Political Science 121
Fall 2001
Schedule (Revised as of 09-01-01)

Week 1       (08/20-08/24)                Introductory administrative matters
                                                           Lectures: "Political Science perspectives on politics and government"
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Theodoulou chapters 1, 2, 3 and 5
                                                           WebCT training, initial student postings, elimination of participation problems

Week 2       (08/27-08/31)                Lectures: "Social Science, Political Science methodology and U.S. politics"
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Theodoulou chapters 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion session, a regular feature in which students will be
                                                                    required to participate during at least 7 of the remaining 15 weeks

Week 3       (09/04-09/07)                Lectures: "How we got here - a page of history is worth a volume of logic"
                (09/03 Labor Day)       In-class discussions informed by Lowi chapters 1 and 2 and Bianco chapter 1
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section

Week 4       (09/10-09/14)                Lectures: "The Constitution, federalism and State/local government"
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Lowi chapter 3 and A6-A21
                                                           Additional material on State and local government as appropriate
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section

Week 5       (09/17-09/21)                Lectures: "The logic of collective action (including that against 'free riders") as
                                                                necessary to safeguarding relatively recently discovered  'natural' individual
                                                                rights and  liberties:  perspectives on why there may be  no  separate tables
                                                                (and precious few remaining  chairs) for drop-outs, radicals and anarchists."
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Lowi Chapter 4, Bianco chapters 2 and 3
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section

Week 6       (09/24-09/28)                Lectures:  "An insider's look at judges and their separate and equal branch"
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Lowi chapter 7, Bianco chapter 8
                                                           Additional readings as appropriate
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section

Week 7       (10/01-10/05)                Lectures:  "The powers of legislatures (and limitations thereof )"
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Lowi Chapter 5, Bianco chapter 6
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section

Week 8       (10/08-10/12)                Lectures:  "The executive: are presidents, governors and the like worth all the
                                                                media attention?"
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Lowi chapter 6, Bianco chapter 7
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section
                                               Mid-Term Exam

Week 9       (10/15-10/19)                Lectures:  "The media and public opinion: who's watching the watchdogs and 
                                                               does anyone have a clue what is going on?"
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Lowi chapter 8
                                                           Additional readings as appropriate
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section

Week 10     (10/22-10/26)                Lectures: "Elections: what if they gave a politics and nobody came?"
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Lowi chapter 9, Bianco chapters 4 and 5
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section

Week 11     (10/29-11/02)                Lectures:  "Doing your own political science, including an analytical research
                                                               paper and related class presentation."
                                                           In-class discussions informed by various optional reading materials contained
                                                               in Theodolou, Lowi and Bianco texts
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section

Week 12     (11/05-11/09)                Lectures:  "Political parties (and why I am never invited to the good ones)"
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Lowi chapter 10
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section

Week 13     (11/12-11/16)                Lectures:  "Groups, interests, interesting groups, disinterested groupies and
                                                               so on ad infinitum"
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Lowi chapter 11
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section
                                                           Deadline for submission of prospectus for analytical research paper (11/16)

Week 14     (11/19-11/21)                 Lectures:  "Looking at politics from the public policy perspective, whatever
                    (Thanksgiving                  that might be"
                     recess 11/22, 11/23)     In-class discussions informed by Lowi chapter 12
                                                            Weekly WebCT discussion section

Week 15     (11/26-11/30)                Lectures:  "International relations (IR), comparative politics and a mixed bag of
                                                               other available perspectives for looking at politics"
                                                           In-class discussions informed by Lowi chapters 13 and 14
                                                           Student presentations relating to analytical research papers
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section

Week 16     (12/03-12/07)                Lectures:  "Your national, international, state and local politics and what you
                                                               are going to do with it."
                                                           In-class discussions informed by all assigned readings and other materials to
                                                               which students have been exposed during the semester
                                                           Student presentations relating to analytical research papers
                                                           Weekly WebCT discussion section
                                                           Deadline for submission of analytical research paper (12-07)

Final Exams 12/13 (Section 1626) and 12/14 (Section 1620)

Note:  Text references are to Theodoulou, Stella Z. and Rory O'Brien, 1999, Methods for Political Inquiry: The Discipline, Philosophy and Analysis of Politics; Lowi, Theodore and Benjamin Ginsberg, 2000, American Government: Freedom and Power (Brief Sixth Edition) and Bianco, William T., 2001, American Politics: Strategy and Choices