University of Texas at Dallas

PSCI 5352 Empirical Democratic Theory

Spring 2009
Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Brian Bearry

Office: GR 3.810 ext. 4966
Office hrs: F, 11:30-1:00 pm; and by appointment
email: brian.bearry@utdallas.edu

Course Description:

This graduate seminar is an introduction to various theories of modern democracy and democratic practice.
With no one dominant school of thought or general consensus by academics and politicians on the meaning
and value of “democracy;” the field of democratic theory can be considered one of disputation. Since this
seems to be the case, we are going to take for our starting point an observation by Giovanni Sartori (Theory
of Democracy Revisited,) that the study of democratic theory can be roughly divided into two—first, the
idea of democracy is part of a historical dialogue which dates back to ancient Greece and Rome, and that
this dialogue has spurred significant political/historical change; and second, that in Enlightenment thought
and in post—WWII academia, the “classical idea” of democracy has been captured, redefined, dissected,
“corrupted” and rendered almost hollow by changes in academic fads and dogmas. Nevertheless, the “idea
of democracy” has profound influence upon the contemporary age. With this in mind, we will first explore
the historical discussion and changes in regard to the principle of democratic government; and second, we
will take a serious glance at contemporary democratic theorizing. The goal of the section is to investigate
the significant controversies regarding normative democratic theory over the last three centuries; to train
students to understand how this theory has shaped empirical investigations in contemporary political
science; and lastly to attempt to understand how the findings of empirical research have in turn contributed
to present-day democratic theory and political science.

Course Requirements and Policies:

The primary requirement of this seminar will be active participation in class discussion, debate
and analysis. Please bring to class each day the text under discussion – we will be referring to particular
passages regularly. Each student is expected to have completed the day’s readings prior to class. Be
prepared to lead class discussion for each class. Each student will be expected to write a précis of the
weekly reading for four weeks. Each précis shall be between five and six pages in length. Students may
select which weeks they will write a précis, but no one should go for more than three weeks without turning
in an assignment. The précis will count for 60% of the final seminar grade (thus each précis will be 15% of
the final grade). For those unfamiliar with this type of assignment, a précis stands somewhere between a
summary and a critique, more than a mere recitation of what the author said, but less than an original
interrogation of the author’s premises or conclusion. Think of it as a characterization of “what the text is
doing.” Amongst the questions a précis should ask includes: what is the author’s main thesis, why is this
thesis important, what are the author’s main conclusions, what evidence or arguments are used to arrive at
the conclusions, and what are some of the relevant historical contexts in which the text is located.
One of the goals of this seminar is to deepen students’ knowledge of the historical and theoretical
meanings and uses of key concepts within political science in general, and the study of democratic regimes
in particular. In keeping with this goal, as a final project, student will select a keyword and compose a 12-
15 page bibliographic essay. This essay will make up 30% of the final grade. The final 10% of the grade
will be reserved for seminar participation.
Scholastic dishonesty will not be tolerated, and all student essays are expected to be the product of
a student’s own work. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to
disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University.
Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the University, policies on
scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced.
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Any acts of plagiarism (representing the work of another as one’s own, which includes cutting and
pasting from the Internet) invite possible disciplinary action. If students have any questions on what
plagiarism means, they may consult a plagiarism tutorial found at http://www.ctlw.duke.edu. To find out
more about UTD policies and procedures regarding scholarly dishonesty and its consequences, please refer
to http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/chapter49.html. Students with any questions or concerns are
encouraged to contact the professor. The professor reserves the right to amend this syllabus during the
semester. Any changes will be announced in class and students will be responsible for obtaining this
information.

Required Texts:

Amy Gutman, Dennis Thompson. Why Deliberative Democracy? Princeton (2004)

John Locke. Selected Writings of John Locke. Norton Critical Editions (2005)
John Stuart Mill. Considerations on Representative Government. University of Michigan
John Rawls. Political Liberalism. Columbia University Press (1993)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau. On the Social Contract. Prometheus Books (1988)
Joseph Schumpeter. Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. Harper (2008)
Leo Strauss. An Introduction to Political Philosophy. Wayne State University Press (1989)
Alexis de Tocqueville. Democracy in America. University of Chicago Press (2002)
Michael Walzer. Politics and Passion: Toward a More Egalitarian Liberalism. Yale University Press.
(2004)
David Wooton, ed. The Essential Federalist and Anti-federalist Papers. Hackett (2003)

Jan 13—Course Introduction

Jan 20—Introduction to the study of democratic theory; classical democratic thought

Read:
Strauss—What is Political Philosophy?; On Classical Political Philosophy; An Epilogue.
Constant—Liberty of Ancients as Compared with Moderns.
( http://www.uark.edu/depts/comminfo/cambridge/ancients.html )

Suggested additional reading:

Bernard Crick. Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2003)

Robert Dahl. On Democracy (Yale University Press, 1998)
M.I. Finley. Democracy Ancient and Modern (Vintage, 1973)
David Held. Models of Democracy (Polity Press, 2006)
Giovanni Sartori. Theory of Democracy Revisited (Chatham House, 1987)
Ian Shapiro. The State of Democratic Theory (Princeton University Press, 2005)

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Jan 27—Classical Liberalism

Read:
Locke, Second Treatise, chapters 1-5, 7-13, 18-19

Suggested additional reading:

C. B. Machphereson. The Political Theory of Possessive Individualism (Oxford University Press, 1962)
Louis Hartz. The Liberal Tradition in America (Harvest Books, 1955)
John Plamenatz. Liberalism. Dictionary of the History of Ideas
(http://etext.virginia.edu/DicHist/dict.html)
Adam Smith. The Wealth of Nations (Liberty Fund, 1982)
Michael Zuckert. Natural Rights and the New Republicanism (Princeton, 1994)

Feb 3—“Classical” Republicanism

Read:
Rousseau, Social Contract, entire.

Suggested additional reading:

Arthur Melzer. The Natural Goodness of Man: The System of Rousseau’s Thought (University of Chicago
Press, 1990)
Paul Rahe. Republics Ancient and Modern, 2 (Chapel Hill, 1994)
Patrick Riley. Will and Political Legitimacy. (Harvard University Press, 1982)
Judith Shklar. Men and Citizens: A Study of Rousseau’s Social Theory (Cambridge University Press, 1985)

Feb 10—Novus Ordo Seclorum

Read:
Wooton, pp 1-139

Suggested additional reading:

Charles Beard. An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States (Free Press, 1986)
Bernard Bailyn. The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. (Belknap Press, 1992)
Bernard Bailyn. The Debates on the Constitution (Library of America, 1993)
Forrest McDonald. Novus Ordo Seclorum (University Press of Kansas, 1985)
Donald Lutz. The Origins of American Constitutionalism. (Louisiana State University Press, 1988).
Herbert Storing. What the Anti-Federalists Were For. (University of Chicago Press, 1981)

Feb 17—Novus Ordo Seclorum cont.

Read:
Wooton, 140-316

Suggested additional reading:

George W. Carey. In Defense of the Constitution. (Liberty Fund, 1995)

Robert Dahl. How Democratic is the Constitution? (Yale University Press, 2002)
Max Farrand. The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 4 vols. (Yale University Press, 1966)
Joseph Story. An Exposition of the Constitution of the United States (Regnery, 1986)
Morton White. Philosophy, the Federalist, and the Constitution (Oxford University Press, 1987)

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Feb 24—Democratic Sociology

Read:
Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Volume I, pt I: Author’s Introduction, ch 2-5, 8
pt II: chs 1, 4, 5 (pp 187-202, 210-216,) 6-9

Suggested additional reading:

Raymond Aron. Main Currents in Sociological Thought. (Transaction Publishers, 1998)

Roger Boesche. The Strange Liberalism of Alexis de Tocqueville (Cornell University Press, 1997)
Jack Lively. The Social and Political Thought of Alexis de Tocqueville (Oxford University Press, 1965)
James Schleifer. The Making of Tocqueville’s Democracy in America (University of North Carolina Press,
1980)
Alexis de Tocqueville. The Old Regime and the Revolution (University of Chicago Press, 1998)

Mar 3—Democratic Sociology, cont.

Read:
Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Volume II, pt I: chs 1,2, 5, 8, 17, 20
pt II, entire
pt III, 1, 2, 8, 9, 11-13, 20
pt IV, entire

Suggested additional reading:

Doris Goldstein. Trial of Faith: Religion and Politics in Tocqueville’s Thought. (Elsevier Scientific
Publishing Company Inc.
1975)
Pierre Manent. Tocqueville and the Nature of Democracy (Rowman & Littlefield, 1996)
M. R. R. Ossewaarde. Tocqueville’s Moral and Political Thought (Routledge, 2004)
Irving Zeitlin. Liberty, Equality and Revolution in Alexis de Tocqueville (Little, Brown & Co. 1971)
Marvin Zetterbaum. Tocqueville and the Problem of Democracy. (Stanford University Press, 1967)

Mar 10—The Idea of Representative Government

Read:
Mill, J.S. Considerations on Representative Government, entire.

Suggested additional reading:

Medearis, John. “Labor, Democracy, Utility, and Mill's Critique of Private Property.” APSR.
Vol 49, no. 1 (Jan., 2005): 135-149
Mill, J.S. On Liberty
Mill, J.S. On Utilitarianism
Pitkin, Hannah. The Concept of Representation (University of California Press, 1967)

Mar 17—SPRING BREAK

Mar 24—Procedural Democracy

Read:
Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, Part IV

Suggested additional reading:

Downs, Anthony. An Economic Theory of Democracy.

Medearis, John. Joseph Schumpeter’s Two Theories of Democracy. (Harvard University Press, 2001)
Plamenatz, John. “Schumpeter and the Free Competition of Power.” In Democracy and Illusion.
(Longman Publishing, 1973)
Posner, Richard. Law, Pragmatism and Democracy. (Harvard University Press, 2003)

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Mar 31—Deliberative Democracy

Read:
Gutmann and Thompson, Why Deliberative Democracy? entire

Suggested additional reading:

Barber, Benjamin. Strong Democracy: Participatory Politics for a New Age (University of California Press,
1984)
Chambers, Simone. “Deliberative Democratic Theory.” Annual Review of Political Science, V.6 (June,
2003): 307-326
Gutmann and Thompson. Democracy and Disagreement (Belknap Press, 1996)
Mutz, Diana. Hearing the Other Side: Deliberative v. Participatory Democracy. (Cambridge University
Press, 2006)

Apr 7—Liberal Democratic Toleration

Read:
Rawls, Political Liberalism. xiii-xxx, 3-88, 133-168

Suggested additional reading:

David Hume. An Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals.

Immanuel Kant. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals.
John Locke. Letter Concerning Toleration.

Apr 14—Liberal Democratic Toleration

Read:
Rawls, Political Liberalism. 133-168

Suggested additional reading:

Alejandro, Roberto. “What is Political about Rawl’s Political Liberalism?” The Journal of Politics,
V. 58, no 1 (Feb., 1996): 1-24
Freeman, Samuel (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Rawls. Cambridge University Press, 2003)
King, Loren. “The Federal Structure of a Republic of Reasons.” Political Theory V.33 no 5 (Oct 2005):
629-653
Murphy, Andrew. “Rawls and a Shrinking Liberty of Conscience.” The Review of Politics. V. 60 no 2
(Spring, 1998): 247-276

Apr 21—Communitarianism
Read:
Walzer, Politics and Passion. Entire

Suggested Additional Reading:

TBA

Apr 28—Democratization
Read:
Amartya Sen. “Democracy as a Universal Value.” Journal of Democracy 10.3 (1999) 3-17.
Fareed Zakaria. “The Rise of Illiberal Democracy.” Foreign Affairs November/December 1997

Suggested additional reading:

Esquith, Stephen. “Toward a Democratic Rule of Law.” Political Theory. V 27 no 3 (June 1999): 334-356
North, Douglass C. Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance. (Cambridge, 1990)

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Olson, Mancur. “Dictatorship, Democracy and Development.” American Political Science Review V 87 no
3 (1993): 567-576
Shattuck, John and J. Brian Alwood. Defending Democracies: Why Democrats Trump Autocrats.” Foreign
Affairs, (March/April 1998)

May 5—lit review due