Govt 03
American Political System
Summer 2024
Professor Mia Costa
Class schedule: 3A
Office hours: Fridays 12pm-2pm and/or on Calendly
Table of Contents
This course provides an overview of America’s unique brand of politics. Throughout the term, we focus on the logic of American political institutions and behavior. We may study questions such as: Why are Americans so polarized? Why can you smoke weed in one state, but could go to jail for smoking it in another? Why do people vote when it is very unlikely that they will individually make a difference in the electoral outcome? Why is Congress so disliked as an institution, yet individual members of Congress are often reelected? Are third parties doomed to fail in the United States? How does the news media impact public opinion? How do interest groups and political parties achieve their respective goals? And others. The objectives of the course are to develop a clear and accurate understanding of American government, become a more informed consumer of political news, and get more comfortable at reading and writing about American politics as a scholar of political science.
Grades will be based on the components below. Final grades will not exceed the department maximum median of a B+. This is based on the Department of Government median grade policy. Grades are cumulative, not punitive. This means assignments are ways to earn points towards your final grade, not ways to lose points from a starting grade of 100. You start with 0 and as the term goes on, you can earn points.
I do not take attendance, but my lectures cover some material not contained in the readings, and the readings contain some material not covered in lecture. It is therefore necessary to come to class having done the assigned readings in order to do well in this course. Please do not email me if you need to miss a class meeting. Many classes are lecture-based, but there will also be various in-class discussions and writing exercises throughout the term that count towards your participation score. If we have guest speakers, you may be required to post questions/comments for them on Canvas. Due to the nature of in-class participation, you cannot make-up work that we complete in class. Note that this is not a free 10 points toward your final grade! While you must be present to participate in class, merely attending class does not constitute participation. If you attend most classes but do not ever participate productively, you should not expect full points for the participation component of your grade. Similarly, if you often participate but do so in an unproductive and disruptive manner, you should not expect full points for the participation component of your grade.
Explain something happening in U.S. politics, connect it to course concepts, and tell us what academic research in political science says about it. More details will be provided on Canvas and in class.
Write a research proposal in which you articulate a research question about American politics, explain its significance, outline your expectations and theory drawing on political science research, and propose a plan for conducting an analysis to answer your question. The purpose of this assignment is to engender thoughtful reflection and analysis of the entire term as a whole and teach you to think like a political scientist.
There will be two in-class exams and a final exam during the time set by the Registrar. Note that readings from the textbook, additional reading/video materials, in-class lectures and exercises, and material from guest speakers are all important contributions to the class and considered fair game for exams. Exams may be a combination of multiple choice questions, short answers, fill in the blanks, etc.
See the course policy about make-up exams under Make-up policy. ←
The schedule may change at any time! Keep an eye on this document. Readings are available on Canvas.
Week | Date | Topic | Readings (due before class) |
Week 1 | Mon 6/24 | Introduction | 1. Complete course survey 2. Access textbook 3. Read syllabus |
Wed 6/26 | Collective action, the founding, and the Constitution | 1. Ch 1 2. Ch 2 3. Sonu Bedi. 2020. “The Pluralist Constitution.” Critical Review. | |
Week 2 | Mon 7/1 | Federalism | 1. Ch 3 |
Wed 7/3 | Civil liberties | 1. Ch 4 2. Fire Org: “Meet the Dartmouth students and alumni combating campus cancel culture” https://www.thefire.org/news/meet-dartmouth-students-and-alumni-combating-campus-cancel-culture 3. Dartmouth Freedom of Expression and Dissent Policy: https://policies.dartmouth.edu/policy/freedom-expression-and-dissent | |
Week 3 | Mon 7/8 | Civil rights | 1. Ch 5 2. Pfaff, Charles Crabtree, et al. 2020. “Do Street-Level Bureaucrats Discriminate Based on Religion? A Large-Scale Correspondence Experiment among American Public School Principals.” Public Administration Review. |
Wed 7/10 | Catch up & Review | Study | |
Week 4 | Mon 7/15 | Exam 1 | Exam today – Study |
Wed 7/17 | Public opinion | 1. Ch 6 | |
Week 5 | Mon 7/22 | Public opinion | 1. Jenn Jerit and Scott Clifford. 2018. “Disgust, Anxiety, and Political Learning in the Face of Threat.” AJPS. 2. Alex Coppock. 2022. Persuasion in Parallel. Ch1 and Ch8. |
Wed 7/24 | Voting & Elections | 1. Ch 7 2. Fasching…, Sean Westwood. 2024. “Permanent Polarization: The Unexpected Durability of Political Animosity Around US Elections.” Working paper. | |
Week 6 | Mon 7/29 | Media & Political parties | 1. Ch 8 2. Ch 9 |
Wed 7/31 | Interest groups | 1. Ch 10 | |
Week 7 | Mon 8/5 | Catch up & Review | Study |
Wed 8/7 | Exam 2 | Exam today – Study | |
Week 8 | Mon 8/12 | Congress | 1. Ch 11 |
Wed 8/14 | Congress | 1. Mia Costa and Isabel Wallace (‘21). 2021. “More Women Candidates: The Effects of Increased Women’s Presence on Political Ambition, Efficacy, and Vote Choice.” APR. | |
Week 9 | Mon 8/19 | President | 1. Ch 12 2. Brendan Nyhan, Kasey Rhee, (‘21) et al. 2021. “Decider in Chief? Why and How the Public Exaggerates the Power of the Presidency.” PRQ. |
Wed 8/21 | Courts | 1. Ch 13 | |
Finals week | Final exam | Study |
If you have a sudden emergency before an exam or deadline, please email me and your undergraduate Dean as soon as possible, in order to request special arrangements. Without such arrangements in case of emergencies, make-up exams or other extensions/reschedules will not be granted. According to Dartmouth policy, participation in student athletics is not an emergency nor are you ever required to attend a practice or game instead of class. Due to the nature of in-class participation, you cannot make-up work that we complete in class.
My office hours are scheduled in advance and take place in my office unless otherwise noted. You can book any time listed on my Calendly page. Feel free to book as a group (i.e. if your classmates have the same questions), but please tell me who is coming in the Calendly form.
Office hours are designated times faculty members set aside each week specifically for students to visit. These hours are your chance to ask questions about the course material or college in general in a one-on-one setting.
These meetings work best if you have studied or attempted to solve a problem and discovered what you need help with before coming to my office. Then, when you come in with specific questions, I can try to explain a different way or help you work through a problem/concept.
Students are responsible for understanding the academic integrity rules at Dartmouth. Explanations of integrity rules and principles can be found at http://www.dartmouth.edu/~uja/. Ignorance of the Academic Honor Principle will not be considered an excuse if a violation occurs. Beyond any penalties imposed as a consequence of an Academic Honor Principle investigation, any student who is found to have violated the honor principles on any assignment will receive a failing grade in the class. Details on how to properly cite sources in your writing can be found here: https://writing.dartmouth.edu/support/sources-and-citations. Please talk to me if you have any questions or concerns about academic integrity.
Submitting AI-generated text from ChatGPT, BingAI, or any other AI tool (either verbatim or in edited form) in papers or other written assignments is not permitted.
Students requesting disability-related accommodations and services for this course are required to register with Student Accessibility Services (SAS; Apply for Services webpage; student.accessibility.services@dartmouth.edu; 1-603-646-9900) and to request that an accommodation email be sent to me in advance of the need for an accommodation. Then, students should schedule a follow-up meeting with me to determine relevant details such as what role SAS or its Testing Center may play in accommodation implementation. This process works best for everyone when completed as early in the quarter as possible. If students have questions about whether they are eligible for accommodations or have concerns about the implementation of their accommodations, they should contact the SAS office. All inquiries and discussions will remain confidential.
Please treat one another in this class with kindness and respect, even people you disagree with.
I encourage you to take care of yourself and reach out to the appropriate resources on campus if you experience personal difficulties. There are a number of resources available to you on campus to support your wellness, including:
If you encounter financial challenges related to this class, please let me know.
As a faculty member, I am obligated to share disclosures regarding conduct under Title IX with Dartmouth's Title IX Coordinator.