POL 295 - Special Topics in American Politics

Credits: 3 in fall and winter, 4 in spring Prerequisite: May vary with topic. 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 2021, POL 295A-01: Special Topics in American Politics: Rhetoric in the Structure of American Politics (3). This course explores the function and importance of rhetoric within American politics.  It will consider the purpose of rhetoric in a republican form of government; how the structure of America’s Constitution was meant to foster rhetoric and deliberation; and how technological developments - such as television and the internet - have changed the meaning or use of rhetoric in America.  Students will also study how Aristotle classified and critiqued the various kinds of speeches, and that understanding will inform our examination of some of the most important political oratory in American history. (SS2) Uzzell.

Spring 2021, POL 295B-01: Special Topics in American Politics: The Politics of Memorials: Making and Shaping History (3). From Cape Town to Charlottesville, memorials are often sources of intense controversy in the U.S. South and beyond. In this course, students explore some of the most hotly debated topics in commemoration. These include: what do memorials mean? What is their purpose? And how ought communities to balance the demands of victims, the public, and future generations? Students engage in these questions through class readings, discussion, original research projects, and site visits. (SS2) Britt.  

Winter 2021, POL 295A-01: Special Topics in American Politics: Creating the U.S. Constitution (3). No prerequisite. This course both examines and reenacts the creation of the U.S. Constitution. Students will study the historic debates of the 1787 Convention and then, in a role-playing game, frame a constitution through persuasion, compromise, private deals and parliamentary procedure. (SS2) Uzzell.

Fall 2020, POL 295A-01: Special Topics in American Politics: Elections (3). Open to students of all classes and majors. No prerequisite. A special offering for students to follow the major events in the 2020 presidential election and attempt to put those events in context by studying the structure of American presidential elections, recent campaigns, candidate biographies, long-term issues in national politics, and the current state of partisan division in American political life.  Students write short papers on matters related to the election and a substantial paper analyzing its results. (SS2) Strong.

Fall 2020, POL 295B-01: Special Topics in American Politics: The Material Culture of Protest (3). No prerequisite. What is the meaning of that rainbow sticker on your friend’s computer? Does the slogan on your t-shirt make history? Why did millions of women don hand-knitted pink pussy hats for the 2017 Women’s March? Objects from 18th-century anti-slavery medallions to 21st-century bumper stickers have long been important tools for social, economic, and political change. Students investigate the relationship between this kind of material culture and political protest, curating an exhibit about the objects of protest they have studied. Students travel on a required class field trip (fully funded) to Washington D.C. to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History. (SS2) LeBlanc and Fuchs. FDR: SS2