wealth and American culture

	Wealth and the American Culture
Course Outline

Text: Levy, Jonathan. Ages of American Capitalism: A History of the United States. New York: Random House, 2022.

Outline

The Age of Commerce

Mercantalism

Organic Economy: Household Economy

Republican Political Economy

Capitalism and the Democracy

Confidence Games

Between Slavery and Freedom

The Age of Capital

Civil War and the Reconstruction of Capital

Industrialization

Class War and Home Life

The populist Revolt

Fordism

The Great Depression

The Age of Control

New Deal Capitalism

New World Hegemon

Postwar Hinge

Consumerism

Ordeal of a Golden Age

Crisis of Industrial Capital

The Age of Chaos

Magic of the Market

The New Economy

The Great Moderation

The Great Recession

Course Objectives:

to inculcate an awareness and appreciation of the American system of free enterprise

to increase students' knowledge of the nation's evolving economic history

to assist course participants in identifying the economic challenges facing the nation historically and contemporaneously

to encourage students to compare and contrast the economic challenges and opportunities of previous epochs with those of today and tomorrow in an effort to increase their social responsibility and awareness of contemporary issues

to enhance course participants' critical thinking and problem solving skills

to enhance technological literacy while encouraging human social interaction through small and large group discussions

to enhance effective communication

to encourage students to interact by facilitating the creation of partnerships to enhance learning

to familiarize course participants with various forms of mentoring, e.g. instructor mentoring of students, students, mentoring of other students and, beyond academe, mentoring in the corporate world and in the professions

Evaluative Components and Percentage of Final Course Grade:

1. Final Paper Proposal: 5%

Students will submit a topic proposal for their final paper.  Submissions should include background context on their chosen topic, a working thesis, a list of preliminary sources, and a discussion of what their paper will add to the prevailing scholarship.  This assignment must be completed before students are allowed to submit a final paper at the end of the course.  Submissions will be made in normal, 12-point Times New Roman font, and citations should be made according to the Chicago Manual of Style.

2. Secondary Source Evaluation Paper: 10%

Write a critical review of one of the sources you have chosen for your final paper project (book or peer-reviewed journal article, no review essays).  Submission should be 2-3 pages and highlight the thesis of the source, and a review of the author and the source in question.  Is the thesis persuasive?  Did the author support it well?  Who is the author? Does the author present any biases? These are the types of questions students should be answering in their review.

1. Final Paper: 35%

Students will write a 7-page paper on a topic of their choosing related to the theme of the course.  Submissions must include the use of at least 3 primary sources (newspapers, diaries, etc.), and 4 secondary sources (which can be obtained through the library website).  Format papers in Times New Roman, 12-point font, normal margins.  Please adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style when citing sources.

Final Paper Rubric

Criteria	Ratings	Pts.
Introduction	30 pts Exceeds Expectations Provides significant background information the establishes context for the thesis statement.	20 pts Meets Expectations Adequately sets up the thesis by providing background content.	10 pts Does Not Meet Expectations Background context is week and does not set the tone for the thesis	30
Thesis	10 pts Exceeds Expectations Has a clearly and concisely defined thesis that sets the tone for the paper.	5 pts Meets Expectations Thesis is evident but needs work.	0 pts Does Not Meet Expectations No thesis	10
Analysis	100 pts Exceeds Expectations Demonstrates exceptional analysis that references course concepts with respect to chosen topic	70 pts Meets Expectations Addresses topic adequately and attempts to integrate course concepts.	50 pts Does Not Meet Expectations Provides an understanding of chosen topic but analysis rests largely at the abstract level	100
Supporting Evidence	20 pts Exceeds Expectations Demonstrates extensive use of disparate sources to support assertions	10 pts Meets Expectations Cites from at least four different sources	5 pts Does Not Meet Expectations Uses supporting evidence but lacks disparate sources or fails to meet the four source minimum	20
Citations	20 pts Exceeds Expectations Citations are correctly cited as per the Chicago Manual of Style	10 pts Meets Expectations 3 or more errors in citations.	5 pts Does Not Meet Expectations Major error in citations or failure to use the directed style.	20
Writing Mechanics	20 pts Exceeds Expectations Submission is free from grammatical errors	10 pts Meets Expectations Submission had more than 5 grammatical errors	5 pts Does Not Meet Expectations Submission has significant grammatical errors that detract from the overall flow of the text
Total Points: 200

Plagiarism

Please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy under the University Policy section of this syllabus.