We will attempt to put the 2024 American presidential election in context. Topics will include: how have the Democratic and Republican parties changed since the election of 1980? Should the 2024 Republican Party be considered “a party” in the 20^th century understanding of that term? How have the bases of the two parties changed in recent years? In what ways has the practice of bipartisanship (“crossing the aisle”) changed – or disappeared? How are we to understand the candidacy of Donald J. Trump? Is he a fascist or a populist? What do those terms mean in contemporary America? To what extent is the Democratic Party a liberal party? Are presidential campaign debates still a viable mechanism for informing the electorate? How have changes in mass communications affected politics? What is the impact of geographical regionalism on American politics? How do presidential politics relate to the national political economy? How have traditional issue conflicts (taxation, the environment, abortion, immigration) altered in 2024? And, finally and most important, what are the implications of this year’s election for the future of democracy in America?

We will read one book each class week, and will emphasize the ways in which the issues under discussion can be handled in the classroom.