In the mid-1800's a French aristocrat commented that "nothing
strikes a European traveler in the United States more than the absence of
what we would call government or administration."  The American system
seemed chaotic and confusing, yet when the framer's of the 1787 Constitution
presented it for ratification they indicated that these features were
intentional. Indeed, Alexander Hamilton claimed that upon this American
experiment--however confusing it may appear--turned the question of "whether
societies of men are really capable or not of
establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are
forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and
force."
	This course provides an introduction to these questions.  We will
look at the problems and concerns that the American system was designed to
address and try to access how successful that design has been.  Topics to be
covered include: the Presidency, the Congress, federalism, the role of law,
the importance of associations, and the pathologies of self-government.  The
student will also be introduced to various methods of policy analysis used
in political science today.  Course work includes weekly readings, some
short quizzes on the readings, two mid-term
examinations, and a final.  This course is designed for both majors and
non-majors.