A Self-Paced Exploration of the American Political System
Instructor: Dr. Marcus Bennett
Welcome to our comprehensive online course on American politics! This self-paced program builds upon your high school civics knowledge to provide deeper insights into the American political system. This overview provides a roadmap of what you'll explore throughout the course.
Credit-by-Examination Option Available: Students with strong background knowledge may choose to take a comprehensive examination to earn credit without completing all course modules. See "Assessment" section for details.
While you may be familiar with basic civics concepts from high school courses, this college-level program offers greater depth, more sophisticated analysis, and a focus on the dynamic interplay between government structures and political forces.
This online course is organized into six comprehensive modules, each focusing on a key aspect of American politics. You may complete these modules at your own pace.
Explore the design of the American government system and how it shapes political possibilities.
Congress makes the laws
Key Topics: Congressional structure, powers, procedures, and representation challenges
President and administration enforce the laws
Key Topics: Presidential powers, the Cabinet, bureaucracy, and policy implementation
Supreme Court and federal courts interpret the laws
Key Topics: Judicial review, appointment politics, and landmark decisions
This module goes beyond basic descriptions of government branches to analyze how constitutional design shapes power dynamics, political strategies, and policy outcomes in contemporary America.
Examine how power is distributed across levels of government and how this affects political strategy.
National powers and responsibilities
State powers and policy laboratories
County and municipal governance
While high school courses typically present federalism as a static concept, this module analyzes how federal-state relationships have evolved over time and how this affects contemporary policy battles.
Understand the organizations and processes that determine who holds power in American politics.
The two major parties and their evolution
How elections work at different levels
Modern campaign techniques and funding
This module provides sophisticated analysis of partisan realignment, campaign strategy, and electoral systems beyond the basic civics introduction to political parties.
Analyze how various entities outside formal government shape the political process.
Organizations advocating for specific policies or constituencies
Traditional and social media's political influence
Campaign finance, PACs, and lobbying
While high school civics may introduce these concepts, this module provides deeper analysis of lobbying strategies, media effects research, and the complex legal framework of campaign finance.
Explore how citizens develop political beliefs and participate in the political process.
How Americans develop political attitudes
Factors shaping political development
From voting to activism to civic engagement
This module incorporates research from political psychology and behavioral science, providing more sophisticated analysis than introductory civics coverage of voting and participation.
Examine how the political system addresses (or fails to address) major public problems.
Budget, taxation, regulation approaches
Polarization, institutional strain, reform debates
Demographic, technological, and global factors
Rather than simply describing policy areas, this module analyzes the complex interaction between political incentives, institutional constraints, and policy outcomes in contemporary America.
For students completing the full course:
For students with strong background knowledge:
Note: Students who attempt but do not pass the credit-by-examination may still complete the course via the standard path.
While high school civics provides a basic framework, this course offers more sophisticated analysis, emphasizes critical thinking about political claims, and examines the gap between democratic ideals and practical realities.
Throughout this course, consider these fundamental questions about American politics:
For a successful experience, engage regularly with course materials, participate in discussions, and don't hesitate to reach out to instructional staff if you need assistance with course concepts.