32513

WiSe 21/22: US Political Parties in a Partisan Era

Mike Cowburn

Comments

Political parties are vital in any democracy, but U.S. parties are often thought of as exceptional. In this course we will investigate the roles and responsibilities of parties in the modern partisan era in the context of the U.S. political system. We will explore concepts such as partisanship, questioning whether the institutions of political parties are contributing to or alleviating current tensions in U.S. democracy. We will consider theoretical and empirical defenses and critiques of the institutions and behaviors of parties as political actors, with specific focus on U.S. democracy. We will also consider how parties engage with and are shaped by their interactions with other political actors including Congress, the presidency, activists, donors, and voters. We will also consider how parties contribute to and reflect wider trends in society, including narratives around identity, with specific focus on the increased saliency and activation of racial identities. We will read competing theories which attempt to explain why partisanship has increased among the U.S. public and consider the extent to which both partisanship and the parties themselves are asymmetric. Further, we will engage with the (re)emerging sub-field focused on intra-party factions, considering how internal party divisions relate to inter-party trends, including but not limited to the role of the Tea Party in the Republican Party and Democratic Socialists in the Democratic Party. Everyone is welcome to participate in this class as this course has no prerequisites, though a general interest in U.S. politics is expected. If you don’t like politics, this class probably isn’t for you. This course fulfills one class requirement for the Politics B Institutions, Actors and Processes or Politics C Political Fields and Policy Research modules in the MA North American Studies program, and the (CE) Political Systems or (SP) Political Systems modules in the MA Political Science program. This course can be taken for active participation or full credit. Course Objectives and Learning Goals This course will provide you with an advanced-level understanding of political parties in the context of the U.S. political system. We will focus on a set of academic works that frequently speak to each other, meaning that by the end of this course you will understand the divergent positions of notable authors in this field. Throughout the semester, we will engage in the study of parties and analyze different conceptions of partisanship in the U.S., with some time dedicated to discussing the broader implications of what we learn. This course strives to spark interest and curiosity in the topic by considering the role of political parties in relation to events we observe both historically and in the news today. The course has been designed to deeply engage students in the topic within political science but considering implications beyond the discipline. Following the successful completion of this course, you will be able to: Define what political parties are and what they doUnderstand US political parties in a comparative perspective and understand why they are often considered ‘exceptional’. Connect theories about what political parties are to the current trends of partisan identification. Understand how parties engage with other actors in the U.S. political system. Understand how partisanship is shaped by questions of identity and ideology. Make normative arguments about the role of partisanship in the modern U.S. democracy. Understand how intra-party dynamics impact inter-party competition. close

16 Class schedule

Regular appointments

Wed, 14:00 - 16:00 16 Class schedule

Wed, 2021-10-20 14:00 - 16:00

Lecturers:
Mike Cowburn