In 2305 we will be looking at the development of the concept of both natural rights and separated powers over the course of British history and how they are embodies in two very important documents: The Second Treatise on Government and the British Bill of Rights. Both help us understand the nature of the argument presented in the Declaration of Independence.
We will also take a birds eye view of the US Constitution. We'll try to understand the conflict that occurred in the 1780's over what governing system might works best for the US - a struggle which continues in many ways - and the document's content. We will pour over the document's detail in later sections.
Note: I've yet to open up the section on ideology. I'll do so soon enough, but only have a small number of questions based on it. It's new, so I'm making sure it's worth posting before I do.
In 2306 we look at the relationship that exists between the states and national government, as well as some of the specific conflicts that exist between the government f Texas and the government of the United States. The first section looks at this from the point of view of both the Constitution and federalism. The goal will be to isolate where this conflict stems from.
The second section looks at the same general topic, but this time in terms of political culture, which can loosely be defined as the - more or less - collective agreement in a region or community about what a government should do. We will discuss three types of political culture that exist across the US and which are dominant in Texas. The goal is to help us understand the nature of conflict that exists between Texas and the US. Although it might seem confusing, once you understand what the conflict is based on, it makes perfect sense. You might even be able to predict where conflict might erupt.
Note: Chances are I'll drop the section on the syllabus that looks at the relationship between the national and local governments. Its not ready to go. I'll confirm this soon.
Email me questions and I'll post answers here.
