Begun as an experiment over 200 years ago, the American constitutional order has grown into a polity that is simultaneously praised and condemned, critiqued and mythologized, modeled by others and remodeled itself. This course will introduce students to the dynamics and tensions that have animated the American political order and that have nurtured conflicting assessments. Topics will include the primary institutions of national government (Congress, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court) as well as the politics of policy-making in the United States. We will study structures, processes, key events, and primary actors that have shaped American political development. In investigating these topics, we will explore questions such as these: How is power allocated? What produces political change? Is there is a trade-off between democratic accountability and effective governance? How are tensions between liberty and equality resolved? Do our institutions produce good policies, and how do we define what is good? How are the politics of America different from the politics of other modern democracies? Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: two short papers, one exam, multiple one-page reading response papers, and class participation. No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 39 per section (expected: 37 per section). This is an introductory course, open to all, including first-year students. American Politics Subfield

Hour:First Semester: MELLOW Second Semster MARCUS, WILLINGHAM