Political Science 304 - Democracy & Political Reform

Fall
2026
01
3.00
Adam Eichen

M W 2:30PM 3:45PM

UMass Amherst
20650
Dickinson Hall room 212
aeichen@umass.edu
Americans have tried throughout US history to reform and perfect our political system. But despite some notable achievements, dissatisfaction with the federal and state governments especially is widespread. Have our expectations simply shifted upward over the centuries, or are there serious structural flaws in the US political system? What would you propose in order to improve American politics? In this class, we will example some current reform topics such as elections, campaign finance, lobbying, redistricting, term limits, conflict of interest rules, direct democracy, transparency, and open meeting laws. Students will be asked to develop their own reform proposals.

Open to Senior, Junior and Sophomore POLISCI majors & minors. Open to senior, junior, and sophomore PoliSci majors and minors.

Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.