American Politics

This 16-week course is on American politics. Students will take midterm and final exams and write two 1,000-word essays. This course is approved for dual credit through Colorado Christian University.

We will discuss the ideas that shaped the American political system and political life, including liberty, equality, individual rights, self-government, federalism, Christian religion etc. I will lecture on the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the major figures of American political history. This semester is organized thematically. Students will watch one lecture per week and read primary-source material from American political history that relate to the theme of the lecture. One major source will be Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. In a weekly 90-minute session, we discuss the lecture and the assigned readings.

Course Goals:

1. To become acquainted with the American political system.
2. To study the perennial questions of political, social, and economic life.
3. To prepare for citizenship and cultural engagement.
4. To become proficient in the conversational approach to learning.
5. To cultivate an appetite for learning as a way of life.

Text:

• Some of the readings are available online, and I will provide links or pdf versions.
• Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is easily found online, but I recommend having a hard copy.