Political Science: US Political System

Institutions, processes, and problems of American government. Credit not awarded for both POLS 1300 and POLS 1013.

Open to Degree and PACE students

This course has two main objectives. The first is to familiarize you with the historical and theoretical foundations and institutions of the United States government, as well as the relevance of political behavior and civil rights and liberties in the political system in the US. The second objective is to encourage students to analyze democracy as practiced in the United States in both class lectures and written assignments.

The Department of Political Science requires that this classroom protocol, defining minimum standards of conduct, be included in all syllabi of political science classes. 1. Students are expected to attend and be prepared for ALL regularly scheduled classes. 2. Students are expected to arrive on time and stay in class until the class period ends. If a student knows in advance that s/he will need to leave early, s/he should notify the instructor before the class period begins. 3. Students are expected to treat faculty and fellow students with respect. For example, students must not disrupt class by leaving and reentering during class, must not distract class by making noise, and must be attentive to comments being made by the instructors and by peers.

Student evaluation will be based on performance on five short quizzes (consisting solely or mostly of multiple choice questions), a midterm exam and a final exam (both of which will include a written component).