INQ-277 | American Political Parties

Crosslisted As: POLI277

Topic Description:

Are political parties organized to win elections, or are political parties organized to translate demands into public policy? In short, the focus of inquiry in this course is: “why parties?” The course is designed to provide a broad overview of American political parties, focusing specifically on the politics of the formation and change of America’s two party system. The course will involve in an intensive learning project on the development, presentation, and critical debate of the “State of the Parties” in 21st century American politics, which will be aided by day trips to Washington, DC and Richmond, VA to meet with leaders in the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Republican National Committee (RNC), state party organizations, and select non-profit organizations.

Course Types Offered: Field Trip

Topic Approved: February 2016