American Citizenship and the Second Face of War

In this course we will examine the domestic political impact of major American wars, from the Civil War through the war on terror. Among the underlying questions driving the course are: How has war affected the concept and content of US citizenship? Of political rights? Must a democracy permit free speech (dissent) and association in times of war? Can it do so safely? Can it afford not to? Can wars fought to protect political liberties and values sometimes actually threaten them? To address these questions the course draws on the founding documents, political history, biographies, Supreme Court cases, and videos. The format includes lectures, student discussion, and writing assignments. This course counts as elective credit towards the Political Science major. (American Politics)/