BTAN23005BA, BTAN3303OMA:

AMERICAN CULTURE AND INSTITUTIONS

A SEMINAR FOR SECOND-YEAR IEAS STUDENTS
FALL 2023

Time: Thursday, 10-11:40 AM

Place: XIV
Tutor: Máté Gergely Balogh http://ieas.unideb.hu/baloghm email:
baloghmategergely@gmail.com; balogh.mate@arts.unideb.hu
Office hours: Wednesday 3-3:50 PM, Thursday 1-1:50 PM, and by appointment

DESCRIPTION OF COURSE
This is a survey course, which serves as the foundation for all subsequent courses in
American studies. Besides revisiting topics already encountered in the first-year language
course titled “American Civilization,” the seminar provides opportunities for more in-depth
analysis of American politics, regional identity, society, race relations, religion, myths, sports,
media, and other topical issues of American life. Students will be graded on the strength of
their class performance, response papers, individual short lectures, performance in the group
debate and in-class tests.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Most of the class sessions are to be based on the discussion of the topics at hand, introduced
and moderated by the instructor and/or a student giving a presentation and being in charge of
that topic. This discussion is to be facilitated by way of common and individualized reading
materials, visual aids, Internet resources, and realia shared in the classroom. In addition, each
student will give a 10-minute presentation during the semester on pre-approved topics,
prepared on the basis of the instructions discussed during the first class. There will be short
tests (not necessarily announced in advance), in-class group debates on pre-approved topics
and an end-term paper (Week 13). Students will have to hand in two response papers during
the semester. The details of the specific assignments and other issues will be discussed during
orientation.

CLASS PERFORMANCE
This includes participation in discussion, preparation (e.g. readings and watching the
presentations), and the ability to answer questions related to the topic and the readings. Not
being able to answer questions related to the reading results in the reduction of the class
performance grade.

In the case of online teaching, the class will consist of a 45-60 minute long lecture that the
student is required to watch before the class, and an online videoconference, where
participation is compulsory. Students are required to prepare with at least two questions for
each class, that they have to send to the instructor as well. Not attending the online
videoconferences counts as an absence, unless the student notifies the instructor in advance,
in which case the instructor is going to assign an extra task to the student.

PRESENTATIONS
Each student is required to choose a presentation topic from the issues indicated under the
weekly discussion topics, or recommended either by the instructor or the students. Students will
choose their presentation topics on the first class. If anyone misses the orientation, it will be
their responsibility to ask the instructor to assign them a topic. The oral presentations should
be 8-10 minutes in length, and will be supported by a PowerPoint presentation (or Prezi, or
other slideshows), optionally a handout. The PowerPoint presentation should be sent or
handed in to the instructor ONE WEEK before the presentation for overview. Late
submission will result in a reduction of the grade by one point per day. Only handouts and
presentations approved by the instructor can be presented.

The handout and the ppt should only be a guideline to the presentation and not a word-by-
word transcript. You must not read out your presentation. The content of your talk, the lay-
out of your slideshow, your performance and presentation skills as well as your pronunciation
will be evaluated. If someone does not show up when their presentation is due and does
not notify the instructor in advance, they will lose all the credit points on the assignment.

In the case of online teaching, presentations need to be sent to the instructor ONE WEEK
before the presentation. The voice has to be recorded on the slideshow AFTER it has been
reviewed and approved by the instructor, and sent back ONE DAY before the presentation,
where the other students can watch it before the class.

SHORT TESTS
Students will write short tests or quizzes on the Constitution, the Election Glossary, and on US
holidays. There may be additional quizzes, if needed.

IN-CLASS DEBATE
Two or three times during the semester, a section of the class will be set aside for group
debates, discussing, contrasting, and analyzing differing viewpoints concerning various
controversial topics (e.g. gun control, immigration, social and environmental issues). The topics
of the debates and the composition of debate groups will be discussed in advance. The goal of
this assignment is to encourage individual research (the students will have to send their sources
to the instructor before the debate), improve arguing and presentation skills, as well as
cooperation within and between the groups. Further instructions about debate dynamics and
rules will also be discussed in detail well in advance. Preparation, the quality and usefulness of
materials used, and participation in the debate in general will serve as the basis for evaluation. If
a student fails to attend the class when they are supposed to be a member of a debate
group, they will automatically lose all the credit points for the assignment.

RESPONSE PAPERS
Students will be required to write two (2) response papers of about two pages (5-600 words),
each based on their readings and opinion concerning the issues discussed. These should not be
simple summaries of the texts, but should include reflections of the student on the particular
topic, its context, a comparison between the United States and Hungary, and even “think-
tank” questions for in-class discussion. The originality of the responses will be evaluated.
Plagiarized papers are unacceptable. Plagiarism will result in an automatic failure of the
course and will be reported to the Institute. The same applies to essays written with the
help of artificial intelligence. Students are advised that their essays will automatically be
checked by a plagiarism detecting software.

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Attending an event at the American Corner or a US-related event at the University and
writing a one-page report may also count as a response paper, or it can mean extra credits. It
is also possible to write a response paper about a previously agreed upon movie. Papers are to
be typed (double-space, Times New Roman 12) and must be handed in on the very class
session when they are due. Later submissions will not be accepted. In case you fail to submit
response papers on time, you will lose all the credit points on the assignment.

END-TERM EXAM
The end-term exam will consist of a comprehensive test and essay questions on topical issues
discussed during the semester. There is no excuse for absence on this occasion. The in-class
exam may not be rescheduled. Students are required to achieve at least 50% on the end-
term exam in order to pass the course.

EVALUATION
The final grade will be calculated from the grades assigned on class participation (20%),
presentation (10%), short tests (15%), group debates (15%), response papers (10%) and
the end-term paper (30%). More than three absences will result in a “not fulfilled” grade.
Grades will be assigned according to the following conversion formulae: 0-60% = fail; 61-
70% = satisfactory; 71-80% = average; 81-90% = good; 91-100% = excellent.

ADDITIONAL RULES
It is an essential part of the course requirements to attend all class meetings. If you must miss
a class because of illness or emergency, please let me know in advance, and make
arrangements to complete any work missed.

Students may not miss more than three classes under any circumstances. (exception to this
regulation may only be granted by the vice dean for educational affairs). 1 Students are kindly
requested to contact me at least a day before class if they are to make a presentation but
cannot attend. If you do not turn up on occasions when course assignments (presentation,
response papers, in-class debate, and quizzes) are due and you fail to notify the tutor you will
lose all the credit points on the particular assignment.

Academic dishonesty or plagiarism (failure to acknowledge and note the use of another
writer’s words and ideas) is both unethical and illegal and will result in a failure of the
course.

Tardiness and early departures are unacceptable. They are offensive to your fellow students
and to the instructor because they disrupt class work. If you have a compelling reason for
arriving late or leaving early, speak with your instructor about the problem. If you regularly cut
the beginning and/or the end of class sessions, it can add up to unexcused full-class-time
absences.

Students are advised that the quality of their written and spoken performance will count
significantly toward their final grade.

1
Class attendance is regulated by section 8 of the Annex of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities to the Rules and
Regulations of Studies (Tanulmányi- és Vizsgaszabályzat), currently available at https://mad-
hatter.it.unideb.hu/portal/displayDocument/id/3703846 on page 115.

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 WEEK BY WEEK DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE

Week 1 (September 7): Orientation and introduction to the course

Week 2 (September 14): Constitution I (definition; supreme law of the land; myths;
sources; reasons why it was needed to replace the Articles of Confederation; the process of
drafting, signing and ratifying it; structure; the main points of the seven articles; “the
necessary and proper” clause; the Bill of Rights)

Week 3 (September 21): Constitution II (ratification deal, classification of additional

amendments, the importance of the 14th Amendment, the Equal Rights Amendment, Supreme
Court decisions and the process of judicial review, Marbury v. Madison, Dred Scott, Plessy v.
Fergusson, Brown v. Topeka Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, Obergefell v. Hodges;
impeachment)

Week 4 (September 28): Constitution Challenged: Civil liberties (Constitutional

foundations: the Bill of Rights revisited; freedom of speech and freedom of the press vs.
censorship in the US; freedom of assembly; the proposed Equal Rights Amendment; civil
liberties after 9/11; the Patriot Act and surveillance; NSA and the Edward Snowden story)
TEST No.1 ON CONSTITUTION

Week 5 (October 5): Religion and politics (separation of church and state – comparisons
with Hungary; the Protestant heritage vs. religious diversity, the Bible Belt, religious
conservatism and fundamentalism; Darwin vs. creationism; Christian scientists: business and
religion; civil religion in America; abortion: pro-life vs. pro-choice; gay marriage)
RESPONSE PAPER 1 IS DUE

Week 6 (October 12): Elections (presidential and midterm elections, the stages of
presidential elections: announcement, primaries, national convention, TV debates, election
day, electoral college, inauguration, absentee ballots and referenda at election time, the 2016
elections, the 2020 elections)

Week 7 (October 19): Immigration (definitions of immigration, early periods of

immigration from Colonial times to 1870s, New immigration, quota systems, three groups in
close-up: Hungarians, Chinese and Hispanics–comparisons, immigration policy after 9/11, the
Diversity Visa (Green Card Lottery) and the Visa Waiver program of Bush)
TEST No. 2 ON ELECTION GLOSARY

Week 8 (October 26): Social issues: Racial strife in the United States (recent demographic
patterns; ethnic and other minorities; African Americans and Native American Indians in the
20th and 21st centuries; race relations, affirmative action; multiculturalism; political
correctness; social stratification and upward mobility; class in a classless society; police
violence against African Americans and BLM)

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Week 9 (November 2): Environmental issues (conservation and preservation, the origins
and the current system of national parks, from the myth of the plenty to dependence on Saudi
oil, energy sources in the US, endangered species, the Paris Accords; current trends in
American urban development, (sub)urbanization, urban villages; etc.; regionalism revisited)
+election discussion
RESPONSE PAPER 2 IS DUE

Week 10 (November 9): Guns and the military (gun ownership, gun control and the Second
Amendment; the traditions, structure and subculture of the US military) – DEBATE 1

Week 11 (November 16): Everyday life I (media, newspapers and magazines, radio,
television; communication: the internet revolution; advertising, shopping; personal finances:
banking, consumer credit) Everyday life II (education: public and private, K-12 and higher
education; scholarships, standardized tests; sports: the big 4; technology and American
culture; automobile nation; aviation; holidays)
TEST No. 3 ON HOLIDAYS – DEBATE 2

Week 12 (November 23): End-term Test

Week 13 (November 30): Evaluation: Participation at the class evaluation and discussion of
grades is a mandatory requirement for receiving a grade

LIST OF READINGS
This list is subject to change, and will be complemented by other texts that the students
will receive at least one week before the class when they are due.

Students are kindly required to make their own copy of the material and the texts
PRINTED OUT or available on an electronic device (the rules of use will be discussed
during orientation) so that they could be at hand and available for classroom purposes.

Additional materials will also be distributed in class or made available digitally on the e-
learning site. Students are also encouraged to check other sources available at the Institute
Library and on the internet, especially in connection with their presentation topics.

The Constitution
 The Constitution of the United States (AN352 CP or
https://www.usconstitution.net/const.pdf)
 The US Constitution at http://ieas.unideb.hu/index.php?p=713&l=en (bottom of the
page)

Civil liberties

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  The story on history.com https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/edward-
snowden-discloses-u-s-government-operations
 The Snowden Effect, Six Years On
https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/snowden-effect-six-years
 Edward Snowden: 'The people are still powerless, but now they're aware'
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/04/edward-snowden-people-still-
powerless-but-aware

Religion and politics

 Religion is still more vibrant in the U.S. than in Europe—but there are striking
exceptions to the cliché https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/07/13/religion-
still-more-vibrant-us-europe-there-are-striking-exceptions-cliche
 Masterpiece Cakeshop Is Fighting for the First Amendment, Not Against Gay Marriage
https://reason.com/2017/06/30/masterpiece-cakeshop-is-fighting-for-the/

Elections
 The American Political System (AN352 CP)
 Election Glossary (handout)
 current articles, tbd. later

Social issues
 The Changing Face of America
 “US white population declines and Generation ‘Z-Plus’ is minority white, census
shows” https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2018/06/21/us-white-population-
declines-and-generation-z-plus-is-minority-white-census-shows/
 When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?

Immigration
 “Why the United States Needs More Immigrants”
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/why-the-united-states-needs-more-
immigrants
 “Why We Panic about Immigration”
https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/01/immigration-why-we-panic-birth-rates-
assimilation/

Environment and American cities

 Conservation, Preservation, and the National Parks
https://www.crf-usa.org/images/pdf/gates/conservation-preservation-nationalparks.pdf
 “Rachel Carson and the Modern Environmental Movement”
https://www.crf-usa.org/images/pdf/gates/Rachel-Carson.pdf
 “The Suburbs Are Coming to a City Near You”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/18/opinion/sunday/the-suburbs-cities.html

Guns and the military

 The Post–Cold War Army
 “Why gun control might backfire on the Democrats”
https://theweek.com/articles/858080/why-gun-control-might-backfire-democrats

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 “When It Comes to Preventing Gun Violence, Good Intentions Aren’t Enough”
https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/when-it-comes-preventing-gun-
violence-good-intentions-arent-enough