Hist 3501 Democracy in America

Taking its title from Alexis de Tocqueville’s classic Democracy in America, this course examines
what it means to be an “American” in the United States. The course will explore the history of
ideas of Americanness from the first European settlement in the British colonies to the present.
We will investigate how the public sphere, the democratic process, and civic life have changed
over the course of the history of the United States. Students will participate in civic life and the
democratic process by volunteering for an interest group, public service organization, political
campaign, or local election organization.
This course will fulfill UCC Area 5 Civic Engagement requirement. It will also fulfill National
Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Standards for Civics for Secondary Education Majors.
Credits: 3.0