Emphasis is placed on political participation, interest groups and interest articulation, political parties and systems, policy-making and implementation. Methodological works appropriate to the field are examined, skills needed for research are developed, and practice in the selection of sources and materials is provided. Historical treatment of the establishment of the United States Constitution and its development to the present. This course covers a general review of civil liberties in the United States with special attention to issues related to the freedoms of religion, speech and press, the right to privacy, the rights of the criminally accused, as well as disputes related to rights concerning race, sex, and voting discrimination. An examination of America's leadership role on the international scene from World War II through the 1990s, with an analysis of the interrelationship of domestic and foreign issues.
Special emphasis is placed on the problems of the representative assembly in the twentieth century.
An explanation of the institutional and political evolution of the presidency with an emphasis on the nature of presidential power in domestic and foreign affairs. Attention is also given to institutional conflicts with Congress and the Courts. The nature of presidential leadership and personality is also explored.