POLS 1000 - Introduction to American Politics

Credit Hours: 4.00

Objectives:

1. Identify and define key terms.
2. Identify, explain, and define democracy, its major characteristics, and conditions for success.

Outcome 2: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of American political culture, identify its main ideological components, core values, and beliefs, and distinguish between ideals and realities of democratic models.

Objectives:

1. Identify, explain, and define core political values, culture, and class.
2. Identify, explain, and define ideology and socialization.

Outcome 3: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of the constitution, the evolution of individual rights and liberties, rights in the workplace, relevant case law, and the functioning of the judicial system.

Objectives:

1. Explain American constitutional government; identify key features and constitutional powers.
2. Explain the concept and evolution of rights and liberties.
3. Identify the process of nationalization.
4. Identify substantive rights, procedural rights, and settled law.
5. Explain the evolution of constitutional law.
6. Identify and explain legislated rights (political, legal, and economic).

Outcome 4: Upon completion of this course, students will identify key elements of the political decision-making process, including the convergence of influences of interest groups, media, public opinion, and political participation on both policy and the electoral process.

Objectives:

1. Identify and explain the media’s impact on politics.
2. Identify the importance of interest group participation and influence on American politics.
3. Identify how public opinion is measured and its varying impact on American politics.
4. Identify the various forms of political participation.

Outcome 5: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of elections in American politics and the elements of modern political campaigns.

Objectives:

1. Identify, explain, and define the role of the media, interest groups, and public opinion on elections.
2. Identify controversies regarding modern elections and potential for reform.

Outcome 6: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate their comprehension of the relationship between the branches of government in terms of competition, compromise, and cooperation.

Objectives:

1. Identify, explain, and define the role of Congress in policy-making and its power relationship to the president and the judiciary.
2. Identify, explain, and define the role of the President in policy-making and its relationship to Congress and the Judiciary.
3. Identify, explain, and define the importance of the Supreme Court and the U.S. legal system in American politics.
4. Identify, explain, and define the relationship between the Courts and the Congress and President.

1. Introduction To Government and Politics
   1. Overview of Functions of Government
   2. Power, Legitimacy, Accountability, Social Contract
   3. The Rule of Law
2. Democracy in a Republic
   1. Theoretical Values versus Reality
   2. Major Characteristics
   3. Conditions for Success
   4. The American People: Demographic Profile
3. Core Values
   1. Political Culture
   2. National Consensus in a Diverse Society
   3. Concepts of Liberty and Equality (Political, Legal, and Economic)
   4. Majority “Rule” and Minority Rights
   5. Class Wars and Culture Wars
4. Ideologies
   1. Political Socialization
   2. The American Political Spectrum (Ideological Groupings)
   3. Attitudes About the Role of Government
   4. Specific Ideologies
      1. Liberal
      2. Conservative
      3. Libertarian
      4. Progressive
      5. Neo-Conservative
   5. Political Diversity, Conflict, and Compromise
5. Constitutional Government
   1. The Road From Confederate States to Nation (Union)
   2. Features of the Constitution
      1. Republican Form of Government
      2. Separation of Powers
      3. Checks and Balances
      4. Flexible document
   3. Constitutional Powers
      1. Enumerated, Implied, Inherent
      2. Exclusive, Shared (Concurrent)
      3. Prohibited
      4. Judicial Interpretation
6. Federal/States Relationship
   1. National Supremacy - An Evolving Concept

UNIT II Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

1. The Concept and Evolution of Liberties
   1. The Social Contract and Influences of the Enlightenment
   2. The Purpose of the Bill of Rights
   3. Who Is Left Out?
2. Nationalizing the Bills
   1. Incorporation under the 14th Amendment
   2. Who, What, Where, and How do the Bills Protect?
   3. Substantive Rights: Expression, Association, and Privacy
   4. Procedural Rights: Due Process Considerations
      1. Access to Justice
      2. Rights in Time of War
   5. Settled Law
3. Evolution of Constitutional Law
   1. International Influences
   2. Exceptionalism
   3. “Constitution in Exile”
4. Legislated Rights
   1. Why Are They Necessary?
   2. The Roots of Discrimination
   3. Segregation and Jim Crow
   4. The Civil Rights Movement and Civil Rights Legislation
   5. Affirmative Action Issues
   6. Discrimination Against Women
   7. Current Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Discrimination Issues
   8. Workplace Rights
   9. Opportunity and Equality: Political, Legal, Economic

UNIT III Links Between People and Government

1. The Media
   1. Media’s Role and Impact on Politics
      1. Setting the Agenda
      2. Investigations
      3. Making and Breaking Politicians
      4. Adversarial or Embedded
   2. Media as Big Business
   3. Media Concentration and Results for Politics
   4. Mainstream Media and the Internet Challenge
   5. Government Censorship and “Self-Censorship”
   6. Media Bias
      1. Advocacy Media
      2. Negative Undercurrents About Government
      3. Issue Bias
      4. Infotainment
      5. Commercial Bias and Consequences
   7. Is the Media Responsive to the People?
2. Interest Groups
   1. What Are They and Why Are They?
      1. “Who gets What, When, How, and Why?”
      2. Purpose of All Interest Groups
      3. Types of Interest Groups
   2. The Inside Strategy: Lobbying
      1. Methods Used
   3. The Outside Strategy: Going Public
      1. Methods Used
   4. Electioneering
   5. Using the Courts
   6. Do Interest Groups Make Government Responsive?
   7. Are Interest Groups Good for Democracy?

3. Political Participation

   1. The American Voter
      1. Early Restrictions/Consequences
      2. Suffrage Reforms
      3. Profile of the Current Voter
      4. Why Do So Many Not Vote?
      5. Comparisons To Other Democracies
      6. Possible Reforms
   2. Participation Beyond Voting
      1. What Works and How
      2. Citizen Activism Today
4. Campaigns and Elections
   1. Changes in Political Campaigns
      1. Candidate Centered Campaigns
      2. Role of the Media
      3. Role of Money, Role of PACs
      4. Role of Professionals
      5. Role of Political Parties
      6. Role of the Internet
      7. Does All of This Help the Voter Decide?
   2. The Permanent Campaign
      1. Keeping One’s Seat Safe
      2. Does Money Buy Influence?
   3. Presidential Campaigns
      1. Who runs, Why, and How?
      2. Primaries and General Elections: Framing the Issues Differently
      3. Electoral College
   4. Congressional Campaigns
      1. Who, Why, and How
      2. The Incumbent Advantage
   5. Third Parties
      1. What is Their Place in Politics?
   6. Possible Reforms
      1. Public Financing
      2. Proportional Representation
      3. Procedural Reform

UNIT IV Policy-Making Institutions

1. Congress
   1. The Role of Congress - What Does it Do?
   2. Members and Who They Represent
   3. Demographics of Congress
   4. Advantage of Incumbency
   5. House and Senate Differences
   6. The Importance of Committees
   7. Congressional Leadership
   8. Majority Party Rule, Minority Party Role
   9. Congress and the President: Nature of the Relationship
2. Presidency
   1. Evolution of the Role of President
   2. Powers and Responsibilities
      1. Executive Powers
      2. Head of State
      3. Foreign Policy Leader
      4. Commander-In-Chief
      5. Head of His Party/Chief Fundraiser
   3. Presidential Leadership
      1. President and the Public
      2. Presidential Decision-Making
      3. Unilateral Presidency
   4. President and the Media
   5. The Limits of Presidential Power
3. The Judiciary
   1. The Dual Court System
   2. The Federal Courts: Structure and Role
   3. The Decision-Making Process of the Supreme Court
   4. The Power of Judicial Review
   5. Selecting Lifetime Appointees
      1. The Process
      2. The Politics
      3. The Effects
   6. Are Judges Independent?
   7. From Weakest Branch (Founders) to Most Powerful Branch?
   8. Are the Federal Courts Responsive to the People?