Political Culture

Uitgebreide vaknaam	Political Culture
Leerdoelen	Upon successful completion of the course, students are able to: - demonstrate an understanding of American political culture and its practical relevance for U.S. society. - evaluate critically some of the guiding ideas of American political culture (liberty, equality, democracy, individualism, unity, diversity). - assess the ways in which these ideas are disseminated and negotiated in American culture. - present cogent and informed analyses of the course material, both orally and in writing. - contribute constructively to scholarly discussions. - write well-argued essays that engage the historical perspectives and theoretical approaches of the course material.
Omschrijving	Political culture is what embeds and informs our political behavior. It can be defined as a set of attitudes, values, beliefs and practices shared by a people and shaping their political perceptions and actions. As such, involves moral judgments, political myths, and ideas about what makes for a good citizen, a good society, and a good government. Political cultures vary from state to state (and sometimes even within one state), but they tend to be fairly stable over time. This course examines American political culture. Drawing on a wide range of historical and theoretical readings, it familiarizes students with some of its guiding ideas, including liberty, equality, democracy, individualism, unity, and diversity. Moreover, we will study how political debates in the U.S. tend to be over how these ideas can be realized, not over whether they are worth striving for in the first place. We will explore how American political culture—through debates, public protest, and the circulation of values and myths—intersects with American media and popular culture. And we will try to assess what the election of Donald Trump means for American political culture.
Uren per week	2
Onderwijsvorm	werkcollege
Toetsvorm	actieve participatie, essay, wekelijkse opdrachten
Vaksoort	bachelor jr 2
Coördinator	prof. dr. L.C. Bieger
Docent(en)	prof. dr. L.C. Bieger ,MA. MSc. H.W. Nijtmans
Entreevoorwaarden	Admission to the second year, in other words at least 45 ECTS from the propaedeutic phase of the major.
Opmerkingen	80% Compulsory attendance in seminars. Students are expected to participate actively in discussions during seminars and to duly carry out all assignments in and outside class.
Opgenomen in	Opleiding Jaar Periode Type Ba American Studies 2 semester II verplicht