PSC 1040 - AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

credits: 3.0
The objective of this course is to study the government and political life in America from the perspective of power - using the question “Who Rules?” as a focus for analysis. The idea of power and rule will be analyzed and the results applied to the institutions of American politics. The operation of the governmental structure as well as the extra-governmental political process will be analyzed. Most significantly, the aim of this course is to give the student an understanding of the structure of political institutions and the relationships between them especially in the context of American culture. Objectives: Students should, upon completion of the course, be able to answer the following questions: A) Why did the Constitution create three separate branches of government; B) What rights does the Constitution bestow on American citizens; C) Do the news media determine what we think about politics; D) Why are special interests so prominent in American politics; E) What is the role of political parties in American politics; F) Why do Congress and the president always seem mired in legislative gridlock; G) What as citizens can we do about any of the answers Method of Instruction: Lecture and discussion. Method of Evaluation: There will be a mid-term exam and a final exam, as well as a term paper in which each student analyzes the power processes in one of the major institutional complexes of American political life. Meets *WEP Distribution Requirement.

Prerequisite(s): PSC 1010 - INTRODUCTION TO POLITICS IS RECOMMENDED.