Fall Quarter 2021

Congress and other branches of the U.S. government were designed nearly two and a half centuries ago under circumstances and reflecting values and philosophies that bear little relationship to contemporary America. All of these institutions have evolved over time in response to changing conditions domestically and internationally; and the American electorate had undergone significant change as well, especially in the last half century. All of these developments place dramatic and consequential pressures on government, elected officials and voters alike. How are they responding and what can we anticipate, based on historical analysis, will change as a result of these unprecedented, simultaneous crises? What is the appropriate level of idealism, pragmatism and collaboration as ways to govern a diverse and divided democracy?

This course will focus on the performance of Congress, the American government and the electorate during a period in which four historic forces are colliding simultaneously:

The coronavirus pandemic and related societal disruptions;

The widespread political/social responses to systemic racism affecting policing and other public institutions and policies;

The electoral season that elevates partisan anger through the campaigns across the nation; and lastly

The diminished confidence of the American people in the structure and performance of their own government.

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.

The general research seminar introduces you to some of the main tools of social science research methods. You will learn and apply tools that will help you a) ask and try to answer critical questions about the world around you; b) understand the logic and significance of evidence-based research for analytical writing, policy recommendations and decision-making; and. c) explore research tools for your own research project. You will learn how to formulate focused and researchable questions, identify reliable data and relevant sources, and produce a robust literature review. You will also learn the uses and merits of case studies, and develop tools to reading statistical analyses and findings to better support your own research projects. Finally, you will be introduced to the elements of a policy brief and will be encouraged to use your internship experience to apply your research skills for the final research project. Ultimately, this class aims to strengthen your research competence and confidence in using tools relevant to whatever career path you choose.

Syllabus

About the Instructor: Professor Loubna Hanna is a scholar-practitioner with subject area expertise in the politics of development, gender, youth and communication. She's taught at numerous universities in Morocco and the United States, including the American University’s School of International Service and the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. She is the author, co-author, and editor of numerous publications in my subject areas. She consulted with numerous intern/national development organizations and agencies including USAID, the World Bank, World Learning, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of State and the Global Fund for Women. Hanna earned her BA from Mohamed V University in Rabat (Morocco), her MA in socio-cultural anthropology from Essex University (England) and her PhD from the Pennsylvania State University, USA. 

What is the difference between “fake news""and journalism? Why does President Trump call news organizations “the enemy of the American people""? Should the media report what people want to know or ought to know? Does objectivity exist?

This seminar examines the extraordinary changes to communication and journalism over the past half century and the consequences for American politics. The 2020 campaign is a perfect backdrop to assess the news media’s mission, goals, and biases. We will look at the media’s incentives to fuel controversy, politicians’ efforts to manipulate (if not lie to) the media, and how the digital revolution – for both better and worse -- has fundamentally restructured the future of political communication. Each week will feature an hour-long presentation combining lectures, guest speakers and videos to be viewed in advance of the two-hour live class. The live class will combine discussion and exercises with an emphasis on current developments, lectures, and readings. Readings will include an assortment of news and scholarly articles.

Syllabus

About the Instructor:  Professor Marc Sandalow is the Associate Academic Director of the University of California Washington Program (UCDC). He is the author of three books, including “Madam Speaker,” a biography of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He has been a journalist for 30 years, including 21 years at the San Francisco Chronicle and more than a decade as the paper’s Washington Bureau Chief. He is a former columnist and contributing editor for the California Journal, and is a currently a political analyst for Hearst Argyle television stations and KCBS radio in San Francisco. Professor Sandalow has been the UCDC program since 2008.

Most of us have been inundated with elections and politics for the past year. Many Americans can name several presidents and even have opinions on “good” versus “bad” presidents. But what do they actually do and how do we measure and evaluate their performance and our expectations for their leadership? What can we expect during the next four years of a Biden/Harris administration? This course will put the modern presidency in historical and theoretical context, drawing on a variety of readings and approaches to determine which framework best explains presidential (in)action. At its core, this class is about the question of executive power in democratic government. In addition to studying and reflecting on the theme of presidential power, we will also consider the limits to this power and how presidents achieve their goals. Ultimately, we aim to understand the work of the presidency and some of the different perspectives by which we might analyze or assess presidents and their administrations, especially at a time when we transition from one administration to another.

Disclaimer: We will deal with real world issues of today. Our discussions will reflect these parameters and engage in some controversial topics. This is an important part of our course, and you should be prepared to understand the politics of the situation separated from your own views.

Syllabus

About the Instructor: I am a Ph.D. of American government and politics with specializations in the American presidency, public policy, and polarization. My research focuses on presidential governance via executive orders and how political factors influence the ability of presidents to issue their most significant orders. I have taught UCDC’s presidency seminar since Fall 2017. While earning my degree at the University of Maryland, I taught classes about public policy and Congress to students who had internships related to those fields in a format similar to the UCDC program. Outside of the classroom, I work at Community Change & Community Change Action, non-profit organizations focused on building a movement led by everyday people to create change in their communities and across the country. As the Electoral Data Manager, I work with many different teams and partner organizations to identify target audiences and track the work we are doing in communities affected by injustice.

Much is said about Washington, D.C. Much of it is wrong. This course will immerse students in the history, institutions, demographics, and rituals of nation’s capital. You will learn about Washington’s transformation from a remote federal city to the world’s most powerful capital. We will analyze the accuracy of Washington’s depiction throughout history, how it is represented – and misrepresented -- in modern culture, and why it is ridiculed by politicians who yearn to work there. We will examine the glorification and vilification of Washington in literature and film and assess the truth behind popular Washington myths. We will probe Washington policy debates and rituals and survey the research tools used to separate fact from fiction. And we will discuss the demographics of a city which contains some of the nation’s wealthiest and most impoverished neighborhoods.

You will have an opportunity to study and visit monuments and museums, as well as iconic institutions as the National Portrait Gallery and Ben’s Chili Bowl. The elective contains a mix of lectures, readings, discussions, field trips and guest speakers to experience as much of Washington as possible in a single term. Readings will include scholarly writing, literature, and journalistic accounts, aimed at offering insight into the workings and role of the capital. Students will be required to use primary sources to determine the validity of Washington conceptions and misconceptions.

Regular discussion of contemporary policy and politics, as well as student internships, will provide a window to understand how Washington works.

Past Syllabus

About the Instructor:  Professor Marc Sandalow is the Associate Academic Director of the University of California Washington Program (UCDC). He is the author of three books, including “Madam Speaker,” a biography of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He has been a journalist for 30 years, including 21 years at the San Francisco Chronicle and more than a decade as the paper’s Washington Bureau Chief. He is a former columnist and contributing editor for the California Journal, and is a currently a political analyst for Hearst Argyle television stations and KCBS radio in San Francisco. Professor Sandalow has been the UCDC program since 2008.