Social Groups in U.S. Politics

This class provides students an introduction to the major theoretical approaches and applied research in the study of the role of social groups in U.S. politics. This course surveys a number of social groups, including ethnics, non-ethnic women, and other social groups, including the poor. This course will identify the theoretical perspectives that structure the research on social groups in U.S. politics. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the methodological approaches used? Also, how could research in this area be improved? What are the major implications of the findings for public policy, policymakers, and democratic theory?