Module POL2047 for 2016/7
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2047: American Politics
This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
The American Constitutional Framework
Ideology, Public Opinion, and the Media
Interest Groups
Congress
The Courts
The President
Bureaucracy
Voting, Elections, and Parties
Public Policymaking
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 26.5 | 123.5 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 16.5 | 11 x 1.5 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 10 | 10 x 1 hour Tutorials |
| Guided Independent study | 123.5 | A variety of private study tasks directed by module leader. These tasks may include (with an indicative number of hours): Reading assignments (70 hours) Preparation for and completion of examination (25 hours) Writing a multi-part critical essay (25 hours) Following American political news events (5 hours) |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
(For specific readings, see ELE – vle.exeter.ac.uk)
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
- David McKay, American Politics and Society
- The Federalist Papers
- Baumgartner, Frank R. and Jones, Bryan D. 1991. Agenda Dynamics and Policy Subsystems. Journal of Politics.
- Henry E. Brady, Sidney Verba and Kay Lehman Schlozman. 1995. Beyond SES: A resource model of political participation. American Political Science Review
- Richard F. Fenno, Home Style: House Members in Their Districts, Ch. 5
