POLS 104. The State of American Democracy (AP)

Is American democracy working well or badly - and how would we know besides what we learn from the buzzing punditry we encounter every day? The premise of the seminar is that political scientists know the answers to these questions. An intensive survey of the best political science literature on national institutions, democratic processes, policy evolution and feedback, citizens' attitudes and their attention to and knowledge of politics, political parties, social movements, and interest groups, the behavior of voters and politicians, the "state," the financialized political economy that generates macroeconomic instability, federalism, and, not least, racial and income inequality's political origins Previous background in American politics and history is essential.
Prerequisite: POLS 002 or an intermediate American politics course.
Social sciences.
2 credits.
Catalog chapter: Political Science
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/political-science

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