POLITICAL SCIENCE 10

Stephenson: Introduction and  Chapter 1: The U.S. Constitution.

Chapter 12: The Supreme Court and the Judiciary.

Federal v State Courts

Civil v Criminal

Adversarial v Inquisitorial

Independent v Accountable

Judicial Review-Marbury v Madison, Eakin v Robb

Members of the Supreme Court & the politics of judging

Strict construction, Original intent,  Living document

Chapter 2: Federalism.

Article I Section 8, the 10th Amendment, The Commerce Clause, and the Supremacy Clause.

The Civil War, The Progressive Era, The New Deal, The Great Society, and the New Federalism

Should the Federal Controlled Substances Act Trump California's Medical Marijuana Statute?

Chapter 3:  Civil Liberties and Civil Rights.

The 1st Amendment.  What, if any, restrictions should there be on free speech?

Katsh: Issue 15:  Are blanket prohibitions on cross burnings unconstitutional?

The Establishment Clause.

Issue 8:  Do religious groups have a right to use public school facilities after hours? Can the government ever give money to religious schools? Is the pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional?

Evolution v Intelligent Design.

The Free Exercise Clause. Can Indians get away with smoking peyote by claiming free exercise of religion?

The 2nd Amendment and Gun Control

The 4th Amendment

Issue 9:  Does use of high-technology thermal imaging devices violate the 4th Amendment?

Does President Bush need a warrant before wiretapping "suspected terrorists."

The 5th & 6th Amendments-Gideon v WainwrightMiranda v Arizona

The 8th Amendment

Issue 11:  Is it constitutional to impose the death penalty on minors?

Issue 6:  Should the Insanity Defense be abolished?

The 9th Amendment: non-textual rights.

Issue 2:  Is abortion protected by the Constitution?

Issue 3:  Are restrictions on physician-assisted suicide constitutional?

The 14th Amendment.  The Civil Rights Movement. 

Issue 16:  Is Gay marriage protected by the constitution? Lawrence v Texas,  Loving v Virginia

Issue 19.  Does Affirmative action violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment?

 

Midterm Exam TTH Class 2-26

Midterm Exam MW Class 3-5

 

Chapter 4:  Political Ideologies.

Explain the Evolution of Democracy from its ancient Greek roots to modern day United States

Definition of politics-Is the study of it really a science?

Political Philosophy-Human Nature, the motivating forces behind human conduct, and the origins of law-Plato-Aristotle-St. Augustine-St. Thomas Aquinas-Hobbs-Marx-Anarchism-Darwin, Social Darwinism, Cooperation v Competition, Nietzsche-Fascism-David Hume-Natural Law v The Social Contract-John Stuart Mill

Priest & Warrior Kings-Theocracy-Autocracy-Oligarchy

Greek Democracy v Alexander the Great

The Roman Republic v Caesar

Feudalism & Divine Right of Kings

Machiavelli

Renaissance & Enlightenment

Constitutionalism and Republicanism

The Magna Carta

Liberal Democracy-Voltaire-Rousseau

Capitalism-Adam Smith

Conservatism-Edmund Burke's critique on the French Revolution

John Locke and the Declaration of Independence

American Character-DeToquiville-Louis Hartz

The U.S. Constitution

Checks and Balances v Parliamentary Politics

Evolution of US Democracy-Shays Rebellion-Virtual Representation-Jacksonianism-the Civil War Amendments-Progressivism-the 19th Amendment-The Civil Rights Movement-the 26th Amendment-Government By Litigation-Judicial Activism-Voter Apathy-Social Democracy-C. Wright Mills v Robert Bork-Culture Wars.

Compare and contrast Marxism and Fascism

Compare and contrast the U.S. Checks and Balances system with the Traditional European Parliamentary System

Chapter 7:  Interest Groups and Political Parties.

Explain the evolution of political parties in the U.S.

What are the Differences between modern day American liberals and conservatives?  How do they differ from traditional European liberals and conservatives?

Chapter 8: Campaigns and Elections

Chapter 9: Congress

Chapter 10: the Presidency

Chapter 11: Bureaucracies

Chapters 13, 14, and 15: Domestic Public Policy and Economics

The Budget-Deficit v Debt-Taxes-Defense Spending-Social Security-Medicare-Medicaid-prescription drugs-national health care-TANF-food stamps-school lunch programs-unemployment compensation-housing subsidies-Balanced Budget Amendment-Line Item Veto-immigration policy-terrorism-The Patriot Act-space program-AIDS research-cancer research-stem cell research-cloning-3d world economic aid-highway construction-farm subsidies-educational grants and loans-day care-arts-the draft-outsourcing-trade policy-environmental protection

Chapter 16: Foreign Policy

Idealism v Realism-WWI, WWII, The Cold War-911 and Terrorism-Why? Read the articles on reserve, beginning with the one entitled "Was the Invasion of Iraq justified?" and "The Ethics of Exit."  "Iran"  "North Korea"  "Palestine and Israel"-Imperialism-Orientalism-Occidentalism, global treaties and global warming.

 

Final Exam:

TTH Class: 4-24 8:00-10:00

MW Class: 4-21 2:00-4:00