This course is designed to acquaint students with the actors
and issues of American government, as well as the basic conceptual
tools used in analyzing these phenomena. It does not assume any prior
knowledge on the part of students. While the course does not focus on
current events, students will find that informing themselves on these
matters will better prepare them for understanding the concepts
presented and for class discussions. A secondary objective is to help
students refine and coherently express their own views on these
subjects.