American Politics

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American Politics includes the study of a wide array of topics, including the Congress, presidency, courts, bureaucracy, public opinion and voting behavior, campaigns and elections, political parties, news media, and interest groups. We place particular emphasis on public policy, political communication, and the role of race, ethnicity, gender, and religion in politics. Faculty and graduate students have recently produced cutting-edge research on topics such as polarization, ideology, polling and survey methodology, racialized policing, and Latino turnout. Faculty in the American field use a variety of analytic techniques and research methodologies, including survey and field experiments, big data and high-end statistical analysis, formal modeling, historical research, and legal analysis.

Coursework

The core seminar, GOV 381J American Institutions and Processes, is designed to acquaint the student with a range of approaches to the study of American politics, institutions, and policies, and is offered during the fall semester every other year. Students are also expected to take at least one seminar in opinion and behavior, which could be satisfied through a variety of courses including but not limited to Political Behavior (381R), Public Opinion and Public Policy (384M), and Political Psychology (381S). Subsequent course selection should be guided by students' own research interests in order that they acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct original scholarly research in American politics. Preparation for research involves studying under relevant faculty inside and outside the department. For example, students who concentrate in American political development, constitutional theory, or political communication will want to take the relevant courses in the department, as well as related courses in history, law, and communication studies and journalism, respectively. Students are expected to be methodologically sophisticated and competent in the quantitative, formal, and/or qualitative methods necessary for their research.

Preparation for Preliminary Examinations

Preliminary examinations consist of three sections, with students answering one question from each section. The first section focuses on institutions, with questions on Congress, the presidency, the courts, the bureaucracy. The second section includes questions on political processes and behavior, with questions on public opinion, political participation, campaigns and elections, and voting. The third and final section features questions from the more specialized areas in which the student has taken course offerings, which include topics such as race/ethnicity, gender, religion, and money and politics. Students are advised to take courses and read in several subfields in order to combine breadth of knowledge with specialized expertise in one or two sub-fields. Students are also urged to discuss their progress with faculty advisers, faculty in the American field, and/or the American field chair, and to consult with them as they prepare for the exams.

Faculty

Core Field Faculty

Affiliated Faculty

Listing of Graduate Courses

America and the World Economy
American Political Development
American Presidency
Campaigns and Elections
Constitutional Conflict
Evolution of American Politics
Foundations of Public Policy
Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in American Politics
Interest Groups in American Politics
Political Communication and the Media
Political Institutions, Processes, and Behavior*
Political Participation
Political Parties
Political Psychology
Political Sophistication
Positive Political Economy
Public Administration, Bureaucracy, and Political Organization
Public Opinion and Voting Behavior
The U.S. Congress