Summer Timetable
POL203Y1Y L0101
U.S. Government and Politics
Themes
This course is an introduction to the field of U.S. politics, with particular emphasis on the current formal and informal powers and interrelationships between the main political actors in the U.S. political system at the national level. The analytical focus of the course will be the tension between political stability and political change built into the U.S. political system by constitutional design and enduring practice. The course is divided into three interrelated thematic sections: 1) the Constitutional framework; 2) the three branches of the national government; 3) major policy areas and current political debates.
Texts
Lowi, Ginsburg, Shepsle and Ansolebehere, American Government (10th Edition); other reading will be assigned in class.
Format and Requirements
Two lectures per week; tutorials as available. Course requirements include three tests, a simulation and a short public opinion analysis.
Prerequisites
1.0 POL credit or 4.0 full course equivalents
Exclusions
POLC92H3 or POLC93H3 or POL203Y5
January 29, 2024
The winners of the 2022-2023 undergraduate awards were announced at the annual celebration, held this year on the evening of January 25. Presiding over the award ceremony were Undergraduate Director...
January 26, 2023
Congratulations to our 2021/22 undergraduate award & scholarship recipients! Following a two-year hiatus, the department was delighted to return to hosting our undergraduate awards in-person this year to celebrate our...
June 3, 2021
In a bid to motivate her students in what has been a very difficult academic year, Professor Rebecca Kingston decided to give those enrolled in the winter 2021 term of...
May 21, 2020
Congratulations to undergraduate student Cheryl Cheung who has received a University of Toronto Excellence Award (UTEA). Going into her third year majoring in political science, with minors in visual studies...
January 29, 2020
Congratulations to all our amazing undergraduate students who picked up one the department’s twenty-three awards and scholarships at our annual undergraduate awards ceremony. In attendance were Dean of Arts &...