Civics and the City

Catalog description

This class, reserved for Moynihan Public Service Fellows, introduces students to the foundations of democratic thought and practice through some of the central texts of the Western political and literary tradition. Readings will range from Plato and Aristotle to Machiavelli, Locke, Montesquieu, Jefferson, and other U.S. founding figures, tracing how ideas of citizenship, rights, and constitutional values emerged and shaped the American republican experiment. Alongside this intellectual history, the course will explore the role of cities as engines of political life, with particular attention to the distinctive history and political culture of New York City. By actively engaging in debates about both theory and practice, students will gain a deeper understanding of the principles of civic life and the challenges of democracy in urban contexts.