Introductory Seminar

Political Science 185, CRN# 43531; MW 3:00-4:20 p.m., FH 108; Professor Emenhiser
Humboldt State University; Arcata, CA 95521.

A seminar's distinguishing feature is the obligation of its partiicpants to conduct research and exchange results through reports and discussion. This introductory seminar will help you develop your skills in conducting research, in preparing reports, and in engaging in disucssion. You will practice critical reading, thoughtful analysis, careful writing, and informed discussion while searching for an electoral system best suited for democracy. These skills and knowledge are necessary for a successful political science student.

The seminar will stress the expectations of collegiate standards of scholarship and independent thought. You should expect to work at least six hours per week in addition to the seminar period. The time outside the seminar should be devoted to reading, writing, thinking, and in conversations with other seminarists.

You will utilize three texts. We shall read and discuss Cain's and Mac Donald's working paper and Guinier's book and use Biddle's and Holland's guide as a tool to research and writing.

• Cain, Bruce E. and Karin Mac Donald. 1997. "Race and Party Politics in the 1996 U.S. Presidential Election." Working Paper 97-1; Berkeley: Institute of Governmental Studies, University of California at Berkeley. 15 pp.+.
• Guinier, Lani. 1994. The Tyrnany of the Majority: Fundamental Fairness in Representative Democracy. New York: Free Press. 324 pp.
• Biddle, Arthur W. and Kenneth M. Holland. 1987, 1994. Writer's Guide: Political Science. Lexington, Massachusetts: D. C. Heath. 182 pp.

Your performance in the seminar will be evaluated on the basis of five assignments. Their weights and the dates on which they are due are as follows.

• 30% Literature Search, October 6. Much of your time will be spent on bibliographic research, compiling a list of references on electoral methods. You will learn how to search a variety of print and electronic sources and how to evaluate your results.
• 15% Article Abstract, October 20. You will read one of the articles from your bibliography, write an abstract of it for the seminar, and present it orally.
• 15% Book Reveiw, November 10. You will read one of the books from your bibliography, write a review of it for the seminar, and present it orally.
• 15% Team Report, December 1. You and another member of the seminar will form a team and present a brief oral report (with accompanying tables, etc.) evaluating an electoral method.
• 25% Seminar Discussion. Your participation in the discussion of Cain and Mac Donald, of Guinier, and of the other seminarists presentations should display thoughtful consideration and articulate expression of your gaining new knowledge and understanding of electoral methods.

In addition to the hints in Biddle and Holland (pp. 163-177), please consult Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. for usage of standard English.

Please use the style of The American Political Science Review to cite and list references.

• Books
• HSU Social Science Indexes.
• Government Documents.
• Single Member Districts.
  • Redistricting.
• 14th Amendment
• Major Court Opinions
  • Mobile v. Bolden, 446 U.S. 55 (1980)
  • Thornburg v. Gingles, 478 U.S. 30 (1986)
  • United Jewish Organizations v. Carey, 430 U.S. 144 (1977)
  • Davis v. Bandemer, 478 U.S. 109 (1986)
  • Shaw v. Reno, 509 U.S. 630 (1993)
  • Miller v. Johnson (1995)
  • Bush v. Vera (1996)
  • Shaw v. Hunt (1996)
  • Abrams v. Johnson (1997)
• Center for Voting and Democracy.
• Comprehensive View of Proportional Representation.
  • Selected PR Links.
• APSA 1997 Conference Papers.
• Elections and Electoral Systems Around the World.
• Election News.

Please visit me in FH 148, telephone 826-4117, or send an email, whenever you want to ask a question.