American Government

PART I: FOUNDATIONS.
1. Perspectives on American Government.
2. The Founding and the Constitution.
3. Federalism.
4. Civil Liberties.
5. Civil Rights, Equality, and Social Movements.
PART II: INSTITUTIONS.6. Congress.
7. The Presidency.
8. The Federal Bureaucracy.
9. The Judiciary.
PART III: POLITICAL BEHAVIOR.
10. Public Opinion.
11. Interest Groups.
12. The Media and Politics.
13. Political Parties.
14. Voting and Participation.
15. Campaigns and Elections.
PART IV: PUBLIC POLICY.
16. American Economic Policy.
17. American Social Policy.
18. American Foreign Policy.
19. State and Local Government.

Dautrich, Kenneth
Professor Kenneth Dautrich (Ph.D., Rutgers University) teaches public opinion and public policy in the Department of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut. His research focuses on public opinion about the news media and free expression rights. He has authored a number of books and articles including THE FUTURE OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT (Roman and Littlefield, 2008), THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE MEDIA IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION (Cambridge University Press, 2003), and HOW THE NEWS MEDIA FAIL THE AMERICAN VOTER (Columbia University Press, 1999). He is currently finishing a book entitled THE PARADOX OF PUBLIC OPINION (Oxford University Press). Dautrich has conducted many public polls on media, voting, and public policy issues for organizations such as Time Magazine, The Freedom Forum, and a variety of state and federal government agencies. He has been a research fellow at The Freedom Forum's Media Studies Center and Rutgers University's Heldrich Center. He has also served as policy advisor for Governor Jodi Rell. His research on public attitudes about the First Amendment has been supported by the Media Studies Center and the Knight Foundation.

Yalof, David
David A. Yalof (Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University; B.A. and J.D., University of Virginia) is Professor and Department Head of Political Science at the University of Connecticut. His expertise and teaching and research interests include constitutional law, judicial politics, and the presidency. Professor Yalof is the author of PURSUIT OF JUSTICES: PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS AND THE SELECTION OF SUPREME COURT NOMINEES, winner of the American Political Science Association's Richard E. Neustadt Prize for the Best Book on the Presidency. He is also the co-author of THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE MEDIA IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION (with Kenneth Dautrich) and THE FUTURE OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT: THE DIGITAL MEDIA, CIVIC EDUCATION, AND FREE EXPRESSION RIGHTS IN AMERICA'S HIGH SCHOOLS (also with Ken