Module POC2005 for 2022/3
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POC2005: American Politics
This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.
Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.
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:
1. The US Constitution
Its origins and the compromises that allowed its passage
2. US Federalism
The history of the federal system, how it has evolved, and why it is fundamental to understanding US politics
3. Ideology and Public Opinion
US political culture and how this manifests itself in public opinion over time.
Debates about polarization and its consequences
4. Political Parties
Reasons for the two party system, party competition, role of party identification
5. Voting and Elections
Recent national elections, voter turnout, understanding vote choice
6. Congress I
Congressional campaigns and elections
7. Congress II
How Congress is organized; congressional committees
8. Congress III
Congress and the presidency; divided government
9. Presidency
The powers of the presidency
Presidential approval and its effects
The “two presidencies” thesis
10. The Supreme Court
Principle of judicial review
Activism versus restraint
The contemporary Court
11. Public Policy
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 |
---|---|---|
27.5 | 122.5 | 0 |
...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 | 11 | Lectures |
Scheduled Learning and teaching activity | 11 | Seminars |
Guided Independent study | 44 | About 4 hours per week reading and preparing |
Guided Independent study | 29 | Group project. Around 20 hours researching, 4 hours planning, 5 hours writing. |
Guided Independent study | 55 | Preparation for summative essay |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).