POLSC232: American Government

The American political system is rich in history. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of American government, you will need to learn this history and recognize the ways in which it impacts the political landscape today.

This unit will begin with a brief introduction to the course as well as a concise overview of the American political system. You will focus on broad-based questions and explore the defining characteristics of American government. Next, you will work to identify the origins of American republican democracy, learning how it developed and evolved into our current political system. Finally, you will conclude by examining the key principles embedded in the United States Constitution, particularly federalism, and relate its design and development to the unique American political system we have in place today.

The diverse American public is a major component of the American political system. Politics touches the lives of all Americans - voters, politicians, the young, the old, and everyone in between. Political scientists are extremely interested in studying how the public participates in the American political system. This unit will explore the processes by which citizens learn about politics, political participation and voting behavior, the influence of public opinion, the role of the media, and the variety of factors that predispose citizens to differ from one another in terms of their political perceptions, values, and attitudes.

There are innumerable factors that impact the American governmental system, often making an already byzantine political process even more complex. In this unit, you will learn about campaigns, the electoral process and how political parties and interest groups shape the political landscape by influencing candidates and voters. You will first focus on the role of political parties (especially in elections), their historical development, and their effect on the political process. You will also discover how the American political system maintains a strong two-party system (i.e., Democrats and Republicans) that makes it difficult for a third party to gain prominence. Next, you will focus on interest groups, how they impact campaigns, candidates, and voters and can often entrench the system through aggressive issue advocacy and campaign contributions, which are directed to incumbents far more often than challengers, helping to maintain the political status quo.

When many people think of American government, the institutions - Congress, the president, and the Supreme Court - most often come to mind. This unit will focus on these three important pillars of American government, in addition to a fourth and often overlooked facet of American government: the bureaucracy. Each subunit will be dedicated to one of the major institutions and discuss the significant role that the particular institution plays in the American political system. As you learned in previous units, the American system of government relies on a delicate balance of power among many forces; by the end of this unit, you will understand the specific roles that each institution plays in establishing and maintaining that balance of power.

The civil rights and civil liberties granted to Americans are central to the American government. Freedoms and rights were important factors in shaping the American political system, and they continue to play a major role in our society today. The Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights, defines our rights and freedoms; however, as society has changed, so too has the perception and realization of civil liberty and civil rights. In this unit, you will explore the freedoms and rights of American citizens.

The unit will begin by looking at civil liberties guaranteed in the Constitution, especially in the Bill of Rights. The unit will especially focus on the rights defined in the First Amendment, the right to bear arms (Second Amendment), and the right to privacy, with an explanation of how the courts' interpretation of these rights have been applied, or incorporated, by the states. Next, the unit will explore the evolution of civil rights in the American political system, with an emphasis on the civil rights movement and political equality of all Americans. The unit will also pay close attention to how the American political system creates a balance between order and freedom, and equality and rights.

After having explored the foundations, political behavior, and institutions of the American political system, this final unit looks at public policy in the United States, the place where all of these other components of the American political system intersect. The unit will begin examining the general policy-making process and how each branch of government impacts American public policy. Then, the unit will take a deeper look into the three major realms of public policy - economic, social, and foreign affairs policy. In each of these realms, theories of policy will be discussed, and then you will look closer at how policy has been implemented over time. This unit is a fitting way to end the course as it demonstrates how everything that you've learned thus far comes together to shape the various public policies that impact American society as a whole.

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