Political Science 304 - Democracy & Political Reform

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 junior and senior Political Science majors and minors. Open to senior and junior PoliSci majors and minors.