Course Description:

Origin and development of the U.S. Constitution, structure and powers of the national government
including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, federalism, political participation, the
national election process, public policy, civil liberties and civil rights. (Approval #: 45.1002.51.25)

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system.
• Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.
• • • Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system.
    • Analyze the election process.
    • Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
    • Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics.

Textbook:

Great news: your textbook for this class is available for free online!

American Government 2e from OpenStax

You have several options to obtain this book:

• View online
• Download a PDF

You can use whichever formats you want. Web view is recommended -- the responsive design works seamlessly on any device.

Important Notes:

• All first week assignments need to be completed and submitted by the due date to avoid possibly being dropped from the class.

• Any student needing accommodations should inform the instructor. Students with disabilities who may need accommodations for this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and contact Midland College Accommodation Services early in the quarter so that reasonable accommodations may be implemented as soon as possible. Students may contact the DRC by visiting the Center (located in room A205) or by phone (541-4660 ext. 249 voice or 542-1870 TTY for deaf students). All information will remain confidential.
• Academic dishonesty and plagiarism will result in a failing grade on the assignment. Using someone else's ideas or phrasing and representing those ideas or phrasing as our own, either on purpose or through carelessness, is a serious offense known as plagiarism. "Ideas or phrasing" includes written or spoken material, from whole papers and paragraphs to sentences, and, indeed, phrases but it also includes statistics, lab results, art work, etc.  Please see the Midland College Handbook for policies regarding plagiarism, harassment, etc.

Syllabus:

Syllabus Fall 2025

Calendar

Class Outline, Schedule:

Please note that schedule changes may occur during the semester.  Any changes will be announced in class and posted as a Blackboard Announcement (or other resource faculty is using to communicate).