After September 11th, the result of the 2000 presidential election,
and the current race for the White House, politics may matter now
more than ever.  This class is designed to give you the power to be a
knowledgeable, aware, and critical thinker.  It also provides an
active, analytical introduction to the American political system.  In
other words, this class will help you be a better citizen.  The
course will give you the tools you need to understand our system of
government, how the branches fit together and the factors that are
involved to aid the representation of the nation’s citizenry.  The
ultimate goal is for you to be able to look at life through a
political lens in order to gain a better understanding of why the
United States operates as it does and, more importantly,why that
matters in your everyday life.  To accomplish these goals, there will
be four short writing assignments, four exams, and in class group
work.