CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT
This course considers central themes and controversies in American political thinking during the 20th and early 21st centuries. Topics include the development of liberalism from the Progressive Era to the New Deal to the Great Society and beyond; the emergence of new strands of conservatism after World War II and the tensions between those strands; challenges by excluded and marginalized groups to the traditional social and political order; and the revival of concerns about "community" in America. As a topic of study, "American Political Thought" combines philosophy, political theory, history, and practical politics. The course covers a wide variety of texts, ranging from philosophical treatises to newspaper articles, from presidential addresses to works of social science with ultimate goal to become more knowledgeable and more critical students of the American political experience. Not open to students with credit for POLI SCI 566 prior to fall 2017
Topics
- the development of liberalism from the Progressive Era to the New Deal to the Great Society and beyond
- the emergence of new strands of conservatism after World War II and the tensions between those strands
- challenges by excluded and marginalized groups to the traditional social and political order
- and the revival of concerns about "community" in America
Topics explicitly listed in official catalogue description
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: Sophomore standing and ( POLI SCI 160 or ILS 205 ) Course Designation: Core GenEd - Humanities & Arts Breadth - Humanities Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Explore American Political Thought from the progressive era to the present day. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Discuss the progressives; New Deal liberalism; and different strands of conservatism after World War II. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Examine communitarianism; multiculturalism; and recent political rhetoric. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Analyze issues of race, gender and class in the 1960s. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Explore American Political Thought from the progressive era to the present day. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Discuss the progressives; New Deal liberalism; and different strands of conservatism after World War II. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Examine communitarianism; multiculturalism; and recent political rhetoric. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Analyze issues of race, gender and class in the 1960s. Audience: Undergraduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027