a Percentage of GDP, Per Capital Health Spending and Percentage of Medical Expenditures covered by Public (OECD Countries)

Percentage of Population Covered By Public Health Insurance

Prescription Drug Prices in U.S. and Other Countries

Legally Mandated Paid Vacations

Average Price of a Gallon of Gas

Travel on Public Transportation as a Percent of All Travel

News as a Percent of All TV Programming

Week 4 The Courts, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Tuesday Sept. 23 and Thursday September 25

Topics: What are civil liberties and civil rights? How have civil rights and civil liberties been understood in the American political system? What role have the courts, the President, Congress, and ordinary citizens played in expanding, defending, or reducing civil rights and civil liberties? What is free speech and what are the limits, in any, to free speech? Are group rights or individual rights more important? How does our criminal justice system work? Why does the US have so many people in prison compared with other countries? Why is the US the only democratic country that still has a death penalty? Are there trade-offs between protecting individual liberties and promoting public safety and national security? What lessons should we learn about these trade-offs from the events of last September 11 and the subsequent controversy over civil liberties?

Film: “Guilty by Suspicion” (105 min.)

MSS:

Chapter 14: The Judiciary and the Democratic Debate

Chapter 16: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

The Court System

*Schkade and Sunstein, “Judging By Where You Sit” (NY Times, June 11, 2003)

*Greenhouse, “Court Had Rehnquist Initials Intricately Carved on the Docket” (NY Times, July 2, 2002)

*Taylor, "The Supreme Question" (Newsweek, July 10, 2000)

*Adler, "Irreparable Harm"(New Republic, July 30, 2001)

Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis

*King, "Is Congress Giving Too Much Surveillance Power...? Yes" (Insight, Jan. 14,

2002)

*Smith, "Is Congress Giving Too Much Surveillance Power...? No" (Insight, Jan. 14,

2002)

*”Limiting Civil Liberties” (LA Times, March 10, 2002)

*Bixler, "Immigrants' Rights at Risk?" (Atlanta Journal Constitution, Feb. 27, 2002)

Freedom of Expression

*Volokh, “The US Constitution Says We All Have to Live with Being Offended” (LA

Times, July 18, 2001)

*McCain, “Black Leaders Refuse to Pledge Allegiance to Flag” (Washington Times,

June 22, 2001)

*Gettleman, "Confederate Flag Still Flies, as Do Lawsuits to Shelve It" (LA Times, July 25, 2001)

Separation of Church and State

*Gettleman, “Alabama’s Top Judge Defiant on Commandments’ Display” (NY Times,

August 21, 2003)

*Savage, "School Vouchers Win Backing of High Court" (LA Times, June 28, 2002)

*Dolan, "Pledge: Phrase `Under God’ Is Ruled Illegal" (LA Times, June 27, 2002)

*Press, “Faith Based Furor” (NY Times Magazine, April 1, 2001)

Part II: Social Class in America

Week 5 Is America a “Class” Society?

Tuesday Sept. 30 and Thursday October 2

Topics: What are the key features of our economic system? What is the relationship between democracy and the economy? What role, if any, should government play in shaping how our economy works? What influence do business, consumers, employees and other groups have in our governmental decision-making?

Film: “The Big One” (90 min).

MSS: Chapter 3, "The American Political Economy"

Domhoff, Who Rules America? (Chapter 1, Class and Power in America; Chapter 2

The Corporate Community; and Chapter 3 The Corporate Community and the

Upper Class)

*Hofmeister, “Idaho Town Has Much Invested in Elite Retreat” (LATimes, July 11, 2003)

*Grimsley, "....U.S. Workers Keep Going and Going" (Wash. Post Weekly, Sept. 13,

1999)

*Bernstein, "All's Not Fair in Labor Wars" (Business Week, July 19, 1999)

Week 6: Corporations and the Global Economy

Tuesday October 7 (No class on Thursday, October 9 – fall break)

Films: “Zoned for Slavery” (23 min.) and “The Global Assembly Line” (58 min.)

What is the Global Economy?

*Barnet, “Lords of the Global Economy” (The Nation, Dec. 19, 1994)

*Birnbaum, “Where America Shops: Wal-Mart” (America@Work, April 2001)

*Silverstein, "Millions for Viagra, Pennies for Diseases of the Poor" (Nation, July 19, 1999)

“Good to the Last Drop” (Chronicle of Higher Education, June 6, 2003)

*Kuttner, “Double Standard” (American Prospect, June 31, 2003)

Sweatshops and Child Labor: Should We -- Can We? -- Set Rules for Business

Practices in the Global Economy?

*Hayden and Kernaghan, “Pennies an Hour, and No Way Up” (NY Times, July 6, 2002)

*Kristof, “Let Them Sweat” (NY Times, June 25, 2002)

*Van Der Werf, “Labor Violations Found at Factory Used for College Apparel” (Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 9, 2001)

*Thompson, "Mexican Labor Protest Gets Results" (NY Times, Oct. 8, 2001)

*Friedman, "Knight Is Right" (NY Times, June 20, 2000)

*Kahn, "Playing the China Card" (NY Times, July 7, 2000)

*Landler, "Making Nike Shoes in Vietnam" (NY Times, April 28, 2000)

*Arnold, “Translating Union into Khmer” (NY Times, July 12, 2001)

*Bernstein, "Sweatshop Reform: How to Solve the Standoff" (Business Week, May 3, 1999)

Corporations and Democracy: How Should We Hold Corporations Accountable?

*Stewart, “Spend! Spend! Where Did Tyco’s Money Go? (New Yorker, Feb. 17, 2003)

*Noonan, “Capitalism Betrayed” (Wall Street Journal, June 28, 2002)

*Wilentz, “A Scandal for Our Time” (American Prospect, Feb. 25, 2002)