South Carolina Politics and Government
Government 480
Fall 2013
8:30 MWF
Daniel 203
Instructor: Dr. Phillip Stone
Office – Archives, Sandor Teszler Library
Phone – 597-4313
Email – stonerp@wofford.edu
Website – http://sites.wofford.edu/stonerp
Office Hours: I’ll be available from 2:00 to 3:00 Monday-Thursday in my office in the college archives, or by appointment. E-mail or call to check.
Course Description:
This course will examine the history, culture, and current trends in politics in South Carolina.
Goals of the Course
In this course, students will develop an understanding of South Carolina’s governmental structure and how that structure compares to other states. Students will become familiar with South Carolina’s political history and culture in the years since World War II, including the transformation of the state from solidly supporting one political party to another. Each student will engage with the issues that affect contemporary politics in the state. Students will be evaluated both on their participation in class and on their written work.
Course Format
The course will consist of a mixture of lectures, discussion of readings, and presentations by students.
Course Policies:
-Please silence cell phones in class, and please do not text in class.
-Statement for Academic Integrity: The college’s honor code governs your work in this course.
http://www.wofford.edu/studentLife/honorCode.pdf
-Attendance: It is hard to participate and learn if you don’t attend class. Missing more than 3 classes will negatively impact your final grade.
-Late work: Papers are due on the dates indicated. Turning in work late will result in a penalty of half a letter grade for each day the assignment is late.
Grading: Your final grade will be determined by the following method.
Three papers – 20% each
Oral Presentation – 10%
Final Exam – 25%
Participation – 5%
Assignments
Individual papers are due on Sept. 20, Oct. 17, and Nov. 25. Each is worth 20% of your final grade. The first two papers should each be about 5 pages, or 1250 words. The third one will be slightly longer.
The paper topics are as follows:
Question 1, on structure (due Sept 20)
The separation of powers between branches of state government works differently from that in the federal government. How has the power of the legislature evolved over the state’s history, and how have legislators and governors struggled for power? Which branch, in your opinion, ought to have more power, and why?
Question 2, on politics and elections (Due Oct. 17)
Choose an election – for example, 1970, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010 – and explain why it was the most significant election in modern South Carolina history. What makes the election significant? What were the important contests decided in that election? What was or were the outcomes? How did the outcome of the election change the course of South Carolina politics?
Question 4 – the issue briefing (Due Nov. 25)
We are the staff of the Wofford Policy Council and we’re going to be briefing members of the General Assembly and the governor on important state policies. Prepare a 5-7 page briefing on the issue you select – I will give you a list, or you may select another topic with my approval. If you wish to pair up for presentations, let me know that so I can work it into the schedule. Each person needs to write her or his own paper, but you may collaborate on the presentation to the class.
In-class presentation on your issue – worth 10% – between Nov. 4 and Nov. 25.
Assigned Texts: Cole Blease Graham Jr. and William V. Moore, South Carolina Politics and Government
Luther F. Carter and David S. Mann, Government in the Palmetto State: Toward the 21st Century. (Texts are out of print, I’ll make copies of chapters available on Moodle 2)
Other assignments will be on Moodle 2.
Blogs and Commentary that you should follow as they relate to South Carolina:
Statehouse Report – http://www.statehousereport.com/
FITSNews, http://www.fitsnews.com/
SCSoapbox, http://scsoapbox.com/
Brad Warthen: http://www.bradwarthen.com/
Feel free to suggest others to me and your classmates.
Outline of Topics and Reading Assignments (through October 11 – I’ll add a supplement shortly.)
Part 1 – Structure
Sept. 2 Introduction
Sept. 4 Themes in South Carolina Politics
Reading: Graham and Moore, Chapter 1
Sept. 6 Constitutions – 1868, 1895, and reform
Readings: Graham and Moore, Chapter 2
Carter and Mann, Chapter 1
Sept. 9 The General Assembly
Readings: Graham and Moore, Chapter 7
Carter and Mann, Chapter 4
Sept. 11 The General Assembly, continued
Sept. 13 The Governor
Graham and Moore, Chapter 8
Carter and Mann, Chapter 5
Sept. 16 The Judiciary
Graham and Moore, Chapter 10
Carter and Mann, Chapter 6
Sept. 18 The Judiciary
Sept. 20 The commission system
First paper due by 5:00 PM
Sept. 23 – Guest Speaker – Judge J. Mark Hayes, 7th Circuit Court
Readings on Moodle
Part 2 – Political trends and elections
Sept. 25 Political Parties in South Carolina – the long view
Reading: V. O. Key, South CarolinaThe Second Reconstruction of the 1960s
Reading: John Sproat, Firm Flexibility
Sept. 27 No Class (I have a meeting off-campus)
Sept. 30 Political trends
Guest speaker: John C. Williams, Jr.
Reading: Sanders, Mighty Peculiar Elections
Oct. 2 The Rise of the GOP – Part 1 – 1960-70
Reading: Graham and Moore, 4
Carter and Mann, Chapter 2
Bass and De Vries, South Carolina: The Changing Politics of Color
Oct. 4 The Rise of the GOP – Part 2 – The 1980s
Readings: Alexander Lamis – South Carolina: No Place for Wild Men
Oct. 7 The Rise of the GOP – Part 3 – The 1980s
Oct. 9 – The Rise of the GOP – the 1990s
Readings – Lamis, Southern Politics in the 1990s – South Carolina
Graham and Moore, Chapter 5
Readings: Charles Bullock, New Politics of the Old South – South Carolina
Part 3 – Local and National issues and Governing
Oct. 14: Guest speaker: Congresswman Liz Patterson
Oct. 16: South Carolina and National Politics
Reading: Elephants in the Cottonfields, Chpts. 13-14
Oct. 18 – FALL BREAK, NO CLASS
Oct. 21 -South Carolina and National Politics (the GOP Primary)
Reading: SC Politics and Government, Chapter 3, Intergovernmental Relations, Nation and State
Oct. 23 – Lobbying
Guest speaker – Shelley Robbins, Upstate Forever
Reading: Government in the Palmetto State, Chapter 3, Interest Groups
Oct. 25 -State Agencies
Reading: Government in the Palmetto State, Chapter 7, State Agencies
Oct. 28 – Local Government
Reading: SC Politics and Government, Chapter 11 – State and Local Government
Oct. 30 – Catch Up Day
Nov. 1 – NO CLASS
November 4 – Presentations Begin
Nov. 4 – Taxation – Jimmy Palanica and Jennifer Karl
Nov. 6 – Blue Laws – Gavin Fawcett and Julia Bradshaw
Gambling – video poker, lottery, etc – Thomas Hildebrand and Joe Banks
Nov. 8 – Higher Education – Lindsay Uhlinger
K-12 Education – Marnie Burke
Nov. 11 – Alcohol and Drug Policy – Holly Brown and Elizabeth Von Keller
Nov. 13 – Environment and DHEC – Joe Brook and Cleburne Fant
Nov. 15 – Voting Rights – Greyson Mann and Philemon Permis
Nov. 18 – Economic Development – Alex Vary
Labor and Workforce Development – Ryan Carter
Nov. 20 – Corrections, Prisons, and Parole – Taylor Brown and Cyrus Corbett
Nov. 22 – Health Care – Cody Boulware and Ryder Tipton
Nov. 25 – Law Enforcement – Jon Nick Gault
Ethics Reform – Allen Lollis
November 26 – Paper 4 Due at 5:00 PM
Nov. 27, 29 – Thanksgiving Holidays, No Class
December 2: South Carolina in Recent Years
Reading: Ford and Stone, Globalization and Economic Development in South Carolina
December 4: What Would You Change?
December 6: Is This Any Way to Run a State?
Give Out Final Exam
Final Exam Due December 12, 5:00 pm