17.20
Introduction to the American Political Process
Provides a substantive overview of US politics and an introduction to the discipline of political science. Surveys the institutional foundations of US politics as well as the activities of political elites, organizations, and ordinary citizens. Explores the application of general political science concepts and analytic frameworks to specific episodes and phenomena in US politics. Enrollment limited.
Fall 2020
This course provides a substantive overview of U.S. politics and an introduction to the discipline of political science. It surveys the institutional foundations of U.S. politics as well as the activities of political elites, organizations, and ordinary citizens. It explores the application of general political science concepts and analytic frameworks to specific episodes and phenomena in U.S. politics.
Readings
- [K] Kollman, Ken, ed. Readings in American Politics: Analysis & Perspectives. 4th ed. W.W. Norton & Co., 2017. ISBN: 9780393283686.
- Taylor, Keeanga-Yamahtta. “How Do We Change America?” New Yorker , June 8, 2020.
- — — —. Selections from “‘Standing For’: Descriptive Representation.” Chapter 4 in The Concept of Representation . University of California Press, 1972. ISBN: 9780520021563.
- — — —. Selections from “Representing As ‘Acting For’: The Analogies.” Chapter 6 in The Concept of Representation . University of California Press, 1972. ISBN: 9780520021563.
- Olson, Mancur, Jr. “Introduction.” In The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups . Harvard University Press, 1971. ISBN: 9780674537514.
- Schattschneider, E. E. “The Scope and Bias of the Pressure System.” In The Semisovereign People: A Realist’s View of Democracy in America . Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1960. ISBN: 9780030106408.
- [K] Chapter 11.2: From “Outside Lobbying: Public Opinion and Interest Group Strategies.”
- [K] Koza, John R., Barry Fadem, et al. Chapter 13.1: From Every Vote Equal: A State-Based Plan for Electing the President by National Popular Vote .
- [K] Chapter 13.3: From Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder (2013) .
- [K] Dahl, Robert A. Chapter 2.3: From How Democratic Is the American Constitution?
- Klarman, Michael. “The Constitution as a Coup against the Public Opinion.” Revista Estudos Institucionais 3, no. 1 (2017): 256–66.
- [K] Mayhew, David R. Chapter 5.1: From “Congress: The Electoral Connection.”
- [K] Fenno, Richard F., Jr. Chapter 5.2: From “Home Style: House Members in their Districts.”
- [K] Cox, Gary W., and Mathew D. McCubbins. Chapter 5.3: From “Setting the Agenda: Responsible Party Government in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
- — — —. “A Theory.” Chapter 2 in Pivotal Politics: A Theory of U.S. Lawmaking . University of Chicago Press, 1998. ISBN: 9780226452722.
- [K] Neustadt, Richard E. Chapter 6.1: From Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents: The Politics of Leadership from Roosevelt to Reagan .
- [K] Cameron, Charles M. Chapter 6.2: From Veto Bargaining: Presidents and the Politics of Negative Power .
- [K] Canes-Wrone, Brandice. Chapter 6.3: From Who Leads Whom? Presidents, Policy, and the Public .
- [K] Howell, William G. Chapter 6.4: From Power Without Persuasion: The Politics of Direct Presidential Action .
- [K] Gailmard, Sean, and John W. Patty. Chapter 7.5: From Learning While Governing: Expertise and Accountability in the Executive Branch .
- [K] McCubbins, Mathew D., and Thomas Schwartz. Chapter 7.2: From “Congressional Oversight Overlooked: Police Patrols versus Fire Alarms.”
- [K] Rosenberg, Gerald N. Chapter 8.1: From The Hollow Hope: Can Courts Bring About Social Change?
- [K] Aldrich, John H. Chapter 12.1: From Why Parties? A Second Look .
- [K] Cohen, Marty, David Karol, et al. Chapter 12.3: From The Party Decides: Presidential Nominations Before and After Reform .
- [K] Kollman, Ken. Chapter 12.4: From “Who Drives the Party Bus?”
- [K] Riker, William. Chapter 3.2: From Federalism: Origin, Operation, Significance .
- Michener, Jamila. “Medicaid, Political Life, and Fragmented Democracy.” Chapter 1 in Fragmented Democracy: Medicaid, Federalism, and Unequal Politics . Cambridge University Press, 2018, pp. 1–15. ISBN: 9781316649589.
- Pacewicz. Josh. “States Lead the Fight against Covid-19. That Means We All Depend on Medicaid Now,” Washington Post , April 8, 2020.
- [K] Zaller, John R. Chapter 9.2: From The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion .
- [K] Kinder, Donald R., and Cindy D. Kam. Chapter 9.3: From Us against Them: Ethnocentric Foundations of American Opinion .
- Gilens, Martin. “Introduction.” In Why Americans Hate Welfare: Race, Media, and the Politics of Antipoverty Policy . University of Chicago Press, 2000. ISBN: 9780226293653.
- — — —. “The American Welfare State: Public Opinion and Public Policy.” Chapter 1 in Why Americans Hate Welfare: Race, Media, and the Politics of Antipoverty Policy . University of Chicago Press, 2000, pp. 11–12. ISBN: 9780226293653.
- Highly recommended
- — — —. “The News Media and Racialization of Poverty.” Chapter 5 in Why Americans Hate Welfare: Race, Media, and the Politics of Antipoverty Policy . University of Chicago Press, 2000, pp. 103–14. ISBN: 9780226293653.
- [K] Angus Campbell, Philip E. Converse, et al. Chapter 12.2: From The American Voter: An Abridgement .
- — — —. “Is the Public Polarized?” Chapter 4 in Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know . Oxford University Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780190867775.
- — — —. “What Are the Causes of Polarization?” Chapter 5 in Polarization: What Everyone Needs to Know . Oxford University Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780190867775.
- Page, Benjamin I., and Martin Gilens. “Thwarting the Will of the People,” “The Political Clout of Wealthy Americans,” and “Corporations and Interest Groups.” Chapters 3–5 in Democracy in America? What Has Gone Wrong and What We Can Do about It . University of Chicago Press, 2020. ISBN: 9780226724935.
- White, Ariel. “Even Very Short Jail Sentences Drive People Away from Voting,” Washington Post , March 28, 2019.
- [K] Tesler, Michael. Chapter 4.1: From Post-Racial or Most Racial? Race and Politics in the Obama Era .
- Kollman, Ken, ed. Readings in American Politics: Analysis & Perspectives . 4th ed. W.W. Norton & Co., 2017. ISBN: 9780393283686.
Spring 2013 · Introduction to American Politics
Topics
- The American Political Tradition
- The Constitution I
- The Constitution II
- Congress I: Ambitious Politicians
- Congress II: Internal Organization
- The Presidency
- The Bureaucracy
- The Judiciary
- Federalism
- Citizens and Politics
- Public Opinion
- Parties and Partisanship
- Political Choice
- Campaigns and Elections
- The U.S. in Comparative Perspective
- Political Participation
- Politics and Policy
- Political Geography
- Parties and the U.S. Political System
- Polarization and Extremism
- Money and Organized Interests
- The Politics of Economic Inequality
- Race and Racism
- Immigration and Multiculturalism
Readings
- [Dahl] = Dahl, Robert A. How Democratic is the American Constitution? 2nd ed. Yale University Press, 2003. ISBN: 9780300095241.
- [Kernell] = Kernell, Samuel, and Steven S. Smith, eds. Principles and Practice of American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings . 4th ed. CQ Press, 2009. ISBN: 9781604264630.
- [Mayhew] = Mayhew, David R. Partisan Balance: Why Political Parties Don’t Kill the U.S. Constitutional System . Princeton University Press, 2013. ISBN: 9780691157986.
- Note: The readings for this session introduce some of the core theoretical and analytic foundations of political science. The ideas introduced here will be referenced throughout the course. The pieces by Gaventa and Pierson are particularly dense (but rewarding!) and may require more time to digest than the other readings.
- [Kernell] Olson, Jr., Mancur. Chapter 1–1: Excerpt from “The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups.”
- [Kernell] Hardin, Garrett. Chapter 1–2: “The Tragedy of the Commons.”
- [Kernell] Putnam, Robert D. Chapter 1–3: “The Prosperous Community: Social Capital and Public Life.”
- de Tocqueville, Alexis. “Democracy in America.” Chapter 7 in American Social and Political Thought: A Reader . Edited by Andreas Hess. New York University Press, 2003. ISBN: 9780814736579.
- Lipset, Seymour Martin. “American Exceptionalism—A Double-Edged Sword.” Chapter 8 in American Social and Political Thought: A Reader . Edited by Andreas Hess. New York University Press, 2003. ISBN: 9780814736579.
- Wood, Gordon S. Excerpt from “The Creation of the American Republic, 1776–1787.” Chapter 2 in The Enduring Debate: Classic and Contemporary Readings in American Politics . 7th ed. Edited by David T. Canon, John J. Coleman, and Kenneth R. Mayer. W. W. Norton and Company, 2013. ISBN: 9780393921588.
- [Kernell] Madison, James. Chapter 2–3: “Federalist No. 10.”
- [Kernell] ———. Chapter 2–4: “Federalist No. 51.”
- [Dahl] Chapters 1 and 2.
- SES #: 5 · TOPICS: The Constitution II · READINGS: [Dahl] Chapters 3–7.
- SES #: 6 · TOPICS: Congress I: Ambitious Politicians · READINGS: Mayhew, David R. “The Electoral Incentive.” Chapter 1 in Congress: The Electoral Connection . 2nd ed. Yale University Press, 2004. ISBN: 9780300105872.
- [Kernell] Aldrich, John H., and David W. Rohde. Chapter 6–3: “Congressional Committees in a Continuing Partisan Era.”
- [Kernell] Baum, Matthew A., and Samuel Kernell. Chapter 7–4: “How Cable Ended the Golden Age of Presidential Television: From 1969 to 2006.”
- [Kernell] Moe, Terry M. Chapter 8–1: “The Politics of Bureaucratic Structure.”
- [Kernell] Lewis, David E. Chapter 8–3: Excerpt from “The Politics of Presidential Appointments: Political Control and Bureaucratic Performance.”
- [Kernell] Rosenberg, Gerald N. Chapter 5–4: “The Real World of Constitutional Rights: The Supreme Court and the Implementation of the Abortion Decisions.”
- [Kernell] Buchanan, James M. Chapter 3–1: “Federalism as an Ideal Political Order and an Objective for Constitutional Reform.”
- Robertson, David Brian. “Federalism and Race.” Chapter 4 in Federalism and the Making of America . Routledge, 2011. ISBN: 9780415879194.
- [Kernell] Kettle, Donald F. Chapter 3–2: “Federalism: Battles on the Front Lines of Public Policy.”
- [Kernell] Schudson, Michael. Chapter 10–3: “America’s Ignorant Voters.”
- [Kernell] Asher, Herbert. Chapter 10–1: “Analyzing and Interpreting Polls.”
- [Kernell] Aldrich, John H. Chapter 12–1: Excerpt from “Why Parties? The Origin and Transformation of Political Parties in America.”
- Jacoby, William G. “The American Voter.” Chapter 15 in The Oxford Handbook of American Elections and Political Behavior . Edited by Jan E. Leighley. Oxford University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780199235476.
- [Kernell] Bartels, Larry M. Chapter 12–2: “Partisanship and Voting Behavior.”
- Sides, John, and Jake Haselswerdt. “Campaigns and Elections.” Chapter 11 in New Directions in Public Opinion (New Directions in American Politics) . Edited by Adam J. Berinsky. Routledge, 2011. ISBN: 9780415885294.
- [Kernell] West, Darrell M. Chapter 11–3: Excerpt from “Air Wars: Television Advertising in Election Campaigns, 1952–2008.”
- SES #: 17 · TOPICS: The U.S. in Comparative Perspective · READINGS: In lieu of assigned readings, students should select one of the substantive debates in Part V and skim the readings pertaining to that debate. This is to help students decide on a topic for their final paper.
- [Kernell] Stimson, James A., Michael B. MacKuen, and Robert S. Erikson. Chapter 10–2: “Dynamic Representation.”
- [Mayhew] Chapter 1: “The Electoral Bases.”
- [Mayhew] Chapter 2: “President and Congress.”
- [Mayhew] Chapter 3: “House and Senate I.”
- [Mayhew] Chapter 4: “House and Senate II.”
- [Kernell] Fiorina, Morris P. Chapter 10–4: Excerpt from “Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America.”
- [Kernell] Jacobson, Gary C. Chapter 11–2: “Party Polarization in National Politics: The Electoral Connection.”
- [Kernell] Wright, John R. Chapter 13–2: “The Evolution of Interest Groups.”
- [Kernell] Hall, Richard L., and Frank W. Wayman. Chapter 13–3: “Buying Time: Moneyed Interests and the Mobilization of Bias in Congressional Committees.”
- Key, Jr., V. O. “Of The South.” Chapter 1 in Southern Politics in State and Nation . New ed. University of Tennessee Press, 1984. ISBN: 9780870494352.
- Dahl, Robert A. How Democratic is the American Constitution? 2nd ed. Yale University Press, 2003. ISBN: 9780300095241.
- Kernell, Samuel, and Steven S. Smith, eds. Principles and Practice of American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings . 4th ed. CQ Press, 2009. ISBN: 9781604264630.
- Mayhew, David R. Partisan Balance: Why Political Parties Don’t Kill the U.S. Constitutional System . Princeton University Press, 2013. ISBN: 9780691157986.
Spring 2004
Topics
- What is the Role of Government?
- Understanding Institutions: The Median Voter Theorem
- Agenda Setting: The Committee Model
- Making Legislation: Veto Players
- Making Legislation: Ideas and Policy Entrepreneurs
- The Preferences of Policymakers: Elections and Responsiveness
- Campaigns and Elections
- The Measure and Meaning of Public Opinion
- The Structure of Public Opinion
- Understanding Public Opinion and American Politics: War and Race
- Mobilization of Interests
- Participation and the Political System
- The Welfare Implications of Government
- Conclusions
Readings
- Wilson, James. Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It . New York: Basic Books, 1989. Chapter 19.
- Stewart, Charles. Analyzing Congress . New York: Norton, 2001. Chapter 1.
- Krehbiel, Keith. Pivotal Politics . Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. Chapters 1-2.
- Fenno. Congressmen in Committees . Boston: Boston, Little, and Brown, 1973. Chapter 1.
- Cameron, Charles. Veto Bargaining . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Chapters 1, 3, 5, 8 and 9.
- Kingdon, John. Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies. New York: Longman, 2003. Chapters 1, 4, 8 and 9.
- Fiorina, Morris. “The Decline of Collective Responsibility in American Politics. ” Daedalus Summer, 1980:25-46.
- Ansolabehere, Steve, Jim Snyder, and Charles Stewart. “Candidate Positions in Congressional Elections.” American Journal of Political Science 45: 136-159.
- Larry, Bartels. “Candidate Choice and the Dynamics of the Presidential Nominating Process.” American Journal of Political Science 31: 1-30.
- Gellman, Andrew, and Gary King. “Why Are American Presidential Election Campaign Polls so Variable When Votes Are so Predictable?” British Journal of Political Science 23:409–451.
- Brady, Henry, and Gary Orren. Media Polls in American Politics . Edited by Mann, and Orren. Washington, D.C. : Brookings Institution, 1992. Chapter 4.
- Zaller, John. The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Chapters 2-4.
- Kinder, Donald. “Opinion and Action in the Realm of Politics.” in Handbook of Social Psychology , 4th Edition. Edited by Daniel Todd Gilbert, Susan T. Fiske, and Gardner Lindzey, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988. pp. 778-867.
- Mueller, John. “Trends in Popular Support for the Wars in Vietnam and Korea.” The American Political Science Review , 65 (June, 1971), 358-375.
- Zaller, John. The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Chapter 9.
- Kinder, Donald R. and Lynn M. Sanders. Divided by Color. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. Chapters 4 and 7.
- Olson, Mancur. The Logic of Collective Action. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971. Chapters 1 and 2.
- Kritzer. “The Government Gorilla: Why Does Government Come Out Ahead?” in In Litigation: Do the ‘Haves’ Still Come Out Ahead? Edited by Herbert M. Kritzer and Susan S. Silbey, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2003. pp.342-370.
- Rosenstone, Steven and John Mark Hansen. Mobilization, Participation, and Democracy in America. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education, 1996. Chapters 4-6.
- Dahl, Robert. Who Governs. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1979. Chapters 1, 19, 24, 27 and 28.
- Dahl, Robert. How Democratic is the American Constitution? Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1980. (Entire)
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: None U (Fall) 3-0-9 units. HASS-S; CI-H
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2020
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2013
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2004
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.