POLS& 202 - American Government

5 Credits
This course explores the structure and dynamics of American national government. The course provides a broad-based introduction to the ideas and institutions that have shaped politics in the contemporary United States. Special areas of focus will include: the Constitution and the debates of the founding era, the institutions of modern American government, and the political behavior of the American mass public. The course will draw inspirationally on documents from America’s Revolutionary and Civil War periods as well as on key historical and contemporary Supreme Court opinions, Congressional laws, and Presidential policy papers. This course will also analyze how the dynamics of regional and global forces have impacted on domestic politics and American government, informing the shaping of its attitudes and policies to the rest of the world.

General education distribution area: Social Science.

Course Outcomes

Analyze the Constitution as a living document.
Explain the functions of the executive, legislative and judicial branches and the role of checks and balances in the political process.
Explain and understand the broadening of presidential power.
Analyze the conflicts between individual civil liberties and government activities intended to promote safety, order, and security.
Recognize and understand the differences between political parties.
Understand and analyze the election process.