The Instructor:

Dr. Edmund F. Wehrle
2576 Coleman Hall
581-6372
cfefw@eiu.edu
Office hours:  10-11 MWF and by appointment

Course Theme:

This course will examine the domestic social, political, and cultural history of the United States from World War II to the present.   In order to impose some structure on this complex and diverse period, it will focus on four broad “rise-and-fall” themes.  We will examine the rise and fall of Keynesian/growth economics, the rise of fall of modern political liberalism, the rise and fall of the civil rights and its consequences, and the rise and co-opting of the counterculture.  This course will deal with foreign policy only in passing—focusing instead on domestic change.

Readings:
 

Blum, V Was for Victory

Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi

Shulman, Lyndon Johnson and American Liberalism

Gilbert, Another Chance, Postwar America, 1945-1968

Gitlin, The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage

Hoff, Nixon Reconsidered

And other material as assigned

August 27
Course Introduction

August 29
Economics of Scarcity and the Rise of Keynesism
Readings: Blum, Chapter 3, 7,8, & pp. 323-332

Sept 3
The Politics and Economics of Growth
Readings: Gilbert, Chapter 1, 3, 4

Sept 5
Cold War at Home
Fried, Nightmere in Red

Sept 10
Fried, Nightmere in Red: A Discussion
Fried Paper Due

Sept 12
Birth of the Civil Rights Movement
Reading: Blum, Chapter 6

Sept 17
Modern Republicanism
Reading: Gilbert, Chapter 5,6

Sept 19
Dissenters
Reading: Gilbert, 117-126; Gitlin, Chapters 2-3

Sept 24
JFK: The New Frontier
Reading: Gilbert, Chapters 7-8; Schulman, Chapters 1-3; Gitlin, Chapters 4-5

Sept 26
The Civil Rights Movement
Schulman, Chapters 5&9; Gilbert pp. 246-252

Oct 1
A Great Society
Reading: Schulman, Chapters 4&8; Gitlin, Chapter 6; Gilbert Chapter 9

Oct 3
Peace Now!
Schulman, Chapter 6 & pp. 228-232; Gitlin 8,10,11
Moody Papers Due

Oct 8
1968
Reading: Gitlin, Chapter 12, and Chapter 14; Schulman Chapters 7&1

Oct 10
Black Power
Readings: Gitlin, Chapter 13, 15

Oct 15
Women’s Movement
Readings: Gitlin, Chapter 16

Oct 17
Midterm Exam

Oct 22
“You don’t need a Weatherman”: Youth in Disarray
Readings: Gitlin, Chapters 9, 10, 15, 17, 18; Gilbert 252-267

Oct 24
Nixon’s Struggles
Readings:Hoff, Parts 1 and 2;

Oct 29
Watergate and Economic Crisis
Readings: Hoff, Part 3; Gilbert 268-288

Oct 31
The Assault on Keynes

Nov 5
Hello, My Name is Jimmy Carter

Nov 7
The Assault on Government

Nov 12
The Rise of Reagan

Nov 14
Prosperity, Deficits and Recession

Nov 19
Identity Politics

Nov 21
A Prudent Approach: Bush Senior

Dec 3
Clintonian Prosperity (and the Bond Market)

Dec 5
Immigration

Dec 10
Illinois in the 20th Century

Dec 12
Review

Assignments:

As enrollees of an upper division course, students are expected to keep up with the vigorous schedule of readings and participate fully in all classroom discussions. They are encouraged to interrupt lectures with questions and any challenges (which are welcome) to the views expressed by the instructor. Ten percent of the final grade is reserved for participation. Students will also write two shorter papers, a major term paper, and two exams. Graduate students will write two additional papers, but will not take exams.

The short papers will involve an analysis of the books assigned and the term paper will take up some topic treated in the course. Potential term paper topics include:

TheBoston Busing Crisis
C.  Wright Mills
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
The American Soldier in Vietnam
McCarthy’s victims
The changing role of women

---

 

Grading:

Paper #1: 10%
Paper #2: 10%
Term Paper: 30%
Midterm: 10%
Final Exam: 30%
Participation: 10%
 

If you have a documented disability, please let me know by the end of the first week of classes so that I may make appropriate accommodations.

The instructor reserves the right to amend or change any element of this syllabus during the semester.