American Political Thought
The following required texts are available in the EKU bookstore, at UBS and at most major retail bookstores.

 Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. Women and Economics.
King, Martin Luther, Jr. Why We Can't Wait.
Sumner, William Graham. What the Social Classes Owe To Each Other.
Thoreau, Henry David. Civil Disobedience
Walzer, Michael. On Toleration

 Significant additional readings will be linked to the instructor's web page.

Course Requirements:

1. Two in-class examinations (100 points each)
2. One paper on an assigned topic (100 points)
3. One take-home final examination (100 points)
4. General Class Participation: 25 points
5. Class Exercises: Interrogating the Theorist. On the last day that we discuss each major theorist, we will conduct a simulated "cross examination" of that writer. Students will be divided into four groups, with each group bearing responsibility for two interrogations. Half of the students from the group will represent the theorist, playing the part of that person and representing his/her work as accurately as possible. The otherstudents in the group will prepare questions from the perspective of an individual hostile to that theorist's ideas, designed to draw attention to major weaknesses and to draw out the implications of the major arguments. Other class members will also have an opportunity to pose questions. Students playing the part of "theorist" will prepare a written overview of the main arguments and will orally present that overview at the beginning of class. Students assigned to "interrogate" the theorists will prepare a written set of questions. Both overviews and questions are due at the beginning of the class meeting prior to the debate and will be posted on the instructor's web page so that all students may read the materials prior to the interview class. Because the work will be posted, students must submit these assignments in electronic format (on disk or by e-mail). This will not be as complicated as it sounds. 50 points perassignment, total of 100 points.

 The instructor will assign students to groups on the first day of classes.
Assignment of roles may be managed on a volunteer basis or by drawing lots.
 

Policies, Procedures, Admonitions and Advice:

1. Attendance Policy: The course is designed as a conference and the success of that format depends upon the presence of well-prepared conferees. Students who neglect to attend class demonstrate contempt for their classmates, the instructor and themselves. This will not be tolerated. More than eight unexcused absences (approximately 25%) will result in automatic
failure of the course. Because I regard failure to fulfill responsibilities to one's group as a particularly egregious dereliction of duty, each unexcused absence on a day when your group is "on" will count as two absences. For the purposes of this course, "excused absences" include verifiable medical or family emergencies, university approved activities (accompanied by a university excuse), documentable illness (yours or your child's) and other unforeseen circumstances that the instructor deems to be reasonable excuses for an absence.

 2. Preparation: Students who have not read the assigned texts are not
welcome in class.

 3. Make-up Examinations: Students who have an excused absence on the day of an in-class examination will be permitted to take a make-up exam, to be scheduled by agreement of the student and instructor. The make-up exam will differ from the exam given to the class at the scheduled examination time.

4. Late Papers (including debate assignments): A 10-point per day penalty may be imposed on late papers. The take-home final may not be submitted after the deadline, except in emergencies (as defined by the instructor). If it is necessary for a student to submit a final exam after the deadline, the student may receive an Incomplete so that the submission of other students' grades will not be delayed.

 5. Plagiarism: Academic dishonesty will result in automatic failure of the assignment or of the course. The definition of academic dishonesty includes quoting from other works without attribution, making use of concepts from other works without attribution, relying on secondary interpretations/summaries of the readings rather than reading them yourself and submitting any work that is not your own, while representing it as your own. All sources should be cited in the text (footnotes) and in a bibliography. I will provide you with a citation guide that contains detailed instructions on this matter. Should you have doubts as to what constitutes plagiarism, please consult the instructor. Ignorance is no defense.

 6. Use of Books and Notes during Examinations: All examinations are open-book, open-note. Guides such as "Cliff Notes" or "Encarta" (or anything in the genre) shall darken neither your door nor that of the classroom. Ever.

 7. Grading Scale:
A 90-100% of total points possible
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F below 60% of total points possible
 

Tentative Schedule:

 Jan 8 : Introduction, explanation of course requirements
Jan 10: Puritans (web page)What is a Puritan?;
Jan 12: TBA
Jan 15: Holiday
Jan. 17: Puritans,  Puritan Propaganda (web page)
Jan 19: Puritans, The Liberties of New Englishmen (web page)
Jan 22: Paine, Common Sense (first half)
Jan 24: Paine,Common Sense (second half)
Jan 26: TBA
Jan 29: Declaration of Independence (web page)
Jan 31:Interrogation of Thomas Paine (Group 1)
Feb. 2: Locke, Second Treatise, Chapters 7-10 (web page)
Feb. 5: Locke, Second Treatise, Chapters 11-14 (web page)
Feb. 7: Interrogation of Locke (Group 2)
Feb. 9: Hamilton and Madison (web page)
Feb. 12: Jefferson, Draft Constitution for the State of Virginia (web page)
Feb 14: Jefferson, Letter, Excerpt from Notes on the State of Virginia  (web page -- read Queries 14, 17, 18 of the Notes)
Feb 16: First In-Class examination
Feb 19: Holiday
Feb 21: Interrogation of Jefferson (Group 3)
Feb 23: Constitution (web page).  Read entirety.
Feb 26: Constitution (web page).  Be prepared to discuss in groups.
Feb 28: Declaration of Sentiments (Garrison, Stanton, web page)
March 2: Fitzhugh, Cannibals All, Chapters 1-8 (web page)
March 5: Fitzhugh, Cannibals All, Chapters 21-32 (web page)
March 7: Interrogation of Fitzhugh (Group 4)
March 9: Thoreau, Civil Disobedience (midterm, drop deadline)
March 11- 18: Spring Break
March 19: Paper due
March 21: Sumner (Chapters I-III)
March 23: Sumner (Chapters IV-VI)
March 25: Sumner (Chapters VII - IX)
March 28 Interrogation of Sumner, finish book (Group 1)
March 30: Gilman (Chapters 1-6)
April 2: Gilman (Chapters 7-10)
April 4: Interrogation of Gilman, finish book (Group 2)
April 6: Goldman, Anarchism (web page)
April 9: King (Chapters 1-4)
April 11: King (Chapters 5-8)
April 13: Second in-class examination
April 16: Malcolm X (web page)
April 18:Interrogation of King (Group 3)
April 20: Walzer (Chapters 1, 2)
April 23:Walzer (Chapters 3, 4)
April 25: Interrogation of Walzer,finish book (Group 4)
April 27: Review, distribution of take home final.