This course focuses on the political arena and public affairs of the national government of the United States.  The course will examine the development of constitutional principles and issues, such as civil liberties, the role of political parties, and the structure and function of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the United States government.

This course is a broad survey of the field of political science. Some of the topics we will study include the nature of politics and political power, the instiutions of government and how they make decisions, enforce rules and decide conflicts about policies, the nature of public opinion and political participation, major political ideologies and some of the great philosophers of politics, and politics in the internaitonal realm. While the stress of the course will be on American politics, a compartive approach will often be used to compare American practices with those in other nations.

This course examines the interrelationships between the federal, state, and local branches of the United States government.  Current events will be discussed as they relate to state and local governmental entities.  The course will also emphasize the impact of government on daily life.

.Syllabus • Locations and Class Schedule