• Political Theory: the study of ideas about politics expressed by philosophers, political figures, and others from ancient to contemporary times;
• American Politics and Law: the study of political and legal institutions and processes in the United States;
• Comparative Politics: the study of political life in countries other than the United States (though it may also look at the U.S. in comparative perspective);
• International Relations: the study of politics among nations and within the global system.

The course will be taught partly as a seminar this semester. Enrollment is limited to 18. Therefore attendance, attentiveness, and participation are expected of all students, and will be taken into serious consideration when assigning the final course grade.Please see the list of "Responsibilities and Expectations" attached to thissyllabu and on the course web page.

Written requirements for the course include four graded assignments: two short papers; a take-home midterm exam, and a self-scheduled final exam. They each count equally toward the course grade, though improvement during the term will be taken into account:

The TENTATIVE due dates for the written assignments are:

• First paper (5-7 pages), Monday, October 17
• Take-home midterm exam: Wednesday, November 9.
• Second paper (6-8 pages): Tuesday, December 6
• Self-scheduled final exam: December 16-22.

NOTE: For the three in-term assignments: You may have a total of one week (7 days) of "extensions" from the due date to use throughout the term as best fits your schedule. These extensions allow you to hand in a paper late without a grade penalty, but after the 7 days have been used up the assignment will be marked down 1/3 grade per day (orfraction of a day) late (e. g. from B+ to B).

Required Books: The following books are available for purchase at the Wellesley College Book Store. The books are also on reserve at Clapp Library.

• William Sheridan Allen, The Nazi Seizure of Power: The Experience of a Single Small Town in Germany, 1922-1945, 2nd edition (Franklin Watts, 1984)
• Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, trans. David Wootton (Hackett, 1995)
• Jane J. Mansbridge, Why We Lost the ERA (Univ. of Chicago Press, 1986)
• Plato, The Republic, trans. Francis Cornford (Oxford,1982)
• Bruce Russett, Grasping the Democratic Peace: Principles for a Post-Cold War World (Princeton Univ. Press, 1993)
• A BOOK ON SOUTH AFRICA TO BE ADDED

Schedule of Classes and Assignments

Readings marked (ER) are available via Electronic Reserve in the First Class Conference for this course (Pol100-01). Readings marked (OL) are "on line" and can be accessed via the course web syllabus by clicking on the relevant link or through the On-line Readings folder in the course FirstClass Conference. Readings marked (H) will be handed out in class. The readings are listed in the order in which it is recommended that they be done.

PART I INTRODUCTION: What is politics? what is political science?

Sept. 8 Introduction to the Course

Sept. 12 Politics and Political Science

• W. Phillips Shively, Power and Choice: An Introduction to Political Science, ch. 1. (ER)
• 'Political Scientists Debate Theory of `Rational Choice',” in The New York Times, February 26, 2000, p. B11 (OL)
• "Some Politics May Be Etched in the Genes," The New York Times, June 21, 2005. (OL)
• "The Nonvoters Have It," The Boston Globe, September 21, 2003. (OL)
• "In Government We Trust...," The New York Times, January 4, 2004. (OL)
• Anna Greenberg, "New Generation, New Politics," The American Prospect, October 2003. (OL)

Sept. 15, 19 Machiavelli:Leadership as Power

• Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, Introduction (by D. Wootton), Letter to Vettori, Dedication, chs. 1-26.
• Jonathan Mahlar, "Formerly Known as Prince," The New York Times Book Review, Sept. 3, 2000. (OL)

• David Held, "Democracy," in Joel Krieger, William A. Joseph, et. al., eds., Oxford Companion to Politics of the World, 2nd edition. (ER)
• Thucydides, "Pericles' Funeral Oration," in The Peloponnesian Wars. (ER)

Resources Democracy: Theory & Origins

Sept. 26, 29, Oct. 3 Plato: Leadership as Wisdom

• Plato, The Republic**
  1. pp. 41-80 (Book II, 368a-Book III, 389e); pp. 102-129 (Book III, 412b-Book IV, 434c)
  2. pp. 144-168 (Book IV 445b-Book V, 466d); pp. 175-211(Book V, 471c-Book 6, 502d)
  3. pp. 227-235 (Book VII, 514a-521b); pp. 279-286 (Book VIII, 555b-561c).

  **Page numbers are for the Cornford edition of The Republic. Book and line numbers are consistent in all translations.

Oct. 6: Leadership: From Theory to Practice

• Diana Chapman Walsh, “Trustworthy Leadership” Keynote Address, Institute on College Student Values, Florida State University, February 4, 2005. (OL)
• Nannerl O. Keohane, "The Power of Leadership," Kennedy School Forum, Harvard University, Feb. 16, 2005. (Video; requires RealPlayer)

NO CLASS, MONDAY, OCT. 10, FALL BREAK

NO CLASS, THURSDAY, OCT. 13, YOM KIPPUR [MAKE-UP CLASS WILL PROBABLY BE SCHEDULED]

Oct. 17, 20 Democracy'sDilemma: Majority Rule, Minority Rights

• James Madison, "Federalist Paper Number 10" (OL)
• Alexis de Tocqueville, selections from Democracy in America:
  • Vol. I, ch. XV (UNLIMITED POWER OF THE MAJORITY IN THE UNITED STATES) ((OL)
  • Vol. I, ch. XVI (CAUSES WHICH MITIGATE THE TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY) (OL)
  • Vol. I, ch. XII (POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES) (OL)
• Martin Luther King, "Letter from the Birmingham Jail" (OL)

Oct. 24, 27, 31 AmericanDemocracy in Action: The Case of The Equal Rights Amendment

• Jane J. Mansbridge, Why We Lost the ERA, all.
  • Jane Mansbridge's c. v. (OL)
• Debra Baker, "The Fight Ain't Over," in ABA Journal, August 1999. (OL)
• Ellen Goodman, "Ironies of the Equal Rights Battle," The Boston Globe, December 14, 2003. (OL)
• Recommended reading for those with little background in American government:: Louis DiSipio, "United States," in Mark Kesselman, Joel Krieger, and William A. Joseph, eds., Introduction to Comparative Politics. (ER)

Nov. 3: American Democracy in Decline?

• Robert Putnam, "Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital," in Journal of Democracy, July 1995, excerpts. (OL)
• "Bush Finds Affrimation in Frenchman's Words," The New York Times, March 14, 2005.

Nov. 7, 10, 14 The Failure of Democracy in Weimar Germany

• Adolph Hitler, Mein Kampf, selections (on-line):
  • Volume I, Chapter II: Years of Studying and Suffering in Vienna (OL)
  • Volume I, Chapter III: General Political Considerations Based on My Vienna Years (OL)
  • Volume II, Chapter II: The State (OL)
• Albert Speer, Inside the Third Reich, Introduction (by E. Davidson) and ch. 2. (ER)
• William Sheridan Allen, The Nazi Seizure of Power, Preface, Part I (chs. 1-9), Part II (chs. 10-15), Conclusions (ch. 20).

Nov. 17 Democratic Transitions in Comparative Perspective

• Samuel P. Huntington, The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late 20thCentury, ch. 1. (ER)
• Lawrence Whitehead, "Democratic Transitions, "in Joel Krieger, William A. Joseph, et. al., eds., Oxford Companion to Politics of the World, 2nd edition. (ER)
• Skim this website: Freedom House (www.freedomhouse.org)

Nov. 21, 28, Dec. 1 The Triumph of Democracy in South Africa

• Main reading TBA
• Margaret Lee, "Truth and Reconciliation Commission," in Oxford Companion to Politics of the World, 2nd edition.(ER)
• The South African Constitution, Preamble & Chapter 1 (OL)
• SOUTH AFRICA UPDATE: TBA
• Video Assignment: "The Deadline" (58 minutes). (R)[Common viewing time to be arranged.]

Dec. 5, 8, 12 War & Peace: Does Democracy--orGender--Matter?

• Thucydides, "The Melian Dialogue," in The Peloponnesian War. (ER)
• Judith Shulevitz, "Expecting the Worst," New York Times Book Review, December 16, 2001. (OL)
• Bruce Russett, Grasping the Democratic Peace: Principles for a Post-Cold War World, chs. 1, 2, 4 (skim), 6.
  • Bruce Russet's c. v. (OL)
• Stephen M. Walt, "Never Say Never: Wishful Thinking on Democracy and War," Foreign Affairs, January/February 1999, pp. 146-151.(OL)
• Francis Fukuyama, "Women and the Evolution of World Politics," in Foreign Affairs, September/October 1998, pp. 24-40. (ER)
• Barbara Ehrenreich, et. al., "Fukuyama's Follies," in Foreign Affairs, January/February 1999, pp. 118-129. (ER)