American Political Thought

Catalog description

This course will explore key themes that have (re)defined life in this country since its beginning, such as liberty, democracy, religion, and race. We will read core documents like the Declaration of Independence, along with important works by thinkers like John Winthrop, the Founding Fathers, Tocqueville, Lincoln, and more recent authors like Robert Dahl. Our goal is to understand what they thought the American enterprise was and should be. Can the country meet their expectations? This course assumes a basic familiarity with American government and history, that is, with important dates and events, as well as certain concepts and institutions.