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First, I question that premise in the first place. On the heels of record turnout and the buoyancy of Obama's grassroots campaign in 2008, it would be difficult to maintain that America is suddenly plagued by apathy.

Second, there is some misdirection here: America has always had a political elite. Sometimes, that class has conicided more strongly with a particular segment of society, say the business elite, or this or that "liberal consensus." Partisans have certainly not disappeared-- whether from the right or the left.

But I would also characterize the long term process as being a sociological one, dealing with the increasing specialization of labor. We have increasingly taken on specialized roles, and in this view, political activity can certainly be said to be a professional occupation, requiring a great deal of special knowledge. Most Americans have political views that are smouldering with distaste, or suspicion, or disillusionment. Much of this has to do with the media's inflation of political activity (though remember that this is precisely the main function of the press, to report and become the voice impartial truth in a democracy).

I think that some political activity has been marginalized-- when you show up at a rally with the intent of causing disturbance, than mature dialog has broken down. Also, in order to get at the real issues within the political realm, we must listen to the dialog that is taking place within the academic context, especially historians and economists.

We are currently in a fairly normal cycle that has happened before. The party that was reversed is licking its wounds and attempting to come up with a coherent change in policy. This is reflected in the current approval ratings of the administration-- that issues such as health care, energy or the progress of the economy are emerging as the sticking points. The Republicans are seizing upon these points to press some potential future advantage, but one of the major problems they face is a lack of crystallization of actual leaders (or, the ones they have are disgraced).

Throughout the course we will explore the past not merely to understand "what happened" but to ask more important questions about who we are now, and gain insight into where we are heading.