Congress, Courts, and The Presidency: The Architecture of American Government

3 units

This is an undergraduate course on American political institutions. We will begin by examining Congress and it’s members, including campaigns, the legislator-constituent relationship, and the inner-workings of the chambers. Next, we will focus on the presidency, with each week focusing on the various forms of power at the executive’s disposal. Moving on to the courts, we will explore the various models of judicial behavior and debate the branch’s relationship to the public. Our last week of readings will investigate inter-branch relations, tying the semester’s discussions together. Finally, we will end with student presentations.