DRAFT: SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Introduction to American Politics
CMC Government 20 Honors Fall 2025
MW 9:35-10:50AMBauer 2
ZOOM: https://cmc-its.zoom.us/j/92228697468
J.J. Pitney
Office: Kravis 232
E-mail: jpitney@cmc.edu
Student Hours:
- Monday and Wednesday, 1-2 PM
- If these times are inconvenient, just make an appointment for an in-person or Zoom meeting.
General
Daniel Patrick Moynihan observed: “Some . . . deny the existence of evil and others the existence of grace. The art of politics is to live with the reality of both.” With this comment in mind, we take a realistic overview of American politics. This course aims to:
- Help you understand past and present political events.
- Lay the groundwork for further study of government.
- Sharpen your thinking, writing, and speaking.
Another is the central role of religion in American political life. Tocqueville said that religion is the first of our political institutions, and we shall ponder what he meant.
A third is the meaning of citizenship and its connection to deliberation and community service. Finally, we will consider the idea of the role of mores and norms, the unwritten practices, habits, and attitudes that guide political activity.
Some of the readings are provocative. Do not assume that your professor agrees with everything in the readings, or that you need to do so. Because constructive disagreement sharpens thinking, deepens understanding, and reveals novel insights, I not only encourage it, I expect it. Feel free to challenge anything you read, but back up what you say. Bring light, not heat.
Classes
Classes will include lecture and discussion. Finish the readings before class because our discussions will involve those readings. We shall also talk about breaking news, so you must read a good news source such as Axios or Politico.
Grades
- Two 3-page essays 15% each
- One 5-page research paper and class presentation 25%
- Final exam 30%
- Participation 15%
The final examination will test your comprehension of the class sessions and readings. In addition to the required readings (below), I may also give you attachments and web links covering current events and basic factual information. The final will cover this material.
Participation includes your activity in class and online. I will call on students at random, and if you often miss sessions or fail to prepare, your grade will suffer. In addition, you may volunteer comments and questions. This experience will hone your ability to think on your feet.
Blog
- To post questions or comments about the readings before we discuss them in class;
- To follow up on class discussions with additional comments or questions.
- To post relevant news items or videos.Remember that this blog is on the open Internet. Post nothing that would look bad to a potential employer.
Details
- Check due dates for coursework. Do not plan on extensions.
- As a courtesy to your fellow students, please arrive on time, and refrain from eating in class.
- Except as a documented disability accommodation, please do not use electronic devices (tablets, laptops, smartphones) in class. Take notes the old-fashioned way, by hand, on paper. Why? Research shows that it works better.
- Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are not victimless offenses, because they hurt fellow students. Please study our Statement of Academic Integrity, which reads in part: "Each faculty member has the responsibility to report cases of academic dishonesty to the Academic Standards Committee." Misrepresenting AI-generated content as your own original work constitutes plagiarism.
- This class welcomes viewpoint diversity. See: https://heterodoxacademy.org/library/advice-on-syllabus-language/
- Your experience in this class matters to me, and I have a particular interest in disability. If you have set up accommodations with Accessibility Services at CMC, please tell me about your approved accommodations so we can discuss your needs. You can start by forwarding me your accommodation letter. If you have not yet set up accommodations but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability, please email Ari Martinez, Associate Director of Accessibility Services, at accessibilityservices@cmc.edu to ask questions and start the process. For general information and the Request for Accommodations form, go to the CMC Accessibility Services website.
- Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals (New York: Vintage, 1989).
- Danielle Allen, Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality (New York: Liveright, 2014).
- Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, The Federalist Papers (New York: Signet, 2003 [1788]).
- Kenneth P. Miller, Texas vs. California: A History of Their Struggle for the Future of America (New York: Oxford University Press, 2020).
- William Strunk and E. B. White, The Elements of Style, 4th ed. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1999).
- Alexis deTocqueville, Democracy in America, trans. George Lawrence, ed. J.P. Mayer (New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, [1835/40]). Please use the Lawrence/Mayer edition, which has gone through several printings. Other translations have different wording, which would cause confusion.
- Ilan Wurman, A Debt Against the Living: An Introduction to Originalism (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2017).
In addition to the readings below, I may also supply you with additional material via the Internet.
August 25, 27: Introduction
- Declaration of Independence,
- Allen, prologue, ch. 1-4.
Sept 1: Labor Day, no class.
Sept 3: Reading and Writing about Politics
"If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people." -- Calvin Coolidge
Sept 15,17: Equality of Condition and American Civic Culture
“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers—and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce—and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution—and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” -- Not Alexis deTocqueville
["O]f those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants." -- Alexander Hamilton
"So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause." - Padmé Amidala
"Few ideas are correct ones and what are correct no one can ascertain. But with words we govern men." -- Benjamin Disraeli
- Allen, ch. 5-18.
"If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people." -- Calvin Coolidge
- Allen, ch. 19-45.
- Frederick Douglass, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" July 5, 1852. https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/ .
- Alexander Stephens, "The Cornerstone Speech," March 21, 1861, http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/cornerstone-speech/
FIRST ESSAY ASSIGNED BY SEPTEMBER 8,
DUE IN CANVAS BY SEPTEMBER 19.
DUE IN CANVAS BY SEPTEMBER 19.
Sept 15,17: Equality of Condition and American Civic Culture
“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers—and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce—and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution—and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” -- Not Alexis deTocqueville
- Tocqueville, 9-20, 231-261, 277-315, 340-363, 525-530.
- Allen, ch. 46-50 and epilogue
- Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address.
- Barack Obama's keynote address at the Sojourners/Call to Renewal "Building a Covenant for a New America," June 26, 2006, https://sojo.net/articles/transcript-obamas-2006-sojournerscall-renewal-address-faith-and-politics
["O]f those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants." -- Alexander Hamilton
"So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause." - Padmé Amidala
- The Constitution, at Hamilton, 542-568.
- Wurman, Introduction, ch. 1-5.
- Hamilton, Federalist # 1, 8, 9, 10, 39, 49, 51.
- Akhil Reed Amar, "Founding Myths," ch. 2 of Myth America, ed. Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer (New York: Basic, 2022) ON CANVAS.
Sept 29, Oct 1: Congress and the Executive I
"In a president, character is everything. A president doesn't have to be brilliant; Harry Truman wasn't brilliant, and he helped save Western Europe from Stalin. He doesn't have to be clever; you can hire clever. White Houses are always full of quick-witted people with ready advice on how to flip a senator or implement a strategy. You can hire pragmatic, and you can buy and bring in policy wonks. But you can't buy courage and decency, you can't rent a strong moral sense." -- Peggy Noonan
Oct 15: Law and the Courts
“What we can decide, we can undecide. But stare decisis teaches that we should exercise that authority sparingly. Cf. S. Lee and S. Ditko, Amazing Fantasy No. 15: ‘Spider-Man,’ p. 13 (1962) (‘[I]n this world, with great power there must also come — great responsibility’)." -- Justice Elena Kagan
Oct 20, 22: Citizenship, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights
"I met my wife in jail after being arrested during a civil rights march." -- Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC)
"Mass violence in Congress seemed possible in 1850 ... The echoes of 1850 are striking. We’re at a moment of extreme polarization when outcomes matter, sometimes profoundly." -- Joanne Freeman, PO `84
"So if there’s a lesson in that for my successor or any of my colleagues it’s after a grueling day of a thousand meetings, still make the effort to get that beer with a member you don’t know that well. Drink more, tweet less." -- Rep. Greg Gallagher (R-WI), on his departure from Congress
- Hamilton, Federalist # 47, 48, 57, 63.
- Tocqueville, 196-230.
- Excerpts from House and Senate memoirs and readings (AT CANVAS)
SECOND PAPER ASSIGNED SEPT 29,
DUE IN CANVAS BY OCT 10
Oct 6, 8: Congress and the Executive II
"In a president, character is everything. A president doesn't have to be brilliant; Harry Truman wasn't brilliant, and he helped save Western Europe from Stalin. He doesn't have to be clever; you can hire clever. White Houses are always full of quick-witted people with ready advice on how to flip a senator or implement a strategy. You can hire pragmatic, and you can buy and bring in policy wonks. But you can't buy courage and decency, you can't rent a strong moral sense." -- Peggy Noonan
- Hamilton, Federalist # 70, 71, 73
- Tocqueville, pp. 121-138, 690-695
- Excerpts from executive-branch memoirs and readings (ON CANVAS)
- Ronald Reagan, Remarks at the Annual Convention of the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando, Florida, March 8, 1983, https://gov20h.blogspot.com/2021/10/evil-empire.html
OCT 13 FALL BREAK
“What we can decide, we can undecide. But stare decisis teaches that we should exercise that authority sparingly. Cf. S. Lee and S. Ditko, Amazing Fantasy No. 15: ‘Spider-Man,’ p. 13 (1962) (‘[I]n this world, with great power there must also come — great responsibility’)." -- Justice Elena Kagan
- Tocqueville, pp. 99-105, 262-276
- Federalist # 78.
- Wurman, ch. 6.
"I met my wife in jail after being arrested during a civil rights march." -- Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC)
- Wurman, ch. 7-8, epilogue.
- Federalist # 84
- Seneca Falls Declaration, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/senecafalls.asp
- Edwards v. Aguillard (482 U.S. 578 (1987)), https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/482/578/case.html See background materials here: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1986/85-1513
Oct 27, 29: Interest Groups and Parties
"Mass violence in Congress seemed possible in 1850 ... The echoes of 1850 are striking. We’re at a moment of extreme polarization when outcomes matter, sometimes profoundly." -- Joanne Freeman, PO `84
Nov 3, 5: Parties and Elections
"A congressional campaign is a lot like unmedicated childbirth: it's painful, it's messy, you don't think you can do what's required even as you're doing it, you likely consented to it months ago and now you're questioning your decisions, your likelihood to request drugs increases proportionally as you get closer to the big event, you gained weight, you don't realize you're screaming but everyone around you looks distressed, and your mother doesn't remember what it's like. Also, once you get what you want, you'll never sleep again. I'm sure there are things I'm missing, but I hear hormones make you forget so you'll do it every two years." -- Candace Valenzuela (CMC `06), 2020 candidate for US House, Texas 24.
"What starts out here as a mass movement ends up as a racket, a cult, or a corporation." -- Eric Hoffer
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"A congressional campaign is a lot like unmedicated childbirth: it's painful, it's messy, you don't think you can do what's required even as you're doing it, you likely consented to it months ago and now you're questioning your decisions, your likelihood to request drugs increases proportionally as you get closer to the big event, you gained weight, you don't realize you're screaming but everyone around you looks distressed, and your mother doesn't remember what it's like. Also, once you get what you want, you'll never sleep again. I'm sure there are things I'm missing, but I hear hormones make you forget so you'll do it every two years." -- Candace Valenzuela (CMC `06), 2020 candidate for US House, Texas 24.
- Malcolm X, “The Ballot or the Bullet” http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/malcolm_x_ballot.html
- Mike Madrid, The Latino Century: How America's Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2024). EXCERPTS AT CANVAS.
"What starts out here as a mass movement ends up as a racket, a cult, or a corporation." -- Eric Hoffer
- Martin Luther King, "Letter from Birmingham Jail," https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
- Alinsky, pp. xiii-97, 125-164
RESEARCH PAPERS DUE NOV 14.
Nov 17, 19: Texas v. California
"California, the department-store state. The most of everything and the best of nothing." -- Raymond Chandler
- Miller, ch. 1-5.
Nov 24: Texas v. California II
"Texas is a state of mind." -- John Steinbeck
- Miller, ch. 6-10.
Dec 1, 3: Texas v. California III, Wrapup
"We must never forget that victory to the rebellion meant death to the republic. We must never forget that the loyal soldiers who rest beneath this sod flung themselves between the nation and the nation's destroyers." -- Frederick Douglass
- Miller, ch. 11-14.
FINAL EXAM: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, AT 9 AM
