Professor Philip Klinkner
Although founded on a belief in human equality, racial inequalities have been persistent and fundamental to American politics. Since before the creation of the republic and continuing to this day, notions of race and the resulting racial hierarchies have powerfully shaped conceptions of American national identity, the development of American political institutions, the formulation of political attitudes and behavior, and the operation and impact of nearly every aspect of public policy. Consequently, any full understanding of American politics requires knowledge of these issues. This course will examine the role of race in the historical development of American politics, contemporary American racial attitudes, and the relationships between race and various important policy topics.
The following books are required for the course and available at the College Bookstore. To save money, you may also look into buying these books online. Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com are the best known, but also look at Bestbookbuys.com to search for the cheapest prices.
Philip A. Klinkner with Rogers Smith, The
Unsteady March: The Rise and Decline of Racial Equality in
Matthew Frye Jacobson, Whiteness of a Different Color: European Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race
Stephan and Abigail Thernstrom, America in Black and White: One Nation, Indivisible
Donald R. Kinder and Lynn M. Sanders, Divided By Color: Racial Politics and Democratic Ideals
Paul Frymer, Uneasy Alliances: Race and Party Competition in America
Keith Reeves, Voting Hopes or Fears: White Voters, Black Candidates, and Racial Politics in America
Douglas Massey and Nancy Denton, American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass
Melvin L. Oliver and Thomas M. Shapiro, Black Wealth, White Wealth: A New Perspective on Racial Inequality
Michael Tonry, Malign Neglect: Race, Crime, and Punishment in America
Derek Bok and William Bowen, The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions
Additional readings will be placed on reserve in library or distributed in class.
Participation Research Paper Quizzes
The bulk of your grade will come from weekly quizzes on the readings. Quizzes will take place each Monday at the beginning of class and will cover the readings assigned for that week. Each quiz will consist of 4 short answer questions (50% of the quiz grade) along with one brief essay question (50% of the quiz grade). Thirteen quizzes will be given, but your grade will be based on your 10 best scores.
The writing assignment for this class is to produce a research paper of approximately 15 pages on any topic of your choosing. Possible topics include: examining a particularly important event in the history of American race relations; an analysis of the portrayal of blacks and whites in television news; a study of residential segregation in a particular community; or any other topic that will yield insights into the role of race in American democracy. Topics must be approved by me and you are encouraged to discuss potential topics with me as early and frequently as possible.
Whatever topic you choose, your research papers must provide a comprehensive survey of the important literature on the topic along with a clear and cogent analysis of the relevant issues.
The papers will be handed in on the following schedule:
February 14: Paper Topics: This should briefly (1-2 pages) describe the topic you have chosen and offer a preliminary thesis statement on which you will base your research
March 27: Rough Drafts: A complete version of the paper for me to review.
May 3: Final Drafts: The final draft of your paper to be submitted for a grade
My office is in KJ 217. My office hours are MW 1-2:30 and by appointment. I can be reached at x4344 or by email at pklinkne.
The topics and readings for each week are as follows. Please do the readings for that week in the order listed.
Week Topic Readings Jan. 17 Race and American
Introduction Jan. 24 Race and American
Democracy Tocqueville, "Equality
of Condition" Jan. 31 Race and American
History KWS, Chs.1-4 Feb. 7 Race and American
History KWS, Chs. 5-9 Feb. 14 Public
Opinion T&T, Ch. 17 Feb. 21 Party
Politics T&T, Ch. 11 Feb. 28 Voting T&T, Ch. 16 March 6 Housing T&T, Ch. 8 March 27 Wealth and
Income T&T, Ch. 7 April 3 Welfare Williams, "The Great
Family Fraud of Postwar America" April 10 Crime T&T, Ch. 10 April 17 Education T&T, Chs.
12-13 April 24 Affirmative
Action T&T, Ch. 14 May 3 Conclusions T&T,
Begley, "Three is Not Enough"
Bonilla-Silva, "Rethinking Racism"
Hartz, "The Concept of A Liberal Society"
Smith, "Beyond Tocqueville, Myrdal, and Hartz"
Klinkner with Smith (KWS), Introduction
Jacobson, Chs. 1-2
West, Vindicating the Founders, Ch. 1
Bell, "The Real Status of Blacks Today"
Jacobson, Ch. 3
Thernstrom and Thernstrom (T&T), Introduction and Part 1
Kinder and Sanders
Sniderman and Carmines, "The Moral Basis of a Color-Blind Politics"
Wolfe, One Nation After All (Excerpts)
Valelly, "Voting Rights in Jeopardy"
Massey and Denton
Oliver and Shapiro
Conley, "Getting Into the Black: Race, Wealth, and Social Policy"
Brown, "Race in the American Welfare State"
T&T, Ch. 9
Gilens, "The Invisible and Visible Black Poor"
Gilens, "With Friends Like These"
Gilens, "Media Misrepresentations
Orfield and Yun, "Resegregation in American Schools"
Darling-Hammond, "Race, Education, and Equal Opportunity"
Jencks and Phillips, "The Black-White Test Score Gap"
Steele, "Thin Ice: 'Stereotype Threat' and Black College Students"
Bok and Bowen Chs. 1-4, 9-10
T&T, "Reflections on The Shape of the River"
One America Report, Ch. 4
Race and American Democracy
Race and American Democracy
Race and American History
Race and American History
KWS, Chs. 5-9
T&T, Ch. 17
T&T, Ch. 11
T&T, Ch. 16
T&T, Ch. 8
Wealth and Income
T&T, Ch. 7
Williams, "The Great
Family Fraud of Postwar America"
T&T, Ch. 10
T&T, Ch. 14