WINTHROP UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM

PLSC/AAMS 317: African American Politics

Instructor: Dr. Adolphus G. Belk, Jr.

Fall 2007 ♦ Time: TR 2:00-3:15PM ♦ Location: Kinard 211

Office: 332 Bancroft

Office Hours: TR 3:30-5:00PM and by appointment

Phone: (803) 323-4663 ♦ Fax: (803) 323-2568 ♦ E-mail: belka@winthrop.edu

Course Description

Welcome to PLSC/AAMS 317: African American Politics.  This course is designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of the Black political experience in the United States.  Grounded in political economy, the course considers relevant historical background and context, the constitutional framework of American government, and the nature of interactions between Black Americans and the main institutions of American government (i.e., Congress, the Executive Branch, the Courts, etc.).  Such coverage is essential if one is to make sense of the issues and challenges faced by Black Americans today—particularly those of the so-called “underclass.”

What is more, the course focuses on the role and participation of African Americans in American government and politics as well as the role of political parties, independent group politics, and social movements.  In the process, the course highlights the long struggle of Black Americans to attain freedom, justice, equality, and full inclusion in the American political and economic communities.  The role of race, class, and gender in African American politics is a concomitant focus of the course.

This course fulfills a Social Science requirement in the General Education program. 

This course also addresses the following general education goals: 1.1, 3.5, 4.2, 7.1, 7.2 and 7.4.

Prerequisite(s): PLSC 201 with grade of C or better, or AAMS 300, or permission of instructor.

Course Objectives

At the close of the term, students will be able to think critically about the many facets of African American politics.  More specifically, students will be able to:

1. Describe the nature, scope, and broad themes of Black politics.

2. Comprehend the historical foundations of contemporary issues in Black politics.

3. Detail the main features, characteristics, and strategies of Black political activity.

4. Understand and explain the key forces and determinates of Black political behavior.

5. Evaluate the role and significance of Black elected officials, independent political organizations, and social groups.

6. Describe the relationship between the Black struggle for inclusion and the central institutions of American government.

7. Understand and explain the continued significance of race in American government and politics.

Lastly, at the conclusion of the term, students will have acquired sufficient knowledge to carry out future work in the study of Black politics and/or racial and ethnic politics in the United States.

Requirements and Guidelines

It is my sincere hope that each student will do well in the course.  For this to happen, students must live up to the responsibilities and requirements outlined in this syllabus.  Consequently, each student will be expected to:

1. Complete the readings prior to the class in which the material will be discussed.

2. Attend lectures.  Attendance is not required.  However, the lectures are designed to expound upon the readings—they do not simply regurgitate the textbooks.  Moreover, regular attendance and thorough lecture notes will be two of your most valuable resources for the examinations.  Thus, it will be to the student’s advantage to attend all class meetings. 

3. Participate in making the class a meaningful, productive learning experience for all.

4. Hand in assignments on the date they are due.  Please note that late assignments will be penalized one full letter grade for each day that they are overdue.

5. Take examinations on the date that they are scheduled.  A student who fails to take an exam on the scheduled date—and who also fails to offer proper documentation to explain her or his situation—will take a make-up test comprised of essay questions.

6. Show sensitivity and respect for your colleagues and the instructor.  This also includes turning off all cell phones and/or pagers.

7. Ask questions.

8. Inform the instructor of any concerns.

9. Make suggestions on how the course could be improved.

10. Abide by the Winthrop University Code of Conduct.

Finally, open your mind to the material.  Learn, debate, challenge, and grow intellectually. 

Required Readings

Lucius Barker, Mack Jones, & Katherine Tate, African Americans in the American Political System,

4th edition (Hereafter referred to as BJT)

Manning Marable, Race, Reform, and Rebellion: The Second Reconstruction in Black America,

1945-2006, 3rd edition

Ronald W. Walters, White Nationalism, Black Interests: Conservative Public Policy and the

Black Community

Randall Robinson, The Debt: What America Owes Blacks

Textbooks can be purchased from The Bookworm, Books That Matter, and other fine bookstores or online vendors.

Please note that additional readings for some weeks will be made available from handouts, the Internet, or placed on reserve at Dacus Library.

Evaluation and Grading

Students will be evaluated and graded based on the following criteria:

1. Class Participation (10%): Students must participate in class.  Be advised, however, that participation includes raising relevant questions, answering relevant questions, and, from time to time, taking part in in-class group assignments or exercises.

2. Quizzes (10%): Quizzes will be both announced and unannounced (the point: be prepared).  All quizzes will be of the multiple-choice variety.

3. Team Presentation (10%): In order to provide ample opportunity for everyone to make the most of their experience in this course, students will participate in team presentations throughout the semester.  Students will be both randomly assigned to discussion topics and teams.  Students who are not scheduled to present on a particular day are expected to read the assigned course materials and pose questions to the presenters.  We will discuss this assignment in further detail at a later date.

4. Examinations (45% total): There will be two (2) examinations during the course of the semester, a midterm and a comprehensive final.  The midterm is worth 20 percent of your total grade.  The final examination will comprise 25 percent of the total grade.  Students are expected to take exams when they are scheduled on the syllabus.  Tests will begin promptly at the appointed time and will be a combination of multiple-choice, short answer, and essay questions.

5. Writing Assignment (25% total): Students are required to write a research paper on a subject directly related to African American politics.  Students also are required to submit a 2-page paper proposal due on Thursday, September 13.  The proposal will include a description of your topic and its importance in the study of African American politics, research question, thesis statement, outline, and a list of references.  The proposal will account for 5 percent of the final grade.

 

The final assignment must be 15 to 20 pages (no more, no less), typed, double-spaced, stapled, and have standard margins and consecutively numbered pages.  Your argument must be persuasive, substantiated by relevant evidence, and eloquently written.  You must also include a list of references or bibliography.  (Note: A cover sheet or reference page will not count toward the allotted number of pages.)  Please do not use a font smaller than Times New Roman 12.

 

Lastly, the following sources are not considered appropriate for this assignment:

• Encyclopedias

• Wikipedia, About.com, Infoplease.com or other on-line sources that are not vetted by an editor or peer reviewed. Web logs (blogs), personal web sites and the like are examples.

• Textbooks

Grading:

The “N” Grade Issue

This semester, the deadline to withdraw from a course with an automatic grade of “N” is Friday, October 19.  After that date, no student who does not have a “C” or better average will be allowed to drop the course with an “N” grade.

Assignment and Examination Schedule

Course Calendar

Note: The course calendar will be adjusted to accommodate events that provide significant learning opportunities for students, weather conditions, etc.  Additionally, a more detailed calendar may be issued at the instructor’s discretion.

Part One:       Introduction and Theoretical Foundations

Week 1            Tue.     August 21                    Introduction

Thu.     August 23                    Theoretical Approaches to African American Politics

The Black Population in the United States;

BJT Chapter 1 (p. 1-13, 20-26)

Week 2            Tue.     August 28                    The Nature of the Problem: Political Economy and the

African American Community

BJT Chapter 2; Oliver & Shapiro Chapters 1 and 2

Thu.     August 30                    The Nature of the American Political System

BJT Chapter 3

Part Two:       Enslavement, Reconstruction, and the Rise and Fall of Black Representation

Week 3            Tue.     September 4               Voices of Dissent: The Abolitionist Movement

Franklin & Moss Chapter 10; Walker; Garnet

Thu.     September 6               Emancipation, Reconstruction, and Black Representation

Franklin & Moss Chapters 11 and 12;

Washington; DuBois Chapters 1 and 3

Week 4            Tue.     September 11             The Deconstruction

                                                                        Franklin & Moss Chapters 13 and 14

Part Three:   White Supremacy, The Jim Crow Regime, and Resistance

Thu.     September 13             The Rise of Jim Crow

                                                                        Woodward Chapter 3; Marable Chapter 1

                                                                        PAPER PROPOSAL DUE IN CLASS

Week 5            Tue.     September 18             The Cold War and the “American Dilemma”

Marable Chapter 2

Thu      September 20             The Civil Rights Movement

Marable Chapter 3; Juan Williams Chapters 1 and 3

Week 6            Tue.     September 25             The Civil Rights Movement

                                                                        Marable Chapter 4; King; Juan Williams Chapter 5

Thu.     September 27             The Black Power Movement and Black Radicalism

Marable Chapter 5 and 6;

Carmichael (Turé) & Hamilton Chapter 2

Week 7            Tue.     October 2                    Black Power, White Backlash

                                                                        Marable Chapters 7 and 8; Walters Chapter 1

Thu.     October 4                    Review for Midterm Examination

Week 8            Tue.     October 9                    MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Part Four:     African American Political Behavior

Thu.     October 11                  The Quest for Political Power

                                                                        BJT Chapter 4; Walters Chapters 2 and 9

Week 9            Tue.     October 16                  FALL BREAK: NO CLASS

Thu.     October 18                  Interest Group Politics

                                                                        BJT Chapter 7; Johnson & Stanford Chapters 1, 7, 2, 3

Week 10          Tue.     October 23                  Political Parties

                                                                        BJT Chapter 8; Walters Chapter 4

Thu.     October 25                  African American Voters and Electoral Politics

                                                                        Bositis; BJT Chapter 9; Dawson Chapter 3

Part Five:       African Americans and American Political Institutions

Week 11          Tue.     October 30                  Congress and African American Representation

                                                                        Membership of the 110^th Congress: A Profile;

BJT Chapter 10;

Tate Black Faces in the Mirror Chapters 3 and 5;

                                                                        Swain Chapters 9 and 10; Tate Black Faces Chapter 9

Thu.     November 1                The Executive Branch

                                                                        BJT Chapter 11,

Walters Black Presidential Politics Chapters 1 and 8

Week 12          Tue.     November 6                The Courts

                                                                        BJT Chapters 5 and 6

Part Six:         Challenges and Controversies in African American Politics

Thu.     November 8                Race and the City

Boger (p. 3-76); Massey & Denton Chapters 3 and 4;

Kraus and Swanstrom

Week 13          Tue.     November 13              Environmental Justice

                                                                        Bullard Chapter 1; “Katrina: Demographics of a Disaster”;

                                                                        Carafano; Zedlewski

Thu.     November 15              The American Social Welfare State

Williams Chapters 2; Rector; Walters Chapter 6

Week 14          Tue.     November 20              Crime, Punishment, and the Prison-Industrial Complex

Fagan; Walters Chapter 7; Shelden

RESEARCH PAPER DUE IN CLASS

Thu.     November 22              THANKSGIVING BREAK: NO CLASS

Week 15          Tue.     November 27              Affirmative Action in Higher Education

Skrentny Chapters 2 and 4; Center for Individual Rights;

Walters Chapter 8 (Part II)

Thu.     November 29              The Reparations Debate

                                                Robinson (entire book); Horowitz; Reed

Mon.    December 10, 3PM     FINAL EXAMINATION

Institutional Support Services

Dacus Library

Everything cannot be found on the Internet.  Dacus Library is the primary provider on campus of scholarly information in all forms from print to electronic.  To fulfill its mission, the library provides information quickly, efficiently, and in sufficient depth to promote the excellence of all academic programs offered by the university.  Additionally, the library maintains depository status for federal and state publications.  For information on library hours call (803) 323-2362.

The Writing Center

Students who wish to improve their writing skills should seek assistance from the Writing Center, located at 242 Bancroft.  Tutors works with students on an individual basis in all phases of the writing process and on academic and writing projects in any discipline.  Call (803) 323-2138 for information regarding hours of operation and services.

Services for Students with Disabilities

Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education.  If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please contact Gena Smith, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities, at (803) 323-3290, as soon as possible.  Once you have your Professor Notification Form, please tell me so that I am aware of your accommodations well before the first assignment, test, or paper.

Academic Honesty and Integrity

The Student Conduct Code appropriately notes, “A fundamental tenet of all institutions of higher learning is academic honesty.  Academic work must depend upon respect for an acknowledgement of the research and ideas of others.  Misrepresentation of someone else’s work as one’s own is a most serious offense in any academic setting.”  Winthrop University is no exception.  In short, academic integrity is very important and misconduct, in any form, will not be condoned.  If you have any questions regarding academic honesty and student conduct, please review Section V of the Student Conduct Code.

Political Science Department Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct

The Winthrop University Political Science department abhors all forms of academic misconduct, and faculty members aggressively investigate all incidents of suspected cheating. This includes, but is not limited to, using www.turnitin.com.

Plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional, is by far the most common form of academic misconduct in the Political Science department. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

• Using the words or ideas of others as one’s own;

• Reproducing, in whole or in part, principal ideas from a fellow student’s work;

• Granting a fellow student permission to copy one’s paper, or to reproduce some or all of its principal ideas;

• Quoting or paraphrasing material from sources without any citation;

• Quoting or paraphrasing material without sufficient and/or proper citation;

• Omitting some or all sources used in a paper; and

• Submitting a paper written for one course -- whether in Political Science or another discipline -- to meet a course requirement in a second course, without the express permission of all instructors involved. This is the case even though many paper topics may be relevant to several different courses.  

All incidents of suspected academic misconduct are investigated with equal vigor.

When a faculty member suspects that a student engaged in academic misconduct, the faculty member will follow the appropriate procedures outlined in the Student Handbook. The faculty member will apply whatever sanctions s/he deems appropriate. Possible sanctions include, but are not limited to:

• Failing the assignment;

• Requiring a student to repeat an assignment for reduced credit;

• Requiring a student to repeat an assignment for no credit; or

• Failing the course.

Academic misconduct applies equally to required assignments and extra credit assignments.

All incidents of academic misconduct will be reported to the Department Chair, the Dean of Students, the Dean of Arts and Sciences and the student’s academic advisor. The University may impose its own sanctions in addition to sanctions imposed by the faculty member or the department. The University may impose sanctions even after a student has graduated, and may include revoking a student’s diploma.  

In addition, students who engage in more than one incident of academic misconduct may be declared ineligible for departmental awards, ineligible for employment in the department or its affiliated programs, and ineligible to volunteer as a peer advisor.