Professor Jennifer Burns
Fall 2006
COURSE DESCRIPTION
“We have never had a real conservative tradition,” historian Louis Hartz declared confidently in 1955. Half a century later, the United States has a robust conservative tradition, populated with names like William F. Buckley, Jr., Russell Kirk, Whittaker Chambers, Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman, Barry Goldwater, and Ronald Reagan, to name a few. But what does the moniker “conservative” mean in the American context?
This course will explore the development of conservatism both as a set of ideas and a distinct political movement, understood as a shifting synthesis of libertarianism, religious traditionalism, and militant nationalism. Students will read primary and secondary sources that address key episodes in the development of conservatism, and will explore questions such as: Is conservatism best considered a top-down or grassroots phenomena? How do conservatives manage their ideological differences and internal divides? What role have women played? Are economic or religious ideas more important? How significant is race or racism? Who are the most important conservative thinkers and politicians? Can the rise of conservatism be reduced to demographics? At the end of the semester we will use our historical knowledge to address the more recent impact of radical Islam on conservative thought.
REQUIREMENTS
Attendance is essential; more than 2 unexplained absences will result in a failing grade. Always bring your copy of the reading to class, and if the reading from the week before seems applicable, bring that too. In addition to regular class meetings, students will also be required to attend two mandatory library sessions.
The grade breakdown is as follows:
Oral Participation: 20%
Weekly written assignments: 20%
Paper 1: 15%
Paper 2: 15%
Research Prospectus: 30%
Oral Participation: Students will be assessed on the following attributes, as consistently demonstrated on a weekly basis: knowledge of assigned reading, meaningful contributions to class discussion, active listening, and maintaining a productive academic atmosphere.
Weekly response papers: There will be weekly written assignments on the reading. The prompts for these will be distributed at the prior week’s class meeting, or over email, and they will be graded on a 5 point system, to be further explained in the first meeting. Students may skip one of these written assignments over the course of the semester. Look upon these assignments as a way to improve your writing, or, if you are hesitant about speaking in class, as a way of demonstrating your knowledge of the assigned reading.
Assigned term papers/ Prospectus: See pages 5-6 of the syllabus for further information.
BOOKS
The following books are required. Although they are available on 2 hr. reserve at Moffitt, I suggest purchasing all or most of them. Shopping on-line will save you a significant amount of money. Be aware that the Berkeley area bookstores will no longer stock books after the first few weeks of the semester. You are responsible for purchasing all books with enough time to read them for the appropriate class.
Gregory Schneider, Conservatism in America Since 1930
William Graham Sumner, What Social Classes Owe to Each Other (Caxton, 2003)
Whittaker Chambers, Witness
William F. Buckley, Jr., God and Man at Yale
Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
Barry Goldwater, The Conscience of a Conservative
Milton Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom
Lisa McGirr, Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right
Kevin Cruse, White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism
Don Critchlow, Phyllis Schlafly and Grassroots Conservatism: A Woman’s Crusade
Gil Troy, Morning in America: How Ronald Reagan Invented the 1980s
SUGGESTED LECTURES
A basic knowledge of 20th century U.S. history will be assumed for this course. During certain weeks, I have suggested students may benefit from listening to a relevant lecture from the U.S. survey class I taught last semester, History 7b: Introduction to the History of the United States, 1865-2005. Lectures are available on iTunes. These lectures are optional but may be helpful if you have not taken 7b or another similar course.
WEBSITE AND DROP BOX
Registered students will be able to access the course website on bspace. Handouts and assignments will be posted here. Supplementary materials that are not available in electronic form will be placed in the class drop box, 3229 Dwinelle. Students are responsible for obtaining copies of this material if they miss class.
_________________________________________
CLASS SCHEDULE
Week 1, August 30: Intro
Week 2, September 6: Definitions and Roots
•Samuel Huntington, “Conservatism as an Ideology,” American Political Science Review, 51. 2 (June, 1957): 454-473.
•Jennifer L. Burns, “In Retrospect: George Nash’s The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America since 1945,” Reviews in American History, 32.3 (2004): 447-462.
Both available on JSTOR through UCB library. Print a copy and bring to class on 9/6.
Week 3, September 13: Definitions and Roots, cont.
•William Graham Sumner, What Social Classes Owe to Each Other (1883), 7-50, 107-145.
•Albert Jay Nock, “Our Enemy, The State” (1935) in Schneider, 29-44.
•Isabelle Paterson, God of the Machine (1943), 235-261 (class handout).
Week 4, September 20: The “New Conservatives” in Defense of Tradition
•Russell Kirk, “The Conservative Mind” (1953) in Schneider, 107-121.
•Richard Weaver, “The Quest for Order,” (1948) in Schneider, 95-106.
First paper due Monday September 25
Week 5, September 27: The Cold War Begins: Anti-Communism
•Whittaker Chambers, Witness (1952), 1-88, 191-271, 441-450, 787-799.
•Suggested: History 7b lecture 26
Week 6, October 4: Coming of National Review
• William F. Buckley, God and Man at Yale (1950), lxiii-lxix, 3-102, 123-170, 207-211.
• Buckley, “National Review Statement of Intentions” (1954) Schneider, 195-200.
Listing of two possible research topics due in class
Week 7, October 11: Fusion and Its Discontents: Ayn Rand
• Jennifer Burns, “Godless Capitalism: Ayn Rand and the Conservatives,” Modern Intellectual History, Nov 2004 (class handout)
• Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, 387-391, 427-429, 451-452, 460-462, 616-627, 692, 727-729, 936-993. Excerpts also available in Rand, For the New Intellectual, 88-192.
• Whittaker Chambers, “Big Sister is Watching You,” National Review (class handout)
Second Paper due Monday October 16
Week 8, October 18: Grassroots Anti-Communism
•Lisa McGirr, Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right (2001)
•Anti-Communist handouts
Week 9, October 25: Barry Goldwater and the 1964 Election
•Barry Goldwater, The Conscience of a Conservative (1960)
•Phyllis Schlafly, “A Choice not an Echo” (1964) in Schneider, 231-237.
•Suggested: History 7b lecture 30
Mandatory Library Session: Date and Time TBD
Week 10, November 1: Libertarianism goes Professional
•Friedman, Capitalism and Freedom (1962), 1-36, 75-117, 177-202.
Week 11, November 8: Civil Rights and Race
•National Review, “Why the South Must Prevail” (1957) and Buckley, “Birmingham and After” (1963) (class handouts)
•Kevin Kruse, White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism
Week 12, November 15: Neo-Conservatism
•In Class film: “Arguing the World”
Mandatory Library Session: Date and Time TBD
Week 13: November 22: Women and the Christian Right
•Donald Critchlow, Phyllis Schlafly and Grassroots Conservatism: A Woman’s Crusade
Week 14, November 29: Reagan and the 1980s
•Gil Troy, Morning In America
•Allan Bloom, The Closing of American Mind, introduction (class handout)
•Suggested: History 7b lecture 35
Week 15, December 6: Concluding Meeting: What’s Next?
•Project for a New American Century, “Statement of Principles” and “Letter to Clinton on Iraq” (1998)
•Suggested: History 7b lecture 38
Research Prospectus due December 10, in my mailbox by noon
