SGIA2381: Democracy, Conflict and American Politics

• Any Level 1 SGIA module

• None

• None

• To provide students with detailed empirical knowledge of the history, design and functioning of the American political system.
• To familiarise students with debates and prominent political issues in American politics.
• To provide an empirical and theoretical basis for the further study of American politics at level 3.

• Topics may include:
• The two-party system in the United States;
• Political behaviour of the American electorate;
• The influence of America's founding period upon its current politics;
• The changing basis of electoral politics in the United States;
• Race and gender in the United States;
• Representation;
• The Constitution and Federalism;
• Important American institutions such as Congress, the Presidency, and the Courts;
• The role of the media and public opinion.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Key episodes in recent American political history.
• Theoretical debates about political behaviour and institutions, and the character of the American political system.
• The main sources of evidence used to develop arguments in the study of American politics.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Accurately and effectively describe alternative theoretical positions.
• Select appropriate empirical material to support argumentation.
• Apply frameworks from theoretical debates to structure detailed empirical discussion.
• Evaluate rival theories and interpretations with reference to factual evidence.

Key Skills:

• Retrieve and utilise in written form resources students have been directed to.
• Assess the suitability and quality of resources for research purposes.
• Review, reinforce and integrate knowledge independently in preparation for an examination.
• Demonstrate these and the above acquisitions in written form under pressure of time.

• Teaching will take the form of lectures accompanied by seminars.
• Lectures provide the substantive spine of the module, offering context and evaluation of the materials and arguments presented in the reading list and acquired independently in students' preparation time. They are designed to inform and provoke but represent only a foundational core on which students necessarily then need to build. There will be sixteen lectures in total, fourteen of which are devoted to the substantive content of the module. There is one introductory lecture and one revision lecture. The revision lecture will happen at the beginning of the Easter term.
• Seminars will be discussion-based student-led activities facilitated by a tutor but primarily relying on student contributions and thus consolidating knowledge and developing argumentation and critical ability.
• A formative essay of 750 words will involve an essay asking students to develop an argument around materials presented in the lectures and readings early in Michaelmas term.
• The two summative essays will present students with the opportunity to develop arguments around topics and materials presented in the Michaelmas and Epiphany terms respectively.

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