Mandatory Reading Assignments for all Essay Topics
Burckhardt, Jacob. The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, Part 3 “The Revival of Antiquity, the Humanists,” trans. S.G.C. Middlemore, PDF 1-7
Gombrich, E.H. A Little History of the World.Chapter 26 “A New Age,” (pp.163-171) PDF 1-7
Najemy, John. Italy in the Age of the Renaissance, 1350-1500, “Introduction,”(pp.1-17, 297-311) PDF 1-34
Obama, Barack. Remarks by President Obama to the People of Greece, speech, 16 November, 2016. PDF 1-10
Plumb, J.H., The Italian Renaissance, Ch.1 “Dawn of the Renaissance,” (pp.6-19) PDF 1-8
Topic I: Republican Democracy in the United States
Mandatory Readings
Cartledge, Kevin. “The ancient Greeks Would Not Recognise Our Democracy, They Would See an Oligarchy,” The Conversation, 3 June, 2016. PDF 1-4
Przeworski, Adam, Susan C. Stokes, Bernard Manin, Democracy Accountability, and Representation, Ch. 1 “Election and Representation,” (pp.29-54) PDF 1-15
Romeo, Nick. “What Modern Democracies Didn’t Copy From Ancient Greece,” National Geographic, 4 November, 2016. PDF 1-4
Staloff, Darren. Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson: The Politics of Enlightenment and The American Founding, “Introduction,” (pp. 3-43) PDF 1-22
Cesati, Franco. The Medici: Story of a European Dynasty, “Florence Before the Medici,” (pp.9-17) PDF 1-7
Lagon, Mark P. "Promoting Democracy: The Whys and Hows for the United States and the International Community." Council on Foreign Relations, 11 February, 2011. PDF 1-6
Liptik, Kevin. “Obama Hails Democracy, Even When It’s Especially Complicated,” CNN, 16 November, 2016. PDF 1-3
Cesati, Franco. The Medici: Story of a European Dynasty, “Florence Before the Medici,” (pp.9-17) PDF 1-7
Plumb, J.H. The Italian Renaissance, “Lorenzo de’ Medici” (pp.206-221) PDF 1-7
Strathern, Paul. The Medici: Power, Money, and Ambition in the Italian Renaissance, Ch.4-5 “Cosimo Rising,” and “The Moment of Truth,” (pp.45-67) PDF 1-14
Domhoff, William. “Power in America: Wealth, Income, and Power,” Who Rules America, February 2015. PDF 1-2
Przeworski, Adam, Susan C. Stokes, Bernard Manin, Democracy Accountability, and Representation, Ch. 1 “Election and Representation,” (pp.29-54) PDF 1-15
Staloff, Darren. The Politics of Enlightenment and The American Founding, Ch.1 “Alexander Hamilton: The Enlightenment Fulfilled (pp.78-110) PDF 1-19