A survey of American institutions and processes. Included are such topics as the Constitution, federalism, Congress, the presidency, judiciary, and civil rights. This course is 8 weeks long.
Objectives:
Through studying the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the student should:
Gain not only a new appreciation for both documents but also a new understanding as to how they fit together and complement one another
Gain an appreciation for the collective wisdom of the founders themselves
Understand and appreciate the Bill of Rights and the amending process
Understand and appreciate our basic political institutions
Develop a critical ability to analyze and evaluate the formal and informal political process including the roles of the mass media, bureaucracy, political parties and interest groups.
Course Work:
3 proctored exams
Worksheets from assigned reading
1 research paper on any topic covered in assigned reading