The American Political System
California State University, Northridge
Political Science 155
Professor Matthew Cahn
Fall  1998

Office:  ST 108                                        Phone:  (818) 677-6518
Office Hrs:  T/Th: 1:00 - 2:30 pm             Email:  matthew.cahn@csun.edu
                    & by appointment

Course Description

Politics has been described as who gets what, when, and why.  This course focuses on the American process of determining who gets what, when, and why.  Are we democratic?  What is democracy?  How can 260 million people make decisions together?  The course will look at the formal institutional process -- Congress, the Presidency, the Supreme Court -- as well as the subtle forms of influence that characterize the national bureaucracy -- campaigning, PACS, political consultants, mass media.  Throughout, we will attempt to identify the underlying value choices we make, as a society, and as individual citizens.

Why study American politics?  Quite simply, it affects and shapes your options in life.  Power and control are central concerns.  The better we as citizens understand politics, the more control we retain over our lives and our society.  Empowerment can only come from knowledge.

The class will be divided between lecture, discussion, active role plays, group presentations, and occasional films.

Required Texts

Walter E. Volkomer:  American Government, 8th ed.  (Prentice Hall, 1998)
Cahn & Schockman: California: An Owners Manual  (Prentice Hall, 1997)
The Los Angeles Times (daily)

Course Requirements

Participation      10%
Exam I              20%
Exam II             20%
Paper                20%
Final Exam        30%

Students are expected to attend class sessions regularly and to keep up with assigned readings.  Expect to read approximately 40 pages per week (about two chapters).  Further, students are expected to participate actively in class discussions and projects.   A 10-12 page paper exploring some topic related to American Government is required.  The paper should critically analyze an issue, keeping in mind the political and economic implications.  Remember, the paper should be analytic, not merely descriptive.  The paper must use scholarly sources, including political science journals and research articles.  We will  discuss this further in class.

Course Outline: Please note that Readings MUST be done prior to day assigned!!

Week I (9/1-3): Constitutional Principles
- Constitutional Democracy
- The United States Constitution
Chapter 1, 2 & US Constitution (Appendices A, B, & E)

Week II (9/8-10): The Living Constitution
- The Evolution of the U.S. Constitution
- Checks and Balances
- Federalism
Chapter 3 & Appendices C & D

Week III (9/15-17): Civil Rights & Liberties
- Civil Rights vs. Civil Liberties
- 1st Amendment
- Equal Protection
Chapters 11-12; Review Constitution including All Amendments

Week IV (9/22-24):Political Culture and Ideology
- Political Culture
- Ideology
- Diversity

Test  1:   9/24

Week V (9/29-10/1): The Political Process I
- Parties & Interest Groups
Chapter 5

Week VI (10/6-8): The Political Process II
- Public Opinion and Mass Media
Chapters 4

Week VII (10/13-15): The Political Process III
- Campaigns & Elections
Chapter 6

Test 2:  10/15

Week VIII (10/20-22): The Presidency
- The Chief Executive
- Powers
- Responsibilities
Chapter 8

Week IX (10/27-29): The Executive Bureaucracy
- Structure & Scope
Chapter 9

Week X (11/3-5): Congress
- Structure
- Powers
- Responsibilities
Chapter 7

Week XI (11/10-12): The Judiciary
- Structure
- Powers
- responsibilities
Chapter 10

Week XII (11/17-19): Public Policy
- The Policy Process
- Economic Policy
- Regulatory Policy
- Social Policy
- Foreign Policy
Chapters 13

Week XIII (11/24-26):  State and Local Politics: California
- From Colonization to Statehood
- The California Constitution
- California's Unique Role
Cahn and Schockman: Chs 1-2

Week XIV (12/1-3):  State and Local Politics: California
- From Colonization to Statehood
- The California Constitution
- California's Unique Role
- The Governor
- The Legislature
- The Courts
- Initiatives, Referenda, and Propositions
Cahn and Schockman: Chs 3-4

Week XV  (12/8):  Bringing it all Together
- Epilogue: The Democratic Faith
- Final Comments
- Review for Final Exam

Final Exam and Papers Due:  AS SCHEDULED   (The Final Exam is Cumulative)

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Matthew Cahn
Department of Political Science
California State University Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA  91330-8254
(818) 677-3488
matthew.cahn@csun.edu