This course introduces the learner to the historical background, the institutions, and the political processes in American national government. The focus is on process, but the appropriate attention is given to the institutions of government in which the political processes occur. The course employs a systems model of politics to identify how politics works in America on the national scene. Both process and institutions are studied from a systems perspective so that critical functions and decision points can be identified, described, and judged as they influence system outputs: public law and policy.

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1. Describe the historical and philosophical premises underlying the constitutional basis of American politics and government.
2. Describe and analyze the purpose of separation of powers and checks and balances.
3. Explain how federalism accommodates the politics of states and a continental nation.
4. Identify the essential values contained in the Bill of Rights and their relationship to personal liberty and civil rights in constitutional government.
5. Describe the electoral processes for staffing public offices and appraise the influence of the New Hampshire Presidential primary on the national presidential election.
6. Explain and assess the role of interest groups and Political Action Committees in elections and in national policy-making.
7. Apply systems modeling to the policy-making process and translate such a model to other decision-making settings in and out of politics.

This course is designed to provide an interdisciplinary approach to study of the law, incorporating history, philosophy, economics, political science, sociology, and psychology. Students are introduced to law in society by focusing on social and legal theory analysis from a critical perspective. Beginning with a historical overview of the law, learners explore the variety of forces that shape the law as well as its impact on society at large. In addition, the course provides a basic introduction to legal reasoning and the law in the context of society. Landmark United States Supreme Court criminal and civil cases will also be examined.

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1. Describe the history and development of modern law.
2. Discuss the need for the social contract: lost freedoms in exchange for governmental protection.
3. Analyze the interrelationship between law and society and the impact of social change on legislation.
4. Explore the Bill of Rights, the relativity of constitutional rights, and the balancing of the government's interests against individual rights.
5. Outline the organization and structure of the law including U.S. federal and state governments, courts and administrative agencies.
6. Analyze the effects of such categories as gender, race, culture, socioeconomic status, and religion on law and litigation.
7. Describe the law-making process and the forces that influence law-making.
8. Compare and contrast three primary functions of law: dispute resolution, social control, and social change.

This course examines U.S. foreign relations since WWII with a particular focus on the late twentieth century through modern day. Students will explore patterns of U.S. policy in a volatile environment marked by fundamental changes to the international system of states since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Students trace the transformation in international relations that has led to the creation of world trade and globalized institutions, the proliferation of regional ethnic and religious conflicts, and most challenging of all, the emergence of transnational terrorism. Students will have the opportunity to analyze the international system and relevant political theories, develop competence in defining both transient and enduring national interests, and build confidence in appraising the policy responses of national actors to those challenges.