Course reader

Most of your readings will come from a reader that I assembled for this on class on PressBooks. The link for the course reader can be found here.

Other readings will be directly linked to below.

Schedule for readings

Class One – Introductions: Welcome!

• Course overview, syllabus review, signing up for CUNY Academic Commons and course website

Class Two – What is democracy? What does democracy look like?

• Andrew Brown: “The Citizen: From Ancient to Post-Modern” in The Citizen: Past and Present (edited by Andrew Brown and John Griffiths), 9-12.
• Walt Whitman: Excerpt from “Democratic Vistas” in course reader.
  • In class: Zephyr Teachout: “Here’s Why Economic Inequality Threatens Our Republic”

In this class, we will try to define democracy in the broadest terms. We will think about what institutions, ideals, and society that democracy upholds. In particular, I want us to think about how much we care about democracy. What would it take for us to “buy-in” or invest time and concern in democracy and democratic practices? This class will serve as a sort of counterweight to the rest of the readings in this section. I will begin the class with a short lecture on political theory, democracy, and our present moment.

Before class, please read the article by historian Andrew Brown and a short excerpt from a writing by 19th century poet Walt Whitman. The two come from very different approaches in trying to understand politics and why we might want to be invested in a democratic society.

We will read a short article in class by legal professor Zephyr Teachout about present-day economic inequality as a threat to democracy.