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School of Politics and International Relations · ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
This course has been replaced by POLS3127 from 2025 onwards. For more information, please visit https://cass.anu.edu.au/recent-changes-cass-programs This course provides an introduction to U.S. political behaviour and institutions. We will discuss the design and rationale for the U.S. political system and the implications it has for both citizen involvement and governing. We will also examine how reforms to governmental institutions and processes influence the way citizens interact with government. Throughout the course we will make comparisons between the U.S. system and other democracies around the world.
Essay 1 (1500 words)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
Essay 2 Topic Proposal, (500 words)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
Essay 2 (2500 words)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
Final Exam, take-home
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
Tutorial Participation
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
130 hours of total student learning time made up from: a) 24 hours of lecture over 12 weeks; b) 12 hours of tutorial over 12 weeks; c) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Selected readings from: Brunell, Thomas L. 2008. Redistricting and Representation: Why Competitive Elections are Bad for America. Routledge. (available as an ebook through the library) Dahl, Robert A. 2002. How Democratic is the American Constitution? New Haven: Yale University Press. Dalton, Russell J. 2008. The Good Citizen: How a Younger Generation is Reshaping American Politics. CQ Press. Fiorina, Morris P. 2010. Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America. 3rd Edition. Longman Press. Gelman, Andrew. 2008. Red State, Blue State, Poor State: Why Americans Vote the Way They Do. Princeton University Press. Streb, Matthew J. 2008. Rethinking American Electoral Democracy. Routledge Wattenberg, Martin P. 2008. Is Voting for Young People? Longman Press.