PSCI 208
Wealth in America Fall 2024
Division II W Writing Skills

Class Details

The pursuit of wealth is an important feature of American political identity, captured by the ideas of the American dream and the Protestant work ethic. The accumulation of wealth has been lauded as both a worthy individual activity and a vital component of the nation’s public interest. Yet inequality in wealth may conflict with the political equality necessary for democratic governance and public trust, leading to concerns that we are sacrificing community, fairness, and opportunity for the benefit of a small portion of the population. This course focuses on questions about the public value of wealth and its accumulation, which have become more pressing now that the richest one percent of Americans own about 40 percent of privately held wealth. Some readings will be historical, particularly those focusing on American political thought and the politics of the Gilded Age. Most readings will focus on contemporary political debates about the accumulation, concentration, and redistribution of wealth.
The Class: Format: seminar
Limit: 19
Expected: 19
Class#: 1707
Grading: no pass/fail option, no fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: four 5-page papers and a final 10-page paper that is a revision and extension of a short paper
Prerequisites: none; not suitable for first-year students
Enrollment Preferences: Political Science majors with concentration in American politics and Political Economy majors
Unit Notes: American concentration
Distributions: Divison II Writing Skills
WS Notes: Four 5-page papers, peer review, and a revision of extension of one of these papers into a 10-page paper at the end of the semester. Students will receive from the instructor timely comments on their writing skills, with suggestions for improvement.
Attributes: POEC Depth
PSCI American Politics Courses

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