PS 401

American Political Parties

Section: 002

Course Description

Political Parties are the central linkage mechanism of American Government. They serve to connect the desires and viewpoints of ordinary Americans to actual governing in Washington and statehouses. The course will explore the structure of the party system in America, how it compares to other countries, and the struggle of third parties in America. The course will also explore political parties as organizations working towards electoral victory. The course will examine parties as changing coalitions of voters and place our current partisan polarization in context. The course will conclude by examining how all these aspects of contemporary political parties come together to shape modern American politics and policy.