From Barry Goldwater to Donald Trump: A Political … · From Barry Goldwater to Donald Trump: A...
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1 Claire Potter [email protected] NHIS 3189A 79 Fifth Avenue, room 1625 Fall 2017 office hours: By appointment Online From Barry Goldwater to Donald Trump: A Political History of Tea Party America This course is a survey of United States political history and domestic policy that puts the evolution of the American presidency at its center. It begins in 1964 with the defeat of radical right-wing Republican Barry Goldwater by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson, a campaign that was a turning point for the modern conservative movement. Over the next fifteen years, and three presidencies, conservatism consolidated in the Republican Party, while the Democratic Party became the home for a liberal reform coalition (feminists, gay rights, unions, and veterans of the civil rights movement, among others.) With the election of Republican Ronald Reagan 1980, conservatives claimed the mantle of government reform, while Democrats launched a long defense of the liberal state. Over the next three decades, this defense included Democrats adopting some principles of conservatism, principally the belief in individualism and prosperity through principles of market freedom now known as “neoliberalism.”
Transcript of From Barry Goldwater to Donald Trump: A Political … · From Barry Goldwater to Donald Trump: A...
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ClairePotter [email protected] 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
