This course serves as an introduction to American government and politics. It is designed to
familiarize students with the origins and evolution of American national government, its basic institutions
and its fundamental decision-making processes with regard to domestic and foreign policy. It covers the
basic terms and facts relating to government, the functions and development of the U.S. branches of
government, including the role of parties and interest groups, and the value preferences within American
society that affect the formation of public policy. It also develops a basic understanding of how federal,
state and local governments interact in the U.S. political system.