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ClairePotter potterc@newschool.edu NHIS3189A 79FifthAvenue,room1625Fall2017 officehours:ByappointmentOnline

FromBarryGoldwatertoDonaldTrump:APoliticalHistoryofTeaPartyAmerica

ThiscourseisasurveyofUnitedStatespoliticalhistoryanddomesticpolicythatputstheevolutionoftheAmericanpresidencyatitscenter.Itbeginsin1964withthedefeatofradicalright-wingRepublicanBarryGoldwaterbyDemocraticPresidentLyndonJohnson,acampaignthatwasaturningpointforthemodernconservativemovement.Overthenextfifteenyears,andthreepresidencies,conservatismconsolidatedintheRepublicanParty,whiletheDemocraticPartybecamethehomeforaliberalreformcoalition(feminists,gayrights,unions,andveteransofthecivilrightsmovement,amongothers.)

WiththeelectionofRepublicanRonaldReagan1980,conservativesclaimedthemantleofgovernmentreform,whileDemocratslaunchedalongdefenseoftheliberalstate.Overthenextthreedecades,thisdefenseincludedDemocratsadoptingsomeprinciplesofconservatism,principallythebeliefinindividualismandprosperitythroughprinciplesofmarketfreedomnowknownas“neoliberalism.”

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Increasingly,duringthe1990sand2000’s,conservativepoliticalprinciplestendedtofavorsmallgovernment,lowtaxes,religiousfreedomand“familyvalues;”whileliberalpoliticstendedtofavorstrategiesofdemocraticinclusion,multiculturalism,andhumanrightsassociatedwiththelegacyoftheNewDealandthesocialmovementsofthe1960sand1970s.Someofthesepoliticalelementscoalesced,firstaroundthemilitant"TeaParty"movement,andthenaroundthecandidacyofDonaldJ.Trump.By2016,politics–andthecompetitionforthepresidency--reformulateditselfaroundanelectorateincreasinglydividedoverwedgeissuesthatseemedtopittherightsofsomeAmericansagainsttherightsofothers:abortion,gunownership,immigration,racismandcivilrights,sexualandgenderrights,andjobs.

Throughaclosefocusonpresidentialpolitics,highlightingchangesinmedia,technologyandcommunicationastheyevolvedoverhalfacentury,thiscoursehopestoanswerthequestion:howdidwegethere?

ReadingsandFilms:

Wewillbeusingafewchaptersofatextbook,TheAmericanYawp,whichisonlineandfree.Thepurposeistogiveyouageneral,narrativeoverviewoftheperiodunderquestion,sothatweareallonthesamepage.TheYawpisacollaborativeeffortofagroupofprofessionalhistoriansthatstrivesforaneutralpointofview--allthesame,youmaywishtothinkcriticallyabouttheargumentsmadethere,andbringthosequestionsupinweeklydiscussions.

Iwilllinkdirectlytoappropriatesectionsoftheresourcewhenitistimeforyoutoreadthem;however,ifthereareissuesintowhichyouwouldliketodelvemoredeeply,pleasefeelfreetoexploreotherpartsofthebook.

Allarticles/chapterslistedonthesyllabuswillbeavailableinthisCanvas,listedinthemoduleswhereyoushouldreadthem.

Allfilmsareavailableinelectronicreserves(hint:thesefilms*always*playbetterinChromewhenwatchedviaTheNewSchoolsite.)Thissemesterwewillbewatching:

• Chisholm`72:UnboughtandUnbossed(SholaLynch,2004)• TaxiDriver(MartinScorcese,1976)• BoogieMan:TheLeeAtwaterStory(StefanForbes,2008)• TheWarRoom(ChrisHegedusandD.A.Pennebaker,1993)• GetMeRogerStone(DylanBankandDanielDeMauro,2017)

LearningOutcomes:Oursemesterwillfocusondevelopingthefollowingcapacitiesassociatedwiththestudyofhistoryandpolitics:

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• Criticalreadingofscholarlyarticlesandprimarydocuments.Whetherweagreeordisagreewithasecondaryorprimarysource,ourfirstquestionshouldbe:whatisthewritertryingtoconveyandhowwillithelpusdoourwork?Isourviewofthetextfair?Mightanotherreasonablereaderhaveadifferentview?Even,orespecially,ifwedisagreewethenwanttoask:howdoeswhatIhavejustread,watchedorlistenedtocontributetomywork?

• Generatingusefulquestions.Historicalscholarshipdependsonaskingagoodquestionasmuchasitdependsonbeingabletoansweraquestion.

• Researchinganswerstoourquestions.Eachwritingassignmentwillhavearesearchcomponent.Portionsofsomeclasseswillbedevotedtoexploringthepossibilitiesthatdifferentprimarysourceshaveforwritinghistory.

• Developingourideasinrespectfuldiscussionwithothers.Nohistorianisexpectedtoknoweverything.Makingoralargumentsforyourownpointofview,andlistening/respondingcreativelytothepointofviewofothersishowwedevelopadeepercriticalunderstandingofatopic.

UniversityResources:

TherearenumerousresourcesatTheNewSchooltohelpyousucceed:theyincludeyourprofessor(me),youracademicadvisor,andtheofficeslistedbelow.

YourresourcesInclude:

• Meetingwiththeprofessor.Pleaseemailmetosetupanappointment.Iprefertodothisduringbusinesshours,butifyourscheduleprecludesthis,Icanbeflexible.Pleasedon'twaituntilyouaredesperate!Partofmyjobistohelpstudentsoutsideofclass,consultaboutthebroadermissionofyoureducation,orjustgohavecoffee!

• Thelibrary.Librarianscanbeparticularlyhelpfulinguidingyouthroughanyresearchrequiredforthiscourse,howtouseadatabase,andhowtosearchfortheexactsourceyouneed--andinfact,theyarepaidtodothisforfacultyandstudentsalike!AsaNewSchoolstudent,youmayalsoaccessalllibraryservicesatNewYorkUniversity'sBobstLibrary.RememberthatInternetresearchisnotalwaysthebestwaytogetwhatyouneed:Googleandothersearchenginestendtogiveyouwhatyoualreadyknow,notwhatyoudon'tknow,orspecializedresearchthatbestsuitsyourneeds.

• TheUniversityLearningCenter.Likelibrarians,learningcenterprofessionalsaretheretohelpyoudoyourwork.Again,youdon'thavetobestruggling,onlythedesiretoimprovesomeaspectofyourwork:takingbetternotes,writingmorelucidly,andreadingfasterwouldbeafewofthebasicskillsyoumightwanttoimprove.

• DisabilityServices.Inkeepingwiththeuniversity’spolicyofprovidingequalaccessforstudentswithdisabilities,anystudentwithadisabilitywhoneedsacademicaccommodationsiswelcometomeetwithmeprivately.Allconversationswillbekeptconfidential.StudentsrequestinganyaccommodationswillalsoneedtocontactStudentDisabilityService(SDS).

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SDSwillconductanintakeand,ifappropriate,theDirectorwillprovideanacademicaccommodationnotificationletterforyoutobringtome.Atthatpoint,Iwillreviewtheletterwithyouanddiscusstheseaccommodationsinrelationtothiscourse.Ifyouhavealreadybeendiagnosedwithcognitiveorphysicaldisability,thisiswhereyougotoensurethatyouhaveequalaccesstoaneducation.Ifyouhaveeverstruggledwithschool,seenapatterninthosestruggles,orarefrustratedinyourattemptstoplan,workeffectively,orstayorganized,youmightwanttoconsultwiththisofficetoseeiftheycansupportyou.Equalaccesstoeducationforalldisabilitiesmayinclude:extratimeforgradedwork,anassistanttohelpyou,orotheraccommodations.

Week1|August28–September3|IntroductionWeek2|September5–September10|ConservativeVisionsforChangeMajorReadings:

• “TheAffluentSociety,”parts1-3,TheAmericanYawp.• BarryGoldwater,TheConscienceofaConservative(1960),selections.• StevenFraser,“TheLimousineLiberal’sFamilyTree.”

Week3|September11–September18|ARightsRevolution

MajorReadings:

• “TheAffluentSociety,”part4,TheAmericanYawp.• “TheSixties,”parts3-4,TheAmericanYawp.• LeahM.Wright-Rigueur,“TheConscienceofaBlackConservative.”

Guest:

• LeahM.WrightRigueur,KennedySchoolofGovernment,HarvardUniversity.Week4|September18-September24|RealignmentMajorReadings:

• “TheUnraveling,”parts2-3,TheAmericanYawp.• “TheSixties,”parts6-7,TheAmericanYawp.• MichaelJ.Allen,“ThePoliticsofLoss.”

Film:

• “Chisholm`72:UnboughtandUnbossed”

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Week5|September25-October1|UrbanDecline

MajorReadings:

• “TheUnraveling,”parts4-6,TheAmericanYawp.• KimPhillips-Fein,“ANewNewYork”• MichaelJavenFortner,“TheReignofCriminalTerrorMustBeStoppedNow”

Film:

• “TaxiDriver”Week6|October2–October8|TheRiseoftheRightMajorReadings:

• DavidHorowitz,“ARadical’sDisenchantment”(1979)• “TheUnraveling,”parts7-8,TheAmericanYawp.• “TheTriumphoftheRight,”parts2-3,TheAmericanYawp.

Guest:

• DennisDesLippe,AssociateProfessorofAmericanStudies,FranklinandMarshallCollege

Video:

• JimmyCarter,"ACrisisofConfidence,"July15,1979Week7|October9–0ctober15|TheReaganRevolutionMajorReadings:

• NancyMacLean,“LargeThingsCanStartfromSmallBeginnings”and“NeverCompromise”

• “TheTriumphoftheRight,”parts4-6,TheAmericanYawp.Guest:

• JenniferBrier,AssociateProfessorofHistory,UniversityofIllinois–Chicago.

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Week8|October16-October22|MidtermQuizWeek9|October23–October29|DogWhistlePoliticsMajorReadings:

• “TheTriumphoftheRight,”parts7-8,TheAmericanYawp.Film:

• “BoogieMan:TheLeeAtwaterStory”Week10|October30–November5|It’stheEconomy,StupidMajorReadings:

• “TheRecentPast,”part2,TheAmericanYawp.• AndrewBreitbart,RighteousIndignation,excerpts.• RobinKelley,“LookingBackward:theLimitsofSelf-HelpIdeology”

Film:

• “TheWarRoom”Week11|November6–November12|CompassionateConservatismMajorReadings:

• “TheRecentPast,”parts3-5,TheAmericanYawp.• MarvinOlansky,“CompassionateConservatism”• EmilyNussbaum,"TheTVThatCreatedDonaldTrump"

Video:

• "TheApprentice,"season1episode1(2004)

Week12|November13-November19|AClickBaitNation?MajorReadings:

• EliPariser,TheUseristheContent"• MatthewGross,"BloggingforAmerica"• DavidGreenberg,"GeorgeW.BushandtheTruthinessProblem"

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THANKSGIVINGWeek13|November27–December3|Hope,ChangeandTeaPartiesMajorReadings:

• “TheRecentPast,”parts6-7,TheAmericanYawp.• JoshGreen,“NobodyBuildsaWallLikeTrump”• JillLepore,"HowtoCommitRevolution"

Week14|December4-December10|The2016Campaign–WhatHappened?MajorReadings:

• NaomiKlein,“TheMar-A-LagoHungerGames”• JeffFlake,"ConscienceofaConservative"

Film:

• “GetMeRogerStone”Week15|FinalExamDueNoLaterThanDecember17