- Description
- Objectives
- Outline
- Materials
- System Requirements
- Watch a Demo
What are the foundations of America’s political system? What is the constitutional basis for U.S. core values? Our American Government course examines the inner workings of political institutions, their processes, and their evolution throughout U.S. history. We explore aspects of the presidency, Congressional processes, the judiciary, elections, and also how the mass media influences politics and public opinion. By exploring the historical roots of American government, you’ll gain solid knowledge of the fundamental structure and framework of American politics.
Prerequisite(s): None
After completing this course, you should be able to:
- Recall the basic structure of American politics, its founding principles, and the framework of the U.S. Constitution
- Identify the function of Congress and the fundamentals of policy making
- Recognize the structure of the judiciary and the executive branch
- Identify the basics of elections, public policy, political parties, and interest groups
- Recall how the mass media affects public opinion
American Government Module 1
Communication and the Structure of Power
- Communication, Information, and the Media
- New and Social Media
- News
- Opinion
- Commentary
- Media Influences on Politics, Government, and Public Policies
- The First American Political System
- Creating and Ratifying the Constitution
- Constitutional Principles and Provisions
American Government Module 2
Federalism
- Federalism as a Structure of Power
- National Powers
- States’ Responsibilities to Each Other
- States’ Rights
- The Meanings of Federalism
- Why Federalism Works
- Dual Federalism
American Government Module 3
Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
- The Bill of Rights
- Religion, Speech, the Press
- Assembly and Petition
- Arms
- Searches and Seizures
- Civil War Amendments and African Americans
- Women
- Latins, Asian Americans, Native Americans
- Lesbians, Gay Men, Transgender People
- The Disabled
American Government Module 4
Political Culture and Opinion
- Political Culture
- Rituals, Traditions, and Symbols
- Subcultures
- Political Socialization
- What is Public Opinion?
- Democracy and Public Opinion
- Polling the Public
American Government Module 5
Voting, Social Movements, and Interest Groups
- What is Political Participation?
- Why People Participate
- Who Participates and Who Does Not
- Social Movements
- The Interest Group System
- Lobbying
American Government Module 6
Political Parties, Campaigns, and Elections
- History of American Political Parties
- Political Parties Today
- Party Organization
- Party in Government
- Party Identification
- Minor Parties
- Election Campaigns
- Media and Election Campaigns
American Government Module 7
Congress
- The Powers of Congress Including Impeachment
- A Bicameral Legislative Branch
- Parties in Congress
- House Leadership
- Senate Leadership
- Committees
- The Legislative Process
- Members of Congress
American Government Module 8
The Presidency
- The Powers of the President
- The Presidency in the Constitution
- Congressional Limitations
- Judicial Limitations
- The Vice Presidency
- Organizing the Presidency
- How Presidents Try to Get Things Done
American Government Module 9
The Bureaucracy
- Bureaucracy in the Media
- Evolution of the Federal Bureaucracy
- The Variety of Agencies
- Policymaking
- Power
- Accountability
American Government Module 10
Courts, Policymaking, and Domestic Policies
- The U.S. Legal System
- Power of the U.S. Supreme Court
- Selecting Federal Judges
- The U.S. Economy
- Making Public Policies
- Major Domestic Policies
- Coronavirus, COVID-19 Pandemic
American Government Module 11
Foreign and National Security Policies
- The Executive Branch
- Influence from Congress and Outside Government
- The Major Foreign and National Security Policies
- George W. Bush Administration
- President Obama and President Trump
**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**
Ed4Career is committed to being both environmentally conscious and making it easier for you to study! We’re making your education mobile! All of our textbooks are now provided as eTextbooks. You can access them on your laptop, tablet, or mobile device and can study anytime, anywhere.
The move away from physical books to eTextbooks means you get the latest, most up-to-date version available. This also makes your training more accessible, so you can study anywhere you have your phone or tablet. The best part is that all materials are included in your training cost so there are NO extra fees for books!
Internet Connection
- Broadband or High-Speed - DSL, Cable, and Wireless Connections
*Dial-Up internet connections will result in a diminished online experience. Classroom pages may load slowly and viewing large audio and video files may not be possible.
Hardware Requirements
- Processor - 2GHz Processor or Higher
- Memory - 1 GB RAM Minimum Recommended
PC Software Requirements
- Operating Systems - Windows 7 or higher
- Microsoft Office 2013 or higher. Also, you could use a general Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx)
- Internet Browsers - Google Chrome is highly recommended
- Cookies MUST be enabled
- Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled)
- The Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
- PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
- Adobe PDF Reader
- QuickTime, Windows Media Player &/or Real Player
MAC Software Requirements
- Operating Systems - Mac OS x 10 or higher with Windows
- Mac office programs or a Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx)
- Internet Browsers- Google Chrome is highly recommended
- Cookies MUST be enabled
- Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled)
- The Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
- PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
- Adobe PDF Reader
- Apple QuickTime Media Player