In Unit Five, The Common Good, students study the causes, course and consequences of World War II, including the war at home. The economic boom, social transformation and technological development of post war United States is covered. The Struggle for Power in Postwar America, Unit Six, helps students to understand the struggle for racial and gender equality and the extension of civil liberties from 1945 to 1970. Unit Seven, Balance in Foreign Policy, helps students to understand how the Cold War and related conflicts influenced domestic politics and foreign policy from 1945 to the present. Finally, in Patterns in Contemporary America, students analyze the political, economic, social and cultural developments in contemporary America.
Students learn the basic purposes, the structure, the functions, and the workings of government.
The rights and responsibilities of citizens and the change processes that keep American government workable are also examined. Emphasis is placed on the similarity of the structure and functions of government at the national, state and local levels. Some case studies are examined. This course involves critical issues that have faced Americans since 1945. The units of study are human rights, the United States in world affairs, and economics.