Topic outline
The Idea of Democracy
By the end of the lecture, students should have been introduced to the many meanings of the concept of Democracy, its philosophical and historical origins, complexities, and its diverse manifestations in the Western social world. This lecture paves the way for further thinking about US Democracy and how it takes shape in the US public space.
- Excerpts from Hobbes' Leviathan, Locke's Second Treatise on Government, and Rousseau's Social Contract
- Excerpt from K. Hutchings. "Modelling Democracy." Global Society, 12:2 (1998), 159-175, DOI: 10.1080/13600829808443158
The Origins of the US System of Government
By the end of the lecture, students should be able to identify the different ideas and concepts at origins of the US system of government. They should be able to comprehend the philosophical, intellectual, and economic principles, and the historical experiences that led to the Declaration of Independence (1776), the War of Independence (1775-83); and how these latter generated the US system of government.
Excerpt from Thomas Paine's Common Sense (1776)
The Declaration of Independence (1776)
The lecture tackles the Founding Fathers' first attempt to design a system of government. The lecture looks into the causes that led to its inception, and those that led to its demise.
The Articles of Confederation (1781-1787)
Required reading of the US constitution (articles + Bill of Rights + other amendments)
Debate over the ratification of the US Constitution (1787-1789). Views of some founding fathers.
due date(s): January 31 - February 04
The US system of Government: Concepts and Mechanisms
Examples of checks and balances. Reading material for the following week: January 30 - February 04