POL2022 : Government and Politics of the USA - Undergraduate Study

Offered for Year: 2020/21

Module Leader(s): Dr James Bilsland

Owning School: Geography, Politics & Sociology
Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Semester 2 Credit Value:	20
ECTS Credits:	10.0

Aims

There are two main aims for this course. First, to develop a well-informed, critical and conceptually sophisticated understanding of US government and politics. Second, to foster an improved grasp of the discipline of politics, especially the concepts, models, theories and methods appropriate to the study of US politics.

Outline Of Syllabus

Topics covered may include: 1. Background: History, Culture, Society, 2. The Constitution of the United States, 3. Federalism and the States, 4. The President, 5. The Congress, 6. The Supreme Court, 7. Elections & Voting, 8. Interest Groups, 9. The Media & Politics, 10. Foreign Policy.

Teaching Methods

Please note that module leaders are reviewing the module teaching and assessment methods for Semester 2 modules, in light of the Covid-19 restrictions. There may also be a few further changes to Semester 1 modules. Final information will be available by the end of August 2020 in for Semester 1 modules and the end of October 2020 for Semester 2 modules.

Teaching Activities

Category	Activity	Number	Length	Student Hours	Comment
Structured Guided Learning	Lecture materials	18	1:00	18:00	Recorded, non-synchronous; personal capture (PCap) videos;
Guided Independent Study	Assessment preparation and completion	1	137:00	137:00	N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities	Small group teaching	9	1:00	9:00	Synchronous (present in person for estates purposes for semester 2 only)
Structured Guided Learning	Structured research and reading activities	9	3:00	27:00	Annotated readings
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities	Scheduled on-line contact time	9	1:00	9:00	Synchronous; Q&A Office Feedback Hour with Module Leader
Total				200:00

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures focus on political and academic debates concerning American politics. Small group teaching seeks to deepen students' engagement with the subject matter, to provide opportunities for questions, and to facilitate learning through debate and discussion. Structured, guided learning activities include annotated readings to encourage deeper reflection on key issues in US politics.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment

Description	Semester	When Set	Percentage	Comment
Essay	2	M	100	48 hour timed essay and skills assessment. 2500 words.

Formative Assessments

Description	Semester	When Set	Comment
Essay	2	M	Optional 1500-word essay

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The timed essay consists of two parts. The first part is composed of a series of short answer questions. These test relevant factual knowledge and the student’s understanding of the basics of the US political system. The second part is composed of two longer essay type answers. These test the student's grasp of specific issues in American politics, and their ability to discuss them in a relevant, knowledgeable, critical and coherent manner under time constraint.

Feedback will be provided to students in a number of ways. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions during seminars. They will also be able to receive feedback during feedback hours. If any student wishes to receive additional feedback, they will have the opportunity to submit an optional 1,500 word essay which will be returned with a mark and detailed written feedback. Although this mark will not contribute to the final grade, it will allow the student to more comprehensively understand their progress.

Reading Lists

POL2022's Reading List

Timetable

Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
POL2022's Timetable

Module