Standard

Posted: 05/08/08

R State Standard £ Institutionally Developed College: N/A

POL 1101 – American Government

Course Description

This course is a study of government and politics in the United States. The focus of the course will provide an overview of the Constitutional foundations of the American political processes with a focus on government institutions and political procedures. The course will examine the constitutional framework, federalism, civil liberties and civil rights, public opinion, the media, special interest groups, political parties, and the election process along with the three branches of government. Topics include: foundations of government; political behavior; and governing institutions.

Competency Areas	Hours
Foundations of Government	Class	5
Political Behavior	D. Lab	0
Governing Institutions	P. Lab/O.B.I.	0
	Credit	5

Prerequisite:	Program admissions
Corequisite:

Course Guide

Competency	After completing this section, the student will be able to:	Hours
		Class	D.Lab	P.Lab/ O.B.I.

Foundations of Government		18	0	0
U. S. Constitution	Trace the development of the U. S. Constitution from the problematic Articles of Confederation through the Constitutional Convention and ramifications.
	Contrast the original constitutional dispersion of power with the modern dispersion that has evolved through custom and interpretation.
	Analyze the amendment process and the political implications with it.
Federalism	Explain Federalism and how it differs from other forms of government.
	Describe how Federalism has evolved to reach its present form in the U.S.
Growth	Explore the growth of the national government through an examination of the factors contributing to its expansion.
First Amendment	Examine the major safeguards of freedom contained in the First Amendment.
Fourteenth Amendment	Explain and evaluate the major clauses in the Fourteenth Amendment to include the effectiveness throughout the United States.
Fifteenth, Nineteenth, and the Twenty-sixth Amendment	Explain and evaluate the effectiveness of the Fifteenth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-sixth Amendments in overcoming barriers to voting in the United States.
Citizenship	Understand how the Constitution protects citizenship.
Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments	Describe the fundamentals of the Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Amendments.
	Describe the significance of the Fourth, Fifth, and Eights Amendments in the U.S. system of rights.
Bill of Rights	Discuss the nationalization of the Bill of Rights.
Political Behavior		15	0	0
Public Opinion and The Media	Develop an understanding of democracy.
	Investigate the effects of public opinion on the U. S. democratic form of government.
	Assess the effects of the media on politics.
Special Interest Groups	Analyze special interest groups in terms to include: a. structure; b. power and influence; and c. operating techniques.
Political Parties	Understand the different political philosophies and political parties operating in the U.S.
Electoral College	Understand the function and impact of the Electoral College.
	Discuss the process running for public office with detailed interest given from the nomination to the election of a president.
Governing Institutions		17	0	0
Congress	Analyze Congress focusing on the legislative process to include: a. structure; b. functions; and c. membership.
	Analyze Congress focusing on common criticisms to include: a. structure; b. functions; and c. membership.
Presidency	Trace the evolution of the modern presidency to Include public expectations from constitutional foundations to the current form.
Judicial System	Describe the differing forms of law that the American legal system is based.
	Explain the structure and function of the national courts system including the operation of the U. S. Supreme Court.
	Understand the process of judicial review.
Policy-making process	Evaluate the public policy-making process with regard to policy formation and the impact of ideological difference among policy makers.

Suggested Resources

Dye, Thomas R. (2006). Politics in America, Brief Edition. (6^th ed.). Prentice Hall.

O’Connor, Karen. and Sabato, Larry. J. (2006). Essentials of American Government: Continuity and Change. (8^th ed.). New York: Longman.

Patterson, Thomas. (2006) The American Democracy. (8^th ed.). McGraw Hill Company, Inc.

Posted: 05/08/08