Course Details

910: American Democracy: Theory and Reality

February 3-6, 2020
11:45 AM - 1:15 PM
In-Person

A recent edition of The Federalist Papers noted that this collection by Jay, Hamilton, and Madison was “accepted as the best guide … to how the framers had understood the Constitution.” The papers assert that the Constitution would maximize the twin goals of protecting liberty while establishing an effective national government. This study group will read some of the 85 Federalist Papers together with contemporary material in order to assess how the assumptions about the proper structure of government, the political process they designed, and human nature held up in recent years.

Class Type: Lecture and Discussion

Class Format: TBA

Hours of Reading: 1-2 hours/session

Study Group Leader(s):

Mark Nadel

Mark Nadel is a political scientist who taught American government and public policy at Cornell, Georgetown, and U. of Maryland. He is the co-author of two American government textbooks. Between stints in academia, he has held senior positions at the Government Accountability Office and the Social Security Administration.

Reading List:

The Federalist Papers (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay) | 1961: Signet Classics | ISBN: 978-0-451-52881-0 | Required