Syllabus

Civic Participation and Community Leadership

PPS 136, Spring 2005
Tuesday/ Thursday 2:50-4:05 p.m.
150 Sanford Institute

Alma G. Blount, Instructor
Room 110 Sanford
613-7323
blt@duke.edu
Office hours by appointment
Blackboard: http://courses.duke.edu

This seminar addresses a series of questions about defining and revitalizing democracy at the grassroots in the United States. We will investigate current events at the international, national and local levels as we pose the question, "What does it mean to be an engaged citizen?"

The course examined five aspects of active citizenship:

1. Learning the tools of democratic participation; exercising leadership. Public discourse includes discussion, debate, dialogue and deliberation. How do we match tools to tasks? What does leadership have to do with collective thinking and problem-solving work? How do we address difficult differences in values? What is the role of critical reflection in effective group work?

2. Developing a reasoned perspective about the U.S. role in the world. How do we find our bearings in the swirl of difficult international issues facing us these days? What resources and skills can help us make sense of things, develop our own point of view, and engage in serious dialogue with others about the choices confronting our country?

3. Following national politics and debating policy priorities. What are the key policy issues facing us at the national level? What do we make of these issues, and do our opinions matter? As citizens, how can we make sure our interests and concerns are addressed?

4. Building power and taking action in local communities. How do ordinary citizens develop the confidence and power to tackle problems in local communities? What political skills do we need to accomplish our agendas?

5. Developing a commitment to public life. What kind of leadership can help us develop a shared vision for public life? How does one find the courage to engage in sustained, difficult problem-solving work in the public arena?

This class will give you the opportunity to develop your leadership capacity for contributing to and facilitating robust group conversations. The work of the course requires analyzing current events, developing your own point of view about complex political issues, and participating in fast-paced discussions with people who may disagree with you. Your full participation in this work will give you a sense of the challenges and rewards of public discourse and group problem-solving work.

What does it mean to be an engaged citizen?

Introduction to the course
Week 1--Thursday, January 13

1. Learning the tools of democratic participation; exercising leadership

Week 2--January 18, 20

• The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many are Smarter than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies, and Nations. James Surowiecki. New York: Doubleday, 2004.
Please read the Introduction through Chapter 6, pages xi-142.
• Article distributed in class:
• “Political Leadership: Managing the Public’s Problem Solving,” from The Power of Public Ideas, Robert Reich, editor. Ronald A. Heifetz and Riley M. Sinder. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1988.
• News and opinion from the New York Times, by subscription; supplementary news and opinion online from Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Weekly Standard.

Week 3--January 25, 27

• The Wisdom of Crowds, continued.
Please read Chapters 7-12, pages 145-274.
• Articles distributed in class:
•“Get On the Balcony,” and “Think Politically” from Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading. Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2002.
• News and opinion from the New York Times, by subscription; supplementary news and opinion online from Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Weekly Standard.

2. Developing a reasoned perspective about the U.S. role in the world

Week 4--February 1, 3
Week 5--February 8, 10
Week 6--February 15, 17

• What We Owe Iraq: War and the Ethics of Nation Building. Noah Feldman. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2004.
• News and opinion from the New York Times, by subscription; supplementary news and opinion online from Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Weekly Standard.

3. Following national politics and debating policy priorities

Week 7--February 22, 24
Week 8--March 1, 3
Week 9--March 8, 10

• How Congress Works and Why You Should Care. Lee H. Hamilton. Bloomington, Indiana. University of Indiana Press, 2004.
• The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict into Cooperation. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1999.
• News and opinion from the New York Times, by subscription; supplementary news and opinion online from Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Weekly Standard.
• Articles distributed in class, including excerpts from The NeoCon Reader. Irwin Stelzer, editor. New York: Grove Press, 2004.

Thursday, March 10: Mid-term essay due at the beginning of class.
No class March 15, 17--Spring Break

4. Building power and taking action in local communities

Week 10--March 22, 24
Week 11--March 29, 31
Week 12--April 5, 7

• Politicking: How to Get Elected, Take Action, and Make an Impact in Your Community. Bill Rauch. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2004.
• News and opinion from the New York Times, by subscription; supplementary news and opinion online from Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Weekly Standard.
• Articles distributed in class about the community organizing work of the Industrial Areas Foundation and Durham Congregations, Neighborhoods and Associations (Durham CAN).

5. Developing a commitment to public life.

Week 13--April 12, 14
Week 14--April 19, 21
Week 15--April 26

• Why Courage Matters: A Way to a Braver Life. John McCain with Mark Salter. New York: Random House, 2004.
• News and opinion from the New York Times, by subscription; supplementary news and opinion online from Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Weekly Standard.
• Articles distributed in class.

Course Requirements

• Attend all classes. Be on time.

• Subscribe to the New York Times. Read the lead editorial, one op-ed column, and one of the top political news stories in the New York Times (NYT) every day for the entire semester. Read at least one editorial or op-ed column every day online from either the Wall Street Journal or Washington Times, or read the editorial and one substantive news article in the Weekly Standard each week (before coming to class).

• Complete the readings each week before class. Readings will include books, news stories about specific themes in the NYT, supplemental opinion pieces in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, and Weekly Standard, and articles distributed in class.

• Weekly assignments will include essays and a few quizzes. (Total of 12.) Guidelines for essays will be announced in class and posted on blackboard. Please submit your assignments via blackboard no later than 9:00 p.m. each Monday on the due dates.

• Find your voice. This is a leadership class. Be creative, challenging, and fully present in our class discussions.

• Be ready to conduct quick, individual research “mini-projects” about questions that arise in class. These short-term projects will be part of your class participation grade.

• Be prepared to deliver a five-minute extemporaneous speech on a course topic with no advanced notice. How to prepare? Keep up with the newspaper assignments, maintain a clip file of articles, and begin to develop your own point of view on the topic at hand.

• Write a mid-term essay, due before spring break on Thursday, March 10.

• Participate fully in your group project(s). Each group will teach the entire class about an assigned topic during the semester.

• Produce a final paper due Tuesday, May 3 that integrates ideas about civic participation and community leadership that we will have developed over the course of the semester. How to prepare? Do a great job on the reading, writing and class discussion assignments throughout the semester. As you do this, take responsibility for forming and being able to articulate to others your own understanding of civic leadership. Be ready to present your leadership framework to us in such a way what we are intrigued and want to know more. In other words, grapple with the material of the class, and figure out how to make your own distinct, authentic contribution to the topic.