A survey of American politics critically examining and questioning the vitality and viability of democracy in the United States. It begins by examining what kind of political system the founders had in mind and reviews recent theories of power and of how and whether the people rule. We will consider how important it is to broaden participation and to include groups, such as women and minorities, who have been historically excluded from politics. After an overview of the politics of American national institutions-elections, Congress, the presidency, and the Supreme Court-the course concludes by addressing three questions: How well does American democracy anticipate, assess, and solve problems? Does everyone have some power in the political process? Does democratic practice produce public policy which has equitable outcomes? First semester is lecture format. Second semester is lecture/discussion. Requirements: participation in class discussion, a midterm and/or final exam, and two short papers. No prerequisites.This is an introductory course, open to all students, including first-year students. Enrollment in each section limited to 50. American Politics Subfield

Hour: First Semester: C. JOHNSON Second Semester: MARCUS