Cleaning Up Politics: Democracy and Political Reform in the United States

Since the earliest days of the American Republic, political reformers have sought to improve the nation's political institutions and processes. Most political reforms, it is fair to say, have been designed to open the system, provide fairer representation, reduce the power of special interests and entrenched politicians, and produce more democratic political institutions and processes. Why, in spite of such ongoing reform efforts, do Americans increasingly lack confidence in their government? Have reforms not gone far enough? Or are all such reform efforts ultimately doomed to failure-victims of unintended consequences and the vested interest political players have in finding ways around even the most well-intended reforms? Have reformers painted unrealistic expectations about what political reform can achieve? In a political system that rewards effective political organization, is it possible to design political institutions that don't favor special interests over the public good? This seminar examines American political institutions and processes from a distinctly reform perspective. Topics we will cover include the United States' party and electoral systems, its interest group structure, its lawmaking bodies, and its constitutional arrangements.