Winthrop University
Spring 2016
Political Science 390-001
Special Topics in Political Science: The 2016 Presidential Primaries
MW 9:30-10:45 AM, Owens G02
Three credit hours
Dr. John Holder
Bancroft 346 (mailing address Bancroft 340)
(803) 323-4665
http://faculty.winthrop.edu/holderj/plsc390.html
Office Hours: MW 11:00 AM-12:15 PM, TR 9:30-10:45 AM or by appointment
Required Text:
Stephen J. Wayne, The Road to the White
House 2016 [/] The Politics of Presidential Elections, Cengage Learning,
2016.
Additional assigned readings will be posted on the course Webpage.
Course Description and Course Goals:
This class will examine the process by which nominees for President and Vice
President of the United States are chosen by their parties, beginning with the
early primaries and caucuses and ending with the national conventions. We will
examine the history and politics of the nominating process, the importance of
South Carolina in that process, how nominating elections differ among the states
and between the major parties, and proposed alternatives to the nominating
process as it currently exists. There will be an experiential learning component
which will take advantage of South Carolina’s “First in the South” primary.
Please note that the class is very much a “work in progress.” This is an
experimental, special topics class which is being offered at Winthrop for the
first time. Events as they unfold on the “campaign trail” will have a great deal
of influence on our schedule and topics of discussion. Your flexibility is
appreciated.
This class contributes to student mastery of
Winthrop University Level Competency 1:
Winthrop graduates think critically and solve problems. We will examine an issue
of national importance, namely how the next President of the United States will
be chosen. You will consider how well the process works, and how it might be
improved.
University Level Competency 2:
Winthrop graduates are personally and socially responsible. You will be an
active participant in an important component of the nominating process, through
work for a campaign or party, or as a poll manager. This will require you to
engage with the community and come into contact with voters.
University Level Competency 4:
Winthrop graduates communicate effectively. You will be required, both orally
and in writing, to express your support for (or opposition to) a presidential
candidate, and to defend your position. You will also be expected to monitor
campaign events as they occur (such as the outcome of different primary
elections) and discuss how these events affect the ongoing campaign.
Grading Scale:
The course will use Winthrop University’s +/- grading system. Final grades will
be assigned as follows:
93-100 = A
90-92 = A-
87-89 = B+
83-86 = B
80-82 = B-
77-79 = C+
73-76 = C
70-72 = C-
67-69 = D+
63-66 = D
60-62 = D-
59 or below = F.
Student Learning Activities and Course Outcomes:
Campaign speech, 10%:
You will write a brief speech advocating the election of a candidate you do not
support. This speech should be realistic and make a plausible argument. While
you will not have to deliver this speech in class, you should prepare it as
though you were going to speak for two to three minutes.
Iowa Caucus Simulation, 10%:
You will participate in a class simulation of the Iowa precinct caucuses, and
advocate for an assigned candidate. You will be judged on the plausibility of
your argument and your knowledge of caucus rules and procedures (which differ
between the Democratic and Republican parties).
Political experience component, 20%:
You will either complete 20 hours of volunteer work for a presidential candidate
or political party, or complete training as a poll manager and help administer
the election for either the South Carolina Republican primary (Sat., Feb. 20) or
the Democratic primary (Sat., Feb. 27). You will write a reflection paper
comparing your experience to the process we have examined in the academic
literature.
Class participation, 10%:
This portion of the grade will be determined by your ability to intelligently
discuss the assigned readings and events as they occur during the course of the
primary campaign.
Midterm (20%) and Final (30%) Exams:
The take-home midterm will be due
on Wed., Feb. 24. The final will be during the final exam period on Tues., May 3, 11:30 AM-2:00 PM.
Tentative Schedule of Reading Assignments
(The schedule of assignments and class topics is very much subject to change as
current events warrant. Additional readings will be added throughout the
semester.)
Mon., Jan. 11: Introduction to the Course.
Wed., Jan. 13: Wayne, Chs. 1-2.
Mon., Jan. 18: No Class – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday.
Wed., Jan. 20: Redlawsk, Tolbert and Donovan, “Iowa Caucus Rules.”
First Writing Assignment Due.
Mon., Jan. 25/Wed., Jan. 27: Iowa Caucus Simulation in Class.
Mon., Feb. 1: Wayne, Chs. 3-4.
Wed., Feb. 3: Wayne, Chs. 5-6.
Mon., Feb. 8: Moore and Smith, Chs. 8-9.
How to Become a National Convention Delegate from South Carolina
Wed., Feb. 10: Norrander, Ch. 1.
Mon., Feb. 15: Norrander, Ch. 2.
Wed., Feb. 17: Norrander, Ch. 3.
Mon., Feb. 22: Discussion of South Carolina Republican Primary results.
Wed., Feb. 24: Take-home midterm exam due.
Be prepared to discuss your
papers in class that day. Cite the sources of your information. Minimum 1000
words.
Analyze the presidential campaign so far, based on the
results in Iowa, New Hampshire, the South Carolina Republican primary, and the
Nevada Democratic caucuses. What are the national trends? What have been the
defining issues? Choose one Democratic candidate and one Republican candidate to
examine in depth. For each candidate, answer the following questions: Is he or
she doing better or worse than was expected up to this point? Why do you believe
that this is the case? As an example, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum won the Iowa
Republican caucuses in the last two election years. Choose one - why is he out of the
race now?
Mon., Feb. 29: Discussion of South Carolina Democratic Primary results.
Wed., Mar. 2: David W. Moore and Andrew E. Smith, The First Primary, Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire Press, 2015, Ch. 11.
Sat., Mar. 5: South Carolina Political Science Association Annual Meeting, in
the DiGiorgio Center. The primaries will be a major topic of discussion. Student
membership is only $5.00. You are welcome but not required to attend.
Mon., Mar. 7: Political Experience paper
due. Be prepared to discuss your paper in class.
Wed., Mar. 9: Continue discussion of
Political Experience paper.
Last day to withdraw without extenuating circumstances, or to select S/U option.
Mon., Mar. 14/Wed., Mar. 16: No Class –
Spring Break.
Mon., Mar. 21:
Redlawsk, Tolbert, Donovan, and Bowen, Ch. 10.
Wed., Mar. 23: Wayne, Ch. 10.
Mon., Mar. 28: Norrander, Ch. 4.
Wed., Mar. 30: Skim the 2012 Democratic platform (http://www.democrats.org/party-platform) and the 2012 Republican platform. While you should understand the substance of each party's beliefs well enough to be able to credibly represent them in a convention debate, I'm more concerned that this reading allows you to get a sense of the style which is used to write a party platform.
Prepare a resolution for the Democratic convention and e-mail it to me. It doesn't have to be complicated ("the minimum wage should be raised to $15 an hour" is a perfectly good example).
Convention simulations begin:
Mon., Apr. 6/Wed., Apr. 8: Debate on Democratic platform.
Mon., Apr. 13/Wed., Apr. 15: Nomination of Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates. Prepare a resolution for the Republican convention and e-mail it to me. Again, it doesn't have to be complicated.
Mon., Apr. 20/Wed., Apr. 22: Debate on Republican platform.
Mon., Apr. 25: Begin nomination of Republican Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates.
Tues., May 3, 11:30 AM-2:00 PM: Final Exam period. Continue nomination of Republican candidates or otherwise catch up as necessary.
Take-home final exam question, due to turnitin.com by the beginning of the final exam period.
Write a well-argued, properly
cited essay in response to the following.
Choose one of the following potential changes to the presidential nomination process. If this change were adopted, what would its effects be? How would it potentially affect the process, campaign strategy, and the type of candidate who wins the party nomination? Make an argument as to whether this change would be a good idea or a bad idea.
1. Abolition of Democratic
superdelegates – all delegates to the Democratic Convention would be chosen
through primaries and caucuses.
2. The use of proportional
representation for all contests in both the Democratic and Republican nominating
process. No states would have winner-take-all contests. (This is currently used
for all Democratic nominating contests, and for Republican contests held before
March 15.)
3. The use of winner-take-all
elections for all contests in both the Democratic and Republican nominating
process. (States may currently choose winner-take-all in Republican contests
held on or after March 15; Democratic contests may not use winner-take-all.)
4. Abolition of the delegate
process, and using a direct popular vote to choose the party nominees.
5. Choosing the presidential
nominees through a series of regional primaries over four weeks, rather than a
series of state-by-state elections over several months.
6. Choosing the presidential nominees through a national primary election (the entire country would vote on the same day), rather than the system in place now.
February-April 2016 Calendar of Nominating Events (from realclearpolitics.com)
Mon., Feb. 1: Iowa
Tues., Feb. 9: New Hampshire
Sat., Feb. 20: South Carolina (R), Nevada (D)
Tues., Feb. 23: Nevada (R)
Sat., Feb. 27: South Carolina (D)
Tues., Mar. 1: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North
Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia
Sat., Mar. 5: Louisiana, Washington
Sun., Mar. 6: Maine (D)
Tues., Mar. 8: Michigan, Mississippi
Thurs., Mar. 10: West Virginia (D)
Tues., Mar. 15: Florida, Missouri, Ohio
Tues., Mar. 22: Arizona, Utah
Sat., Mar. 26: Alaska (D), Washington (D)
Tues., Apr. 5: Wisconsin
Sat., Apr. 9: Wyoming (D)
Tues., Apr. 19: New York
Tues., Apr. 26: Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island
Administrative Announcements:
Class cancellations, changes in schedule, guest speakers, etc., will be
announced via the class listserv, to which you will be automatically subscribed
through your winthrop.edu e-mail address.
If you need to subscribe to the class listserv, go to:
http://www.winthrop.edu/technology/default.aspx?id=7081&ekmensel=bfef63b6_489_491_7081_1.
The class number is PLSC390001. Check your WU e-mail frequently. You may use the
listserv for discussion or to share information with classmates, review for
exams, or ask questions about course material. Note that anything you post to
the listserv will be seen by everyone in the class.
Attendance:
Attendance will be taken by means of a sign-in sheet circulated at the beginning
of each class meeting. In accordance with Winthrop’s attendance policies, if you
are absent without excuse from one-quarter of the class meetings or more (in
this case, seven), you will receive an N or an F, as appropriate. In this class,
signing in an absent classmate is considered an act of academic dishonesty. I do
not require documentation for absences except for exams.
Technology:
You are welcome to use a computer to take notes in class. However, this class
follows the College of Arts and Sciences policy on use of technology in the
classroom. Please turn off all cell phones and other electronic communication
devices during class meetings. If you need to leave your phone on during a
particular class for emergency reasons, please let me know in advance. The use
of any kind of electronic device, including a phone, iPod or Internet access,
during an exam constitutes academic dishonesty.
Academic Honesty and Integrity:
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this class. Any act of academic
dishonesty will result in a grade of F for the class. This class follows the
policies of Winthrop University and the Department of Political Science, which
are linked below, on academic misconduct and plagiarism. Please be aware of
these policies and abide by them. In addition to the failing grade imposed by
the instructor, academic misconduct of any kind will result in referral to the
Dean of Students for possible additional sanctions.
Political Science Department policy statement:
http://www.winthrop.edu/cas/politicalscience/default.aspx?id=19401
Office of Academic Affairs policy statement:
http://www2.winthrop.edu/public/policy/fullpolicy.aspx?pid=252
Winthrop University Resources
Students with Disabilities/Need of Accommodations for Access:
Winthrop University is committed to providing access to education.
If you have a condition which may adversely impact your ability to access
academics and/or campus life, and you require specific accommodations to
complete this course, contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at
803-323-3290, or, accessibility@winthrop.edu. Please inform me as early as
possible, once you have your official notice of accommodations from the Office
of Disability Services.
ODS Staff:
•
Tina Vires – Program Director, extension 6174
•
Shardae Nelson– Assistant Coordinator, extension 6188
•
Hope Williams – Administrative Specialist, extension 3290
•
Susan Sistar – Coordinator for Testing Program and the Test Center,
extension 6173
•
Jan Patterson – Test Center Assistant, testcenter@winthrop.edu
•
From off campus – 803/323-3290
If you have questions about accessibility statements, accommodations, or
services, please contact ODS. Information for faculty and staff about services
and accommodations, including a video introduction, is also available on the ODS
website: http://www.winthrop.edu/disabilities/
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Competitive Awards (ONCA) identifies and assists highly motivated and
talented students to apply for nationally and internationally competitive
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is a free resource for all undergraduate students seeking to perform their best
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variety of personalized and structured resources that help students achieve
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The ASC is located on the first floor of Dinkins, Suite 106.
Please contact the ASC at 803-323-3929 or success@winthrop.edu or
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