PLSC 378: American Political Thought

This course serves as an introduction to American political thought. Through close readings of foundational texts, students will encounter and analyze fundamental political concepts. Topics include federalism and anti-federalism, constitutionalism, liberty and liberalism, American exceptionalism, democracy, civic virtue, wage and slave labor, individualism, laissez-faire economics, welfare liberalism, and the rights of minorities.

The course is intended, first, to help students develop the ability to critically read and analyze arguments, and, second, to provide students with an introduction to some of the most important ideas in American political thought. Students will examine these ideas, both as they are thematized in the texts and as they manifest themselves in contemporary American theory and politics.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will:

1: Demonstrate critical thinking and writing skills with respect to the fundamental concepts of American political thought.

2: Demonstrate knowledge of the theories of politics that have animated American politics.

3: Apply theory to specific moments and events in American political history.

4: Demonstrate knowledge of the perspectives of historically subjugated groups.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Many of the course readings are available in electronic form on Brightspace.  In addition, the following books must be purchased.  (I have included hyperlinks, but you may purchase the books from your preferred vendor.  Please make every attempt to buy the specific edition I’ve assigned.)

• Michael Levy, Political Thought in America, Waveland
• Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Harper Perennial
• Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward, Penguin

Texts must be brought to class on the day they will be discussed.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

This course will emphasize critical reading and analysis of the assigned texts. The reading load will be approximately 100 pages per week. Class meetings will be a combination of lectures and discussions. Readings should be completed before the class meeting in which they will be discussed. This enables students to get the most out of the lectures and to participate effectively in discussion.

Discussion: During class discussion you are not expected to have fully developed points of view about the course materials, but you are expected to participate. You will be rewarded for trying; you will not be penalized for being wrong or unclear, but it should be clear that you have done the readings and are working toward mastery of the material.

Questions: None of us, myself included, knows everything about the topics of this class. It is our responsibility to ask others who may know the answer, either in class, in office hours, or over dinner. I expect that you are learning the material, not that you know it. As much as possible, try not to be shy or embarrassed about what you don’t yet know. The biggest failure in learning any material, in college or in life, is to fail to ask questions about things you do not know.

Availability: I expect that all of you, either alone or in groups, will contact me at some point during the semester. I am available to discuss the course material, either during office hours, at other times, over the phone, or through email.  If you would prefer to schedule a time during non-office hours, simply contact me by phone or email and we will schedule an appropriate time.

Course Conduct: In order to build and maintain a supportive and productive learning community, students and instructors must treat one another with respect.

For students, this includes but is not limited to:

• Being prepared to discuss the assigned readings each day;
• Regular attendance;
• Notifying the instructor of any scheduling conflicts;
• On-time arrival to class;
• Minimizing trips in and out of the room during class;
• Minimizing side-conversations;
• Refraining from use of cell phones, tablets, and laptops. Neither laptops nor tablets may be used in class.  Cell phones must be turned off AND put away during class meetings.  Students who use laptops, tablets, or cell phones will be considered absent.

Failure to adhere to these expectations – especially if students are disrupting others’ learning or creating an unwelcoming environment – will result in disciplinary measures. For more on University policies on appropriate classroom conduct, see the University of La Verne Catalog.

For instructors, responsibility for building and maintaining a supportive and productive learning community includes but is not limited to:

• Being accessible to students;
• Communicating clear expectations for student success;
• Addressing students respectfully, including use of preferred names and pronouns;
• Returning graded work in a timely fashion;
• Creating a open exchange of ideas to which all students are encouraged to contribute;
• Facilitating the interrogation and critical analysis of ideas, including interrogation of the instructor’s views, biases, and values.

Students are encouraged to report violations of University policy, including sexual misconduct and social justice incidents here: https://laverne.edu/student-affairs/incident-report-wellness-referral-form/.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

• Quizzes:  30%
• In-Class Essays: 30%
• Final Exam: 30%
• In-class participation: 10%

Quizzes: Once or twice during most class sessions I will ask you do some in-class writing (5 minutes), typically at the beginning and/or at the end of class. At the beginning of class, I’ll ask you to answer one of the study questions that we have not yet discussed in class. At the end of class I’ll ask a question about the material we just discussed. You should write 2-4 sentences, answering the question as comprehensively as you can, demonstrating knowledge of the reading and incorporating critical analysis. Here are some examples of how you can incorporate critical analysis into your answer:

• Draw a connection or a distinction
• Identify objections or alternatives
• Identify assumptions or gaps in reasoning
• Provide intellectual or historical context
• Situate your answer in the context of the author’s larger argument
• Relate your answer to something in contemporary politics

These assignments will be assessed on a scale of 1-10. A grade of 7-8 indicates that the student has answered the question accurately. An “8-9” is indicative of an accurate answer with some critical reflection on the question. A “9-10” indicates critical reflection as well as specific reference to the text. A “6-7” indicates that the answer in some way misrepresents the text or does not answer the question.

In-Class Essays: There will be four in-class open-book essay opportunities. You should take all four but only your top three will count toward your grade. These essays will rely on knowledge from both readings and lectures, and will call for argument and evaluation. Makeup essays are available only for students who miss two or more essays for documented medical reasons.

The essays will be graded based on the following criteria:

• Does the paper demonstrate knowledge of the course materials?
• Does the paper have a clear thesis?
• Is the paper’s thesis supported consistently and coherently?

Click here for a helpful guide to structuring and writing essays in political theory.

Final Exam: The final exam will be composed of a variety of short-answer and essay questions.

If you need disability accommodations for an exam or other assignment, please see the instructor as soon as possible. Information regarding disabilities, including learning disabilities, will remain confidential. If you are not sure whether you need special accommodations, please contact the Accessibility Services Department. Information about location and contact numbers can be found here: https://sites.laverne.edu/disabled-student-services/.

Participation:  Attendance and punctuality are basic requirements for an effective discussion. Beyond that, each student’s frequency and quality of contribution to the class discussion will be assessed and reflected in the class participation score.  Students who miss more than four classes will automatically suffer a deduction of one-third of a grade (e.g. a B+ becomes a B).  Students who miss more than seven classes will suffer a full grade deduction (e.g. a B+ becomes a C+).  Students who are in class but do not have the assigned reading will be considered absent. Multiple instances of tardiness will also result in a deduction of one-third of a grade.

SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS AND REQUIRED READINGS:

UNIT I   Europeans in the Wilderness

Feb. 3:  INTRODUCTION: No assigned reading

• What does it mean to be an American?
• Describe pragmatism as a philosophical approach or paradigm. Is pragmatism a philosophy or is it anti-philosophy?

Feb. 5:  Levy, pp. 13-14, 16-26 (chs. 1, 2, 17), 26-28, 29-37, 45-47; Louis Hartz, The Liberal Tradition in America, pp. 50-66 (Brightspace)

• What does Crevecoeur admire about America? Ashley
• According to John Winthrop, what is civil or federal liberty? Aaron
• According to the “Platform of Church Discipline” (1649), what is the role of religion in politics? Valeria
• What are the limits of toleration, according to Nathaniel Ward? Violette
• What are Roger Williams main arguments against John Cotton? Colin
• According to Louis Hartz why have Americans lacked “class consciousness?” MichaelD
• What is “tyranny of the majority?”  Why was it a particular danger in America, according to Hartz? Bree
• Did Americans have to achieve liberty, or did it come to them naturally? Chris
• Americans and their admirers often describe America as a uniquely free and equal society, tolerant of differences, open to outsiders, and committed to providing all citizens the opportunity to flourish.  Is this description more reality or mythology? Kaiya

Feb. 10:   Bernard Bailyn, “The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution,” pp. 55-93 (Brightspace)

• Why was power so central to pre-Revolutionary political thinkers?  How did they understand power? Nick
• Why were the colonists suspicious of standing armies? Paula
• What is a constitution?  What did it mean to the colonists? Justice
• What were the advantages of the British constitution? Merrie
• From the colonists’ perspective, in what ways was British society becoming corrupt? Cody

UNIT II  Establishing an Independent Republic:  The Languages of Revolution

Feb. 12:  Levy, pp. 53-58, 59-61, 63-65, 81-83, 83-84, 86-91

• What are the causes which impelled Americans to separation from Britain (Levy, p. 81)? MichaelS
• According to Jonathan Boucher, what are the limitations on man’s pursuit of liberty? Vanessa
• What is the principle of consent?  What are Boucher’s criticisms of it? Ashley
• According to Samuel Seabury and Daniel Leonard, what were the advantages of remaining under the British monarchy? Aaron
• According to John Adams, under which conditions could Britain’s exercise of power over the colonies be considered legitimate? Valeria

Feb. 17: Thomas Paine, Common Sense (Brightspace)

• What is the difference between society and government? Violette
• What are Paine’s criticisms of the English constitution? Colin
• According to Paine, was America strong enough to defend itself? Michael
• How is Paine’s view of government connected to his arguments for revolution? Bree
• Why does Paine think it is in America’s best interest to be free from Britain? Chris
• What is Paine’s view of the connection between religion and government? Kaiya

Feb. 19:  IN-CLASS ESSAY

UNIT III  Creating an Extended Commercial Republic:  The Political Theory of the Constitution

Feb. 24: THE OLD ORTHODOXY:  AGRARIAN REPUBLICANISM:  Levy, 97-100; THE NEW ORTHODOXY: “THE NEW SCIENCE OF POLITICS:” Alan Gibson, “Founding Indians” (Brightspace)

• According to Thomas Jefferson, what are the virtues of “cultivators of the earth?” Nick
• What’s wrong with going to Europe for an education, according to Jefferson? Paula
• Why, according to Jefferson, is it important that “as few as possible shall be without land?” Justice
• How did Thomas Jefferson respond to the plight of Native Americans? Merrie
• How did Thomas Jefferson respond to the political demands of Native Americans? Cody
• How was early American political thought influenced by Native Americans? MichaelS

Feb. 26: THE NEW ORTHODOXY: “THE NEW SCIENCE OF POLITICS:” Levy, 107-123, 124-131; Federalist Papers 63, 84 (Brightspace)

• What is the purpose of the Federalist Papers? Vanessa
• According to Publius, what is a faction? When can factions be dangerous? How can this danger be avoided? Ashley
• How does Publius define “republican government” in Federalist 39? Aaron
• What is the difference between a federal and a national government? Valeria
• When can ambition be dangerous? What can be done to temper its dangers? Violette
• What were the arguments for and against the establishment of a Senate and a strong executive? Colin
• Why did some question the inclusion of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution? MichaelD

March 3: VOICES OF DISSENT:  Levy, 138-142, 152-155, 160-163; Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia—Queries XVIII and XIX, Letters to Madison, Taylor, and Kercheval (Brightspace)

• What are Jefferson’s reservations about the Constitution?  What are Winthrop’s? Bree
• For Jefferson, what is the key to the preservation of liberty in a society? Chris
• What threat do “banking establishments” pose, according to Jefferson? Kaiya
• What is Jefferson’s position on slavery? Nick
• What are Winthrop’s arguments against the establishment of a strong federal government? Paula

March 5: VOICES OF DISSENT (continued):  The Federal Farmer, pp. 32-54, 73-79 (Brightspace); Patrick Henry, speech at the Virginia State Ratifying Convention, pp. 315-325 (Brightspace)

• According to the Federal Farmer, how does the union threaten liberty? Justice
• Why, according to the Federal Farmer, was the Constitution aristocratic? Merrie
• What is required for an effective system of representation? Cody
• What is self-love, according to Patrick Henry? Why is it, in his view, the key to preserving liberty?

March 10: Approaches to American Political Thought: Ken Kersch, “Themes and Frameworks in American Political Thought” (Brightspace); Nikole Hannah-Jones, “America Wasn’t a Democracy, Until Black Americans Made It One;” James McPherson, “An Interview with James McPherson on the New York Times’ 1619 Project”

• On Kersch:
  • What are the elements of Lockean liberalism? Bree
  • What are the elements of the republican tradition? Nick
  • What are the key differences between liberalism and republicanism? Michael D
  • Explain Christian providentialism. Merrie
  • What is ascriptive Americanism? Ashley
  • What is Rogers Smith’s critique of the liberal and republican traditions? Valeria
  • What is creedal nationalism? Vanessa
  • How is creedal nationalism inclusive? How is it exclusionary? Michael  S
  • Why did Tocqueville worry about the American preference for equality? Violette
• On Hannah-Jones:
  • How according to Hannah-Jones did black people make America a democracy? Paula
  • What was Lincoln’s view on the equality of the races? Justice
  • How did race relations change during Reconstruction? How did they change after Reconstruction? Colin
• On McPherson:
  • How according to Hannah-Jones did Black people make America a democracy? Chris
  • How does McPherson critique the 1619 Project’s treatment of slavery? Cody
  • “Anti-black racism runs in the very DNA of this country.” (Hannah-Jones) How does McPherson respond to this claim? Aaron
  • Black Americans have “fought back alone.” (Hannah-Jones) How does McPherson respond to this claim? Kaiya
  • How does McPherson respond to Hannah-Jones’ characterization of Lincoln’s racism? Bree

March 12: IN-CLASS ESSAY

UNIT IV  Extending the Democratic Republic: Liberty, Equality and the Open Marketplace

March 17:  THE OLD ORTHODOXY: THE REPUBLIC OF ORDERS:  Levy, pp. 169-173; Jefferson, letter to Adams (Brightspace); James Madison, pp. 313-319 (Brightspace); THE NEW ORTHODOXY: THE REPUBLIC OF EQUAL INDIVIDUALS: Levy, pp. 183-188, 209-216

• Who shouldn’t be permitted to vote? Nick, Aaron
• What is the natural aristocracy, according to John Adams?  What makes someone an aristocrat? Michael D, Cody
• Why, according to Buel was it safe to extend suffrage?  Why was it proper? Merrie, Chris
• According to Madison, what must happen in order for the slaves to be emancipated? Ashley, Colin

March 19:  THE REPUBLIC OF EQUAL INDIVIDUALS (continued):  Levy, pp. 200-208; Henry David Thoreau, Walden, ‘Economy,’ and ‘Where I Lived, and What I Lived for’ (Brightspace)

• According to Whitman, what is the role of government?
• What is Whitman’s response to Calhoun?
• What makes Whitman optimistic about the future of American society?
• Why did Thoreau retreat into the woods? Valeria, Justice, Michael S
• What did Thoreau live for? Vanessa, Paula
• Which virtues does Thoreau emphasize? Kaiya, Violette

March 24: THE REPUBLIC OF EQUAL INDIVIDUALS (continued): Ralph Waldo Emerson, ‘Self-reliance’ and ‘Politics’ (Brightspace)

• What must one do in order to be ‘self-reliant’ in Emerson’s sense? Bree
• Why is it, according to Emerson, that ‘imitation is suicide’? (p. 1, ‘Self-Reliance’) Nick
• Under what circumstances can consistency be ‘foolish’ and ‘the hobgoblin of little minds’? (p. 4, ‘Self-Reliance’) Michael D
• Is Emerson’s individualism elitist?  Is it democratic?  Can it be both at once? Merrie
• What is the ‘general mind’? (p. 2, ‘Politics’)? Ashley
• What is the role of government for Emerson? Valeria

March 26:  VOICES OF DISSENT: AFFIRMATIVE DISSENT: FOR GREATER EQUALITY:  Levy, 221-231, 238-256; George Fitzhugh, Cannibals All!, pp. 15-20, 31-32, 222-224 (Brightspace)

• What is white slavery?  Why, according to Fitzhugh is it worse than black slavery? Vanessa
• Is there anything wrong with Fitzhugh’s argument? Kaiya
• Was Abraham Lincoln a racist? Violette
• Why, according to Lincoln, must the slaves be emancipated? Paula
• Is Lincoln’s opposition to slavery consistent with his commitment to states rights? Justice
• What justifies civil disobedience? Colin

March 30-April 3: SPRING BREAK

April 7:  VOICES OF DISSENT: AFFIRMATIVE DISSENT: FOR GREATER EQUALITY (continued): Levy, 257-261; Elizabeth Cady Stanton/Susan B. Anthony, pp. 27-35, 44-52, 78-85, 152-165 (Brightspace)

• According to Grimke, what qualifies one for equal rights? Chris
• According to Stanton, are there differences between the sexes?  If so, what are they? Cody
• According to Stanton, what’s wrong with the political subordination of women? Aaron
• What political reforms did Stanton and Anthony advocate? Michael S
• In Stanton’s view, what did women have in common with slaves in the mid-19th century? Bree, Michael D
• How did the emancipation of the slaves make it more difficult to justify the suppression of women? Nick, Merrie

April 9:  VOICES OF DISSENT: RESTRAINED DISSENT: THE FEAR OF EQUALITY’S EXCESSES:  Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, pp. 50-63, 68-70, 87-98

• How might the pursuit of equality undermine liberty? Ashley, Vanessa
• What are the advantages of local governance? Valeria, Kaiya
• What is the difference between administrative centralization and political centralization? Violette, Justice
• Why, according to Tocqueville, are Americans so patriotic? Paula, Colin
• How do political associations serve democracy?  How do they endanger it? Chris, Aaron 

April 14:  VOICES OF DISSENT: RESTRAINED DISSENT: THE FEAR OF EQUALITY’S EXCESSES (continued):  Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, pp. 158-170, 189-195, 277-294

• Describe Tocqueville’s conception of liberty. Cody, Michael S
• How is does Christianity in the New World differ from Christianity in Europe? Bree, Valeria, Paula
• What role does religion play in the preservation of liberty? Nick, Vanessa, Michael D
• How does conformity to the ‘common opinion’ threaten liberty? Merrie, Kaiya, Violette

April 16:  VOICES OF DISSENT: RESTRAINED DISSENT: THE FEAR OF EQUALITY’S EXCESSES (continued):  Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, pp. 294-315, 429-436, 442-449

April 21:  VOICES OF DISSENT: RESTRAINED DISSENT: THE FEAR OF EQUALITY’S EXCESSES (continued):  Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, pp. 503-530, 690-705

• “We now know that Tocqueville was wrong.  We know that the pursuit of happiness, even when it leads to paltry pleasures, is compatible with the maintenance of freedom and justice.” (A Tocqueville commentator)  Respond to this claim. Ashley, Paula, Colin

April 23:  VOICES OF DISSENT: AFFIRMATIVE DISSENT: FOR GREATER EQUALITY (continued):  Frederick Douglass, pp. 203-226, 262-266, 277-284, 311-328 (Brightspace)

• According to Douglass, why must blacks prove themselves worthy of equal rights?  What must they do to prove themselves worthy? Justice
• Does Douglass justify racism? Chris
• What is the “colonization scheme?”  Why does Douglass oppose it? Aaron
• Why does Douglass believe it is crucial that blacks get the right to vote? Michael S
• What’s wrong with “race pride,” according to Douglass? Cody

April 28: IN-CLASS ESSAY

UNIT V  The Republic as Industrial Capitalism: Social Darwinism and the New Inequality

April 30:  THE NEW ORTHODOXY: INEQUALITY AS PROGRESS:  Levy, pp. 323-344; Booker T. Washington, pp. 351-356, 376-379, 417-423, 445-463 (Brightspace)

• According to Sumner, what do the social classes owe each other? Bree
• How should society respond to the problem of poverty, according to our authors? Nick
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of economic competition? Michael D
• According to Carnegie, what are the duties of the ‘man of wealth’? Merrie
• Can a good Christian devote himself or herself to the pursuit of wealth? Ashley
• How, according to Washington, will Black people prosper? Valeria
• Is Washington too forgiving of whites?  Too trusting? Vanessa
• According to Washington, which political reforms would best help Black people? Kaiya
• Is Washington opposed to segregation? Violette

May 5:  VOICES OF DISSENT:  Levy, 350-355, 361-374; Louis Brandeis, Testimony before U.S. Commission on Industrial Relations, pp. 70-83 (Brightspace)

• Which special interests is Woodrow Wilson worried about? Why? Paula
• According to Henry George, who is better off, a day laborer or a savage?  Why? Justice
• According to George, what role does rent play in economic inequality?  What is George’s solution to this problem? Colin, Aaron 
• According to Gilman, why do men insist ‘a woman’s place is in the home’? Chris
• What is industrial absolutism, according to Brandeis?  What is industrial democracy? Cody, Michael S

May 7:  VOICES OF DISSENT (continued):  Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward, 2000-1887, pp. 91-197

• What is a utopia? Merrie
• How does Bellamy’s view of the good life differ from Thoreau’s and Emerson’s? Michael D
• Is there anything missing in Bellamy’s utopia?  Are there any surprising inclusions? Nick
• What are Julian West’s main criticisms of the 19th century? Bree, Paula
• How was the problem of economic inequality and exploitation solved in the year 2000? Ashley
• How have politicians changed in the year 2000? Valeria
• What is the industrial service? Vanessa, Michael S
• What does Bellamy’s imagined utopia tell us about his view of 19th-century America? Kaiya
• How are goods distributed in the year 2000? Violette

May 12:  VOICES OF DISSENT (continued):  Edward Bellamy, Looking Backward, 2000-1887, pp. 198-314

• What do Bellamy’s citizens do once they are mustered out of the industrial army? Paula
• Why have prisons become unnecessary in the year 2000? Justice, Aaron
• What are Dr. Leete’s criticisms of the 19th-century industrial system? Colin, Cody
• How has religion changed in the year 2000? Chris, Kaiya

May 14:  VOICES OF DISSENT (continued):  Levy, pp. 382-385; W.E.B. Du Bois, pp. 518-533 and Marcus Garvey, pp. 553-576 (Brightspace)

• What are Du Bois’s criticisms of Booker T. Washington? Vanessa, Bree
• What is the talented tenth? Michael D
• What, according to Du Bois, is necessary in order for blacks to achieve equality? Bree
• Was Du Bois an elitist? Valeria, Ashley
• What is Du Bois’s conception of a successful human being? Nick, Violette
• Is Marcus Garvey closer to Du Bois or to Booker T. Washington? Kaiya
• What is Garvey’s solution to the race problem? Ashley, Paula
• Why, according to Garvey, is it impossible for blacks to flourish in America? Merrie, Justice

UNIT VI  The Republic as Social Democracy: Reining in the Market

May 19:  THE OLD ORTHODOXY:  THE REPUBLIC OF VOLUNTARY EXCHANGE REVISITED:  Levy, pp. 395-397; THE NEW ORTHODOXY: THE NEW LIBERALISM:  Levy, 411-426; Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “State of the Union Address” Jan. 11, 1944 (Brightspace); Barry Goldwater, “The Conscience of a Conservative,” pp. 3-11 (Brightspace); ADVICE NOTES

• How did Herbert Hoover hope to escape the Depression? Cody, Aaron
• What is John Dewey’s conception of “historic relativity” (Levy, p. 416)? Colin, Michael S
• In Dewey’s terms, what is the difference between the old and the new individualism? Chris, Michael D
• According to FDR, can restrictions on liberty actually serve liberty?  How? Colin, Nick, Aaron
• According to FDR, what are the components of security? Chirs, Michael S
• How does FDR propose to expand the American conception of rights? Merrie, Cody
• What, according to Barry Goldwater, are the main tenets of conservatism? Valeria, Vanessa
• What, according to Goldwater, is the main threat to liberty? Violette, Justice

May 21: IN-CLASS ESSAY

Final Exam: May 26 or May 28

STYLE GUIDE:

The Department of History and Political Science mandates that all submitted work adhere to the Turabian/Chicago style delineated in Kate Turabian, et. al., A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, University of Chicago Press (available at the Wilson Library Reference Desk). Here you can access the online version of the Chicago Manual of Style.

Here are a couple of websites that will automatically format citations in Chicago style for you: https://www.citationmachine.net/ and http://www.citethisforme.com/.

EXAM PROCTORING GUIDELINES:

1. One seat space between students when possible.
2. No bathroom breaks except in the case of illness or emergency.  Student should discuss this circumstance with the proctor prior to the start of the exam.
3. No materials on the desk except for pens/pencils, bluebook or writing paper and exam.
4. Under no circumstances can students access electronic devices during the exam.
5. Exam proctors will note any violation of these rules and those will be considered in the final grade.

GRADING:

Your work will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

A—designates work of extraordinarily high quality; reflects unusually thorough and comprehensive understanding of issues at hand; presents a clearly identifiable thesis and argument that demonstrates cogent and creative development and support of ideas.

B—designates work of high quality; reflects clearly organized and comprehensive understanding of issues and hand; presents substantive thesis and argument with evident development and support of ideas.

C—designates work which minimally meets requirements set forward in assignment; reflects some organization and development of ideas, but develops argument in superficial or simplistic manner; may only address part of the assignment or be otherwise incomplete.

D—designates work of poor quality which does not meet minimum requirements set forward in assignment; demonstrates poor organization of ideas and/or inattention to development of ideas, grammar, and spelling; treatment of material is superficial and/or simplistic; may indicate that student has not done reading assignments thoroughly.

F—designates work that does not meet ANY of the standards set above or which is not handed in.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

Integrity: Having integrity means being honest and principled and, perhaps most importantly, it means being honest and principled no matter what. It is one of the most important qualities a person can have. It is what allows other people to perceive your word as true. Having integrity confers trust, which is essential to a successful personal and professional life.

To demonstrate integrity in this class, it is essential that you present work as your own only when you have yourself produced that work.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a highly unethical practice which will result in the immediate failure of this course and disciplinary action which could lead to expulsion from the University. If you are having problems in the course please come and talk to me about it rather than doing something that could put your entire college career in jeopardy. You should also take advantage of the resources of the Academic Success Center.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to the following:

• The direct copying of any source, such as written and verbal material, computer files, audio disks, video programs or musical scores, whether published or unpublished, in whole or part, without proper acknowledgment that it is someone else’s.
• Copying of any source in whole or part with only minor changes in wording or syntax, even with acknowledgment.
• Submitting as one’s own work a report, examination paper, computer file, lab report or other assignment that has been prepared by someone else. This includes research papers purchased from any other person or agency.
• The paraphrasing of another’s work or ideas without proper acknowledgment.

Artificial Intelligence: The above sections on integrity and plagiarism apply to the use of artificial intelligence programs like Bard or GPT-4.

In this class, I ask that you complete your work without using AI-generated sources. If you do use AI, you should use it in the same way you would collaborate with another person. You should talk to AI in the same way you would talk about your ideas with me or anyone else. However, all work you submit must be your own. You should submit anything that was not written directly by you with proper citation (including quotation marks). Never copy and paste your conversation with an AI assistant.

Please do not use Grammerly, since it will appear in the Plagiarism/AI scanner as a type of AI. Use your own voice.

Faculty reserve the right to make use of Artificial Intelligence detection software to detect AI-generated writing in student assignments. Including anything you did not write in your assignment without proper citation will be treated as an instance of plagiarism and a violation of academic integrity.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER

The Academic Success Center provides free one-on-one peer tutoring to graduate and undergraduate students in a wide variety of courses and subjects. Please make liberal use of the ASC if you need assistance with any of the assignments for this course. To make an appointment, use the quick start guide, stop by ASC on the second floor of the Campus Center, or call (909) 448-4342. Answers to frequently asked questions are available here.