SOC421: American Government
Prerequisite(s): ENG121

This course introduces students to the history and key concepts of American government. Topics include the federal system, political parties, nominations and elections, the legislative, executive and judicial branches, civil liberties and civil rights. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to describe the circumstances leading to the development of the constitution, explain the federal system, discuss how public opinion, mass media and voting are interrelated, describe the workings of the electoral system, and explain the concepts behind civil liberties and civil rights.

Federal System

Constitution of the United States
From the National Archives

FedStats
Statistics from over 100 U.S. Federal agencies

FirstGov.gov
U.S. Government's official web portal

Nominations and Elections

Election Index
Directory of government information from Vanderbilt University

Elections
Guide to democracy from the U.S. Department of State

Federal Election Commission
Administers and enforces federal campaign finance laws

InfoUSA
Overviews on electoral college, campaign finance, and election procedures

U.S. Election Process
From the U.S. Department of State

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

American Civil Liberties Union
Defends and preserves individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution

The Civil Rights Project
Harvard University organization dedicated to civil rights research

Civilrights.org
Provides up-to-date civil rights news and information

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Civil rights resources

Political Parties

The Democratic Party
Official site

GOP.com
Site for Republican National Committee

Green Party of the United States
Official site

National Libertarian Party
Official site

Political Parties
Links to Democratic and Republican party pages as well as third parties

Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches

American Presidents: Life Portraits
Information on every American president

The Federal Judiciary
Information on the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. District Courts, and U.S. Bankruptcy Courts

Legislative Process
Includes flowchart of how a bill becomes a law from the U.S. Senate

Official U.S. Executive Branch Websites
Directory of sites from the Library of Congress

The President's Cabinet
Advises the President

Supreme Court of the United States
Recent decisions, information about the court, and additional resources

THOMAS
Legislative information from the Library of Congress

U.S. Congress and Legislative Branch
Information on the legislative system from About.com

U.S. House of Representatives
Includes a search function to find local representative

U.S. Senate
Senators, committees, session schedules, and more

The White House
Includes current issues, major speeches, and information on the Vice President and First Lady

Additional Sites of Interest

Abbreviations and Acronyms of the U.S. Government
Includes links to agency websites, from IUPUI University Library

American Memory
From the Library of Congress

The Avalon Project at Yale Law School
Documents in law, history, and diplomacy

C-SPAN
Provides coverage for public affairs events

Center for Democracy and Technology
Works to promote democratic values in digital age

Congressional Biographical Directory
Search for biographical information from 1774-present

GovSpot.com
Resources on U.S., state, and world governments

History Explorer
Timeline of stories from the National Musuem of American History's exhibits, collections, and programs

NARA
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

ThisNation.com
American government and politics online

Project Vote Smart
Nonpartisan information on elected officials' voting records and candidates' positions

U.S. Government
Resources from About.com

SOC421: American Government Prerequisite(s): ENG121

SOC421: American Government
Prerequisite(s): ENG121