Instructor: Keith T. Poole

Office: Room 304D Baldwin Hall
E-Mail: ktpoole@uga.edu
WebSite: Voteview Home Page

Office Hours: Thursday 3:00 - 5:00PM

The following texts will be used in this course:

• Sundquist, James L. (1983). Dynamics of the Party System
  
• Hofstadter, Richard (1970). The Idea of a Party System
  
• Gordon, John Steele (2004). An Empire of Wealth: The Epic History of American Economic Power
  

Requirements

Grades will be determined by three examinations -- two mid-Semester exams and a final exam. The exams will consist of essay and short answer questions. The Midterms will be worth 1/4 of your grade and the final is worth 1/2 of your grade.

The first exam is scheduled for Friday, 18 September 2015, 1:25 - 2:15PM.
The second exam is scheduled for Friday, 23 October 2015, 1:25 - 2:15PM.

The Final Exam is scheduled for Friday, 11 December 2015, 12:00 - 2:00PM.

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Course Outline

1. The Mischief of Faction: The Views of the Founders
   
   Assignment:
   
   
   • Chapters 1 and 2, The Idea of a Party System
     
   • James Madison, Federalist No. 10
     
   • Chapters 1 - 3, An Empire of Wealth
     
     Agenda for Topic 1
     
     Handout for Topic 1 (Part 1, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 1 (Part 2, PowerPoint)
     Federalist #10 -- PDF, Key Points Highlighted
     Handout for Topic 1 (Part 3, PowerPoint)
     
   
   
2. The Early Development of Modern Political Parties
   
   Assignment:
   
   
   • Chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6, The Idea of a Party System
   • Chapters 4 - 7, An Empire of Wealth
     
     Agenda for Topic 2
     
     Handout for Topic 2 (Part 1, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 2 (Part 2, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 2 (Part 3, PowerPoint)
     The Alien Act of 1798
     The Sedition Act of 1798
     The Virginia Resolution of 1798 Written by James Madison
     The Kentucky Resolution of 1799 Written by Thomas Jefferson
     Handout for Topic 2 (Part 4, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 2 (Part 5, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 2 (Part 6, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 2 (Part 7, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 2 (Part 8, PowerPoint)
     
   
   
   Study Questions for First Exam (All Questions are short Answer!)
   
   
   
3. Party Realignment Theory
   
   Assignment:
   
   
   • Chapters 1, 2, and 3, Dynamics of the Party System
     
     Agenda for Topic 3
     
     Handout for Topic 3 (Part 1, PowerPoint)
     
   
   
   
4. The First Political Party System: 1829 - 1852
   
   Assignment:
   
   
   • Chapters 4 and 5, Dynamics of the Party System
     
   • Chapters 8 - 10, An Empire of Wealth
     
     Agenda for Topic 4
     
     Handout for Topic 4 (Part 1, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 4 (Part 2, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 4 (Part 3, PowerPoint)
     
   
   Study Questions for Second Exam
   
   
5. The Second Political Party System: 1856 - 1896
   
   Assignment:
   
   
   • Chapters 6 and 7, Dynamics of the Party System
   • Chapters 11 - 14, An Empire of Wealth
     
     Agenda for Topic 5
     
     Handout for Topic 5 (Part 1, Political Overview, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 5 (Part 2, Coal and Steel, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 5 (Part 3, Monopolies and Trusts, PowerPoint)
     What is Truth? (PDF)
     Handout for Topic 5 (Part 4, Farmers, Railroads, Gold and Silver, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 5 (Part 5, The Labor Movement, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 5 (Part 6, The 1896 Election, PowerPoint)
     
   
   
6. The Third Political Party System: 1897 - 1928
   
   Assignment:
   
   
   • Chapters 8 and 9, Dynamics of the Party System
   • Chapters 15 - 16, An Empire of Wealth
     
     Agenda for Topic 6
     
     Handout for Topic 6 (Part 1, Political Overview, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 6 (Part 2, Economic Prosperity, PowerPoint)
     
   
   
7. The Fourth Political Party System: 1932 - 2015
   
   Assignment:
   
   
   • Chapters 10, 11, and 12, Dynamics of the Party System
   • Chapters 17 - 20, An Empire of Wealth
     
     Agenda for Topic 7
     
     Handout for Topic 7 (Part 1, Political Overview, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 7 (Part 2, The Great Depression and the Initial Realignment, 1930-1937, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 7 (Part 3, The Northern and Southern Democratic Parties Split, 1938 -- c. 1990, PowerPoint)
     Handout for Topic 7 (Part 4, The Party System, c. 1990 - Now, PowerPoint)
     
     The Top-Bottom Coalition in the Democratic Party
     
   
   Study Questions for Final Exam
   
   
   
8. Where are we Headed? Political Polarization and the Stability of American Political Institutions
   
   Assignment:
   
   

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Analyzing Spatial Models of Choice and Judgment with R
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