Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Course Description:
Following his journey through the United States, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that America occupied a
singular place in history. Here the people braved the wilderness, struggled with order, and endured the "inevitable
sufferings of exile" not to win glory or power, but, "for the triumph of an idea." This course looks at the ideas,
principles, and institutions that provided the foundation for our current republic. Special emphasis is placed on the
political theory of two monumental works from this time period: the Federalist Papers and Alexis de Tocqueville’s
Democracy in America. Moreover, we will draw on current theories of constitutional political economy and
collective action in order to see what the American founding might offer to future attempts to constitute a self-
governing society.
Course Readings:
Hamilton, Jay, and Madison. The Federalist Papers.
Readings Packet (available from the Hanover Bookstore).
Other readings as indicated in the syllabus (JSTOR, Lexis-Nexus, etc)
Course Requirements:
Final grades are based on two exams (30% each), a series of mastery exercises (20%), and a paper (20%).
The mid-term and final will both consist of concept identifications and essays. The mastery exercises will range
from short essays covering the day’s readings to group assignments. You will not know which days these exercises
will fall on, so always read, always take some time to think about the ideas you’ve read, and always be prepared for
me to spring one on you. As a general rule there will be no make-up exercises. If you will be gone on a given day
for an excused absence, it is your responsibility to approach me before the class and make arrangements.
However, I will drop the lowest score when computing the course grade—so you essentially have an “extra.” If the
syllabus indicates that we will be spending multiple days on the same readings, you need to have them read by the
first day indicated.
The term papers (due December 6th) will be explained later in the term. I’ll also hand out a sheet covering
the guidelines and requirements for the paper at that time.
I look forward to, and expect, works that are both original and unique. Plagiarism or other forms of
academic dishonesty are unacceptable and you may be penalized as prescribed in the student handbook. If you are
unsure of what plagiarism is, or exactly how much you and a friend can collaborate on class work, please talk with
me.
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Course Outline
I. American Character………………………………………………………….………Sept 8
Tocqueville.
Packet, Jefferson: “To Martha Jefferson.”
Packet, Jefferson: “Query VIII.”
Republican Virtue……………………………………………………………….Sept 15
Montesquieu: “Of the Principles of the Three Kinds of Governments”
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V. The Society
The Law of Society……………………………………………………………………..Nov 5
Harold J. Berman and Charles Reid Jr. 1996. “The Transformation of English Legal Science:
From Hale to Blackstone.” Emory Law Journal 45:437. (Access through Lexis-Nexis).
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Final Exam……………………………………………………………..……..………………………….……TBA