POLS 101 - American Government

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• POLS 101

An introduction to the constitutional, political, and governmental processes of the national political system.The course will introduce students to ongoing disagreements regarding the scope and boundaries of power held by the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of federal government in the United States. How these disagreements derive in part from varying interpretations of the U.S. Constitution will be discussed. Exploring how individuals and groups interact to shape the policymaking process is a consistent theme. Students will analyze how residents of the United States construct opinions and make decisions given information cues from political groups and institutions within the U.S. like the mass media, political parties, and interest groups. In addition, students will be exposed to and apply the social science mode of inquiry to evaluate theories and methods of measuring voting participation in the United States.

Credit hours: 3