PLSC 518/ AAMS 518
Politics of the American South
Spring 2009
Instructor: Dr. Scott H. Huffmon
Office: 344 Bancroft Hall
Telephone: x4669 (323-4669 from off campus)
e-mail: huffmons@winthrop.edu
web page: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/huffmons/
Office hours: Tue & Thr 9:30am -
11:30am and by appointment
Course
Description and Objectives
This course focuses on
the politics of the American South in the last half of the 20th century and the
entrance of the South into the 21st century. Naturally, an
understanding of the South in the 21st century requires a good bit
of analysis of the politics of the 19th century. In attempting
to make sense of this region's unique, fascinating, and often frustrating
politics, we will explore a series of related topics all relating to a central
theme of race relations. After placing the region's politics in
theoretical context, we will explore the economic and historical factors that
shaped the "old" South and led to revolutionary transformations in
the region during the middle decades of the 20th century. In the second
half of the course, we will turn our attention to more contemporary matters, examining
presidential and sub-presidential level politics in the South, surveying the
political landscapes in selected deep and rim South states, and considering
several contemporary topics in greater depth (including the theoretical concept
of partisan realignment, the dynamics of racial representation, and the
increasing influence of religion).
Texts
Black, Earl and Merle Black. 1987. Politics and Society in the
South.
Black, Earl and Merle Black. 2003. The Rise of Southern Republicans.
Bullock, Charles S. III and Mark J. Rozell.
eds. 2007. The New Politics of
the Old South. (3rd ed).
In addition, I have put together a collection of articles and chapters.
These readings may be found online here: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/huffmons/518reading.htm
You MUST have the
class username and password to access the readings.
Selections from this collection of readings are marked by an "R"
in the assignments section.
Grading
Course grades will be calculated as follows:
Short Paper = 20%
Midterm Examination = 25%
Book Review = 20% (80% Book Review; 20% in-class presentation)
Final Examination = 25%
Quizzes = 10%
Short Paper: The paper must be 7 - 10 pages, double-spaced with 1
inch margins on all sides and a 12 point Times New Roman font; there will be no
“headers;” you will use a title page (which does not count toward your total
page count), bottom-center pagination, and an upper-lefthand corner staple [no “paper covers”]. Paper
topic: Key argues that "if the politics of the South revolves
around any single theme, it is that of the role of the black belts."
What are "black belts," and what role have they played in the
development of politics in the south? Discuss their role in the creation
of "one-party" politics in the South and what this has historically
meant with regard to the role of the South in presidential politics. (HUGE
hint: base your arguments on the readings in section III.) The paper
is due Tuesday, March 3rd.
Book Review: In a short paper (7-10 pages; same specifications as
above) review a book relating to southern
politics. You may not choose your own book; the instructor will
randomly assign books from a list of selected texts. Your paper should be
more than a summary; analyze the book's arguments and place them in the context
of this class. The paper is due Thursday, April 2nd. Students must also do an in-class presentation
(lasting apx 5 - 7 minutes) on their assigned book.
All papers are due by the beginning of class on the due date. You
must hand in a hard copy of the paper. Papers received after class begins
on the due data will incur a penalty of one full letter grade beginning the
moment class formally begins that day, plus one additional letter grade for
every additional day after the due date until the paper is turned in to me.
What matters in this respect is when I get the paper, not when
you slide it under my door, put it in my mailbox, or give it to the
departmental Administrative Specialist. You WILL have to submit BOTH
papers to turnitin.com, so unless you want a zero for the paper and academic
prosecution, plagiarism is not advised. Papers not submitted to
turnitin.com will not be graded. The procedures for using
turnitin.com will be explained in class.
Visit to Museum of the New South: On the afternoon of Friday, April 3rd, the class will visit the Museum
of the New South in
NOTE: Students taking the course for graduate credit have additional
requirements. See the instructor for these assignments as well as the
graduate grading rubric.
Touchstone Goals:
PLSC
518: Politics of the American South fulfills a number of Winthrop’s Touchstone
program goals: by requiring you to read, write, and speak standard
English and practice rhetorical techniques via an oral presentation (1.1, 1.4);
by requiring you to use critical thinking and problem solving skills (3.1, 3.3,
3.5); by challenging you to recognize and appreciate human diversity (both past
and present) as well as the diversity of ideas, institutions, philosophies,
moral codes, and ethical principles (4.1, 4.2, 4.3). ; by enabling
you to examine
values, attitudes, beliefs, and habits which define the nature
and quality of life (7.1, 7.2, 7.4, 7.5). For more information on Touchstone
Goals, go to: http://www.winthrop.edu/universitycollege/Touchstone/Touchstonegoals.htm
Class Policies:
Please provide a respectful learning environment for your fellow students. Repeated tardiness, cell phone disruptions, reading materials unrelated to the course (such as the student newspaper), and use of communication technologies (e.g., web browsing/ IMing/ texting during class) during class will adversely affect your grade.
Attendance Policy: Beginning with the third time a student is declared absent, the student will lose a full letter grade for each absence. Any student caught IMing, texting, or browsing the web will be declared “Absent” for that class. Since I don’t take roll, this is the only way to be declared absent.
Please arrive at class on time and switch off all pagers, cell phones, and alarms during class. The only exceptions to this rule are if you have children or an emergency family situation (e.g. family member in surgery). For these circumstances, you may leave your phone on vibrate and you must leave the class to answer a call.
I do not provide lecture notes for students under any circumstances.
Grade Appeals: If you wish to dispute a grade on a particular assignment for any reason other than an obvious arithmetic error on my part, you will need to type a one-page explanation of your position and turn it in, along with the original graded assignment, at least one week after the assignment is returned to you. I will then consider your appeal and make a determination.
Appeals must be submitted in hard copy format; no appeals submitted via email will be considered.
For appeals regarding your final grade in the course, please consult the Student Handbook and Catalog for procedures.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct will not be tolerated.
“Academic
misconduct includes but is not limited to providing or receiving assistance in
a manner not authorized by the professor in the creation of work to be
submitted for academic evaluation including papers, projects, and examinations;
presenting, as one's own, the ideas or words of another for academic evaluation
without proper acknowledgment; doing unauthorized academic work for which
another person will receive credit or be evaluated; and presenting the same or
substantially the same papers or projects in two or more courses without the
explicit permission of the professors involved. In addition, academic
misconduct involves attempting to influence one's academic evaluation by means
other than academic achievement or merit. More explicit definitions of academic
misconduct specific to certain academic disciplines may be promulgated by
academic departments and schools.”
**ADDITIONALLY, the
Department of Political Science has it's
own policies on plagiarism and academic misconduct: Poli Sci Statement on Plagiarism
In the immortal words of Brad Hamilton: "Learn it; Know it; Live it!"**
I will prosecute cases of academic misconduct to the fullest extent
of university policy, and that can mean expulsion from the university.
Obviously, any student caught cheating, in any manner, on an exam, quiz, or
paper will receive a zero for that assignment in addition to academic
prosecution.
Students with Disabilities
Class Themes and Reading Assignments
I Themes:
What is the South?
Why study Southern politics?
An Introduction to Southern economic history
Applebome (from Dixie
Rising), pp. 4-22 (R)
Cochran (from Democracy Heading South). pp. 17-24 (R)
Wright (from Old South, New South), pp. 1-16 (R)
" 'When You Call Me That, Smile!' How Norms for Politeness, Interaction
Styles, and Aggression Work Together in Southern Culture" (R)
"Insult, Aggression, and the Southern Culture of Honor: An 'Experimental
Ethnography' " (R)
II Themes:
The South as a colonial economy
Race relations on the plantation
Why we really seceded and what it meant
Plantations, textiles, and early industry
Readings:
Wright (from Old South, New South), pp. 17-50 (R)
Wright (from Old South, New South), pp. 51-80 (R)
Wright (from The Political Economy of the Cotton South), pp. 10-42 (R)
Kantrowitz (from Ben Tillman),
pp 10-39 (R)
http://faculty.winthrop.edu/huffmons/SlaveryQuotations.htm
http://faculty.winthrop.edu/huffmons/CausesOfSecession.htm
III Themes:
“Black-Belt” Politics
Color Lines
Foundations of Segregation
The “Democracy” and one party politics
The old South in presidential politics
Readings:
Key, Chpt 1 (R)
Key, Chpt 24 (R)
Key, Chpt 25 (R)
Prather (from Democracy Betrayed), pp. 15-41 (R)
Kantrowitz (from Democracy
Betrayed), pp 95-111 (R)
Gavins (from Democracy
Betrayed), pp 185-206 (R)
Vital South, Chpt. 4 (R)
Vital South, Chpt 5 (R)
Politics and Society, Chpt 1 and Chpt 4
IV Themes:
Industrialization and Urbanization
Rise of the Southern Middle Class
Readings:
Politics and Society, Chpt 2 and Chpt 3
Hanchett (Chpts 1, 2, 3 from Sorting out the New
South City), pp 13-88 (R)
Mill
Cottage
V Themes:
Outer and intermediate color lines
The politics of civil rights
Readings:
Key, Chpts 30-31 (R)
Politics and Society, Chpts. 5, 6, & 7
VI Themes:
Changes in the Southern electorate
Democrats and Dixecrats
GOP Growth in the Rim South
Readings:
Politics and Society, Chpt 8
The Rise of Southern Republicans, Chpts 3 & 4
VII Themes:
Contemporary Southern electorate
Public opinion in the modern South
Two-party politics in the 1980s
Readings:
Politics and Society, Chpts 9, 10, & 11
The Rise of Southern Republicans Chpt 1
The Rise of Southern Republicans Chpt 8
Kuklinski, Cobb, and Gilens, “Racial Attitudes and the
‘New South’” (R)
VIII Themes:
Continuing Democratic strength
Emerging Republican presence
Readings:
Politics and Society Chpt
13
The Rise of Southern Republicans Chpt
9
The New Politics of the Old South, Introduction, Chpt 1, Chpt
4, Chpt 5
The New Politics of the Old South, Chpt 7, Chpt
9, Chpt 11
IX Themes:
Religion and Politics in the South
Phillips (from American Theocracy Chpts 4 & 5) (R)
The New Politics of the Old South, Chpt 13
The New Politics of the Old South, Chpt 13
Personal
Contact, Community Context, and Support for an Anti-Gay Rights Referendum
(R)
Political Culture, Gambling and the Lottery in South Carolina (R)
X Themes:
Representation of black interests
Whites representing blacks
Blacks representing blacks
Redistricting and Representation
Symbolic v. Substantive representation
Overby and Cosgrove, “Unintended Consequences...” (R)
Cameron, Epstein, and O'Halloran,
“Do Majority-Minority Districts Maximize Substantive Black Representation in
Congress?” (R)
Voss and
XII Themes
Southern Politics in National Perspective
Politics and Society, Chpt
12 and Chpt 14
The Rise of Southern Republicans Chpt 12
*Others to be announced
Extra Credit
Buy a journal (the black & white type). Take at least one
journal page worth of notes on each individual reading / chapter we cover in
class. You will be awarded extra points on your final exam based on the
total number of readings for which you have taken notes. I will be
checking journals to tally points regularly throughout the semester. As
an added incentive, you will be allowed to use your notes from these journals
during quizzes.
