Citizen Nation

On Thursday 9/15 our class will focus on the Constitution, and on the “Constitutional moment,” i.e. the era and cultural milieu in which it was framed. Your reading is Waldman pp. 35-50 and also the full text of the US Constitution. You’ll want to bring both of these items to class, if possible. The Constitution can be found in the back of any US history textbook you have on hand, or you can print a copy from the web, or download it as a mobile app onto your phone.

Discussion Questions:

Are voting rights natural or granted? (i.e. are they in the Constitution, and if so, how defined?)
Should citizenship be linked to the right to vote?
Why the electoral college system?
Where / how often does the Constitution mention the words “citizen” or “citizenship”?

For Thurs 9/13 we move from a generic, conceptual definition of citizenship to (in Bellamy’s terms) a more empirical examination of actual citizenship in the American colonies and early republic. Who could be a citizen? Who was deemed capable of consenting? Who actually represented whom and how?

The reading is Waldman, The Fight to Vote, chapters 1-2 (pp. 3-32). If you don’t yet have the book, it is placed on course reserve at the library’s circulation desk (not in the regular stacks; ask at the desk).

Questions to Guide Your Reading
(no response paper due)

PDF Packet (handed out in class)

If you’re able, bring the book to class, or take good notes and bring your notes.

For next Tues: Read and prepare to bring / discuss Richard Bellamy, Citizenship: A Very Short Introduction and submit Response Paper #1 (editable Word doc). If you don’t yet own a copy, the book is available on 2-hour reserve at the Library Circulation desk (you will need your WSU ID to check it out).

Civics-Related Community Service Opportunity NEXT FRIDAY, Sept 14 for Constitution Day. We are looking for students who can spend the day at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Study of the Senate in Boston helping high school students with a mock debate about the pros and cons of Ranked Choice Voting (see here for more about this issue). The university will provide bus transportation to and from the event. See Dr. Hangen if you’re interested!

Some handy information to increase your citizen / civics knowledge

Practice for the Citizenship Test

Do you know who represents you in Congress? Search by zip code to find out

InformedVoterMA – a resource created by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters. Put in your address, see what your November midterm ballot will look like.

Current Massachusetts Districts (Federal and various State ones) — See all the old ones here

Check your Voter Registration (MA) Status or Apply for an Absentee Ballot

Online Voter Registration (MA)

National Archives resources to enhance Civics teaching and learning

Welcome to Citizen Nation, Fall 2018! This semester we will explore three interrelated themes in American history and politics: the concept, meaning and contested history of citizenship; voting rights and how they’ve changed over time; and immigration and naturalization policy in the American past and present. Struggles over American citizenship have been at the core of the American story since its founding.

The guiding questions for this course are:

• Who counts as an American citizen?
• What does it mean to be an American citizen?
• What rights, privileges, and responsibilities are part of that definition?
• How have these changed over time?

The course is intended as a rigorous upper-level course that counts for CON, WAC and DAC across the curriculum. If you are taking it for LASC, it can count for USW or TLC. It is cross-listed as History *or* Political Science, and the course can also be taken as an Honors class if you are part of the Commonwealth Honors Program.

Take some time this week to study the syllabus and the course website in detail, and reach out if you have any questions or concerns. And get ready to get woke and work hard!

This website has been developed in previous semesters, so there is information from past years as an archive for those students. You can safely ignore anything not tagged with “Fall 18.”