PLSC 518/ AAMS 518
Politics of the American South
section 001
Tue/Thur 2:00pm - 3:15pm Owens G08
Spring 2017
Instructor: Dr. Scott Huffmon
Office: 344 Bancroft
Phone #: ext. 4669
(323-4669 from off campus)
email: huffmons@winthrop.edu
Web Page: http://faculty.winthrop.edu/huffmons/
Office Hours: (January 9 – April 24 when campus is open) Tuesdays 11:30am – 1pm, Wednesdays 10:30am – 12noon, and by appointment (feel free to stop by, as well. I am frequently in my office)
Course Goals
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).
Student Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully
complete this course will demonstrate an understanding of how the South’s past
has uniquely shaped its politics and continues to impact the politics of the
South today. Additionally, students will
gain an understanding of the role the South has played in the political history
of the
Texts: The following texts are required
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. 2014. The New Politics of the Old South. (5th ed).
Cooper, Christopher A
and Gibbs Knotts. 2017. The Resilience of Southern Identity: Why
the South Still Matters in the Minds of Its People. Chapel Hill,
NC: UNC Press. ISBN 978-1-4696-3105-9 (Available Feb 13, 2017)
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.
Student Learning Activities
Course grades will be calculated as follows:
Short Paper = 20% (Your "Interim Grade" will be based entirely on this paper)
Midterm Examination = 20%
Book Review = 20% (80% Book Review; 20% in-class presentation; in-class
presentations March 28th & March 30th)
Final Examination = 25% WEDNESDAY, April 26th at
11:30am
Quizzes = 5%
Southern Identity Reaction Paper: 10% (April 4th)
This course employs
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
Wednesday, February 15th by 12 noon. Turn in
hard copy to the Administrative Specialist in Bancroft 344 and submit
electronic copy to TurnItIn
Black Belt Paper Grading Rubric
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 Tuesday,
March 28th on class. Turn in hard copy to the Administrative Specialist in
Bancroft 344 and submit electronic copy to TurnItIn.
Students must also do an in-class presentation (lasting apx 5 - 7 minutes) on their assigned book. In-class
presentations March 28th & March 30th
Book Review Grading Rubric
Southern Identity Reaction Paper: Read The Resilience of Southern
Identity: Why the South Still Matters in the Minds of Its People by
Cooper and Knotts and "Describing
Ourselves: Identity Overlap and Fault Lines Regarding How Southerners Would
Describe the South to Non-Southerners" by Huffmon, Lawrence, & Briggs.
In a 4 - 5 page paper (same specifications as above), describe how the
perception of the South has changed - especially in the minds of southerners
themselves. Interview/have a conversation with someone "two generations
older" than you (i.e. a grandparent or someone who would be - roughly - your
grandparents' age): how has their percenption of the South changed and how
doe it relate to your perception of the South? Come up with 4 questions you
would pose to the authors of The Resilience of Southern Identity: Why
the South Still Matters in the Minds of Its People. THERE WILL
BE A PRESENTATION RELATED TO THIS TOPIC DURING THE COMMON TIME
(11AM-12:15PM) ON TUESDAY, APRIL 4. ATTENDANCE IS
MANDATORY!!
All papers are due by the beginning of class on the due date,
if they are due on a class day. 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 21st, the class will visit the Museum
of the New South in
NOTE: Students taking the course for graduate or honors credit have additional
requirements. Graduate
students must do two 6-8 page book reviews rather than one 7-10 page book
review (other formatting requirements identical) and the reading journal is
required rather than optional (see “Extra Credit” at bottom of syllabus). Click
HERE to see new grade
distribution for graduate Student Learning Activities. Students taking the
class for Honors credit must do two 7-10 page book reviews rather than one and
present both in class. Additionally,
the reading journal is required rather than optional. Click
HERE to see new grade
distribution for honors Student Learning Activities.
Class
announcements will be made via the class listserv. If
you have an active winthrop.edu email account, you should be automatically
added to the listserv, otherwise you must add yourself
to the listserv. You are EXPECTED to regularly check your email for class
announcements! Announcements made over the listserv are considered
"official" class announcements. If you are not on the class
listserv, go HERE for instructions on how to sign up (the
course designator to sign up is: PLSC518001 or AAMS518001).
This syllabus may be revised
throughout the semester.
Withdrawal Date: The last day to withdraw from the course with an
automatic grade of “N” is March 8, 2017
Students with Disabilities:
Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education. If you have
a disability and require specific accommodations to complete this course,
contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 323-3290. Once you have your
official notice of accommodations from the Office of Disability Services, please
inform me as early as possible in the semester.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct will not be tolerated. Winthrop’s Conduct
Code defines academic misconduct as:
”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.
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 or plagiarizing, in any manner, on an
exam or assignment will receive a zero for that assignment in addition to
academic prosecution. Additionally, I reserve the right to award the
student an "F" in the course for ANY act of academic misconduct if I
feel it is warranted. This is in addition to academic prosecution by the
Dean of Students.
**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!"**
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/ snapchatting/ etc. 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. Additionally, you will be asked to leave the class that day. Campus police will be called if you do not do so voluntarily.
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 must notify the professor of the situation after which 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.
This syllabus subject to change by the instructor
throughout the course.
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
Readings:
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.
