United States Government

obligatory courses

The principal goal of the course is to show the "unfinished" nature of American polity. It is a system that continues to grow, trhanks to its open nature and institutional flexibility. We shall also see how the institutions of American democracy are the extension of values and ideas which the Founding Fathers talked about more than 200 years ago.

This course seeks to introduce students to the American political system, focusing on the INSTITUTIONS and PRINCIPLES that shape American politics. It will look at the Constitutional frame that creates the political landscape in which American politics takes place. It will also attempt to address the various forces (political, social, and commercial) that compete with each other to influence what the government does.

The subject of analyzes in class is the American constitutional order: primarily institutions but also their impact on citizens' behavior. Our goal is to show the dynamics of mutual relations between all kinds of institutional actors on the political scene. We will learn their competences and limitations. We'll look at their interactions within the braking and balance system. We will look for the sources of the most important conflicts shaping American politics today, as well as during the development of American democracy after 1787. We will learn the system, values, which is reflected in the political institutions of American democracy. Where appropriate, we will compare American and Polish experiences with democracy, which will allow us to better understand its character.

1. Basics of Democracy, specificity of the patterns of development of American democracy

2. The American Constitution

. Civil Liberties

4. Federalism

5. Congress - the legislative branch

6. The Presidency and the administration

7. The Supreme Court and the Legislative branch

8. Political Parties

Students are expected to follow current event in USA

Jon R. Bond and Kevin B. Smith Analyzing American Democracy: Politics and Political Science (Routledge 2019)

Upon completion of this course, the student:

KNOWLEDGE:

Understands:

- the complexity of the democratic system;

- the role of values in politics and the relationship between values and political institutions and phenomena;

- the necessary terminology to describe political phenomena in democracy, with particular emphasis on the United States;

- the role of institutions and law in shaping the political system;

- the multidimensionality of American politics at all levels of the system;

- the relationships between domestic and foreign policy in the USA.

SKILLS:

Can:

- apply theories from the field of political science to analyze fundamental aspects of domestic politics in the USA.

SOCIAL COMPETENCES:

Is prepared:

- to be an active participant in politics and to use language for participating in public discussions and formulating personal opinions.

There is only one exam: which as multiple choice questions, true/false questions, and fill in the blank style questions. There are 100 questions in the text and each question is worth one point. A passing grade must be is above 50%.

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