American Politics

111. American Government and Politics. (3h) The nature of politics, political principles, and political institutions, with emphasis on their application to the U.S. (D)

210. Topics in U.S. Politics and Policy. (3h) Intensive study of one or more major problems in contemporary U.S. politics and policy. Course may be retaken for credit if topic varies.

211. Political Parties, Voters, and Elections. (3h) Examines party competition, party organizations, the electorate and electoral activities of parties, and the responsibilities of parties for governing.

212. U.S. Policymaking in the 21st Century. (3h) Examines the contemporary U.S. policymaking process. Special attention to ways issues become important and contributions of different political actors, institutions, and ideologies in the passage or rejection of policy proposals. Considers a range of social, economic, and regulatory policies.

213. Examines Patterns of economic inequality in the United States, weighs competing causal explanations for changing distributions of income and wealth, and investigates the effects of this inequality on American democracy.

214. Latina/o Political Behavior. (3h) Examines the contemporary role of Latinos/as as a minority group in the U.S. with emphasis on the history of Latina/o immigration to the U.S. and to North Carolina, immigration attitudes, Latina/o representation, political identity, political participation, and interracial coalition formations. Service-learning course. (CD)

215. Citizen and Community. (3h) Examines the role and responsibilities of citizens in democratic policymaking. Includes discussion of democratic theory, emphasis on a policy issue of national importance (i.e. poverty, crime, environment), and involvement of students in projects that examine the dimension of the issue in their community. Service-learning course.

216. U.S. Social Welfare Policy. (3h) Analysis of U.S. social policymaking and policy outcomes on issues such as welfare, education, health care, and Social Security, with emphasis on historical development and cross-national comparison.

217. Politics and the Mass Media. (3h) Explores the relationship between the political system and the mass media. Two broad concerns are the regulation of the mass media and the impact of media on political processes and events. Also listed as JOU 277.

218. Congress and Policymaking. (3h) Examines the composition, authority structures, external influences, and procedures of Congress with emphasis on their implications for policymaking in the U.S.

219. Political Participation. (3h) Examines political participation in the U.S., with emphasis on electoral and non-electoral avenues through which individuals and groups wield influence in politics and government, including voting, interest groups, and social movements. Service-learning course.

220. The American Presidency. (3h) Emphasizes the office and the role; contributions by contemporary presidents considered in perspective.

221. State Politics. (3h) Examines institutions, processes, and policies at the state level, with emphasis on the different patterns of governance in the various states and the consequences of the recent revitalization of state governments.

222. Urban Politics. (3h) Political structures and processes in American cities and suburbs as they relate to the social, economic, and political problems of the metropolis. Service-learning course. (CD)

223. African American Politics. (3h) Surveys selected topics, including African American political participation, political organizations, political leadership, and political issues. Shows the relationship of these phenomena to American political institutions and processes as a whole.

POL 224 Racial and Ethnic Politics. (3h)

Analysis of the impact and interactions of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, American Indians and Whites in U.S. politics, with special emphasis on racial identity development, minority representation, and the U.S. criminal justice system. Service-learning course. (CD)

225. American Constitutional Law: Separation of Powers and the Federal System. (3h) Analysis of Supreme Court decisions affecting the three branches of the national government and federal/state relations.

226. American Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties. (3h) Judicial interpretations of First Amendment freedoms, racial equality, and the rights of the criminally accused. Not open to first-year students.

227. Politics, Law, and Courts. (3h) Analysis of the nature and role of law in American society and the structure and procedure of American courts. Questions of judicial organization, personnel, and decision making, as well as the impact of law and court decisions on the social order, are explored at local, state, and national levels.

228. The Politics of Public Education. (3h) Introduces students to some of the most popular and contentious contemporary education policy debates and discusses what the U.S. school system tells us about the country’s fundamental political commitments.

229. Women, Gender, and Politics. (3h) Examines classical and contemporary studies of how gender structures politics, including the participation of women and other gendered groups, as well as current policy issues.

American Politics

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