plap 101 | s a b a t o

READINGS & BOOKS

Part 1: An Introduction to American Politics

January 19: Introduction and Opening Remarks

January 24, 26: Representative Democracy in the United States
                          O'Connor & Sabato, Chapter 1 and Appendices I, II, and III

January 31, :  The Constitution and Federalism
February 2         O'Connor & Sabato, Chapters 2 and 3

February 2, 4:  The Presidency: Personalities, Roles, and Powers
                        O'Connor & Sabato, Chapter 8

February 7, 9: American Political Values Home and Abroad
                      Cannon, The Pursuit of Happiness in Times of War, Entire 

 

Part 2: The Institutions of Government

February 14, 16:  The Presidency: Personalities, Roles and Powers
                            O'Conner & Sabato, Chapter 8

February 21, 23, 28   The Presidential Nominating Process
                         O’Connor & Sabato, Chapters 13 & 14

February 28,    The Congress: Organization, Activity, and Elections
March 2              O'Connor & Sabato, Chapter 7

Spring Recess: Saturday March 5– Sunday March 13

(Students should begin reading Feeding Frenzy over spring break)

Midterm: Wednesday, March 16, 2005


Part 3: The Electoral Process

March 14          Midterm Review: No sections this week

March 16          Midterm

March 21          Governor Warner

March 23        Congressional Elections

 March 28, 30       The Supreme Court and the Judiciary: Organization,
                              Judicial Review, and Individual Rights
                              O’Connor & Sabato, Chapters 5, 6, and 10

April 4       Tim Kaine

 April 6     The Party System
                              O’Connor & Sabato, Chapters 12 & 16
                              Sabato, The Party’s Just Begun 

April 11      Voting Behavior and Participation, Money: The Mother's Milk of Politics
                              Sabato, Get in the Booth! Entire
                              O'Connor & Sabato, Chapters 13 & 14


                             Essay Due: Monday, APRIL 11, 2005

April 13     Kilgore 

Part 4: Other Participants in Politics and Government

April 18                    Bureaucracy: The Evils, Virtues and the Politics of Administration
                                 O'Connor & Sabato, Chapter 9

April 20                    Interest Group Politics
                                O'Connor & Sabato, Chapter 16 (Revisited)

April 25                    Public Opinion and the Mass Media:
                                 Power in the Press and Polls
                                 O'Connor & Sabato, Chapters 11 & 15
                                 Sabato, Feeding Frenzy (Revisited)

April 27                     Political Ad Extravaganza

May 2                    Concluding Remarks, Evaluations, and Exam Discussion
                                 Class Party to follow in the Gardens behind Pavilion IV
                                 [Rain Site: 301 Wilson Hall]


Semester Ends: Tuesday,  May 3rd, 2005

Final Examination: Friday, May 13, 2005, 2:00 – 5:00p, Wilson 301

 

NOTE: Occasional guest speakers may substituted for a scheduled lecture. We will keep you informed about changes; in return, we ask you to be reasonably flexible.

Textbooks: Available for purchase at the University of Virginia Bookstore.

1. Karen O'Connor and Larry J. Sabato, American Government: Continuity and Change (Updated Edition 2004) packaged with Larry J. Sabato, Get in the Booth! (2004).
2. Larry J. Sabato, Feeding Frenzy: Attack Journalism and American Politics (2000).
3. Larry J. Sabato and Bruce Larson, The Party's Just Begun (2002).
4. Carl Cannon, The Pursuit of Happiness in Times of War (2003).
5. PLAP 101 Coursepack containing lecture outlines and supplemental handouts (available at the Bookstore).

* Students are required to read, on a daily basis, either the New York Times, Washington Post, Washington Times, LA Times, Richmond Times-Dispatch or another good daily newspaper. Students should also read one of the following news magazines each week: Business Week, The Economist, Newsweek, Time, U.S. News & World Report

The Ten Commandments of PLAP 101

I. Thou shalt treat the teaching assistants with respect and courtesy.

II. Upon pain of death or forcible expulsion (the penalty depending on the whim of the professor), thou shalt not read newspapers in class.

III. Thou shalt cease talking when class commences and not resume chatting until class ends.

IV. Thou shalt not pack up to leave until the professor adjourns the class.

V. Thou shalt always keep a copy of essays thou turnest in.

VI. Thou shalt know that the Honor System is strictly enforced in this class.

VII. Thou shalt not come late to class. If thou doest it anyway, thou shalt enter by the back doors and quietly take a seat in the top rows.         

VIII. Thou shalt not ask the instructor what will be on the exam because the answer is everything.

IX. Thou shall remember to get revenge and complain on the course evaluations that this class has "too many rules".

X. Thou shalt either believe with all thy heart that "Politics Is A Good Thing" or thou shalt write a 1,500 word essay explaining why thou art a heretic. This command is optional.