POL 295 - Special Topics in American Politics

FDR: SS2
Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring
Prerequisites: First-year or sophomore standing or instructor consent. A seminar in political science for students at the introductory or intermediate level. Topic, hour, and instructor are announced prior to registration. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Spring 2015 topic:

POL 295: Lincoln and The American Founders (4). Prerequisite: First-year or sophomore standing or instructor consent. This course examines Lincoln’s writings in light of seminal works from the American founding period. In addition to Lincoln’s speeches and writings, students examine key political documents like the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Northwest Ordinance of 1787, and the writings of statesmen such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. We also examine period works – like Parson Weems’s biography of Washington – which were known to have shaped Lincoln’s political thought and practice. Key issues to be considered are the problem of slavery in the early American republic, the challenge of democratic rule, and the role of prudence in self-government. (SS2) Morel. Spring 2015