Political Science 233  American Political Thought I: To 1850

Fall, 1999             Dr. Schaefer

SYLLABUS

 This course is the first half of a two-semester course (either half of which may be taken independently of the other) which surveys some of the major lines of political thought that have shaped the character of the American political regime. The focus during the fall semester will be on the thought that underlay the American Revolution and the Constitution. We begin with a brief look at the Mayflower Compact and excerpts from the "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut," John Winthrop's "Arabella" sermon, and Bradford's History of Plymouth Plantation. These documents illustrate the "pre-modern" intellectual foundations of American colonial life in the seventeenth century. 

We then undertake a detailed study of John Locke's Second Treatise, the philosophical work that (along with Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws) provided the theoretical foundation of the intellectual revolution that transformed political thinking in Britain and America, culminating in the American Revolution and the drafting of the Constitution of 1787. In subsequent weeks we explore more directly the reasoning that guided the architects of our Constitution, through a study of the Federalist/ Antifederalist debate and the thought of Thomas Jefferson. The course culminates with a study of Tocqueville's philosophic consideration of the nature and significance of American democracy. (We will cover at least Volume I of Democracy in America this semester; depending on time constraints, part or all of Volume II may be put off until the second semester).
 The profundity of the works we will be reading makes it necessary that the student read (and, preferably, re-read) them with particular care, attempting to determine not only what a thinker advocates, but the reasoning that leads him to his conclusions.  It is essential to compare the thoughts of different writers on the same topic(s).  And one should read these books with a constantly questioning attitude, asking yourself to what extent each author's argument seems genuinely persuasive (and if not, why not). 
 Regular class attendance is essential to success in this course. It is equally vital that each student complete the assigned reading before the date on which it is to be discussed.
 Written assignments for the course will include a term paper (on one of the Goldwin/Schambra books or the Horwitz book), and midterm and final examinations.
 My office hours will be 11:00-11:55 Tuesdays and 11:00-1:00 Thursdays. I can also often be seen at 12:00-1:00 Mondays and Wednesdays. Students are encouraged to see me during those hours to discuss any problems or questions connected with the course. They are also strongly encouraged, of course, to raise questions concerning the readings or lectures during the class meetings themselves.
 Note: there will be no class meeting on Sept. 3 and on one or two other dates in September. Those meetings will be made up either on an evening later in the semester or during the study period.

 Texts required for purchase: 

Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Edited by Peter 
   Laslett (Cambridge University Press).
Storing, Herbert J. (editor), The Anti-Federalist (University of Chicago Press).
Hamilton, Madison, and Jay. The Federalist. Edited by Clinton Rossiter (New American Library).
Jefferson, Thomas. Selected Writings. Edited by Harvey Mansfield, Jr. (Crofts/AHM).
Tocqueville, Alexis de. Democracy in America. Translated by George Lawrence (Harper Collins).

One of the following books: Goldwin and Schambra (eds.), How Democratic Is the Constitution? (American Enterprise Institute, 1980), OR Goldwin and Schambra (eds.), How Capitalistic Is the Constitution? (American Enterprise Institute, 1982), OR Robert Horwitz, ed., The Moral Foundations of the American Republic (3rd ed., University Press of Virginia).
 

Recommended for purchase; also available on library reserve for Political Science 101:

Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey (eds.), History of Political Philosophy 

SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS:

Week           Reading Assignment

1           "Mayflower Compact" and excerpt from  "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut";
              John Winthrop, "Arabella" Sermon; excerpts from 
              William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation (photocopy). 

             Locke, Two Treatises, Preface (pp. 136-9);  First Treatise, ch. 1; ch. 2, secs. 
             6-7 only;  ch. 5, secs. 44-7 only;  ch. 6, secs. 56-58 only; ch. 9, secs. 86-7 
             only; Second Treatise, chaps. 1-4.

2           Locke, Second Treatise, chaps. 5-9
             Goldwin, "John Locke," in Strauss and Cropsey (eds.), History of Political 
             Philosophy

3           Locke, Second Treatise, chaps. 10-19
 

 II. The American Founding

4           Jefferson, Selected Writings, pp. 1-55 and  Editor's Introduction.
            Paul Rahe, "The American Revolution" (photocopy)

5           The Anti-Federalist, pp. 1-101.

6           The Anti-Federalist, pp. 103-197, 329-359.

7           The Federalist, nos. 1, 9, 10, 12 (first two  paragraphs), 14-15, 17, 23, 27

             Diamond, "The Federalist," in Strauss & Cropsey (eds.), History of Political 
             Philosophy 

           MIDTERM EXAMINATION

8          Federalist, nos. 35-7, 39, 47, 48 (first five paragraphs), 49, 51, 57-8, 62-3, 68, 
            70-73, 78, 84

9           Jefferson, Selected Writings, pp. 55-92.

            --------------, "Letter to William Smith,"  November 13, 1787; "Letter to 
            William Short," January 3, 1793 (photocopy).

November 2: Paper abstracts due in class.

 III. The American Regime: Evaluation and Critique

10-13          Tocqueville, Democracy in America, vol. I 
                    Zetterbaum, "Alexis de Tocqueville," in Strauss/Cropsey

December 3: Term paper due at class meeting time