Monday, April 30th: The Paranoid Style in American Politics
Everyone will read a classic essay by Richard Hofstadter, “The Paranoid Style in American Politics.” I will provide an annotated (by me) copy (as well as a PDF on our blog) to help you navigate his argument and evidence, as it is difficult (but not impossible, and definitely worth it!) reading unlike anything else we have done this semester.
You will then have your choice of topics to research through the lens of Hofstadter’s analysis: 9/11, Barack Obama, or Mitt Romney. In class, we will discuss the article (which was published in 1964) and explore the ways in which today’s politics are further evidence of Hofstadter’s thesis or perhaps complicate his thesis.
Essay Question: What was Richard Hofstadter’s argument in his 1964 essay “The Paranoid Style in American Politics”? Does his argument resonate in today’s political environment? Feel free to choose one case study (i.e., 9/11, Barack Obama, or Mitt Romney) to address in your essay.
Note: I have a few more sites I want to investigate and will be adding a couple more articles in the next day or two. Do not feel like you need to read every article! Pick and choose, try your hand at google (pay a lot of attention to who is publishing the site and the agenda that they have — there’s a lot of misinformation out there) and have fun exploring.
9/11 Conspiracy Theories: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1531304-1,00.html
More 9/11 Conspiracies: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/05/september-11-conspiracy-theories
. . . and debunked: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/05/9-11-conspiracy-theories-debunked
Barack Obama, African American vs. Mitt Romney, Mormon: What does it mean?
The Economist on the upcoming 2012 elections: http://www.economist.com/world/us-elections-2012
New Yorker assessment of Barack Obama’s presidency: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/01/30/120130fa_fact_lizza
NY Times on Mitt Romney (includes list of “essential reads”): http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/primaries/candidates/mitt-romney
Obama’s Birth Certificate a Fake? (debunked by Snopes which is a fantastic site for all kinds of rumors, urban legends, etc.): http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/birthcertificate.asp
Official Romney campaign bio: http://www.mittromney.com/learn/mitt
Official Obama campaign bio: http://www.barackobama.com/about/barack-obama?source=primary-nav
