ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE
Spring 2002
American Political Thought
(PS 329)
W. Wesley McDonald
Nicarry Room 201
Phone: 361-1306
Alan Pendleton Grimes, American Political Thought (Washington, DC: University Press, rev. ed.
1984)
Hamilton, Madison & Jay, The Federalists Papers (Bantham Books, 1982)
The course will examine the principal ideas and thinkers
that have influenced the tradition of American political thought from the
colonial period until the present time.
After an introductory examination of the basic
characteristics of American political thought, we will trace the tradition of
American political ideas from the Puritans to the Twentieth Century through a
study of the works of major representative thinkers. Special attention will be devoted to the founding principles of
the American Republic. A major focus of
the course, therefore, will be the founding principles of the American Republic
as revealed through the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution
and Federalist Papers.
1. Examinations
and Required Readings
a. Mid-term and final examination.
b. In preparation for examinations and class discussions, the student is expected to complete all required class reading assignments on time.
2. Term Paper
a. A paper of analysis and criticism of one of the major American political thinkers or ideas discussed in this course is required.
b. The
length of the paper shall be approximately ten pages.
c. The choice of the topic is open,
contingent upon the approval of the instructor.
d. Some suggested paper topics
1) “The Principle of Majority Rule in The
Federalist Papers.”
2) “John Adams and the Role of the
Aristocracy.”
3) “John C. Calhoun’s Doctrine of States
Rights.”
4) “The Influence of the Social Gospel on the
Thought of Martin Luther King.”
e. On February
14, a typewritten formal proposal for the term paper is due. This proposal will include: the topic of the
paper, a basic outline of the paper (that is, what does the paper wish to prove
and how does it intend to go about making its point), and,
lastly, a bibliography of primary and secondary works. No credit will be given for late proposals.
f. The proposals will be returned to the
student within a week with comments and suggestions. If the proposal is unacceptable, in the instructor’s opinion,
(confusing, incoherent, too ambitious, or just plain silly), then the student
is expected to make appropriate revisions.
Students are encouraged to seek the assistance and guidance from the
instructor as work on their papers progresses.
g. Final drafts of the paper must be typewritten (no
exceptions) and must conform to the University of Çhicago Manual of
Style. A precis of the Manual is
available in Kate L. Turabian, A
Manual for Writers (Chicago: University of Chicago Press). Also, the student should realize that
copying is plagiarism. A term paper
must be in the student’s own words. A
verbatim transcription of the words of others is unacceptable even if
the sources are cited.
h. All papers are
due April 25. Late papers will be reduced one grade for
each day late.
3. Grading
The final grade will be based upon:
Final
examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
points
Mid-term
examination . . . . . . . . . . . 25
points
Class
participation & Attendance . . . 10
points
Term paper
proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . 05
points
4. Attendance: The student will be held responsible on
the examination for all lectures and classroom discussions. In addition, unexcused class absences will
result in a reduction in the class participation grade.
5. Examinations: Examinations will be solely composed of short answer,
identification and essay questions.
Examination questions will be designed to test the student’s ability to
apprehend and deal analytically with political ideas. If the student should miss the mid-term examination, there will
be NO make-ups. The final examination will be counted
automatically as a double grade. It is
suggested that the student not test the tolerance of the instructor by failing
to show for the final examination. Only
the most extraordinary excuse will be considered unless the instructor is
consulted before the date of the examination.
E..Course Outline
I. Introduction
a. Outline of course objectives
b. What is American
political thought? What do we hope to
gain by a study of the American political tradition? What will the study of American political thought tell us about
contemporary politics and society?
c. Is there an American political tradition?
a. Is American political thought second-rate?
b. The influence of classical political
thought.
c. Is political philosophy useless to
Americans?
d. Are the American
political traditions exportable? Is the
American form of government a model for the world?
e. Required reading:
Grimes, Chapter 3, Federalist,
Numbers 1, 2, 6.
III. The Political Heritage of the Puritans: Charters, Covenants, and “The City on the
Hill”
a. The
Theocratic Experiment
b. Anne
Hutchison and the challenge of antinomianism to the priestly rule
c. Federal
Theology and the contract theory.
d. Roger
Williams and the argument for religious tolerance.
e. The
decline of the “City on the Hill.”
f. Required reading: Grimes, Chapters 1-2; Federalist,
Numbers 9 - 10
Please
check on these links and read:
Massachusetts Body of
Liberties (1641)
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
(1638-39)
IV. The American Revolution and the Rights of Englishmen
a. Major
issues of the Revolution
b. Unique
character of the American revolution - “Not a revolution made, but a revolution
prevented.”
c. Sam Adams—agitator for the rights of the
American colonists.
d. Tom
Paine and the rights of man - propagandist for revolution
e. The principles of the Declaration of
Independence - an egalitarian document?
f. Required Reading: Grimes, Chapters 4 and 5; The
Declaration of Independence
Federalist,
Numbers 14-17, 21-23; Samuel
Adams– Click on the link to look at a searchable webpage of his works
V. The Articles of
Confederation and the Political Principles of the Founding Fathers
a. The
Articles of Confederation - its inadequacy - “the mortal disease.”
b. The
movement toward correcting the defects in the Articles.
c. Shay’s
Rebellion (1786) and its political repercussions.
d. The Philadelphia Convention - a
study in the ideas and plans of the delegates.
e. The Constitution - a derailment of
the democratic principles of The Declaration of Independence?
f. Required Reading: Grimes, Chapter 6; The Articles of
Confederation; The
Constitution; Federalist, Nos. 37-41
VI. “To remedy the
defects of popular government” - The Federalist Defends Republicanism
a.
Insufficiency of the Articles - the need for a more durable union
b.Why did
the Founders oppose a pure democratic form of government?
c. Separation of powers.
d. Is the republic a national or
federal entity?
e. What makes American federalism
unique?.
f. The dual character of The
Federalist: Madison and Hamilton.
g. Required
Reading: Federalist, Numbers
45-51, 52, 62, 68-69
Optional
Reading:
Use
the Thomas search engine
to look up words in Federalist Papers.
John
P. Roche, “The Founding Fathers: A Reform Caucus in Action.”
The American Political
Science Review, LV, 4 (Dec., 1961), pp. 799-816.
Martin Diamond, “Democracy and The
Federalist: A Reconsideration of the Framers’ Intent,”
The American Political Science Review
LIII (March, 1959), pp 52-68.
VII. Federalism
versus Jeffersonianism
a. The struggle between Nation-Centered and
State-Centered Federalism
b. The equality of man and the rights of man.
c. John Adams and liberty under the law.
d. Jefferson vs. Hamilton.
e. John Marshall and judicial review.
f. James Madison - the Republican statesman.
g. John
Taylor: Doctrinaire Agararian.
h. Required Reading: Grimes, Chapter 7;
Federalist,
Numbers 78, 84-85
VIII. “Fire Bell in the Night”: Slavery and the Question of States’ Rights.
a. John Randolph of Roanoke invokes States’
Rights as a guarantor of liberty.
b. John C. Calhoun and the concurrent majority.
c. Alexis de Tocqueville on the tyranny of the
majority, warns against the despotism of equality.
d. Orestes Brownson sees the Catholic Church as
a restrain on the excesses of democracy.
e. Jacksonianism and the rise of the common man.
f. Required Reading: Grimes, Chapters 8, 9, 12
IX. Ante-Bellum
Political Thought - Critics of Democracy
a. James Fenimore Cooper defends agrarian
aristocracy.
b. Nathaniel
Hawthorne restores the doctrine of sin to the American mind.
c. George Fitzhugh defends slavery.
d. Henry David Thoreau’s individualism.
e. William Lloyd Garrison and Abraham Lincoln on
the anti-slavery issue.
f. Required reading: Grimes, Chapters
10-11
X. Gilded Age: Social Darwinism and the Gospel of Wealth
a. Herbert Spencer’s influence on doctrine of
social Darwinism.
b. William Graham Sumner’s massive
impact on Nineteenth Century American political thinking.
c. Gospel
of Wealth preaches the Christian duty of each man to accumulate wealth.
d. Required reading: Grimes, Chapter 13
XI. Critics of Social Darwinism
a. Socialists.
1. Lester
Frank Ward - on sociocracy.
2. Edward
Bellamy - Looking Backward.
3. Henry
George - the single tax proposal.
b. Social Gospel.
1. Walter
Rauschenbusch.
2. George
Herron.
c. Satirist and Social Critic--Thorstein Veblen
attacks plutocracy.
c. Conservatives
1. Henry
Adams - on the degradation of the democratic dogma.
2. Brooks
Adams - civilization and energy.
Required
reading: Grimes, Chapter 14,
pp. 489-494.
XII. Progressivism, Pragmatism, and the Triumph
of the Technological Spirit
a.
Progressivism and pragmatism.
b. The
pragmatists: Charles Peirce, William James, and John Dewey.
c. The
Humanist reaction to pragmatism: Irving Babbitt and Paul Elmer More.
d. Required reading: Grimes, Chapters 15 and 17, pp. 494-505.
XIII. Recent Political Thought - Conservatism,
Liberalism, and Socialism.
a.
Conservatism - Friedrich Hayek, Russell Kirk,
Richard Weaver.
b.
Liberalism - John
Rawls: the new egalitarianism
c.
Socialism - Norman Thomas.
f. The Rise of the Therapeutic State: Paul Gotffried, James Burnham, Samuel
Francis
g. Required reading: Grimes, pp.408-417, 457-464,
F. The Roots of the American Political Tradition: a
selected reading list
The following short bibliography is provided merely as a
convenience and assistance to those students anxious to apprehend the principal
seminal works that have underpinned the political foundations of the American
Republic. This list is admittedly not
exhaustive of all the important works that have influenced American political
thinking. However, an attentive study
of these books would be an excellent beginning for any student of the American
political tradition.
Old Testament -
Genesis, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah
Plato - The Republic and The Laws
Aristotle - Ethics and Politics
Plutarch - Lives of the Noble Greeks - with special
emphasis on the chapter on Solon
Cicero - Republic and Offices
Marcus Aurelius - Meditations
St. Augustine - City of God
Dante - Divine Comedy
Pico della Mirandola - Oration on the Dignity of Man
Richard Hooker - Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity
Thomas Hobbes - Leviathan
John Bunyan - Pilgrim’s Progress.
John Locke - Second Treatise on Civil Government.
Montesquieu - Spirit of the Laws.
David Hume - History of England
Sir William Blackstone - Commentaries on the Constitution
of England.
Edmund Burke - “Conciliation with America”
II. General Studies
Harold J. Laski, The Rise of Liberalism (1936).
Francis W. Coker, Recent Political Thought (1934)
W. A. Orton, The Liberal Tradition (1945).
J. S Roucek (ed.), Twentieth Century Political Thought
(1946)
David Minar, Ideas and Politics: The American Experience
(1965)
John H. Hallowell, Main Currents in American Political
Thought (1950).
B. F. Wright, Jr., A Source Book of American Political
Theory (1929)
--------------------, American Interpretation of Natural Law (1931).
Vernon Parrington, Main Currents in American Thought
(1930) 3 vols. One of most popular and
best written
interpretations of the American political tradition from a progressive
historian.
Richard Hofstadter, The American Political tradition
(1949). A popular interpretation; the
late historian
Hofstadter analyzes
the lives and thoughts of some major American statesmen. The major difficulty with this
book is that it
confuses reflective political thought with mere expedient partisan positions.
Frederick Jackson Turner, The Frontier in American
History (1921). A classic historicalinterpretation of the
influence of the
westward movement of settlers on democratic ideas.
Clinton Rossiter, Conservatism in America
(1962). A fairly good and certainly
enduring interpretation of the
“thankless
persuasion. Rossiter, though, has a
tendency to group varieties of conservatives into artificial
groups of his own
making.
Russell Kirk, The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot. Still the best history of the Anglo-American
conservative
tradition.
Ralph Gabriel, The Course of American Democratic Thought.
An adequate study.
Charles Forcey, The Crossroads of American Democratic
Thought (1961).
Allen Guttman, The Conservative Tradition in America
(1967).
Francis G. Wilson, The American Political Mind (1949).
A good basic textbook of American ideas.
Charles E. Merriam, A History of American Political
Theories (1903). A basic but now dated work by a noted
University of
Chicago political scientist.
, American
Political Ideas (1920).
Neal Riemer, Democratic Experiment: American Political
Theory.
Andrew Scott, Political Thought in America (1959)
Larry I. Peterman, American Political Thought (c.
1972) JK 11 1972 p. 47.
Bert James Lowenberg, American History in American
Thought (1972) E 175.L6.
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. and Morton White (eds.), Paths
of American Thought (1963). A
series of essays
dealing with
American intellectual thought. Deals
with social, political, and literary ideas.
Alpheus Thomas Mason, Free Government in the Making
(1965). Readings in American political
thought. A
good source book of
major political works.
Alpheus Thomas Mason and Richard Leach, In Quest of Freedom (1973). A basic textbook of American
political thought.
Alistair Cooke, America (1973). Basis for PBS-TV series. Light reading.
II. The
Colonial Period
a. Primary Works
John Wise, A Vindication of the Government of New England
Churches (1772).
John Dickinson, The Writings of John Dickinson
(1895).
James Wilson, Selected Political Essays, edited by
R.G. Adams (1930).
b. Secondary Works
Richard M. Gummere, The American Colonial Mind and the
Classical Tradition (1963).
Perry Miller, The New England Mind: The Seventeenth Century (1939).
James E. Ernst, The
Political Thought of Roger „illiams (1929).
Michael Kammen, Deputyes & Libertyes (1969). A systematic description and analysis of
seventeenth-century
beginnings of
representative institutions in British North America.
III. The Formation of the American Republic: The Political Ideas of the American Founding
Fathers from the Revolution to the Ratification of the U.S. Constitution
a. Primary Works
James Madison, (Asul K. Padover, ed.), The Complete
Madison (1953).
John Adams, (George A. Peek, ed.) The Political Writings
of John Adams (1954).
Thomas Jefferson (Edward Dumbauld, ed.), The Political
Writings of Thomas Jefferson (1956).
- - - - - - - - - - - - Collected Works, several editions.
Alexander Hamilton, Works, several editions.
James Madison, Letters and Other Writings, 4 vols. (1865).
Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776). This is that little propaganda tract that
caused such a great stir during
the revolutionary
unpleasantness.
b. Secondary Works
R.G. Adams, Political Ideas of the American Revolution
(1939).
Jackson Turner Main, The Anti-Federalists (1961).
A.T. Mason, The States Rights Debate: Anti-Federalism and the Constitution
(1964).
Paul Eidelberg, The Philosophy of the American
Constitution (1968). A Straussian
anaylsis.
Willmoore Kendall and George W. Carey, The Basic Symbols
of the American Political Tradition (1970). A novel, unique study of the American political traditions.
Herman C. Pritchett, The American Çonstitution
(1959).
John Dewey, The Living Thoughts of Jefferson.
Daver Manning, The Adams Federalists (1953).
Adreinne Koch, The Philosophy of Thomas Jefferson
(1943) E332 K6 1964.
Leonard W. Levy, Jefferson and Civil Liberties: The Darker Side (1963).
C. M. Walsh, The Political Science of John Adams
(1915).
Arthur T. Prescott, The Framing of the Constitution
(1941).
Claude Bowers, Jefferson and Hamilton (1933).
Clinton Rossiter, Seedtime of the Republic
(1953). A popular treatment of the
political thinking of the colonists
before and during
the American Revolution.
Carl Becker, The Declaration of Independence
(1922). A classic work.
John Howe Jr. The Changing Political Thought of John
Adams (1966).
Adrienne Koch, Power, Morals and the Founding Fathers
(1961).
Cecelia M. Kenyon (ed.), The Anti-Federalists (1966).
Gottfried Dietze, The Federalist: A Classic on Federalism and Free Government A good treatment of the
federalist idea.
Gerald Stourah, Alexander Hamilton and the Idea of
Republican Government (1970).
Leonard W. Labaree, Conservatism in Early American
History (1948).