Undergraduate Course: US Government (PLIT10027)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course examines the primary actors, ideas, and institutions comprising United States (US) government. It begins with an introduction to core 'American' political values and beliefs shaping US government. It then analyses the role of the US Constitution and federalism before examining three major institutions of US government: the Congress, the Presidency and Judiciary, and debates surrounding their operation. Competing analytical approaches to understanding US government (including elite theory and pluralism and their modern variants) will be applied and critically evaluated throughout the course. |
| Course description |
Not entered
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 4 Politics/International Relations courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.
** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Office directly for admission to this course ** |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2019/20, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 30 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
55 %,
Coursework
35 %,
Practical Exam
10 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Tutorial assessment (10%), coursework (35%) and examination (55%) |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course we would expect students to be able to:
- critically debate the existence and role of 'American' values and beliefs;
- exhibit a solid grasp of key institutions comprising US government: (including Congress, the Presidency, and Judiciary);
- evaluate alternative theoretical explanations for the operation of US government
- make their own assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the US system of government.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Special Arrangements |
This course has a quota. Preference will be given to Politics and IR students. |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Plus 1 hr tutorial per week |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Elizabeth Bomberg
Tel: (0131 6)50 4248
Email: e.bomberg@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr John Riddell
Tel: (0131 6)50 9975
Email: John.Riddell@ed.ac.uk |
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