Women & American Politics

This course is an examination of the historical and modern relationship between women and American political life in the U.S. Using an intersectional lens, in this course we will explore the role of gender in U.S. politics, considering the places of women as citizens, activists, voters, and politicians. We will analyze the participation of women in U.S. politics; examine women’s public roles and the effects of feminism in altering those public roles in both historical and contemporary contexts; delve into women’s participation in electoral politics; understand women’s behavior and influence as public officials; and analyze the intersection of gender with other categories such as race/ethnicity and political party. We will also regularly incorporate contemporary debates on gender and US politics by studying the historic 2016 presidential election as well as other current events related to women in US politics as they occur.
 
This course is designed to introduce students to the study of gender and U.S. politics including the central questions, concepts, and debates in the field. Students will develop a theoretical framework and analytical tools for studying gender and politics and develop active responses to current political events related to gender and politics. The course is also intended to teach students about the research process and to strengthen students’ analytic, critical thinking, written, and oral communication skills.

Introduction to American Government (Online)

This course is a comprehensive analysis of American political institutions. We discuss issues and problems faced by federal, state, and local governments under the impact of modern conditions as well as the leading political, economic, and social influences affecting democratic government.

Over the course of 5 modules, this class has the following objectives: Discuss the social and other historical issues surrounding the building and structure of the United States government. (Module 1). Compare American government to other nations and identify aspects in history leading to the government's current state. (Module 2). Analyze ways in which government interacts with its citizens. (Module 3). Identify ways in which citizens impact government and evaluate factors contributing to different levels of impact by population. (Module 4). Given what we know/learned, debate and discuss possible ways that government can be improved.  (Module 5)