Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POC2005: American Politics

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.

Module Aims

This module comprehensively examines the political system of the United States, from its foundations with the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, through the way its institutions work, to contemporary debates about gun control and health care. We will use theories and findings from the study of US Politics to understand politics in each of the domains we study. We will survey classic and contemporary work in these fields.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Demonstrate knowledge of the major theories of US Politics in the various subfields we examine in oral and written work;
2. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different theories and research in oral and written work;
3. Apply major theories about US Politics to historical and contemporary issues in oral and written work;
Discipline-Specific Skills4. Demonstrate comprehension and the ability to use key concepts pertaining to US Politics in oral and written work;
5. Synthesize and critique major theories and arguments in the field in your written work;
6. Demonstrate that you understand the implications of new evidence for a given theory in your oral and written work;
7. Demonstrate that you can identify different methods of research in the field and their possible implications for findings in your oral and written work;
Personal and Key Skills8. demonstrate oral and written analytical and organizational skills in essays, online and/or in-person discussion with some guidance;
9. Write essays to a deadline.

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 ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
27.5122.50

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and teaching activity 11Lectures
Scheduled Learning and teaching activity 11Seminars
Guided Independent study44About 4 hours per week reading and preparing
Guided Independent study29Group project. Around 20 hours researching, 4 hours planning, 4.5 hours writing.
Guided Independent study55Preparation for summative essay

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).