takes students to JFK's birthplace and to the neighborhood where he grew up. It was here that JFK's parents began instilling the high standards and ambition that would make the Kennedys one of America's most famous families. Students can investigate the Kennedy's family traditions, values, and interests to consider how family culture and community shapes one's character and personality.

This course focuses on the institutional relationships that affect the raising, maintenance and use of military forces in the United States. It is about civil/military, government/industry, military/science and military service/military service relations. It examines how politicians, defense contractors, and military officers determine the military might of the United States and analyzes the military strategies of the nation and the bureaucratic strategies of the armed services, contractors, and defense scientists. It offers a combination of military sociology, organizational politics, and the political economy of defense.

This site looks at American political parties of the past, presidential inaugurations, images of presidents and first ladies, our first uniform election day, political cartoons by Herbert Block (Herblock) and Pat Oliphant, the 1877 electoral commission created by Congress to resolve the disputed presidential election of 1876, the 19th and 24th amendments (ending the poll tax and giving women the right to vote), and the Nixon-Kennedy debates.

This site looks at political campaigns by exploring the history and roles of candidates and voters, the structure of the party system and election process, and tough issues that politicians have faced over the years.

This is the second in a sequence of two field seminars in American politics intended for graduate students in political science, in preparation for taking the general examination in American politics. The material covered in this semester focuses on American political institutions. The readings covered here are not comprehensive, but it is sufficiently broad to give students an introduction to major empirical questions and theoretical approaches that guide the study of American political institutions these days.

This course serves as an introduction to American government and politics. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: Explain the major purposes of government; Distinguish between different forms of government and democracy, underscoring the American political system.; Differentiate between American political ideologies, particularly conservative and liberal, and attitudes about the scope of government; Analyze the roots of the American political system, the failure of the Articles of Confederation, and the adoption of the Constitution; Discuss the fundamental principles of the American political system, such as separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism; Define the term 'public opinion' and explain how it is measured in American politics; Define the major factors of political socialization in American society; Describe American political culture and values and discuss their connection to social and demographic characteristics; Describe how the media influences the American public and political behavior; Evaluate the role of the media in the American political system; Discuss the various modes of participation available to individuals in the American political system; Outline the evolution of suffrage in American political history; Compare political participation rates in different types of American elections (i.e. presidential vs. congressional) and in relation to participation rates in other democratic countries; Explain the role of political parties in the American political system; Trace the evolution of political parties in the United States; Compare the major ideological differences between the modern Republican and Democratic parties today; Distinguish between different types of campaigns and elections; Explain the process of electing a president; Evaluate the role and strategies of interest groups in American politics; Account for the increase in and importance of interest groups in the American political system; Outline the history and structure of the Congress (House of Representatives and Senate); Analyze the factors that influence the outcomes of Congressional elections; Explain the legislative process and how a bill becomes a law; Describe the importance and role of the committees in Congress; Compare procedural and organizational differences between the House and Senate; Analyze the sources of presidential power and how the powers of the president have evolved overtime; Assess the role of public opinion polls and approval ratings and their impact on presidential power; Define the executive branch and the bureaucracy; Trace the evolution of the bureaucracy and bureaucratic reform; Assess the impact of the bureaucracy on public policy making; Outline the history and structure of the judicial branch; Explain the origins and importance of judicial review; Describe the nomination process for federal and Supreme Court judges and how it has changed overtime; Evaluate the role and impact of the Supreme Court in American society; Distinguish between civil rights and civil liberties; Explain the history and importance of the Bill of Rights; Examine the rights protected under the First Amendment and key Supreme Court cases that have defined these First Amendment rights; Discuss the various viewpoints on the Second Amendment; Analyze the 'right to privacy' and its origins and discuss Supreme Court rulings on privacy; Explain the process of incorporation and extending the Bill of Rights to the states; Trace the history and outcome of the Civil Rights Movement; Differentiate between de jure and de facto segregation; Discuss the process of expanding civil rights to other minorities and women; Evaluate the history and impact of affirmative action; Distinguish between different types of public policy; Describe the four main steps of the policymaking process; Explain theories of economic policy and their implementation in American politics throughout history; Discuss the budget process and key components included in the budget; Examine the major objectives and outcomes of United States tax policy; Trace the history and development of social public policy in the United States; Assess the creation, evolution and future of Social Security; Evaluate welfare reform and its impact on society; Evaluate federal education reform and the role of the federal government in creating education policy; Outline the key players and institutions in the foreign policy-making process; Discuss the history and current goals of United States foreign policy. (Political Science 231)

This class first offers some basic analytical frameworks -- culture, social structure, and institutions -- that you can use to examine a wide range of political outcomes. We then use these frameworks to understand (1) the relationship between democracy and economic development and (2) the relative centralization of political authority across countries. We will use theoretical arguments and a wide range of case studies to address several questions: Why are some countries democratic and others not? How does democracy affect economic development and political conflict? Why do some countries centralize power while others threaten to fall apart through secession and civil war? We will use examples from a wide range of countries including Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Mexico, and the United States. The lessons drawn from these countries will prepare you to analyze other countries of your own choosing in the paper assignments. At the end of the course, you should be able to analyze political events around the world, drawing on the theoretical explanations provided in the class.

This course examines various topics related to the American presidency and the executive branch. The course focuses on the origins of the office, the components of the Constitution that pertain to presidential power, learning about several important Supreme Court cases regarding these powers and the limits thereof. Next, the course will examine presidential elections, different models of White House organization, the president's interactions with the other branches of government, the office of the vice presidency, and the evolution of the presidency over the years since its founding. The course will also focus on the president's relationship with government bureaucracy and his cabinet, including nominations and oversight. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: discuss the constitutional foundations of the presidency and the executive branch; explain the concept of separation of powers; discuss the legal history of expanded presidential power; explain how the Electoral College works; debate various reform proposals for the Electoral College; analyze the role of the party system in presidential elections; explain the presidential nomination process; discuss the role of primaries and caucuses in nominating presidential candidates; analyze proposed and enacted reforms to the presidential nominating system; compare and contrast primary and general elections; discuss the evolution of the modern presidency; analyze the managerial tools and models utilized by presidents; explain the concept of checks and balances; assess the political and policy interactions between the president and Congress; explain the role of the president and Congress in the Supreme Court nomination process; describe the role and function of the office of the vice president; describe the role and function of the presidential Cabinet; analyze the role of the Executive Office of the president in the political and policymaking process; explain how the president utilizes the Office of Management and Budget in shaping fiscal policy; discuss the political and policy challenges within the presidential appointment process; describe the organization of the federal bureaucracy; discuss the role and function of regulatory agencies and government corporations within the federal bureaucracy; describe the internal and external constraints on the bureaucratic process; analyze scholarly interpretations of presidential power; discuss the various leadership strategies utilized by various presidents; analyze the psychological dynamics of the presidential personality. (Political Science 332)

At the end of this lesson you will be able to answer simple questions about the Republic of France. Who is the president and how/where can you find information on the French government?

Examines the career of our 26th President -- the conditions under which he became a vice presidential candidate, the assassination of President McKinley, the home where TR was hastily inaugurated in 1901, and the influence he exerted on the nation and the presidency. His inauguration marked a turning point in the role of the presidency, launching a change in national policy and propelling the U.S. into world affairs.