20th Century US Political History

Catalog description

This course deals with national politics in the U.S. during the 20th century. Periods of rapid change - such as the Progressive Era, Great Depression, Sixties, and 1970s-1980s - will receive particular attention. A major focus will be on the ways the major political parties changed over the decades, and the crucial role the African American freedom movement (and reactions to it) played in this process. The course will introduce students to a greater range of factors that are valuable in understanding national politics than the usual stress on the values and personality of the president, including economic, social, and cultural developments, grassroots movements, the institutional framework of the American political system, and the dynamics of world politics. USH