Instructor: Thomas Patterson
In this course, we will examine the constitutional foundations of the American political system. The emphasis will be on the “big picture.” What are the major features of the U.S. political system and how do they affect the powers of government and those of the people?
The lectures will ask you to think critically about key issues. What, for example, are the limits on presidential power? In the process of addressing such questions, you will engage in analytical reasoning—an important life skill that is strengthened through repeated use. Case studies will be used to prompt you to think critically about what you have learned.
It is strongly recommended that you read an introductory American government text as a supplement to the lectures. Such a text will improve your knowledge of the subject and fill in details that the lectures—given the limits of time—do not address. One such text is my own (Thomas Patterson, We the People, 13th edition). Pages from the text are listed in the readings for each session. You are welcome to use a different introductory text if you prefer. In that case, you should identify the pages related to each session’s topic.
This course is the first in a series of four. Three other U.S. Government courses are available through HarvardX and likewise conclude 7/21/2021. You are invited to visit the edX portal to learn about and enroll in these additional courses as well:
Welcome to the course! I look forward to being with you.
Thomas E. Patterson
Bradlee Professor of Government & the Press
Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
thomas_patterson@hks.harvard.edu
Grading
In order to earn a certificate, you must complete at least 70% of the course requirements, which includes watching the lecture videos, doing the readings, answering the quizzes, participating in the discussion, and completing the writing assignments, each of which is worth 20% towards your final grade. Completion of lectures, readings, and discussion participation is self-reported in the ’Self-Assessment’ component at the end of each unit. You can track your progress throughout the course in the Progress tab.
The grading breakdown is as follows:
- Reading 20%
- Viewing Lecture 20%
- Quizzes 20%
- Discussion 20%
- Writing Assignments 20%
To earn a Verified Certificate, you must upgrade by the date specified in the course homepage.
You can complete the course requirements at any time by Wednesday, July 04, 2022, but for your own benefit, we encourage you to work through the material and assignments in a timely manner.
Writing Assignment, Essay
There will be a single writing assignment in the course. The essay is due on of before the course closes on Wednesday, July 04, 2022. You will be given a prompt and asked to write no more than 600 words in response. You will be given a rubric which you will use to grade your peers using the edX peer grading tool.
Lectures
The lectures will highlight main features of American politics while asking you to think critically about key issues. Why are American elections awash in money? Why has the power to start wars shifted from Congress to the president? Why does the United States have more people in poverty and yet spend less on social welfare than other major democracies? What accounts for the party polarization that characterizes today’s politics? Why is income inequality on the rise in America? Why has global trade become a controversial foreign policy issue? In the process of addressing such questions, you will engage in analytical reasoning—an important life skill that is strengthened through repeated use. Case studies will be used to prompt you to think critically about what you have learned.
Course Schedule and Readings
Political Culture
In the words of journalist Theodore H. White, the United States was born of an idea.” The American Revolution stemmed from the vision of a different form of government, one based on the consent of the governed rather than the dictates of a king. That founding vision with its emphasis on liberty, equality, individualism, and self-government became the foundation of the American political culture.
This session will explore the origins of the nation’s political culture, its embrace by each succeeding generation of Americans, and its continuing influence on the nation’s politics and policies. U.S. welfare and education policy will be used to illustrate that influence. The session also highlights the nature of politics—the process through which society settles its conflicts over scarce resources and conflicting values.
Essential reading
- George Gao, “How do Americans stand out from the rest of the world?” Pew Research Center, March 12, 2015.
- “What It Takes to be Truly ‘One of Us,” Pew Research Center, February 1, 2017.
Text reading
- Thomas E. Patterson, We the People, 13th edition, pp. 7-23. If you are using an earlier edition of "We the People" or some other text, read the pages on political culture.
Limited Government
The writers of the Constitution were determined to create a government powerful enough to meet the nation’s needs but not so powerful as to threaten people’s liberty. Accordingly, the Constitution is rooted in the idea of limited government”—a government of restricted power. The Constitution provided for such a government in multiple ways—denials of power, grants of power, the Bill of Rights, and the separation of power.
This session will examine the Constitution’s provisions for limited government and then explore the extent to which these provisions have curbed constitutional abuses of power. The main points of the session will be reinforced by examining a set of cases, including the Watergate scandal, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and the Bush Administration’s handling of enemy detainees after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Essential reading
- James Madison, Federalist No. 51. Madison has been called the “Father of the Constitution” for his role in writing the Constitution. In this essay, Madison explains the need to control political power and why the separation of executive, legislative, and judicial power is the key to limiting the power of government.
- Martin LaMonica, “Does impeachment need a crime? Not according to framers of the Constitution,” The Conversation, January 26, 2020.
- Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006). This reading summarizes the Supreme Court ruling that the military commissions created by the Bush Administration to try “enemy combatants” violated both U.S. law and the Geneva Conventions.
Text reading
- Thomas E. Patterson, We the People, 13th edition, pp. 42-51, 126-129. If you are using an earlier edition of "We the People" or some other text, read the pages on limited government (constitutional restraints on government).
Representative Government
“We the People” are the opening words of the U.S. Constitution. Yet, the Constitution in its original form did not give ordinary citizens a large say in the election of their officials. The House of Representatives was the sole popularly elected institution and voting eligibility was left to the states to decide. That system was gradually altered, but substantial barriers to popular participation remain, mainly in the form of state laws that define voter eligibility.
This session will explore the reasons that the framers felt it necessary to limit popular influence, will describe how and why the original system changed, and will look at contemporary barriers—gerrymandering, voter registration, and voter ID laws—that inhibit voting.
Essential reading
- Letter of Richard Henry Lee, October 16, 1787. In this letter, Lee, a leading American of the time, expresses his reservations about the recently written Constitution’s omission of a Bill of Rights and its limited provisions for popular rule.
- Suevon Lee and Sarah Smith, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Voter ID Laws,” ProPublica, March 9, 2016.
- Rucho v. Common Cause (2019). The Supreme Court decision that declared partisan gerrymandering, however unfair, is not subject to judicial remedy.
Text reading
- Thomas E. Patterson, We the People, 13th edition, pp. 52-60, 197-208. If you are using an earlier edition of "We the People" or some other text, read the pages on constitutional provisions for elections and voting.< p>
Federalism
The writers of the Constitution created the first federal" nation—one that divided sovereignty between a national government and state governments. We will examine this arrangement through the history of federalism as a constitutional issue, highlighting the conflicts between national and state authority that were ultimately resolved in favor of the national government.
The session will explain the division of power between the federal and state governments and also explain how broadly worded constitutional clauses, partisan differences, and
Essential reading
- James Madison, Federalist Paper No. 10. In this classic essay, written during the debate over ratification of the Constitution, Madison argues that a large republic is more likely than a small republic to protect people’s rights and interests.
- Read Article I, Section 8 and Amendment 10 of the Constitution of the United States
- “Federalism,” POLICYed, April 28, 2020.,P.
- National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012). Supreme Court ruling that upheld the Affordable Care Act as a valid exercise of Congress’s taxing power.
Text reading
- Thomas E. Patterson, We the People, 13th edition, pp. 65-92. If you are using an earlier edition of "We the People" or some other text, read the pages on federalism.,P.
Civil Liberties
Under the U.S. Constitution, individuals are guaranteed free expression and fair trial rights. During the nation’s history, these rights have been expanded in practice through Supreme Court rulings. A key development has been the protection of rights from action by state and local governments. The basis for this change has been the Court’s interpretation of the 14 Amendment’s due process clause.
This session will examine these developments and explain the individual rights held by today’s Americans. Major Supreme Court rulings—such as those relating to free speech and protection from unreasonable search and seizure—will be discussed as a means of clarifying Americans’ civil liberties.
Essential reading
- The Due Process Clauses of the Constitution of the United States
- Kathleen Ann Ruane, “Freedom of Speech and Press: Exceptions to the First Amendment,” Congressional Research Service, September 8, 2014. (Read only pp. 1-14)
- Riley v. California (2014). A landmark Supreme Court ruling on the issue of unreasonable search and seizure.
Text reading
- Thomas E. Patterson, We the People, 13th edition, pp. 98-108, 113-126. If you are using an earlier edition of "We the People" or some other text, read the pages on civil liberties (individual rights).
Civil Rights
Civil rights refer to the right of every person to equal protection under the laws and proper access to society’s opportunities. Although Americans in theory are equal in their rights, historically disadvantaged groups—including women and minorities—have had to struggle to achieve a greater measure of equality.
This session will focus on three policies that have been instrumental in expanding the rights and opportunities of disadvantaged groups: the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and affirmative action. The last of these policies been particularly contentious and we’ll take a close look at it, including a recent Supreme Court ruling on a case involving the University of Texas at Austin.
Essential reading
- Civil Rights , Cornell University Law School
- Equal Protection Clause, Cornell University Law School
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 : Skip the section on “titles”
- Ta-Nehisi Coates, “Civil-Rights Protests Have Never Been Popular,” The Atlantic, October 3, 2017.
- David G. Savage, "Supreme Court upholds use of affirmative action at universities," Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2016. This article reports the Supreme Court's ruling in the most recent major affirmative action case.
Text reading
- Thomas E. Patterson, We the People, 13th edition, pp. 134-146. If you are using an earlier edition of "We the People" or some other text, read the pages on civil rights (equal rights).