About this syllabus: Please read this syllabus carefully. If you have any questions, direct them immediately to the instructor or your teaching assistant. You are responsible for the information in this syllabus. If you should lose this syllabus, ask us for a replacement copy.

A note about office hours: Students are most welcome to drop by anytime during posted office hours. You may also arrange for an appointment by contacting me several days in advance with your request. Teaching assistants will also post office hours for their students.

If you would like to request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disabled Students Services, 448 Schmitz, 543-8924 (V/TDD). If you have a letter from Disabled Student Services indicating you have a disability that requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations you might need for class.

This course offers a selective introduction to the literatures of Western political theory and American political thought. Our thematic focus will involve the concepts of "consent," "obligation," and "legitimacy," which are key concepts for the appraisal of political regimes, particularly those regimes which call themselves "democratic." Under what circumstances and to what extent are we obligated to obey political authorities? When are we not obligated to obey political authorities and laws? Are there circumstances under which we are obligated to disobey political authorities? Who is included in this "we" and who is excluded? Is the consent of the citizen to political authority an indication of the legitimacy of political regimes? If so, what does consent consist of and how can we know that such consent has been given? If not, are there other indicators of legitimacy besides consent? "Legitimacy" refers in general to the worthiness of governments and to the right of political authorities to rule; it conveys the notion that some governments and political authorities deserve the support and obedience of their citizens, whereas others do not. In this course, we will explore various criteria of legitimacy that have been proposed by some of the major thinkers of Western political theory and American political thought. Students will be encouraged to familiarize themselves with a variety of different and often competing approaches to the interrelated questions of political obligation and political legitimacy and to develop your own thoughtfully articulated positions on contemporary questions of obligation and consent, particularly as these bear on our assessments of political life in the United States today.

Note-taking services: Please note that there will be no ASUW lecture notes authorized for this class. Also, please be advised that no other note-taking service for this class has been authorized by the instructor.

: Final grades will be based on the exams (50%), the paper (25%), quizzes and short writing assignments (25%). Please note that University policy on the grade of "incomplete" will be followed in this course. As stated on p. 33 of the UW General Catalogue: "An incomplete is given only when the student has been in attendance and has done satisfactory work until within two weeks of the end of the quarter and has furnished proof satisfactory to the instructor that the work cannot be completed because of illness or other circumstances beyond the student's control." A final note on grading: Unlike the grading policy employed in some university courses, grading in this class will not be mapped onto a "bell curve." (If you don't know what a bell curve is, be sure to ask!) This means that it is possible for all students in this class to receive an "A" if they demonstrate a sure grasp of the course material. It also means that it is possible for all students in this class to receive a failing grade if they do not demonstrate a minimally acceptable understanding of the course material. If you have questions or concerns about this grading policy, please bring them to the instructor's attention.
Policy on Plagiarism: Suspected cases of plagiarism will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by University regulations. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, or about the definition of plagiarism, please bring them to the attention of the instructor or teaching assistant. Students are encouraged to read the statement, "Academic Honesty: Cheating and Plagiarism," which may be accessed at:                                                                                                        <http://depts.washington.edu/grading/issue1/honesty.htm>                                         

Course texts are available for purchase at the University Bookstore.  These titles are also on reserve at Odegaard library:

  Stephen Nathanson, SHOULD WE CONSENT TO BE GOVERNED? (optional)

  SELECTIONS FROM “AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT,” EDITED BY SUE DAVIS

(a specially commissioned reader published by Pearson Custom Publishing), also available on e-reserve

  Plato, THE TRIAL AND DEATH OF SOCRATES 

  Rousseau, DISCOURSE ON THE ORIGIN OF INEQUALITY

  Hobbes, LEVIATHAN

  Locke, SECOND TREATISE OF GOVERNMENT

  Robin, “Fear,” available on e-reserve only

It would be best if you used the Hackett editions of Plato, Rousseau, Hobbes, and Locke.  These editions have been ordered at the University Bookstore and for the reserve desk at the library. 

Recommended reading and viewing materials:  Your performance in this course will be stimulated and improved if you keep abreast of current political events.  I recommend that you read regularly one of the following newspapers:  The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor and/or view the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS television (channel 9, KCTS Seattle, 6 p.m.-7 p.m.,  Monday through Friday).  For local news, consult The Seattle Weekly, The Stranger, and Real Change, in addition to Seattle's two daily newspapers, The Seattle Times and The Post Intelligencer.

Attendance: Regular attendance in lectures and quiz sections is strongly advised. You are responsible for all information conveyed in lectures and quiz sections. It is advisable to have a "buddy" in the class who can take notes for you and relay important information if you miss any classes. Students are also advised that all of the readings for this class are primary source texts rather than textbooks. This means that the analysis of assigned readings will be presented during lectures and quiz sections. As the discussion of "Course Requirements" above indicates, students will receive a grade of "0.0" for quizzes and short writing assignments that are missed as a result of non-attendance without an official excuse or prior permission.