Power and Participation 2003

Fall 2003 Requirements and Readings

Political Studies 103
MW 4:15-5:30
Professor Dana Ward
Office: A212
Phone: 73177
Email: dward@pitzer.edu
Office Hours:
Mon 11:00-11:45
Tues 11:00-12:00
Wed 11:00-11:45
Thur 11:00-12:00

Course Description

The goals of this course are to examine 1) the concept of political power, 2) the structure of power in the United States, 3) the pathways by which ordinary citizens participate in the political process other than in elections, 4) the obstacles that must be overcome in order for that participation to be effective, and 5) the analysis of particular political movements. The course does not focus on electoral participation. The organization of the course will be along the lines of a research seminar.

In the first half of the course we will read some theoretical works on the concept of power and review the classic controversy between the pluralist and elite views of power in the United States. This period will initiate the debate which will run throughout the course: How concentrated or diffuse is the distribution of power, how is that power exercised, and what, if anything, should be done to reform the power structure. In the second half of the course we will focus on the analysis of political movements in general while examining a number of particular movements. We will debate whether or not mobilization or institution building is a more effective strategy, whether or not individuals are motivated to participate by instrumental or expressive goals, and what sorts of tactics seem most effective in achieving those goals.

Grading

Grades will be based on the following:

1) A 10-15 page paper analyzing some aspect of research on the U.S. power structure. This paper can be either theoretical or empirical. Examples of possible topics include, but are not limited to, assessing the various theories of power such as pluralism, state autonomy, power elite, etc.; the impact of wealth on the practice of democracy; the extent to which the elite is permeable; the social institutions supporting the political elite; media inattention to labor, the poor, corporate crime, and political corruption; and so forth. The paper is due October 15 and will constitute 40% of your final grade.

2) A 10-15 page paper analyzing some aspect of research on political participation in the U.S. (not including electoral participation). Possible topics might include assessing the relative importance of mobilization versus institution building; the relative importance of professional versus amateur organizers; tactics for movement building; the comparison of two or more different political movements; the origins of oppositional consciousness; and so forth. The paper is due December 10 and will constitute 40% of your final grade.

3) A Self Evaluation reflecting how well you did in the course. On September 10 each student will submit a statement of goals for the course which explains why you ar taking the course, what you hope to achieve, and how you will go about achieving those goals. Then on December 10 you will turn in a final evaluation in which you assess how well you met your goals and what grade you believe your efforts merit. The Self Evaluation will constitute 10% of your final grade.

4) Each member of the course will belong to a "Task Force" which will make a formal presentation to the entire class on the topic around which the Task Force is organized. We will work out what topics will be covered and the number of task forces in class, but possible topics might be political surveilance, elite formation, common movement failures, political domination, grassroots alternatives, and so forth. Task Force performance will constitute your participation grade and will make up 10% of your final grade. That ten percent will be determined by two processes. First, the entire class will give the Task Force a grade based on the presentation to the class, and second, members of the Task Force will grade each of the members of the Task Force based on their contribution to the group.

Texts

The following texts are available for purchase at Huntley Bookstore:

Bagdikian, Ben, The Media Monopoly (6th Edition)
Domhoff, G. William, Changing The Powers That Be
Dye, Thomas, Who's Running America (7th Edition)
Freeman, Jo and Johnson, Victoria, Waves of Protest
Mansbridge, Jane and Morris, Aldon, Oppositional Consciousness
Palast, Greg, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Piven, F. and Cloward, R., Poor People's Movements

Readings

Sept 3: Orientation

Sept 8: P. Bachrach and M. Baratz, "The Two Faces of Power." APSR v.56.pp. 947-52.

J. Gaventa, "Power and Participation," in Power and Powerlessness.

G.W. Domhoff, The Power Elite and the State, chapters 1 and 2.

M. Mann, The Sources of Social Power, Chapter 1.

Sept 10: Dye, Thomas, Who's Running America, pp. 1-38.


Sept 15: Dye, Thomas, Who's Running America, pp. 39-96.


Sept 17: Dye, Thomas, Who's Running America, pp. 97-134.


Sept 22: Dye, Thomas, Who's Running America, pp. 135-169.

Palast, Greg, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, pp. 207-235.

Sept 24: Dye, Thomas, Who's Running America, pp. 171-213.


Sept 29: Bagdikian, Ben, The Media Monopoly, pp. viii-xliv, xlviii-li, lii-lvii.


Oct  1: Bagdikian, Ben, The Media Monopoly, pp. 3-45.


Oct  6: Bagdikian, Ben, The Media Monopoly, pp. 46-101.


Oct  8: Bagdikian, Ben, The Media Monopoly, pp. 105-151.


Oct 13: Bagdikian, Ben, The Media Monopoly, pp. 152-192.
Task Force Presentation: Political Domination

Oct 15: Bagdikian, Ben, The Media Monopoly, pp. 195-252.


Oct 22: Palast, Greg, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, pp. 1-81.


Oct 27: Palast, Greg, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, pp. 83-141.
Task Force Presentation: Media

Oct 29: Palast, Greg, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, pp. 143-205.


Nov  3: Palast, Greg, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, pp. 297-342
Task Force Presentation: Wealth and Poverty

Nov  5: Piven, F. and Cloward, R., Poor People's Movements,
pp. ix-xxiv,1-93
Task Force Presentation: Corporate Crime

Nov 10: Piven, F. and Cloward, R., Poor People's Movements,
pp. 96-175.

Nov 12: Piven, F. and Cloward, R., Poor People's Movements
pp. 181-258.

Nov 17: Piven, F. and Cloward, R., Poor People's Movements
pp. 264-359.

Nov 19: Freeman, Jo and Johnson, Victoria, Waves of Protest, pp. 1-23;
   Mansbridge, J. and Morris, A., Oppositional Consciousness, pp. 1-16, 20-37.

Nov 24: Mansbridge, J. and Morris, A., Oppositional Consciousness, pp. 65-97;
   Freeman, Jo and Johnson, Victoria, Waves of Protest, pp. 25-41

Nov 26: Mansbridge, J. and Morris, A., Oppositional Consciousness, pp. 204-237.
   Freeman, Jo and Johnson, Victoria, Waves of Protest, pp. 135-149.

Dec  1: Read any two unassigned chapters in either the Freeman or the Mansbridge texts.
Task Force Presentation: Political Surveilance

Dec  3: Read any two unassigned chapters in either the Freeman or the Mansbridge texts.
Task Force Presentation: Grass Roots Organizing and Alternatives

Dec 8: Domhoff, G. William, Changing the Powers That Be, pp. 1-62.


Dec 10: Domhoff, G. William, Changing the Powers That Be, pp. 63-108.