SOCY 53 Power, Politics and the State
Is America in crisis? The nation is more deeply divided politically, economically, and ideologically than it has been for generations. Washington is in gridlock. Inequality and poverty have been rising. People have become polarized over racial, religious and social issues. Some say the politics of identity and self-interest have been unleashed at the expense of the nation’s general welfare. Some disagree. This course explores these issues. It examines how political, economic and ideological power has been mobilized recently in the United States and with what consequences, including the conservative shift in American politics, the 2008 financial crisis, the election of Donald Trump, and possibly the decline of the United States as the world’s superpower. The course draws on scholarly work in sociology, political science and economics.