| Course Info | Course Schedule | Additional Readings | Students | Links of Interest | MAC Poli Sci |
| Instructor: Julie A Dolan | Email address: dolan@macalester.edu |
This course examines the evolutionary role of women in politics - as voters, citizens, candidates, and leaders - from the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 to the present. Drawing from a variety of theoretical perspectives, we examine women’s historical and contemporary roles in US politics, investigate and debate a variety of public policy issues of particular concern to women, and explore the intersection of race and gender in US politics.
Burkett, Elinor. 1998. The Right Women: A Journey Through the Heart of Conservative Women. Touchstone Books.Fox, Richard Logan. 1997. Gender Dynamics in Congressional Elections. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
McGlen, Nancy E., Karen O’Connor, Laura van Assendelft, and Wendy Gunther-Canada. 2001. Women, Politics, and American Society. 3rd edition. Allyn & Bacon/Longman. Hereafter referred to as MOV&G.
Additional readings (marked with an ‘*’ throughout syllabus and listed on last page). These are all available either online or on reserve in DeWitt Wallace Library.
1) Class participation, including participation in semi-formal debates (20%)
3) 2 Papers (each worth 15%)
4) 2 exams (each worth 25%)
1) Class Participation (20%)
The full participation of all students is expected. This means that students will be on time and well prepared for all class sessions. If you are unable to attend class or have a problem completing an assignment by the due date, you must call me before the close of business (5:00 pm) the day prior to class. Your participation is essential and if you are not in class, you cannot participate.Part of your presentation grade will be based on a short class presentation. After everyone has chosen a topic for their first paper, I will schedule each student for a presentation on a specific day sometime during the semester. All students will also actively participate in a number of in-class public policy debates towards the end of the semester. More complete guidelines for the debates will be handed out in class at a later date and posted on our course web page. Every person enrolled in the class will actively participate in the debates. If you miss any of the class debates, your participation grade for the class will be lowered at least 10 points for each day you miss.
2) Writing Assignments (30%)
You are required to write two 5-7 page papers. Everyone must select EITHER paper #1A or #1B, and all students are required to write paper #2.Paper #1 (15%)
Please choose ONE of the following two paper topics. You are required to write only one of these papers (#1A OR #1B). They are due at different times of the semester, so choose carefully!1A. Write a paper on a women’s interest group of your choice (historical or contemporary). In particular, how does / did this group attempt to improve women’s lives or expand women’s rights? What sorts of issues do they advocate? How successful do you think they have been? What strategies and tactics did / does the interest group utilize to influence politics in the United States? What have they accomplished? This paper is due on March 12th.
1B. Write a paper on a woman who has been actively involved in politics in the United States. Drawing from our course readings and discussions, discuss whether she fits the “typical” profile of a political woman. In particular, you should pay special attention to the following questions: how and when did she first become active in politics? What public policy issues does she emphasize or advocate? What barriers, if any, has she faced in politics because of her gender? Does Richard Logan Fox’s description of political women seem to apply to her? Why or
why not? This paper is due on April 23rd.
Paper #2 (15%)
This paper is designed to help you learn about the issue you will defend before the rest of the class. All students are required to write this paper. Drawing from a variety of sources, write an issue position paper that summarizes your stance in the public policy debate. Explain what stance you will take in the debate and discuss your reasons for doing so. This is NOT an opinion paper. You need to gather plenty of evidence (7-10 sources are recommended) to support your position and clearly explain at least three reasons why your position should prevail. You must cite your sources in the text of the paper and provide a complete bibliography at the end of the paper. This paper is due one week after your in-class debate.*** A note on all written assignments: I expect that all papers will be original work, clearly written, well organized, grammatically correct, free from typographical and spelling errors, will include proper bibliographic citations in the text AND on a works cited page, and will be turned in at the beginning of the indicated class period. Any assignments which are late will be penalized a third of a letter grade for each day they are late (so an A- becomes a B+ if one day late, a C becomes a D if three days late, etc.). Please plan ahead to avoid problems that will prevent you from turning your assignments in on time.
3) Exams (50%)
Two exams will be given over the course of the semester. The midterm is scheduled for March 21st and the final exam will be scheduled as determined by the Registrar. A student absent from a scheduled examination will receive a zero for the exam unless the absence has been approved by me AHEAD OF TIME. Each exam is worth 25% of your grade.