PL SC 001: Introduction to American National Government

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Sample Syllabus

Sample Lesson

Introduction

Introduction

Commentary 1: Politics and Power

Politics

Political Power

Authority

Behavioral Theory of Power

Powertics

Politics and Power Summary

Commentary 2: Democracy and the Declaration of Independence

Democracy, continued

The Declaration of Independence

Commentary 3: American Constitutional Democracy

Ratification and Amendments

Commentary 1: Politics and Power

In the introduction, we briefly discussed the terms politics and power that are embedded in the lexicon of political science. In this commentary, the two terms are explored further, and a third term, powertics, is added. First, the notion of politics and power is explored within the context of the political system. Then, drawing on organizational behavior theory, the human dimension of the actors in the political system is examined. From this examination, the notion of powertics in the decision-making process of the political system is set forth. Powertics is a term that connotes the dynamics of the interaction of political actors, both governmental and nongovernmental, in the political decision system. We will use this framework to observe the dynamics of the American political system throughout the course.  

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