Dana Stauffer

See syllabus

See syllabus

Course Description

The focus of this course is the most famous book ever written on American politics, Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. The wide-ranging insights of this classic work  speak not only to American political life and culture, but also to race, class, the family, friendship, and the state of the American soul. We will read as much of the two-volume work as possible, focusing particular attention on its main themes, such as the American love of equality, the importance of local government, the perils of American materialism, and the dangers of tyranny of the majority. We will discuss his observations on American religion, ambition, intellectual life, family life, and the relations between the sexes. We will consider such questions as: What is unique about American democracy? What are its strengths and weaknesses? What can the world learn from American democracy, and what can legislators and citizens do to ensure that it remains healthy and vibrant? What were Tocqueville’s broader concerns about the future of America? In the latter part of the course, we will examine the ways in which Tocqueville’s predictions have and have not been borne out. Now over a century and a quarter old, Tocqueville’s analysis remains surprisingly accurate and surprisingly relevant.

This course fulfills the second half of the legislative requirement for government.

Grading Policy

A mid-term exam, an optional paper, and a final exam. Class participation is taken into consideration and attendance counts.

Texts

Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, Volumes I and II, Vintage Classics edition

A Course Reader

Course Description

The Honors Tutorial is designed to facilitate the successful completion of a thesis in political science. The goals of the tutorial are three: first, to provide students with supervision and advice in the development of their ideas, and in the crafting of a thesis itself; second, to provide structure (read: deadlines!) in the completion of work that is primarily self-directed and independent in nature; and third, to provide a forum for students to develop their ideas, test out theories, and present their work to one another in a collegial setting. 

The Honors Tutorial is part of the year-long Honors Thesis Program. By the end of the academic year, students are expected to complete a thesis under the supervision of the Honors Advisor (Fall) and their individual thesis advisor (Spring). There are only a few required readings in the Honors Tutorial. But bear in mind that this is because a tremendous amount of outside reading and writing relating to your individual thesis projects is required. In the Honors Tutorial, students will be expected to complete all required readings before class, read extensively in their research areas, participate in all class discussions and other in-class activities, such as reading and commenting on other students’ research, meet regularly with their individual thesis advisors, and hand in all assignments on time. By the end of the Tutorial, students are required to have completed a 10-15 page proposal, including an outline of their thesis in its entirety, and the first chapter of their thesis. Students making sufficient progress at the close of the fall semester will be admitted to the spring semester of the Honors Tutorial (GOV679B).

Grading Policy

Students will earn a grade in the fall semester of the Honors Tutorial on the basis of the following factors: quality and rate of progress on the thesis project, particularly the first chapter submitted in the last three weeks of the course; quality of participation in class activities, including in-class presentations, class discussions, and assessments of peers’ work; and their ability to meet deadlines.  Attendance does not comprise a part of the grade per se. But it is expected that students doing work at this level will be dedicated participants in the tutorial and will attend every class. Any absences should be explained in advance, and repeated lack of attendance will prompt re-evaluation of your participation in the program.

Texts

The Elements of Style. By William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White.  50th Anniv. Ed. Longman, 2008.

Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing. By John R. Trimble. 2nd Ed. Prentice Hall, 2000.

This course examines the principles that lie at the core of the American political system. Why do we, as Americans, stand for liberty, equality, and democracy? How did these come to be our principles? How has our commitment to these principles manifested itself in our political history? How has our understanding of these principles changed over time, and what do these principles demand of us today?

We will begin by considering the theoretical foundations of our liberal democracy in the thought of John Locke. Then we will consider how the political theory of modern liberalism found expression in the American Founding. We will examine the considerations that led the Founders to design the Constitution as they did, as well the arguments of those who opposed the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists. We will turn from the Founding period to Alexis de Tocqueville’s great work Democracy in America, and consider his analysis of American political life and of the American character more generally. After that, we will consider how liberty and equality became thematic issues in the debate over slavery. We will examine the ways in which Americans conceived of liberty and equality changed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We will examine how those principles were defended in the context of the Cold War. And we will conclude by considering some of the most compelling and provocative assessments of American life today.

Requirements: A mid-term exam, an optional paper, and a final exam. Class participation is taken into consideration and attendance counts.

Texts:

Second Treatise of Government by John Locke

The Federalist Papers

Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

A Course Reader

The major theme of this course is the relationship between virtue and politics, and, in particular, the different ways in which ancient and modern political philosophers understood this relationship. To that end, we will spend most of the course focusing on three key authors: Aristotle, Machiavelli, and Hobbes. We will begin by considering Aristotle’s view that moral virtue is the proper aim of life, both for the individual and for the community. Then we will examine the break with Aristotle begun by Machiavelli and continued, and modified, by Hobbes. The minor theme of the course is the subject of gratitude. What do we owe to those who have done us a good turn? And what do we have the right to expect from those whom we have benefitted? To explore these questions, and to round out our understanding of the differences between the ancient and modern perspectives, we will supplement our reading of these three philosophical giants with literary works by the likes of Sophocles, Shakespeare, and Melville. Over the course of the course, a number of related questions will also be discussed, such as the relationships between philosophy and politics, politics and necessity, and friendship and virtue.

Required Texts:

1. Sophocles II: Four Tragedies. By Sophocles. Edited by David Grene and Richmond Lattimore. University of Chicago Press.

2. The Politics of Aristotle. By Aristotle. Edited by Peter Simpson. University of North Carolina Press.

3. The Prince. By Niccolo Machiavelli. Translated by Harvey C. Mansfield. 2nd Edition. University of Chicago Press.

4. Julius Caesar. By William Shakespeare. Bantam Classics.

5. Leviathan. By Thomas Hobbes. Edited by J.C. A. Gaskin. Oxford University Press.

6. Billy Budd, Sailor (An Inside Narrative). By Herman Melville. University of Chicago Press.

7. Darkness at Noon. By Arthur Koestler. Bantam Books.

Grading and Requirements:

First Exam: 30%

Second Exam:  30%

Paper: 30%

Class Participation, Including Pop Quizzes: 10%

This course examines the principles that lie at the core of the American political system. Why do we, as Americans, stand for liberty, equality, and democracy? How did these come to be our principles? How has our commitment to these principles manifested itself in our political history? How has our understanding of these principles changed over time, and what do these principles demand of us today?

We will begin by considering the theoretical foundations of our liberal democracy in the thought of John Locke. Then we will consider how the political theory of modern liberalism found expression in the American Founding. We will examine the considerations that led the Founders to design the Constitution as they did, as well the arguments of those who opposed the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists. We will turn from the Founding period to Alexis de Tocqueville’s great work Democracy in America, and consider his analysis of American political life and of the American character more generally. After that, we will consider how liberty and equality became thematic issues in the debate over slavery. We will examine how the ways in which Americans conceived of liberty and equality changed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We will examine how those principles were defended in the context of the Cold War. And we will conclude by considering some of the most compelling and provocative assessments of American life today.

The course aims first to give students a better understanding of the origins and evolution of American principles and beliefs about politics. Second, it aims to provide students with a theoretical framework that will allow them to think critically about those principles and beliefs, and finally, it seeks to enable them to make informed judgments about how well America has achieved its ideals.

Required Texts (5):

1. COURSE READER, available at Jenn’s Copying and Binding, 2518 Guadalupe St., at the corner of Guadalupe and Dean Keeton, tel. 482-0779.

2. Second Treatise of Government by John Locke. Hackett edition, edited by C.B. Macpherson.

3. The Federalist Papers by John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton.  Signet Classics edition, edited by Clinton Rossiter.

4. Democracy in America, Volume Two, by Alexis de Tocqueville. Vintage Classics edition.

5. Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman. 40th Anniversary edition, University of Chicago Press.

Grading and Requirements:

Option 1 (No paper):

Midterm Exam: 40%

Pop Quizzes: 10%

Final Exam: 50% 

Option 2 (With paper):

Midterm Exam: 20%

Pop Quizzes: 10%

Final Exam:  30%

Paper: 40%

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.