Contemporary American Politics
Fall 2020 semester
Instructor: Prof. David Green
david.green@law.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Office Hours: by appointment
Meeting day and time: Mondays, 16:30 – 18:00**This class will be conducted fully online for the Fall 2020 term with pre-recorded lectures
uploaded every Monday
Goals: Although American political influence is arguably on the decline in recent years, theUS remains the closest thing to a hegemon in the international system. The inner workings of
the American political system are also somewhat unique compared to other countries. This
course aims to provide students with a basic understanding of how politics work in the US,explaining the legislative, executive and judicial processes, as well as discussing other major
players in the American political system and some current political issues. This not only
helps to understand the workings of one of the world’s major powers, but can serve as a
useful comparison to the political workings of other countries.
Objectives: Stemming from comparative politics, this course aims give students a broad
understanding of American politics and the American political system. We will review themajor political components of the US, including the executive, legislative and judicial
branches of government, non-governmental actors, and cover some current events in the latterpart of the course.
Course Text:Jillson, Cal. 2018. American Government: Political Development and Institutional Change, 9th edition.
New York: Routledge.
NOTE: There is no need to purchase the text. PDF files of the assigned readings will be uploaded toNUCT weekly.

Additional course materials will be distributed in class or online as necessary.
Requirements for taking the course: No prerequisites are required. However, students
should have a good command of the English language and come to class willing to discuss
the week’s topic.
Evaluation Methods:
30% Short assignments
30% Midterm Exam
40% Final Exam
Course Schedule:
1

October 5
1. Course Introduction• Overview of course syllabus• Explanation of reading materials• Introduction to American politics
October 12
2. Origins of the US political system• Declaration of Independence• The US Constitution• Bill of Rights
Jillson, Chapter 1: the origins of American political principles, p. 1-24
October 19
3. US political culture• American exceptionalism• Civic engagement• Political participation
Jillson, Chapter 4: political socialization and public opinion, p. 88-118
October 26
4. Congress• Congressional system• Congressional elections• The House and Senate
Jillson, Chapter 9: congress – partisanship, polarization and gridlock, p. 262-298
November 2
5. The Presidency• Presidential powers• Presidential change over time
• Running for President
Jillson, Chapter 10: the President – governing in uncertain times, p. 299-336
November 9
6. The Courts• The US Supreme Court• Marbury v. Madison• US court system
Jillson, Chapter 12: the federal courts – activism versus restraint, p. 366-403
November 16
7. The Bureaucracy2• Regulatory commissions• Policy implementation• Accountability
Jillson, Chapter 11: bureaucracy – redesigning government for the twenty first century, p.
337-365
November 23 – Holiday
November 30
8. Midterm Exam
December 7
9. Voting and elections• Patterns of voting in the US• Major political ideologies• Current issues in voting
Jillson, Chapter 8: voting, campaigns, and elections, p. 224-261
December 14
10. Political parties• Democrats• Republicans• Third parties
Jillson, Chapter 7: political parties – winning the right to govern, p. 186-223
December 21
11. Interest groups• Lobbyists• NGOs and politically active groups• Grassroots groups
Jillson, Chapter 6: interest groups – the politics of influence, p. 153-185
December 28 – Holiday
January 4 – Holiday
January 11 – Holiday
January 18
12. The media• Free speech history• Major media groups• “Fake news”
Jillson, Chapter 5: the mass media and the political agenda
3January 25
13. Current issues #1 – civil disobedience
Readings to be distributed later
February 1
14. Current issues #2 – the presidential election
Readings to be distributed later
February 8
15. Final Exam4