PS
110EA American
Political Thought
Professor Philip A. Michelbach
Winter 2006
T-Th 3:30-4:50
LEDDN AUD
Email:
pmichelb@weber.ucsd.edu
Office Hours: 1:00-2:00 Tuesday and 1:30-2:30 Friday in SSB 447
This course focuses on American political thought from its colonial
origins
to the politics of the early 19th century. Beginning
with the earliest founding documents
in the 17th century, we will move toward an understanding of
the
American Revolution. From there we study
the politics of and the adoption of the present Constitution and the
aftermath
of that decision considered from the standpoint both of its friends and
enemies. Finally, we will turn to political movements in the 19th
century prior to the Civil War.
Required Texts
Colonial Origins of the
American Constitution, ed.
Donald S.
Lutz (Liberty Fund, 1998)
The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates,
ed. Ralph Ketcham (Penguin, 1986)
Gore Vidal, Burr (Vintage, 2000)
John C. Calhoun, A Disquisition on Government (Hackett, 1995)
Additional required readings below
Evaluation
Course grades will be determined by
performance on three take home
assignments. The first of these, a one-page paper worth 15% of
the final
grade, will be due at the beginning of the 3rd week of class. The
second
assignment, a 5-6 page paper assigned in the 5th week and
due in the
6th week of class, is worth 40% of the final grade. The last
assignment
(7-8 pp.), due during finals week, is worth 45% of the final grade.
Schedule of
Readings and Assignments
Weeks 1-5: Origins of Constitutional Thought
Primary Text: Lutz, Colonial Origins of the American Constitution [Link
to eBook]
Additional
required reading: Magna Carta,
Paine
Week 3: First assignment
due January 24
Sample one-page
paper
Additional Readings: Williams, Winthrop
Additional Reading: Edwards
Additional Readings: Paine, Common Sense (Skim all, focus on sections I and
III); John Tucker, Election
Sermon from 1774
Week 5: Assignment 2
Sample Thesis
Paragraph
Additional Readings: Constitution
of New Hampshire, Constitution
of Virginia
Additional Reading:
Declaration
of Independence
Weeks 6-8:
The
Constitution and its Critics
Primary Texts: Ketcham, The Anti-Federalist Papers and the
Constitutional Convention Debates
Additional required reading: Federalist Papers
(A: 1,6; B: 10,51; C: 23,33,85; D: 24-29)
Weeks 9-10: Politics Under the
Constitution
Primary Texts: Vidal, Calhoun
Additional required reading: Emerson: Self Reliance
Week 10: Assignment 3,
due Friday March 24 in SSB
301 by 4:00 p.m.