Fall 2020  |  POL 1001 Section 001: American Democracy in a Changing World (14872)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
Completely Online
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Online Course
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/08/2020 - 12/16/2020
Off Campus
Virtual Rooms ONLINEONLY
Enrollment Status:
Open (136 of 149 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
This course is intended to introduce students to the expressed hopes of the American people for their government and to the institutions and processes that have been created and recreated to achieve these hopes. The course is designed to help students understand what liberal education is by engaging in the study of American politics as a fundamentally critical and creative enterprise, and by grappling with the most complex and challenging problems of political life, such as the sources of political equality and inequality, and the tension between individual aspirations and political control. Questions of power and choice, opportunity and discrimination, freedom and restrictions on freedom are fundamental to the historical development of and current controversies within the American political system, and we will attend to all of these. We will explore topics including the ideas underlying the nation's founding and its constitutional foundations; civil rights and civil liberties; the role of the United States in an increasingly globalized world; the structure and function of American political institutions; and the behavior of American citizens in the political process. In addition, we will learn to think and communicate like political scientists. We will read primary documents, such as the Federalist papers, engage with scholarly arguments about the way the American political system works, and critically evaluate critiques of the American political system that have been offered from a variety of perspectives. By the end of the semester students should have a basic understanding of the structure and function of American government as well as an increased ability to critically reflect on the degree to which our institutions, processes, and citizens live up to the expectations placed on them. Students will be able to identify, define, and solve problems and to locate and critically evaluate information. Students will have mastered a body of knowledge and a mod
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?cdmyers+POL1001+Fall2020 This course is completely online in an asynchronous format. There are no scheduled meeting times.
Class Description:
This course views American government and contemporary political issues -- COVID-19 or climate change for example -- as fundamentally a series of collective action problems. Students will be introduced to the constitutional design of the American political system; the institutions that constitute American government; and the role of public opinion, political parties, and campaigns and elections. Contemporary political science research will supplement textbook readings and inform subsequent small group discussions and assignments. A short term paper will use the logic of collective action to grapple with a pressing contemporary policy issue.

NOTE: The most current edition of the textbook is assigned, but the prior (eighth) edition is available economically online and will also work.
Who Should Take This Class?:
This class is designed primarily as an introduction to American politics (covering both the nation's original design and contemporary issues in politics) for students with little previous exposure who want a better, broader understanding of the American political system and Political Science majors (or potential majors) interested in the department's upper-level course offerings.
Learning Objectives:
Students will leave the class having mastered basic knowledge of the American political system; a better understanding of some contemporary issues in American politics; and exposure to how political science attempts to identity, define, and solve problems of importance. Students will be asked to demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate policy and political arguments using the course material.
Grading:
Grades will be based on "attendance" (10%), thoughtful participation and engagement (20%), short quizzes on the lectures and readings (20%), and two short (4-6 page) written assignments (25% each).
Exam Format:
Quizzes will be multiple choice or short answer made available online through Canvas.
Class Format:
This class is designed to be taken asynchronously and lectures will be recorded for anytime viewing. Some class time may be viewed live but attendance is entirely voluntary. Some group work may necessitate scheduled Zoom sessions with the group and instructor. Some participation will include written discussion between students on Canvas.
Workload:
Students will be expected to view recorded lectures and complete assigned readings as due, participate in some small-group discussions, and complete short (5-10 question) semiweekly quizzes. Two short (4-6 page) written assignments are required.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/14872/1209
Past Syllabi:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/cdmyers_POL1001_Fall2018.docx (Fall 2018)
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/cdmyers_POL1001_Fall2017.docx (Fall 2017)
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/cdmyers_POL1001_Fall2016.docx (Fall 2016)
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
22 May 2020

ClassInfo Links - Fall 2020 Political Science Classes

To link directly to this ClassInfo page from your website or to save it as a bookmark, use:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=POL&catalog_nbr=1001&term=1209
To see a URL-only list for use in the Faculty Center URL fields, use:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=POL&catalog_nbr=1001&term=1209&url=1
To see this page output as XML, use:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=POL&catalog_nbr=1001&term=1209&xml=1
To see this page output as JSON, use:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=POL&catalog_nbr=1001&term=1209&json=1
To see this page output as CSV, use:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=POL&catalog_nbr=1001&term=1209&csv=1
Schedule Viewer
8 am
9 am
10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
3 pm
4 pm
5 pm
6 pm
7 pm
8 pm
9 pm
10 pm
s
m
t
w
t
f
s
?
Class Title

ClassInfo created and maintained by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

If you have questions about specific courses, we strongly encourage you to contact the department where the course resides.