POS 2041: American Federal Government
Spring 2011 News
Have a great Summer!
Course Description
The main goal of this course is to introduce students to the
fundamentals of American Federal Government. However, what is
fundamental to American politics often depends on historical
context. Over time fundamental processes transform as new
issues and norms arise.
The class starts with the Founder's conceptions of government and how modern politics have deviated from and evolved with those conceptions. We'll examine American institutions in light of those philosophies and how they have changed to epitomize and undermine those principles. We will then turn to more contemporary questions of government and politics. What is the proper role of the various branches of government? How do voters think and act? What is the media's role in politics? Are elections a suitable means to form a government? In other words, this is an introductory course that intends to ask more questions than it plans to answer. Students will tackle these questions and others throughout the semester.
Syllabus
Weekly Readings
1/20:
The
Constitution in Congress
1/27:
Federal
Ban on Light bulbs
2/17:
Congressional
Term Limits
3/3:
Campaign
Spending and Free Speech
3/24:
Ideological
Polarization in Politics
Required Texts
 |
The Logic of American Politics, 4th Edition. Authors:
Kernell, Jacobson, and Kousser. Available at the UF Bookstore
and online.