Department of Political Studies Département des etudes politiques

Political Studies 330a TOPICS IN U.S. PUBLIC POLICY

Fall 2006 Dr. Stritch Mon. & Wed. 16:30 — 18:00 Room: N202 Rm: J103 This course examines a wide variety of controversial issues in contemporary American politics. It is designed to provide students with an awareness of the main lines of intellectual and political cleavage on each of these issues, as well as helping students to analyze alternatives and develop their own views. Topics include, abortion, assisted suicide, capital punishment, crime, gun control, drug legalization, hate speech, affirmative action, health, welfare, social security, foreign policy, terrorism and homeland security, the war in Iraq, global warming, immigration, education and energy security. The course is taught on a seminar basis and requires all students to do some reading each week in order to prepare for the classes. During the course of the term, everyone will be required to make two short oral presentations (approximately 10 minutes) to introduce the various topics. Discussion will then be opened up to all students and everyone will be expected to participate fully. In addition to presentations in class and overall participation, students will be expected to write a term paper of 2,500 words on a topic covered in the course. The essay should pursue a clear line of argument and advocate a coherent policy direction supported by available evidence. It should be typed, double-spaced, and should include proper footnoting and a full bibliography. The term paper is due in class on Wednesday, November 15. Four marks per day (including holidays and weekends) will be deducted for written work that is late. Any work more than five days late will not be accepted. Extensions will only be granted on medical or compassionate grounds, and you will require a doctor’s note explaining why you were unable to complete the work on time. Extensions will not be granted for time-management problems or for failures of word-processors, computer printers, etc. N.B. Plagiarism and academic dishonesty are serious offences with serious penalties. Please read the attached warning and the relevant sections of the Academic Calendar. There will also be a final exam in December

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The marking scheme is as follows: Presentations 20% Participation 20% Term Paper (Nov. 15) 30% Final Exam 30%

TOPICS AND READINGS

eek 1 (Sept. 6) — Introduction W

Week 2 (Sept. 11 —15)- The US Policymaking System James E. Anderson, Public Policymaking, 5th ed., Ch. 2, ‘The Policy-Makers and Their Environment.”

PART I — CRIME AND PUNISHMENT ISSUES

Week 3 (Sept. 18 -22) Monday: Crime Michael Tonry, Thinking About Crime, Chs. 1 and 2. Lawrence Brewster and Genie Stowers, The Public Agenda, Ch. 4, “Crime and the (In) Justice System”. Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics, Ch. 4, “Where Have All the Criminals Gone?”. Wednesday: Capital Punishment Brent Steel and Mary Ann Steger, “Death Penalty: Just Punishment or Legalized Homicide?” in R. Tatalovich and B. Daynes (eds.), Moral Controversies in American Politics. Antoniri Scalia, “The Death Penalty is Just”, in Diane Henningfeld (ed.) The Death Penalty: Opposing Viewpoints. Anthony Amsterdam, “The Death Penalty is Unjust”, Ibid. Week 4 (Sept. 25 — 29)

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Monday: Gun Control Robert Spitzer, The Politics of Gun Control, Ch. 3. John A. Hird et al., Controversies in American Public Policy, 3 ed., Ch. 13 ‘Gun Control.’ Wednesday: Drug Legalization Duane McBride, “Alternative Perspectives on the Drug Policy Debate” in J. Inciardi (ed.) The Drug Legalization Debate. Eric Schlosser, Reefer Madness, Ch. 1 Patrick Marshall, “Marijuana Laws”, in CQ Researcher, Issues for Debate in American Public Policy.

PART 2— CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES ISSUES Week 5 (Oct 2- 6) Monday: Hate Speech Kent Greenawalt, Fighting Words, Ch. 4. Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, Understanding Words That Wound, Chs. 1,3, and 6. Nadine Strossen, “Why the American Civil Liberties Union Opposes Campus Hate Speech Codes, Academic Questions (Summer 1997). Wednesday: Affirmative Action Curtis Crawford, “Racial Preference versus Non-Discrimination”, Society, (March/April, 2004) Ronald Fiscus, The Constitutional Logic of Affirmative Action, Introduction and Ch. 1. Carl Cohen and James Sterba, Affirmative Action and Racial Preference: A Debate, Section 1, Ch. 4 and Section 2, Ch. 9. Thanksgiving Break (Oct 9— 13) Week 6 (Oct 16 -20) Monday: Abortion Ruth Ann Strickland, “Abortion: Pro-Choice versus Pro-Life” in R. Tatalovich and B. Daynes (eds.), Moral Controversies in American Politics, 3 ed. Jeffrey Rosen, “The Day After Roe”, Atlantic Monthly, (June 2006). Wednesday: Assisted Suicide Kenneth Jost, “Right to Die”, in CQ Researcher, Issues for Debate in American Public Policy, 6th ed.

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Gerald Dworkin, “Public Policy and Physician-Assisted Suicide”, in C. Dworkin et al. (eds.) Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide.

PART 3— INTERNATIONAL ISSUES Week 7 (Oct. 23-27) Monday: Invasion of Iraq 1: Causes Wednesday: Invasion of Iraq 2: Short and Long-term Consequences Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., War and the American Presidency, Ch. 2, “Eyeless in Iraq: The Bush Doctrine and Its Consequences”. Gwynne Dyer, Future: Tense, Ch. 4, “Target Iraq”. William R. Clark, Petrodollar Warfare, Ch. 1. There are now many books analyzing the invasion of Iraq, mostly by “insiders” or journalists. The following list contains some of the better ones and you should consult them as supplemental readings: George Packer, The Assassins Gate esp. Chs. 1, 2 and 10 Seymour Hersh, Chain of Command, esp. Part IV Michael Gordon and Bernard Trainor, Cobra II, esp. Ch. 1 and Epilogue. Bob Woodward, Plan of Attack James Risen, State of War, esp. Chs. 3-6. Richard A. Clarke, Against All Enemies, esp. Ch. 11. Week 8 (Oct 30 — Nov. 3) Monday: Terrorism & Homeland Security Robert Thobaben, Issues in American Political Life, ed., Ch. 5, “The Politics of Terrorism”. Michael O’Hanlon et. al., Protecting the American Homeland, Chs. 2-4. Wednesday: Pre-emptive War and Unilateralism C. John Ikenberry, “America’s Imperial Ambition”, Foreign Affairs (Sept./Oct. 2002). Lee Feinstein and Anne-Marie Slaughter, “A Duty to Prevent”, Foreign Affairs (Jan/Feb, 2004). Joseph Nye, The Paradox of American Power, esp. Ch. 1. Week 9 (Nov. 6- 10) Monday: Globalization and Trade Policy

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Gary Burtless et. al., Globaphobia, Ch. 2, “The Virtues of Openness”. John Agnew, Hegemony: The New Shape of Global Power, Ch. 8, “Globalization Comes Home”. Wednesday: Immigration George Borjas, Heaven’s Door, Ch. 11 Linda Chavez, “The Realities of Immigration”, Commentary (July/August, 2006). Week 10 (Nov. 13-17) Monday: Energy Security Mary H. Cooper, “Alternative Energy”, in CQ Researcher, Issues for Debate in American Public Policy, 6thi ed. Kevin Phillips, American Theocracy, Part 1, “Oil and American Supremacy”. Wednesday: Global Warming David Victor, The Collapse of the Kyoto Protocol and the Struggle to Slow Global Warming, Ch. 1 and Appendix. Geoffrey Lean, “Global Warming Poses a Serious Threat”, in Cynthia Bily (ed.) Global Warming: Opposing Viewpoints. John F. McManus, “Global Warming Does Not Pose a Serious Threat”, Ibid.

PART 4— SOCIAL POLICY ISSUES

Week 11 (Nov. 20-24) Monday: Social Security Mary H. Cooper, “Social Security Reform”, in CQ Researcher, Issues for Debate in American Public Policy, 6th ed. President’s Commission to Strengthen Social Security, Final Report (Dec. 2001) pp. 25-39. Peter Diamond and Peter Orszag, “Why We Can Afford Social Security”, Generations, (Spring 2005). Wednesday: Welfare John A. Hird et al. Controversies in American Public Policy, 3rd ed., Ch. 9 “Welfare Policy: Has Welfare Reform Been a Success?” Harrell Rodgers Jr., American Poverty in a New Era of Reform, Chs. 5 arid 8. Week 12 (Nov. 27— Dec. 1) Monday: Health Care Lawrence Brewster and Genie Stowers, The Public Agenda, Ch. 3, “Health Care

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in Continuing Crisis”. Colin Gordon, Dead on Arrival, “Introduction: Why No National Health Insurance in the United States.” Wednesday: Education Diane Ravitch, “Student Performance” Brookings Review (Winter 1999). The CQ Researcher, Issues for Debate in American Public Policy, 61h ed., Ch. 1 “No Child Left Behind”. Week 13 (Dec. 4) Monday: Course Review

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