This course examines the various essential roles that political parties play in the American political system. Some have concluded that political parties are becoming weaker, as over time American voters in declining numbers identify themselves with either major political party, or indeed any political party. Yet American politics seems as partisan as ever. How can we reconcile these conflicting views? Moreover, what does it matter? A system of competitive parties has been the principal mechanism of popular control in democratic societies. By choosing among competing candidates, most commonly identified with a specific party and party program, voters can influence who controls governments and their policies. Do American political parties still perform this organizing and mobilizing task? The introduction section of the course begins with a review of the birth of American political parties and the impact they had over the course of the history of the Republic. The major part of the course studies the contemporary role of parties in controlling the actions of local, state and national governments. A major aspect of the course is an empirical study of party organization, strength, and control of elections at the state level. Students select two states to explore their recent electoral history using voting returns and to explain the changes, if any, over time. Requirements: midterm, a medium-length paper and final exam. No prior training in empirical or statistical methods is required. American Politics Subfield