SMU PLSC-3363: American Political Thought - Spring 2026

SMU PLSC-3363: American Political Thought - Spring 2026. All Midterms and Final.

American Dream (Overview/Introductory Paragraph).

Jillson: Americans know instinctively what it means: a fair chance to succeed in open competition with others for the good things of life. The grand promise of the American Dream has always been that those willing to learn, work, save, persevere, and play by the rules will have a better chance to grow and prosper in America than anywhere else on earth.

American Dream - Texts/Authors/Books.

Two Traditions

Explain the historical account of western intellectual tradition

Ancient Greece (4th century BCE): Plato and Aristotle established foundational concepts—Plato emphasized ideal forms and philosopher-kings; Aristotle focused on empirical observation, logic, and political science, introducing ideas of citizenship and mixed government.

Middle Ages (5th-14th centuries): Christian theology dominated intellectual life. Thinkers like Augustine and Aquinas synthesized Greek philosophy with Christian doctrine, subordinating reason to faith while preserving classical texts through monasteries and Islamic scholars.

Renaissance (14th-16th centuries): A revival of classical learning and humanism shifted focus from divine to human potential. Thinkers studied original Greek and Roman texts, emphasizing individual achievement, secular knowledge, and the dignity of man.

Reformation (16th century): Luther, Calvin, and others challenged Church authority, promoting individual conscience and direct relationship with God. This fragmented religious unity, encouraged questioning of traditional authority, and indirectly fostered ideas about individual rights and resistance to tyranny that would influence later political thought.

Significance of Rome

American Creed

American Dream: Close Definition

Rationale for Exclusion

• Thomas Jefferson’s Hypocrisy

Insights of Fiction

Dynamics for Inclusion

Mindset of Early Colonists

The Reformation

The Reformation In England

Core Puritan Ideas

Winthrop’s Speech on Liberty

Advance of Ideals

Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlett Letter

Puritan Calling

Covenant Community

Max Weber

Prosperity and the Loosening of the Spring

Locke and Government

Jonathan Edwards

Leatherstocking Tales

Intellectual Context

Faculty Psychology

America’s Special Promise

Declaration of Independence

Jefferson and Hamilton (overview)

Jefferson

Hamilton

Jefferson and Hamilton Conflict

James Madison

J.F. Cooper Novels

The Pioneer

The Prairie

Faculty Psychology

Passions Unleashed

Abigail Addams

Clotel

Benito Cereno

Billy Budd

Background on APT. Chapter One

Classical Liberalism

Populism

Chapter One Apt.

Founders’ Thoughts of Democracy

Republicanism

Property and Liberty

A Certain Confidence

Contextual Advantages

Consensus Principles

Checks and Balances

American Dream: Topic Texts

1. Cal Jillson - The American Dream in History, politics, and Fiction.

2. John Winthrop’s “Little Speech on Liberty”

John Winthrop

• Beliefs: Winthrop argued that true freedom (civil liberty) comes from obeying God's moral laws rather than following individual desires (natural liberty). He saw laws and norms as binding forces that keep society in order.

• Key Reading: Little Speech on Liberty (FMO)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Discuss how early American governance was shaped by religious and moral law.

  • Contrast Winthrop’s rigid Puritan vision with later democratic ideals in the Constitution.

Address law vs. liberty and whether laws should align with religious values

Roger Williams

• Beliefs: Williams believed in religious tolerance and separation of church and state. He opposed the government enforcing religious conformity, arguing that faith should be a personal matter.

• Key Reading: The Bloody Tenet of Persecution (FMO)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Support arguments on religious freedom and individual rights in America.

  • Compare with Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists on religious liberty.

  • Contrast Winthrop’s Puritan governance with Williams’ call for tolerance.

Benjamin Franklin

• Beliefs: Franklin embodied the American Dream and the idea that success comes through hard work, education, and virtue. His autobiography presents self-improvement, industry, and rational thinking as paths to social mobility.

• Key Reading: Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Discuss individualism and the American Dream.

  • Compare with Crevecoeur’s depiction of American farmers as hardworking and self-sufficient.

  • Contrast with Hamilton’s and Jefferson’s economic visions—how Franklin’s success model fits into their ideas of governance.

James Madison

• Beliefs: Madison supported a strong federal government and believed that liberty is best protected through a structured political system. He was a key voice in separation of church and state.

• Key Reading: Against Religious Assessments (FMO)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Argue how religious liberty influenced American constitutional thought.

  • Compare with Williams and Jefferson on church-state separation.

  • Discuss how the Founders viewed law as a mechanism to protect freedom.

George Washington

• Beliefs: Washington emphasized the need for national unity, avoiding political factions, and maintaining order. He saw law and government stability as essential to preserving freedom.

• Key Reading: Farewell Address (FMO)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Explain how Washington feared political division and instability.

  • Compare with Anti-Federalists like Brutus and Cato, who argued against a strong federal government.

  • Discuss how his views on governance contrast with the Puritan legalism of Winthrop.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

• Beliefs: In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne critiques Puritanical legalism and how law can be oppressive rather than just. His novel examines guilt, punishment, and societal judgment.

• Key Reading: The Scarlet Letter (Class Discussion)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Discuss how literature critiques the harsh application of law and morality.

  • Compare Hawthorne’s portrayal of Puritan law with Winthrop’s beliefs.

  • Use as evidence for law vs. individual freedom discussions.

Alexander Hamilton

• Beliefs: Hamilton argued for a strong central government and an industrial economy to ensure national stability and prosperity. He believed commerce and banking were necessary for the U.S. to succeed.

• Key Reading: The Federalist Papers (FMO)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Debate whether America should be agrarian (Jefferson) or industrial (Hamilton).

  • Use to argue the need for strong central governance.

  • Compare with Anti-Federalist critiques of federal power.

Anti-federalists (Brutus and Cato)

• Beliefs: Feared the centralization of power would lead to tyranny. Argued for state sovereignty and individual liberties over federal control.

• Key Reading: Anti-Federalist Papers (FMO)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Contrast with Hamilton and Madison’s Federalist vision.

  • Discuss how liberty was framed differently by Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

Benjamin Rush

• Beliefs: Rush was an outspoken critic of slavery, arguing that it was incompatible with the ideals of liberty and democracy.

• Key Reading: An Address...Upon Slave-Keeping (FMO)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Support discussions on race and equality in the Founding era.

  • Compare with Jefferson’s contradictions on slavery.

Judith Sargent Murray

• Beliefs: Argued that women were intellectually equal to men and should receive the same educational opportunities.

• Key Reading: On the Equality of the Sexes (FMO)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Discuss early feminism and its challenges.

  • Compare with Abigail Adams’ letters on women’s roles.

John and Abigail Addams

• Beliefs: Their correspondence reveals debates on women’s rights, governance, and family’s role in politics.

• Key Reading: Letters of John and Abigail Adams (FMO)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Support arguments on gender roles in early America.

Crevecoeur

• Beliefs: Painted America as a land of opportunity but acknowledged racial and social inequalities.

• Key Reading: Letters from an American Farmer (FMO)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Discuss the American Dream vs. reality.

Thomas Jefferson

• Beliefs: Advocated for a farming-based economy and separation of church and state.

• Key Reading: Letter to the Danbury Baptists (FMO)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Compare with Williams and Madison on religious liberty.

James Fenimore Cooper

• Beliefs: His Leatherstocking Series explores individualism, nature vs. civilization, and expansion.

• Key Reading: Leatherstocking Series (Jillson & Class Discussion)

• How to Use This Reading in an Essay:

  • Discuss frontier identity and American expansionism.