Approval Status
Date Reviewed
This course is, quite generally, designed to provide students with a basic working knowledge of the basic goals of the constitutional framers, giving students an understanding of the purposes of the American political system; the essential structures (or institutions) within the American political system, the behavior (broadly defined) of the actors within the American political system, the purpose and performance of the linkage institutions in the United States (possibly including political parties, elections, and interest groups); and the types of policies that are often produced by a system with the characteristics of those found in the United States. Depending on the interests, area of expertise, and inclinations of the particular instructor, some of these may be emphasized more heavily than others.