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During the semester, I shall post course material and students will comment on it. Students are also free to comment on any aspect of American politics, either current or historical. There are only two major limitations: no coarse language, and no derogatory comments about people at the Claremont Colleges. This blog is on the open Internet, so post nothing that you would not want a potential employer to see. Syllabus: http://gov20h.blogspot.com/2023/08/draft-introduction-to-american-politics.html

Monday, September 14, 2009

First Assignment

Pick one of the following:

  • Find a recent (since June 2009) article pointing to a problem that Publius or the Anti-Federalists anticipated. (You may search newspapers at news.google.com.) Explain how The Federalist or Anti-Federalist writing sheds light on the story. In this instance, is the political system working as the Founders hoped – or as the Anti-Federalists feared?
  • Write a rebuttal to any of the readings that we are covering through next week.
  • Read Peter Robinson’s article at http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/16/tea-party-taxes-king-george-opinions-columnists-obama.html. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
  • Do Tocqueville’s observations on majority tyranny apply to the United States in 2009? If not, why not? If so, explain how, with concrete examples.

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  • Whichever essay you choose, do research to document your claims. Do not write from the top of your head.
  • Essays should be typed, stapled, double-spaced, and no more than three pages
    long. I will not read past the third page.
  • Put your name on a cover sheet. Do not identify yourself on the text pages.
  • Cite your sources with endnotes, which should be in a standard style (e.g., Turabian
    or Chicago Manual of Style). Endnote pages do not count against the page limit.
  • Watch your spelling, grammar, diction, and punctuation. Errors will count against you.
  • Return essays by the start of class, Wednesday, September 23. Late essays will drop a
    letter grade. I will grant no extensions except for illness or emergency.

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