Course Description
Emphasis will be on historical development, political institutions, and government branches. Political change during the past 200+ years will be examined in light of theories of development. Course is principally for PhD-level students emphasizing advanced material and empirical research. Students will generate an original research paper during the semester.
Athena Title
AMER POL DEVELOP
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This research seminar is intended as a broad survey of the literature on American political development. The central focus of the course will be on the historical development of political institutions, but much of what we discuss will have direct relevance for the study of institutions more generally. As such, we will focus on the origins and evolution of political parties, balloting and primaries, elections, congressional politics, the presidency, the courts, and the bureaucracy. Throughout the course, we will pay attention to current political and scholarly controversies (as well as some “classics”) in terms of identifying important research questions as well as examining and improving upon existing research designs. By the end of the course, you should have a better understanding of the nature of current research on American political development, even thought it would be impossible to cover all facets of this topic in a single graduate seminar.
Topical Outline
Studying American Political Development Political Parties Partisan Realignment Balloting and Primaries Presidential Elections Congressional Elections Historical Perspectives on Congress Historical Perspectives on the Presidency Historical Perspectives on the Courts The Growth of the Bureaucracy
Syllabus