POLS 4555: RAILROADS AND AMERICAN POLITICS

Spring Semester AY2012-2013
Department of Political Science
University of Georgia
Athens, GA, 30602-1615

Classroom: Baldwin 301
Time: 2:00 - 3:15PM Tuesday, Thursday

Instructor: Keith T. Poole

Office: Room 304D Baldwin Hall
E-Mail: ktpoole@uga.edu
WebSite: Voteview Home Page

Office Hours: 3:00 - 5:00PM Wednesdays or By Appointment

The following texts will be used in this course:

• Craig Miner, A Most Magnificent Machine
• John F. Stover, American Railroads
• Harold C. Livesay, Andrew Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business
• John Steele Gordon, An Empire of Wealth

Requirements

Grades will be determined by three examinations -- two mid-semester exams and a final exam. The exams will consist of short answer essay questions. The midterms will be worth ¼ each and the final 1/2 of the course grade.

The first Mid-Semester exam will be on Tuesday, 26 February 2013, one hour, in class.
The second Mid-Semester exam will be on Thursday, 28 March 2013, one hour, in class.
The final is scheduled for Thursday, 2 May 2013 from 3:30 to 5:30PM

---

Course Outline

1. Introduction: Why are Railroads Important?
   
   Assignment:
   
   
• Chapters 1, 2 and 3, An Empire of Wealth
  
  Agenda For Topic 1
  
  
  Why are Railroads Important? (PowerPoint)
  Handout for Topic 1 (Part 1, PowerPoint)
  Railroads are the best way to move heavy freight
  The Alameda Corridor
  The Railroad in American Life
  


2. American Politics, Economics, and Business prior to the Railroads: 1800 - 1830
   
   Assignment:
   
   
• Chapters 4 - 8, An Empire of Wealth
  
• Chapters 1 and 2, American Railroads
  
• Chapters 1 - 3, A Most Magnificent Machine
  
  Agenda For Topic 2
  
  Handout for Topic 2
  St. Louis Museum of Transportation
  
  
3. Railroads as Big Business
   
   Assignment:
   
   
• Chapters 9 - 12, An Empire of Wealth
  
• Chapter 3, American Railroads
  
• Chapters 4 - 10, A Most Magnificent Machine
  
  Agenda For Topic 3
  
  Handout For Topic 3 (PowerPoint)
  Oil Refining and Coke Production (PowerPoint)
  Early Railroad Corporate Charters (PowerPoint)
  The Trunk Lines as Big Business (PowerPoint)
  
  
  
Study Questions for First Exam (26 February 2013)


4. Andrew Carnegie, the Standard Railway of the World, and the Industrialization of the U.S.
   
   Assignment:
   
   
• Chapter 13, An Empire of Wealth
  
• Chapters 1 - 11, Andrew Carnegie
  
• Chapters 11 - 14 and Conclusion, A Most Magnificent Machine
  
  Agenda For Topic 4
  
  Handout For Topic 4 (PowerPoint)
  1937 Newspaper Article about the Lucy Blast Furnace being Torn Down
  New Tunnels Being Bored in Manhattan and Queens, New York (PowerPoint)
  
  


5. The Nature of Railroad Competition
   
   Assignment:
   
   
• Chapter 5, American Railroads
  
  Agenda For Topic 5
  
  The Political Problems of the Railroads (PDF)
  Handout For Topic 5 (PowerPoint)
  Handout For Topic 5 (PDF)
  

Study Questions for Second Exam (28 March 2013)


6. Railroads and the Development of Agriculture
   
   Assignment:
   
   
• Chapter 4, American Railroads
  
• Chapter 14, An Empire of Wealth
  
  Agenda For Topic 6
  
  The Political Problems of the Railroads (PDF)
  Handout For Topic 6 (PowerPoint)
  What is Truth?
  


7. Railroads and Government Regulation: 1887-1920
   
   Assignment:
   
   
• Chapters 6 to 8, American Railroads
  
• Chapters 15 to 17, An Empire of Wealth
  
  Agenda For Topic 7
  Corrupt Practices by Railroad Managers
  Handout For Topic 7 (Part 1)
  Supreme Court Rulings on State Regulation
  The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887
  Regulatory Acts 1903-1916
  Handout For Topic 7 (Part 2)
  Handout For Topic 7 (PowerPoint, Part 1)
  Handout For Topic 7 (PowerPoint, Part 2)
  Handout For Topic 7 (PowerPoint, Part 3)
  

Study Questions for Final Exam (2 May 2013)


8. Railroads Triumphant: 1980 - 2012
   
   Assignment:
   
   
• Chapters 9 and 10, American Railroads
  
• Chapters 18 to 20, An Empire of Wealth
  
  Agenda For Topic 8
  
  
9. Railroads and the Future of the American Transportation System
   
   Assignment:
   
   
• Stop This Train! Are Trains Slower Now than they were in the 1920s? Tom Vanderbilt, Slate, May 15, 2009
  
• Beware of Low Flying Aircraft! Chris Camp, The Northwest's Own Railfan
  
• Improve Existing Rail Lines for Passenger Trains
  

---

Site Links

VOTEVIEW Blog
NOMINATE Data, Roll Call Data, and Software
Course Web Pages: UGA (2010 - )
Course Web Pages: UC San Diego (2004 - 2010)
University of San Diego Law School (2005)
Course Web Pages: University of Houston (2000 - 2005)
Course Web Pages: Carnegie-Mellon University (1997 - 2000)
Spatial Models of Parliamentary Voting
Recent Working Papers
Analyses of Recent Politics
About This Website
K7MOA Log Books: 1960 - 2013
Bio of Keith T. Poole
Related Links

---