Faculty

GOVT-2305 United States Government

Ellen Baik

Credit Fall 2026

Section(s)

GOVT-2305-154 (53617)
LEC DIL ONL DIL

Course Requirements

This is a 100% online asynchronous course with no scheduled meetings, but there are due dates for four modules to keep everyone on track. Important due dates are:

Orientation Quiz: 9/4
Module 1: 9/17
Module 2: 10/15
Module 3: 11/12
Module 4: 12/10

For High School Dual Credit Students only: Please note I do not provide numerical grade conversions for high school transcripts. Requests for grade conversions cannot be accommodated, and I am unable to respond to individual inquiries on this matter. If your school requires an alpha-to-numeric conversion, this course may not meet that requirement. I recommend consulting your high school counselor to determine the best course of action.

Readings

The required textbook (American Government by OpenStax) for the class is available online free of charge (link provided below). I may
post up supplemental instructional materials in learning modules.

https://openstax.org/details/books/american-government-4e

Course Subjects

Introduction

Constitution

Federalism

Federal Courts

Civil Liberties

Civil Rights

Political Parties

Elections

Public Opinion

Media

Interest Groups

Congress

Presidency

Bureaucracy

Public Policy

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

1. Discuss the challenges facing a democratic system of government.

2. Describe the foundations, development and features of the US Constitution.

3. Discuss the benefits and problems associated with our federal system of government.

4. Explain how political values, attitudes and behaviors are learned, organized and expressed.

5. Discuss the benefits and problems associated with the political party system in the US.

6. Describe the operation of a political campaign, types of elections and the factors that affect election outcomes.

7. Discuss the benefits and problems associated with the role of the media in US government and politics.

8. Discuss various types of interest groups, including their goals and strategies.

9. Describe the structure, functions and operations of Congress.

10. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses associated with the presidency, including formal and informal powers and limits on those powers.

11. Discuss the role of the bureaucracy in policymaking, including its regulatory and implementation functions.

12. Describe the structure, functions and operations of the federal judiciary.

13. Discuss the way civil liberties and civil rights protect both the individual and categories of people.

14. Describe the policymaking process and the implications of various economic and social policies on government and society.

Disclaimer

This is an abbreviated version of the course syllabus. Please see the course blackboard site for a complete version of the syllabus containing important course information, course policies, and course calendar.