This course takes a sophisticated look at polarization in American politics. We will critically examine the antidemocratic design of the Constitution, how each of the three branches is a product of and contributor to polarization, and how institutions such as the media and lobbyists facilitate the dysfunction. We will talk extensively about processes such as the filibuster, budgeting, gerrymandering, and others are part of the current political environment. Importantly, we will discuss how American politics might recover from hyperpolarization. Students will work independently and in groups to explore these topics.
Draft Syllabus
About the Instructor: Professor John Lawrence served as a senior staff person in Congress for nearly four decades, the last eight as Chief of Staff to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He also served as staff director of two committees and on personal staff. He has taught at UCDC since 2013, and at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and has lectured widely on history and contemporary American politics at Columbia, Princeton, Oberlin and other venues. Professor Lawrence holds a Ph.D. in American History from the University of California (Berkeley), and an undergraduate history degree from Oberlin College.