Course Description-
Fundamental to our inquiry is an examination of the nature of constitutional government. We shall examine the creation of the American Constitution and each of the institutions (Presidency, Congress, and Supreme Court) through which power flows. We will consider the individuals, parties, and interest groups that work to shape this flow. We will consider the history and application of civil rights based on the dearly held assumptions of liberty and equality. We will examine American foreign policy and why this seems to be the prerogative of the President. And we will consider the political culture in which the ideas of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ring as true today as they did over 200 years ago. We will also spend one week examining state and local political structures in Michigan. This unit will provide students with a basic understanding about political structures and policies in Michigan.

The mood regarding politics and politicians tends to be cynical. We think that people who hold public office do it to gain some personal advantage. However, consider this: People—that is you and I—do not deliberately vote for crooked candidates. In fact, people who run for office often do so to correct what they perceive as arrogance or even corruption in office. Therefore, politics often begins from innocence--rather than from corruption.

Course Objective-
Watching American government in action is exciting--it is good theater as well as serious business. At the end of this semester, students will be able to discuss what is going on in American government. The following course objectives are designed, in part, to correspond to learning outcomes that have been established by Finlandia University.

These learning outcomes are:
Communication
Critical and Creative Thinking
Analytical Thinking
Citizenship

· To develop students’ abilities to understand and critique branches of American government (critical thinking and citizenship)
· To encourage discussion about the national political scene (communication)
· To analyze the roles of the key players and institutions that shape the American political experience (analytical thinking)
· To observe and analyze the American political scene through journals that deal with political activities inside and outside of the Beltway (communication and analytical thinking)
· To demonstrate mastery concerning American government through examinations, discussions, and journals (communication and citizenship)
· To develop students’ abilities to understand the critique the Michigan State political system (critical thinking)
· To become acquainted with resources beyond the textbook. Resources include articles about the current political scene, relevant videos, and Internet cites (communication).