POSC 105

AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM

Background and Purpose

The Republican party appears ready and able to institute sweeping chances in American government and public policy. Democrats, although disorganized and ineffectual, bitterly oppose many of these initiatives. Consequently, 1997 will undoubtedly prove to be a seminal year in American history. After all, the new system, whatever it turns out to be, will probably bear little resemblance to the one that has governed us for the past half century. This, then, is an exciting time to study American politics.

This section of POSC 105 takes a hard look at the American political system and various proposals to change it. In so doing we will look beyond rhetoric and symbols to see how government really works. Lots of myths and stereotypes will fall by the wayside.

Method:

Rather than describe the nuts and bolts of American government--a job perhaps best left to a civics class or textbook--the lectures and class discussions will deal with a limited number of topics:

Each class, in short, will be devoted to a specific and important subject.

Requirements and Materials

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H. T. Reynolds
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