Why take this course?
In the United States, masks have become political. According to a recent poll by the Pew Research
Center, Democrats (76%) are more likely than Republicans (53%) to say they wear a mask all or most of
the time. While nearly all states require residents to wear masks in public, the Trump Administration
has refrained from issuing a national mask mandate, saying that such a mandate ignores the different
needs of individual states and tramples on governors’ authority. By comparison, many European
democracies including France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom have countrywide mandates
requiring masks in public. While the mask debate continues to rage in the US, it also opens up larger
questions about the American political system:
- Why do so many Americans believe mask mandates interfere with their “constitutionally protected right to enjoy and defend life and liberty," 2 when people in other democracies see it as part of a collective responsibility to keep other members of their community safe?
- Why are Democrats more likely than Republicans to wear masks?
- Does the national government even have the authority to impose mask mandates?
- What actions can ordinary citizens take to protect and promote their (health) interests?
Because government affects nearly every aspect of our lives, studying politics can help us understand and make sense of the world around us: why do so many Americans object to wearing a mask? Does the national government have too much or too little power? Why are so many of our elected officials white? This semester, we’ll begin answering these questions by studying the institutions, policies, and practices of government. In addition to providing a useful foundation for the continued study of American politics,this course will provide students with an understanding of the American political system that is
necessary to facilitate informed citizenship in the democratic process.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Identify central features of our constitutional structure including checks and balances between different branches of government (legislative, executive, judicial), as well as the separation of power across different levels of government (federal, state, local).
- Assess how significant institutional changes (such as growth in executive power and increasedpolarization in Congress) advance or hinder people’s control over government.
- Explain how core values of American political culture (such as individualism and equality of opportunity) influence people’s attitudes about the appropriate relationship between citizens and the federal government
- Evaluate the role of individual citizens, interest groups, and social movements in the political process, with a particular emphasis on their ability to effect change.
Our Online Classroom
Blackboard is the primary learning management system for the course and our virtual classroom. The Announcements area of the classroom that you see each time you log in will be used on a weeklybasis to post updates and comments on class matters.
The Learning Materials area, arranged in folders by week, houses the content for the course. Weekly folders will be posted on the Saturday before each new week begins for students who would like to geta jumpstart on the material. In addition to the weekly readings, this area will include recorded lectures,online discussion forums, and assignments.
Contacts and communications
The Questions & Clarifications area on the course menu is a good place to raise course-relatedquestions. In addition to procedural questions about how the course works, these might includequestions about assignments, due dates, or other inquiries that your fellow classmates might share. Iwill log on to the classroom at least three times a week so this forum is generally the best place to askmost questions. However, if you need to contact me on an individual basis, please email at kzuber@jjay.cuny.edu . In the subject line, include your name and the day/time our class meets.
Course Structure
We will meet synchronously, once a week, via zoom. All other course work including weekly readings,instructor commentary, and assignments will be completed asynchronously. As a 3-credit course, youshould expect to spend about 9 hours per week on completing coursework and assignments.Each class week begins on Monday and ends on Friday. I will post learning materials, including weekly readings and video lectures, on the Saturday before each new week begins.Each week the course structure will generally consist of: