1 GVPT100 – Introduction to Government and Politics Summer 2009 Susan Lee [email protected] This class is designed to give students an introductory overview of Government and Politics as it is studied today. Some of the questions that will be explored are: Why is a government necessary? What is its role? What is the role of citizens? What is the best form of government? How important is freedom? Power? Happiness? Money? What is the relationship between politics and the market? What are today’s problems? Is America really “land of the free and home of the brave”? Such questions are clearly difficult to answer, but through writings from ancient, modern, and contemporary times, this class will begin to address the issues that political thinkers have entertained for years. Required texts Sophocles Antigone Plato Republic Machiavelli The Prince Marx and Engels Communist Manifesto Ehrenreich Nickel and Dimed Course reading packet (available in Tydings Copy Center 1st floor) Course requirements Quizzes 20% Paper 1 20% Paper 2 20% Exam 20% Participation 20% Quizzes will be given at the beginning of class. They will be unannounced, and mainly to make sure you are keeping up with the readings. The highest 4 quiz scores will count. Paper assignments will be emailed in advance. Papers must be typed, double-spaced, and 4-5 pages. Papers 1 and 2 (hard copies) must be handed in at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Late papers will not be accepted. The exam will be essay format, given in class on our last day, Aug. 20.2 Reading Schedule I The purpose of government. Aug. 3 Sophocles Antigone Aug. 4 Plato The Republic (327a-367e, 427d-449a) Aug. 5 Plato The Republic (514a-521b, 588b-592b.) Aug. 6 Machiavelli The Prince (Ch. 8, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21.) II Market and politics. Aug. 10 Marx, Engels The Communist Manifesto Aug. 11 Ehrenreich Nickel and Dimed (Intro., Ch. 2, Evaluation.) Aug. 12 Barber Consumed (selections in course packet) Aug. 13 Barber Consumed (selections in course packet) III Contemporary civil society. Aug. 17 Havel Power of the Powerless (selections in course packet) Aug. 18 King Letter from Birmingham jail (selections in course packet) Aug. 19 Putnam Bowling Alone (selections in course packet) Aug. 20 IN-CLASS
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