POLS 2050 - American National Government

4.5 Credits

This course is an introduction to American national government, including a study of the structural function of the political system and the elements of constitutionalism, republicanism, and federalism. It includes the party system and an analysis of the U.S. Constitution. The course is a descriptive, institutional approach with considerable attention to the policy-making process.

Recommended: College-level reading skills

Lecture Hours: 4.5
Lab Hours: 0.0
Internship Hours: 0.0
Clinical or Practicum Hours: 0.0

Course Objectives

Analyze the influence of the political structure and of ideas on the process on the process of serving some goals rather than others.
Assess the consequences of activist government on the student’s life.
Explain what is meant by power in general human terms, political power in particular, relating the latter to authority, legitimacy, and democracy in the context of American government.
Evaluate the phenomenon of political change and what values dominate it in American life.
Judge the validity of the several theories of politics and appraise the types of policy outputs of government.

View Class Schedule