Courses
GOVT 1111: Introduction to American Government and Politics
http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/01/student-senators-debate-us-budget-government-class
A policy-centered approach to the study of government in the American experience. Considers the American Founding and how it influenced the structure of government; how national institutions operate in shaping law and public policy; who has a voice in American politics and why some are more influential than others; and how existing public policies themselves influence social, economic, and political power. Students will gain an introductory knowledge of the founding principles and structure of American government, political institutions, political processes, political behavior, and public policy.
http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/01/student-senators-debate-us-budget-government-class
A policy-centered approach to the study of government in the American experience. Considers the American Founding and how it influenced the structure of government; how national institutions operate in shaping law and public policy; who has a voice in American politics and why some are more influential than others; and how existing public policies themselves influence social, economic, and political power. Students will gain an introductory knowledge of the founding principles and structure of American government, political institutions, political processes, political behavior, and public policy.
GOVT 4000: Major Seminar
The United States has been widely associated with democratic ideals, and yet American democracy has been long in the making, even in recent decades retaining hallmarks of what Abraham Lincoln called “unfinished work.” It has evolved over time through an arduous and halting process, and it has not always moved in the direction of progress. How would we know if American democracy today was truly endangered and subject to “backsliding?” This course engages this question by grappling with what democracy means, how we can measure its attributes, and how we can assess whether they are robust or deteriorating. We will consider free and fair elections, the rule of law, the legitimacy of the opposition, and the integrity of rights, including voting rights, civil rights, and civil liberties. We will study how these features have developed historically in the American context and examine what happened in periods when they were under threat. We will also evaluate the contemporary political context by applying the same analytical tools. The course will focus on four key threats to democracy: political polarization; conflict over membership and status, particularly around race and gender; economic inequality; and the growth of executive power.
The United States has been widely associated with democratic ideals, and yet American democracy has been long in the making, even in recent decades retaining hallmarks of what Abraham Lincoln called “unfinished work.” It has evolved over time through an arduous and halting process, and it has not always moved in the direction of progress. How would we know if American democracy today was truly endangered and subject to “backsliding?” This course engages this question by grappling with what democracy means, how we can measure its attributes, and how we can assess whether they are robust or deteriorating. We will consider free and fair elections, the rule of law, the legitimacy of the opposition, and the integrity of rights, including voting rights, civil rights, and civil liberties. We will study how these features have developed historically in the American context and examine what happened in periods when they were under threat. We will also evaluate the contemporary political context by applying the same analytical tools. The course will focus on four key threats to democracy: political polarization; conflict over membership and status, particularly around race and gender; economic inequality; and the growth of executive power.
GOVT 6011: The American State
The American state is depicted by many scholars as small and unusual, and yet in many respects it has been at least as involved in American society and the economy as that of other nations. How is the work of governance carried out in the United States? What kinds of institutional arrangements are employed, and how have they developed? What are the consequences for governance? Answering these questions immerses us in the study of American political development to assess the evolution, character, and scope of the administrative state and of other arrangements-typically channeled through the private sector-through which the nation implements public policies. In the processes, the course grapples with analytical questions about processes of political change and considers a variety of theoretical approaches. Variants of “new institutionalism” will be highlighted, as well as reflections on the puzzles of American exceptionalism. The body of the course will investigate such topics as the development of public bureaucracy, the emergence of the civil service, and the evolution of the regulatory state and the welfare state. The course examines the late nineteenth century through the present, focusing primarily on the twentieth century.
The American state is depicted by many scholars as small and unusual, and yet in many respects it has been at least as involved in American society and the economy as that of other nations. How is the work of governance carried out in the United States? What kinds of institutional arrangements are employed, and how have they developed? What are the consequences for governance? Answering these questions immerses us in the study of American political development to assess the evolution, character, and scope of the administrative state and of other arrangements-typically channeled through the private sector-through which the nation implements public policies. In the processes, the course grapples with analytical questions about processes of political change and considers a variety of theoretical approaches. Variants of “new institutionalism” will be highlighted, as well as reflections on the puzzles of American exceptionalism. The body of the course will investigate such topics as the development of public bureaucracy, the emergence of the civil service, and the evolution of the regulatory state and the welfare state. The course examines the late nineteenth century through the present, focusing primarily on the twentieth century.
GOVT 6132: Politics of Inequality in the US
Americans, at least since the Founding era, have cherished the ideal of political equality. Unlike European nations, the United States inherited no economic class distinctions from a feudal past. Throughout U.S. history, American social reformers and mass movements have garnered attention and support by highlighting the inconsistencies between the ideal of equality and the actual practice of democracy. Over time, through the extension of rights to citizens who were previously excluded or treated as second-class citizens, such as women and African Americans, the polity has become more inclusive. By the early 1970s, the nation seemed closer than ever to more fully realizing the ideals of equality that had been present in political discourse from the Founding onward.
At that very juncture, however, economic transformations began to foster the development of rising levels of inequality of income and wealth among American citizens. Economic inequality is now greater than at any other point in American history except for the Gilded Age, and it continues to escalate. While the United States had long tolerated greater economic inequality than other western, industrialized nations, the differences have grown much starker in recent decades. The new divisions of income and wealth that have ensued, though following after the “rights revolution” of the 1960s and early 1970s, reinforced many of the old divisions of race, ethnicity, and gender that preceded it, undermining the promise of greater equality.
The central question posed by this course is the implications of today’s vast economic inequality for American democracy. Can representative governance survive, in any meaningful way, amid such disparity between citizens? We shall examine this question by probing the relationship between rising inequality and each of three major aspects of the American political system: political voice, governance, and public policy. First, we shall examine the implications of inequality for those processes and mechanisms through which citizens seek to influence the political process and have their voices heard. We will consider citizens’ participation in political activities, public opinion, interest groups, political parties (at the mass level), and civic associations. In each case, we will ask how class intersects with other social divisions such as gender, race, ethnicity, and educational level. Second, we will examine the implications of inequality for the allocation of power in governing institutions and processes, by exploring: influence and decision-making in Congress; the agenda of political parties at the elite level; and the allocation of tasks of governance between the national and sub-national government through federalism. The relationship between money and politics will be considered in this section. Third, we will examine the relationship between public policy and inequality by considering the extent to which U.S. social, tax, and educational policies ameliorate or exacerbate economic and political inequality. How much does or could public policy make a difference in rectifying the extreme levels of inequality facing the United States today?
Americans, at least since the Founding era, have cherished the ideal of political equality. Unlike European nations, the United States inherited no economic class distinctions from a feudal past. Throughout U.S. history, American social reformers and mass movements have garnered attention and support by highlighting the inconsistencies between the ideal of equality and the actual practice of democracy. Over time, through the extension of rights to citizens who were previously excluded or treated as second-class citizens, such as women and African Americans, the polity has become more inclusive. By the early 1970s, the nation seemed closer than ever to more fully realizing the ideals of equality that had been present in political discourse from the Founding onward.
At that very juncture, however, economic transformations began to foster the development of rising levels of inequality of income and wealth among American citizens. Economic inequality is now greater than at any other point in American history except for the Gilded Age, and it continues to escalate. While the United States had long tolerated greater economic inequality than other western, industrialized nations, the differences have grown much starker in recent decades. The new divisions of income and wealth that have ensued, though following after the “rights revolution” of the 1960s and early 1970s, reinforced many of the old divisions of race, ethnicity, and gender that preceded it, undermining the promise of greater equality.
The central question posed by this course is the implications of today’s vast economic inequality for American democracy. Can representative governance survive, in any meaningful way, amid such disparity between citizens? We shall examine this question by probing the relationship between rising inequality and each of three major aspects of the American political system: political voice, governance, and public policy. First, we shall examine the implications of inequality for those processes and mechanisms through which citizens seek to influence the political process and have their voices heard. We will consider citizens’ participation in political activities, public opinion, interest groups, political parties (at the mass level), and civic associations. In each case, we will ask how class intersects with other social divisions such as gender, race, ethnicity, and educational level. Second, we will examine the implications of inequality for the allocation of power in governing institutions and processes, by exploring: influence and decision-making in Congress; the agenda of political parties at the elite level; and the allocation of tasks of governance between the national and sub-national government through federalism. The relationship between money and politics will be considered in this section. Third, we will examine the relationship between public policy and inequality by considering the extent to which U.S. social, tax, and educational policies ameliorate or exacerbate economic and political inequality. How much does or could public policy make a difference in rectifying the extreme levels of inequality facing the United States today?
GOVT 6171: Politics of Public Policy
The prevailing approach to policy analysis gives little attention to politics, yet public policies are defined through political processes, designed and implemented in the context of political institutions, and in turn shape politics and public life. This course examines how political scientists think about public policy, showcasing a variety of approaches that take politics seriously. The course focuses on American political institutions and the particular challenges and opportunities they present to the creation and development of public policies. It investigates policymaking processes and institutions, agenda setting, policy design, implementation, sustainability, and feedback.
The prevailing approach to policy analysis gives little attention to politics, yet public policies are defined through political processes, designed and implemented in the context of political institutions, and in turn shape politics and public life. This course examines how political scientists think about public policy, showcasing a variety of approaches that take politics seriously. The course focuses on American political institutions and the particular challenges and opportunities they present to the creation and development of public policies. It investigates policymaking processes and institutions, agenda setting, policy design, implementation, sustainability, and feedback.