Module POC3130 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POC3130: Controversies in 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 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 and debates:
1. The Constitution and constitutional reform
2. Culture wars in public opinion
3. The electoral system
4. Voting and voting rights
5. Political communication (campaign advertising, fake news, social media)
6. The two-party system
7. Reforming Congress
8. Changing the Supreme Court
9. America’s place in the world
10. Public policy controversies
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 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 | 22 | The module will be taught through 11 weekly 2 hours of lectures and seminars (starting week 1) over one term, in which we discuss the topics and materials. |
| Guided Independent study | 128 | Private study reading and preparing (around 4 hours of reading and note-taking per week = 44 hours); researching and writing essay (around 56 hours researching, planning and writing the essay). Around 28 hours researching (20 hours) planning (4 hours) and writing (4 hours) presentation. |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
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.
McKay, David. 2017 (9th edition). American Politics and Society. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.
Edwards, George. 2004. Why The Electoral College is Bad for American. New Haven: Yale University Press. Issues for Debate in American Public Policy: Selections from CQ Researcher. Washington: CQ Press.
Levinson, Sanford. 2008. Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (And How We the People Can Correct It). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
McCarty, Nolan, Keith Poole, and Howard Rosenthal. 2006. Polarized America: The Dance of Ideology and Unequal Riches. Cambridge: MIT Press.
