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American Political Development (419-0-20)

Instructors

Daniel J Galvin
847 491 2641
601 University Place, 103 Scott Hall
Office Hours: http://www.polisci.northwestern.edu/people/core-faculty/daniel-galvin.html

Meeting Info

Scott Hall 212: Tues 9:00AM - 11:50AM

Overview of class

This seminar introduces students to the study of American Political Development (APD), a subfield of American Politics with important links to history, sociology, comparative politics, public law, political theory, and other fields. Most, but not all, APD work falls within the broad category of historical institutionalism. Its substantive inquiries range widely, but all leading work seeks to theorize about relations of continuity and change in American politics. This seminar surveys classic and contemporary APD scholarship with a focus on theory, concept, and method.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students should be able to: (1) Critically evaluate the arguments and evidence in articles and books. (2) Write analytic papers. (3) Lead and participate meaningfully in scholarly discussion. (4) Understand the range of substantive and methodological approaches to studying American political development.

Evaluation Method

Reading responses; literature review; final project, paper, or exam

Class Materials (Required)

Matthew J. Lacombe, Firepower: How the NRA Turned Gun Owners into a Political Force, Princeton University Press, 2021. 9780691207445 Robert Mickey, Paths Out of Dixie: The Democratization of Authoritarian Enclaves in America's Deep South, 1944-1972, Princeton University Press, 2015, 9780691133386 Ruth Milkman, Immigrant Labor and the New Precariat, Wiley, 2020. 978-0-745-69202-9 Mallory E. SoRelle, Democracy Declined: The Failed Politics of Consumer Financial Protection, University of Chicago Press, 2020. 9780226711799 Stephanie Ternullo, How the Heartland Went Red: Why Local Forces Matter in an Age of Nationalized Politics, Princeton University Press, 2024. 9780691249704

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Graduate Students.