POLI 102G SPECIAL TOPICS: THE POLARIZATION OF AMERICAN POLITICS
Winter Quarter AY2006-2007
Department of Political Science
University of California, San Diego
San Diego, CA 92093-0521
Classroom: WLH 2005
Time: 6:30PM - 7:50PM Tuesday and Thursday
Instructor:
Keith T. Poole
Office: 368 Social Science Building
E-Mail: kpoole@ucsd.edu
WebSite: Voteview Home Page
Office Hours: 2:00 - 4:00PM Wednesdays
Grader:
Lexi Shankster, ashankst@dss.ucsd.edu, Room SSB 351, Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:00-9:00PM
The following texts will be
used in this course:
- McCarty, Nolan, Keith T. Poole, and Howard Rosenthal (2006). Polarized America: The Dance of
Ideology and Unequal Riches
- Jacobson, Gary C. (2006). A Divider, Not a Uniter: George W. Bush and the American People
- Fiorina, Morris P. (2006). Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America
Requirements
Grades will be determined by two examinations -- one midsemester exam
and a final exam. The exams will consist of essay and short answer questions.
The Midterm Exam is scheduled for Thursday, 15 February 2007 from 6:30 - 7:30PM.
The Final Exam is scheduled for Tuesday, 20 March 2007 from 7:00 - 10:00PM.
Course Outline
-
Introduction: Why Political Polarization Matters
Assignment:
- How do we Measure the Political Polarization?
Assignment:
- Income Inequality and Political Polarization
Assignment:
- Post 1960s Political Polarization
Assignment:
- George W. Bush and the 2000 and 2004 Presidential Elections
Assignment:
- The Public Policy Consequences of Political Polarization
Assignment:
- Chapter 8, A Divider, Not a Uniter
- Chapter 6, Polarized America
- The Future of American Politics
Assignment:
- Chapter 9, A Divider, Not a Uniter
- Chapter 10, Culture War?
- Chapter 7, Polarized America
Lecture 15 March 2007
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The Level and Distribution
of Economic Well-Being (Remarks by Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Ben S. Bernanke)