HIST 3255

Democracy in America: A Historical Perspective

Considers the history of politics and government in the United States by examining the history of American democracy in theory and practice. To what extent have American politics and government been democratic? What does the history of democracy in America suggest about the future of politics and society in the United States and the world? This course will examine the rise of parties and mass politics, machine politics and reform movements, the history of citizenship and suffrage as relates to race, ethnicity, and gender, the relationship between war and democracy, and the problem of reconciling democratic ideals with existing social and economic hierarchies.

Units: 3.0