POLS 2311: American Government and Politics (syllabus)
This course provides a broad overview and introduction of American government at the national level. More specifically, we will explore the constitutional principles upon which the American political system is founded, the institutions, structures, and policymaking processes that comprise the federal government, and the role that citizens play in national politics through various means of political participation. We will also incorporate an understanding of Texas politics and the relationship between state and federal government entities. The main goal of this course is to develop a deep understanding of the U.S. national government and to think critically about its development, its current form, and what role the public plays in shaping American politics.
POLS 5364: Public Policy Analysis (syllabus)
Policy analysis is a multidisciplinary process of “creating, critically assessing, and communicating information that is useful for understanding and improving policies” (Dunn 2008, 1). In this course we develop a theoretical and practical understanding of the policy making process for properly assessing and diagnosing policy performance outputs and outcomes. Therein, we focus on the administrative side of the policy making process, which is useful for answering questions related to organizational staffing and management, policy development and policy learning, as well as leadership accountability and performance appraisal. Because policy analysis depends critically on one’s ability to conduct proper empirical inquiry for measuring policy performance, the course will focus on reviewing and expanding our knowledge of statistical analysis and applying such knowledge to real world cases, as well as systemic empirical studies.
POLS 4311: The Presidency
This course focuses on the modern American presidency and the primary relationships and responsibilities that influence and explain presidential behavior and performance. We will focus on presidential influence and behavior in the context of a variety of topics, including public expectations, campaigns and elections, rhetoric and speechmaking, the permanent campaign, news coverage, decision-making on foreign and domestic policy, management and organization, and the presidency in a separated system. Throughout this course, we will concentrate on relationships that affect presidents because we want to explain presidential behavior and its consequences. In doing so, you will learn to think more systematically about the presidency.
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