American Politics: ideology, culture and power

Module Guide American Politics: ideology, culture and power 2011/12 Semester Two BA (Hons) Social and Policy Studies Level 6 Module Title Progra...
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Module Guide

American Politics: ideology, culture and power

2011/12 Semester Two

BA (Hons) Social and Policy Studies

Level 6

Module Title Programme(s)/Course Level Semester Ref No: Credit Value Student Study hours

American Politics: ideology, culture and power BA (Hons) International Politics 6 2 SPS_6_1112 15 Contact hours: 40 Student managed learning hours: 110 None None None Dr Hugh Atkinson: [email protected]

Pre-requisite learning Co-requisites Excluded combinations Unit Coordinator [Name + e mail address] Social Sciences Parent Department BA (Hons) Social and Policy Studies Parent Course The unit looks at the government and politics Description of the USA including selected aspects of political [100 words max] economy and society. Attention will be given to historical developments by examining political culture and the notion of American exceptionalism. There will be a focus on ideology and its link to religious and cultural values including an analysis of such phenomena as the „Tea Party Movement‟. Key institutions and issues analysed include the Presidency, Legislature and Supreme Court, the federal system, elections and electoral demography and political parties. Aims To understand politics and culture in the USA in the context of its historical development To critically engage with the concept of American exceptionalism To analyse the changing electoral and political demography of the USA To analyse the links between ideology and cultural values and the impact this has on policy making and attitudes to government To analyse the importance of race in the USA To develop students understanding of the

Learning outcomes

politics, economy and society in the USA Knowledge and Understanding: On completion of the Unit students will: Locate American exceptionalism in current debates and controversies Gain a critical insight into both USA economic power and weakness Have a critical understanding of policy development in the USA at both a federal and state level Be able to critically assess how the government functions in the USA Have a critical understanding of the link between, religion, race and cultural values

Intellectual Skills: At the end of the unit students will: Have gained the ability to contextualise and analyse the current situation in the USA in the context of its historical development Be able to utilise concepts and theories in the analysis of the politics and economics of the USA Critically engage with the way ideology and cultural values impact on the body politic in the USA

Transferable and Practical Skills At the end of the unit students will: Have developed good time management skills Be able to work under a demanding time schedule Present arguments in a critical and cogent manner Be able to handle complex data and information from library and web sources

Employability

At the end of the unit the student will : Be able to locate and access information

independently Be able to compare and evaluate information Be able to organise, apply, and communicate information sources to others Be able to work to deadlines Be able to research occupations and employers Teaching & Learning Pattern Indicative content

12 week semester, 1 weekly 2 hour lecture and 1 weekly 1 hour seminar USA historical development American exceptionalism Ideology, race and cultural values Party politics in the USA The changing electoral and political demography of the USA The political economy of the USA Major institutions of the USA: Presidency, Congress and Supreme Court- interrelations and policy gridlock The US federal system The USA in the 21st century Sustainability, energy and climate change

Assessment method 1)

1500 – 2000 word essay- 50 per cent

2)

2 hour exam – 50 per cent

Please note that you cannot answer a question on the same topic in your essay and in the exam General reading Books Ashbee, E. US Politics Today, 2004 Balmer, R. God in the White House, 2009 Foley, M. American Credo, 2007 McKay, D American Politics and Society, 2009 Mauk, D. and Oakland, J. American Civilisation, 2009 Peale, G et al, Developments in American Politics 6, 2010 Storey, W US Government and Politics, 2010 Zinn, H, A People‟s History of the United States Academic Journals American Politics Research The American Review of Public Administration American Journal of Political Science

American Political Science Review ( all these are available as e-journals in full text via the library)

Other Learning Resources

Active black board site Use of DVDs, use of You Tube, use of web based resources such as C-span

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Assessment Objectives All coursework essays and examination scripts are assessed in relation to the individual learning outcomes for each unit. Requirements in relation to the level of conceptual analysis and acquired skills will intensify with the student‟s progression through the course. At Level Four: The overall learning outcome of level one units is that the student should be able to demonstrate a good knowledge of basic institutions, concepts and ideas, in the Politics area and should be attempting to provide some analysis of alternative views. In particular, at the end of level one, students should have acquired a number of key skills, which should be reflected in their written work: • • • •

the ability to collect, sift and record information from a variety of sources (e.g. library, database, lectures); the ability to distinguish between description and analysis in information sources; the ability to isolate key arguments within source material; the ability to use information to present a relevant and coherent argument in written and oral form (e.g. 2,000 word essay and a ten minute oral presentation).

At Level Five The conceptual analysis and skills developed at level one will be deepened, and students will develop their interactive skills within a learning group. Additionally, students will be expected to demonstrate: • • • •

ability to distinguish between differing viewpoints; ability to identify key elements of a problem and choose the theories/methods for its resolution; ability to analyse political systems using comparative methodology; ability to research a topic of their choice as part of a group, and to present this research in oral and written form (Group Project).

At Level Six: Students will be expected to demonstrate:

• • • • •

ability to identify and define problems in the area of inter-state relations; ability to apply appropriate knowledge and skills to the solution of problems; clear understanding of the relation between economic, social and political factors in international political processes; a clear understanding of the influence of global political forces on international relations; ability to present in written form a critical piece of academic analysis and research, demonstrating a firm grasp of methodological principles in the selection and use of themes for a more specialised piece of work (10,000 word Contemporary Issues Project).

At level three, the student should be able to critically review evidence-supporting conclusions and to assess its validity and significance.

Marking Criteria At all levels, five areas of assessment objective can be recognised: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6

Knowledge of the topic - ideas, concepts and institutions Analysis of issues and an awareness of different viewpoints Evaluation of competing explanations or theories applied to a problem Ability to identify relevant sources of evidence, both empirical and theoretical, and to use these to produce an informative referencing system Skill in the presentation of an answer with accuracy, clarity and coherence. High standards of literacy including grammar and spelling

With these objectives in mind, the following model marking scheme should apply: 0-30% Badly misunderstands the question; contains factual Fail errors; none of basic objectives are achieved 30-35% 35-39%

Third

40-49%

2:ii

50-59%

2:i

60-69%

70-79% First 80% +

Some knowledge of topic and examples, but objectives 2-5 not met Exhibits some knowledge of topic, but essentially descriptive; cannot identify alternative viewpoints; objective 1 is present but 2-5 poorly met Demonstrates limited basic knowledge of the topic, but essentially descriptive; displays an attempt at evaluation of material, but low on clarity and coherence; limited achievement of objectives 1,2,3,4,; low on objective 5 Exhibits good knowledge of the topic; can distinguish different approaches or viewpoints, and some ability of evaluation is present, but may to some extent lack clarity and coherence; reasonable attempt at referencing; very good on objective 1, weaker on 2-5 Very good knowledge of basic ideas, concepts and institutions with good analysis of issues and evaluation; good uses of sources and references; meets objectives 1,2,4,5, weaker on 3 Excellent knowledge of the topic, with high level analysis of a balanced nature. Strong on critical evaluation, clarity, coherence. All assessment objectives covered Same as the range 70-79% but adds a deeper understanding and evaluation of the issues and can “impose oneself on the subject”

Lecture Programme 1) Introduction to the unit 2) History and the constitution, separation of powers, values and political culture 3) The party system, ideology, politics and elections 4) The party system, ideology, politics and elections 5) Reading week and preparatory work for the essay 6) The role of the Presidency; power, influence and politics 7) The role of the Congress: politics, power and lobbying 8) Federalism and American politics 9) Social and political demography: race, ethnicity and immigration 10) Climate change and sustainability 11) The role of the media 12) The economy in the USA; challenges and opportunities

Seminar programme Week one Workshop on the outcome of the 2008 Presidential election and what it might mean for the 2012 race Some reading Peele, G et al, Developments in American Politics 6, chapter 3, 2010 Week two Workshop on the key themes that emerge from the USA constitution and what they tell us about American values and political culture Some reading Ashbee, E. US Politics Today, chapters 2 and 3 Foley, M. American Credo, Part II, 2007 McKeever, R at al, Politics USA, chapter 2, 2000 McKay, D. American Politics and Society, chapters 2 and 2, 2009 Zinn, H. A Peoples History of America

Week three Why has American party politics become so conflicted over the last 2 decades? Some reading Ashbee, E. US Politics Today, chapter 9, 2004 McKay, D. American Politics and Society, chapter 5, 2009 Peele, G et al, Developments in American Politics, chapter 4, 2010 Storey, W. US Government and Politics, chapter 5, 2010

Week four Outline and analyse the increasing influence of the Tea Party and the evangelical Christian right in Republican politics over the last decade Some reading Ashbee, A. The Bush Administration, Sex and the Moral Agenda, 2007 Balmer, R. God in the White House, 2009 Frank, T What is the Matter with Kansas?, 2005 George, S. Hijacking America- How the Religious and Secular Right Changed what Americans Think, 2008 McKay, D. American Politics and Society, chapter 5, 2009 Peele, G et al Developments in American Politics 6, chapter 4, 2010

Week five Student study time Week six „The constitutional doctrine of Separation of Powers fundamentally undermines the effectiveness of the office of the Presidency‟. Critically evaluate this statement. Some reading Ashbee, E US Politics Today, chapter 6, 2004 McKay,D. American Politics and Society, chapters 10 and 11, 2009 Peele, G et al, Developments in American Politics 6, chapter 7, 2010 Storey, W. US Government and Politics, chapters 9 and 10, 2010

Week seven To what extent is Congress the broken branch of American politics?

Some reading McKay, D. American Politics and Society, chapters 8 and 9, 2009 Peele, G et al, Developments in American Politics 6, chapter 8, 2010 Storey, W. US Government and Politics, chapters 6 and 8 2010 Valelly, R. Princeton Readings in American Politics, chapter 9, 2007

Week eight Why did the Founding Fathers opt for a federal system of government for the USA? How has the relationship between the federal government in Washington and the states changed over time?

Some reading Ashbee, E. US Politics Today, chapter 8, 2004 McKay, D. American Politics and Society, chapter 4, 2009 Peele, G et al, Developments in American Politics 6, chapter 10, 2009 Storey, W. US Government and Politics, chapter 2, 2010 Valelly, R. Princeton Readings in American Politics, chapter 12, 2007

Week nine How important is race as an issue in American politics? or Why has immigration become such a contested issue in American politics? Some reading Ashbee, E. US Politics Today, chapter 12, 2004 Carens, J. Immigrants and the Right to Stay, 2010 Ifill, G. The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, 2009 Johnson, C. Revolutionaries to Race Leaders: Black Power and the Making of African American Politics, 2007 Mauk, D and Oakland J, American Civilisation- an introduction, chapter 3, 2009 Peele, G et al, Developments in American Politics 6, chapters 2 and 16, 2009 Storey, W. US Government and Politics, chapter 3, 2010 Valelly, R. Princeton Readings in American Politics, chapter 31, 2007

Week ten To what extent is the fight against climate change and the promotion of sustainability a key public policy priority? Some reading Klyza, C and Sousa, D, American Environmental Policy- 1996 to 2006, 2008 (on order from library) Mastrandrea, M and Schneider S, Preparing for Climate Change, 2010 (on order from the library) Mazmanian, D and Kraft, M. Towards Sustainable Communities, 2009 Peele, G et al, Developments in American Politics, chapter 11, 2010 Week eleven How important a contribution does the media make to American democracy or How did media coverage affect the outcome of the 2008 Presidential election? Some reading George, S. Hijacking America, 2008 Kingdom, J. Agenda, Alternatives and Public Policies, chapter 3, 2003 McKay, D. American Politics and Society, chapter 7, 2009 Mauk, D and Oakland, J, American Civilisation- an introduction, chapter 11, 2009 Peele, G et al, Developments in American Politics 6, chapter 6, 2010 Week twelve „The American dream is over. The United States is on the road to being a third world country‟. Critically analyse this statement

Some reading McKay, D. American Politics and Society, chapter 18, 2009 Mauk, D and Oakland, J. American Civilisation- an introduction, chapter 8, 2009 Peele, G et al, Developments in American Politics 6, chapter 12, 2010 Valley, R. Princeton Readings in American Politics, chapter 30, 2007

The importance of reading. Reading widely is crucial if you are to grasp the complex nature of American Politics. In addition to reading the academic literature you should look at a quality USA daily newspaper (details on the black board site). Also consult magazines such as the New Yorker, Newsweek etc (details on black board site. The Economist is also very good for keeping up to date with political and economic events in the USA The use of blackboard This unit will have an active blackboard site. I will post power point outlines of all lectures in advance of the lecture. I have listed a number of good web sites and I will add to these as I build the site

Newspapers As well as reading key academic material you should be reading a quality daily American newspaper such the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times or the Washington Post