Lamar University Honors Program
8:00-8:50
MWF
“This
book has a theme: Only a tiny handful of people make decisions that shape the
lives of all of us, and, despite the elaborate rituals of parties, elections,
and interest group activity, we have little direct influence over these
decisions.”
(Dye and Zeigler, The Irony of Democracy, “To
the Student,” p. xi.)
Although
this course is focused on the institutions of American government (the
legislative, executive, and judicial branches) and government policy making, we
will take a particular approach to the subject, which is called elitism. However, other approaches, particularly
pluralism (elitism’s principal rival), will be explored.
Because of the nature of this course, as well as the opportunity provided by a relatively small number of students, this course will emphasize class discussion. To encourage such discussion, individual students will be assigned articles from the Lanahan reader for brief presentations in class. All other students are expected to have read the articles and to be prepared to make comments or ask questions of the presenters.
In
addition to the readings and class participation, each class member will take
part in an activity outside of class.
Each student will conduct an interview with a non-elected government
employee (for instance, a city or county employee, or a worker in a state or
federal agency). We will discuss in
class what we might want to learn from these officials and hence the types of
questions that might be asked of them.
Students will then write a paper (10-20 pages, type-written,
double-space, numbered pages) summarizing their findings. This project will constitute 1/4 of each
student’s final grade. The remaining
3/4 of your grade will be determined by three examinations of equal weight,
either essay or essay plus multiple choice.
The
required texts are:
Ernest
Crain and James Perkins, Introduction to Texas Politics, third edition. (C&P)
Thomas
R. Dye and Harmon Zeigler, The Irony of Democracy, millennial edition
(2000). (D&Z)
Ann
G. Serow and Everett C. Ladd, eds., The Lanahan Readings in the American
Polity, second edition. (S&L)
Important
Dates:
First
Test..................................................................February
14
Last Day to Drop/Withdraw without
penalty............February 21
Second
Test.............................................................March 16
LAST DAY TO DROP OR WITHDRAW...............April 6
Interview Paper Due................................................April
20
Final
Examination....................................................Monday, May 7,
8:00 a.m.
I Review of POLS 2301
D& Z, chap. 1:
The Irony of Democracy (pp. 1-23)
D&Z, chap.
2: The Founding Fathers: The
Nation’s First Elite (pp. 25-57)
S&L, #5 (Ladd, pp. 23-35)
S&L, #8 (Bellah, pp. 47-52)
II The Elite Thesis
D&Z, chap.
3. The Evolution of American
Elites (pp. 59-90)
D&Z, chap.
4. Elites in America
S&L, #12 (Mills, pp. 75-82)
S&L, #13 (Zweigenhaft and Domhoff, pp. 82-91)
S&L, #14 (Dahl, pp. 91-97)
S&L, #15 (Roberts and Doss, pp. 97-103)
D&Z, chap.
5. Masses in America
III The Executive Branch
A. The
Presidency
D&Z, chap. 10 (pp. 269-301)
S&L, #33 (Neustadt, pp. 211-217)
S&L, #35 (Cronin and Genovese, pp. 224-234)
S&L, #36 (Rimmerman, pp. 235-243)
S&L, #37 (Black, pp. 243-253)
B. The
Bureaucratic Elite
D&Z, chap. 11 (pp. 303-333)
S&L, #38 (Heclo, pp. 257-263)
S&L, #40 (Wilson, pp. 275-281)
S&L, #41 (Osborne and Gaebler, pp. 282-289)
C. The Texas
Executive and Bureaucracy
C&P, chap. 6 (pp. 104-124)
IV Legislative Politics
A.
Congress: The Legislative Elite
D&Z, chap. 12 (pp. 335-368)
S&L, #26 (Fenno, pp. 166-172)
S&L, #27 (Gertzog, pp. 172-179)
S&L, #31 (Price, pp. 193-200)
S&L, #32 (Killian, pp. 201-208)
B. The Texas
Legislature
C&P, chap. 5 (pp. 78-102)
V The Courts
A. Courts:
Elites in Black Robes
D&Z, chap. 13 (pp. 371-392)
S&L, #44 (O’Brien, pp. 301-306)
S&L, #45 (Irons, pp. 306-311)
S&L, #46 (Simon, pp. 311-319)
B Civil Rights
and Civil Liberties
D&Z, chap. 15 (pp. 415-443)
S&L, #75 (Lewis, pp. 521-530)
S&L, #76 (Miranda v. Arizona [1966], pp.
530-535)
S&L, #79 (Taylor, pp. 548-560)
S&L, #82 (de Grazia, pp. 580-585)
S&L, #83 (Glendon, pp. 585-589)
C The Texas
Judiciary
C&P, chap. 7 (pp. 126-138)
VI Public Policy: How and What Elites Decide
D&Z, chap. 16 (pp. 447-474)
S&L, #86 (Colamosca, pp. 602-609)
S&L, #89 (Joint Center for Political Studies, pp.
621-627)
S&L, #90 (Funiciello, pp. 627-634)
VII Politics and National Security
S&L, #91 (Krauthammer, pp. 637-646)
S&L, #92 (Akternab, pp. 646-656)
S&L, #93 (Kennan, pp. 656-663)