Unit information: Democracy and US Government in 2024/25

Unit name	Democracy and US Government
Unit code	POLI21226
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. de Abreu Maia
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Unit Information

Why is this unit important?

The United States remains the world's preeminent superpower and, many claim, its premier democracy. This unit examines the cultures, institutions, and controversies that mark contemporary US American politics. The goal is to develop an understanding of US politics as the product of a set of cultural forces in US politics rather than as a set of institutions of government. The unit explores the origin of these forces, their interplay and tensions, how they relate to different understandings of democracy, and how they produce, are refracted through, and reshape the traditional institutions of US government. The unit thus provides analytical tools that can be used to understand developments in US politics.

Whilst the unit will address illustrative and traditional topic areas such as political parties, Congress and the Presidency, we will also focus on race, masculinity, economic inequality, mass media and cultures of (in)security.

How does this unit fit into your programme of study?

This unit speaks directly to debates surrounding democracy that students will have explored in their first year of study. Throughout, students are expected to apply their accumulated knowledge to discuss broader questions relating to the nature of democracy. We use the linkages between US American political cultures and the institutions of US government in order to assess the claims made that the US is a pre-eminent democracy, exploring how democracy is not possible unless cultures of privilege are overcome, and critiquing debates that focus on the structure of institutions to engineer democracy.

Your learning on this unit

An overview of content

The unit is divided into four parts:

1. Introduction – in which we overview the basic structures, history and cultures of US politics;
2. The Kratos - in which we cover the formal structures of power within the United States (the three branches of government);
3. The intermediaries – in which we cover the structures, such as the media, political parties and interest groups, that intermediate the dialogue between formal institutions and the public; and
4. The Demos – in which we cover society, addressing questions of representation, voting, public opinion and inequalities.

Throughout, we will aim to:

• present an analysis of US government and politics and probe common assumptions and stereotypes about the American system;
• introduce the core issues confronting the US political system at the beginning of the 21st century;
• critically evaluate the performance of US American government against its claims to be one of the world’s principal democracies; and
• present an analytical lens through which students can evaluate political, institutional and contextual explanations.

How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?

By the end of this unit, students will have acquired knowledge that will allow them to understand the core political debates in the contemporary United States and assess the state and future of US democracy.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit, students should be able to:

1. display an understanding of the cultural and political institutional workings of the US political system and an appreciation of the complexity of these cultures, structures and processes;
2. evaluate the concept of democracy and relate it to the cultural, structural, political and institutional context of US American politics; and
3. evidence an understanding of the capacity for citizen action in relation to cultural, structural and contextual constraints.

How you will learn

The unit will be delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and online activities. The lectures will provide students with a grounding in core debates related to the study of US politics. The online engagement will provide a means to engage with the unit readings and themes. The seminars will then be used for in-depth critical engagement with the weeks' themes.

The unit will be taught through blended learning methods, including a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching activities

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):

During week 7, you will submit an 800-word outline of your final summative assessment. You will receive verbal feedback from your seminar tutor on your outline. This feedback should be incorporated and addressed for the summative assessment.

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

Your summative assessment will be a 3,000-word piece (100%), evaluating ILOS 1-3, addressing one issue in US politics that has been covered during the unit. You will be able to choose between two formats:

1. a research proposal; or
2. a policy memo.

When assessment does not go to plan

You will normally complete reassessment in the same formats as those outlined above.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. POLI21226).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.