Introduction to U.S. Politics

Political scientists commonly refer to politics as the process of deciding who gets what. This course addresses questions concerning how politics works in the United States. Why does the United States have its system of government, how can we evaluate whether it is working as intended, and how might we change it? What is public opinion, and how does it bear on public policy? How do people decide whether to vote and who to vote for? In short, how does the United States decide who gets what?

The most recent syllabus can be found here.