PSCI 501 American Government

This course establishes the major facets of the study of American government and politics, including its historical foundations, institutions, and political processes. American political institutions along with political behavior will be considered in light of a Biblical perspective. Students will be challenged to evaluate American government through the lens of collective action.

This course is a required core course in the Master of Arts in Political Science program. It provides a broad, graduate-level introduction to the study of American government from a Biblical perspective, and introduces the student to behavioral and institutional research specific to American politics.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be 400-600 words and incorporate 3 scholarly citations. In addition to the thread, the student must reply to at least 2 of his or her classmates’ original threads. Each reply must be 250-400 words and incorporate 3 scholarly citations. All threads and replies must follow current APA format.

Essay: Federalism, Civil Rights and Liberties Assignment

The student will answer and discuss groups of questions as outlined in the assignment instructions within Canvas. The paper should be 3-5 pages in length (not including the title page or references), double-spaced, and in APA format. All required readings and presentations from the appropriate Modules: Weeks should be cited, along with 2-4 additional scholarly sources.

Essay: Executive and Bureaucracy Assignment

This paper will require the student to research Presidential signing statements. Additionally, the student will assess the power structure of the bureaucracy. The paper should be 3-5 pages in length (not including the title page or references), double-spaced, and in current APA format. All required readings and presentations from the appropriate Modules: Weeks should be cited, along with 2-4 additional scholarly sources.

Essay: Political Parties and Interest Groups Assignment

In this paper, the student will assess the similarities and differences between political parties and interest groups, and discuss the role of party labels in promoting collective responsibility. Next, the student will research a specific interest group and explain how will it fits with the theories discussed in the Module: Week. Finally, the student will assess whether or not his or her chosen interest group is good or bad for democracy. The paper should be 3-5 pages in length (not including the title page or references), double-spaced, and in current APA format. All required readings and presentations from the appropriate modules should be cited, along with 2-4 additional scholarly sources.

Essay: The Media and Concluding Thoughts Assignment

The student will use what he or she has learned about the news media and about the relationship between politicians and reporters to make a case for who has more power and influence over public opinion and over policy today: the government or the news media. The student will also answer the several questions that are outlined in the assignment instructions in Canvas. The paper should be 3-5 pages in length (not including the title page or references), double-spaced, and in current APA format. All required readings and presentations from the appropriate modules should be cited, along with 2-4 additional scholarly sources.