Course Meeting Times
1 session/week, 2 hours/session
Prerequisites
MIT students are required to get the permission of the instructor to enroll in this course.
Description
This course analyzes the institutions of the American political system, with primary emphasis on the national level. Examines American federalism, political parties, national political institutions, and the policymaking process. Focuses on core works in contemporary American politics and public policy. Critiques both research methodologies and the explicit and implicit theoretical assumptions of such work. The readings covered here are not comprehensive, but it is sufficiently broad to give students an introduction to major empirical questions and theoretical approaches that guide the study of American political institutions these days.
Requirements
- Weekly attendance and class participation
- Weekly one-page memos
- Four longer, four-page essays