POS 365 Democracy in the United States of America

This course provides a basic introduction to the politics and government of the United States of America. It focuses on the US national government and assumes no prior knowledge of the system. WE will cover both formal and informal American political institutions (Congress, Judiciary, Interest Groups, Parties, etc.) and how individuals behave as members and participants in these institutions. We also will examine and evaluate the American system of government as designed by the ?Founding Fathers? in light of the changes in political culture, institutions, and the composition of the electorate occurring in the United States over the past century. Students will also be assessed according to their understanding of key theoretical frameworks that have been used to explain reoccurring empirical phenomena in U.S. Democracy, such as (but not limited to): Presidential election outcomes; Mid-term election outcomes; Policy preference alignment; among others.