POLS-Y 661: American Political Institutions

This course focuses on the core American Political Institutions (Congress, President, Bureaucracy, Political Parties, Interest Groups), from the details of procedures and arrangements to policy consequences. There will also be some discussion of the corresponding Indiana institutions. The emphasis will be on the interplay of politics and formal and informal rules – how elected and unelected actors build, modify, and use institutions to shape outcomes in line with their policy and other goals.

Readings are a mix of notable recent works and key research findings capturing important debates and a range of theoretic perspectives. The course will also devote some time to addressing how political science research can be incorporated into secondary school classrooms.