Theme 8. American Federalism

Total grade for students knowledge

Content of the course

Тhematic plan of lectures

Моdule 1

Lecture 1
1. Structure and function of the political system.

2. Types of political systems.

3. Features of the American political system.

Lecture 2
1. Democratic political regime.

2. State in the political system.

3. Federation, as the form of government of the United States.

4. Principles of interaction between state and society in the United States.
Theme 1. The political system of the North American colonies

Lecture 3
1. Magna Map (1215) - the basis of the principles of constitutional democracy.

2. The idea of ​​the first settlers: the Puritans and Pilgrims.

3. The idea of ​​a "church on the hill."
Lecture 4
1. Mayflower Compact (1620) - a gathering of persons to discuss the formation of the government and its functions.

2. Fundamental rules of Connecticut (1639).

3. The plan of the formation of the Union adopted in Elaine in 1754, its basic ideas.

Тheme 2 Formation of the political system after the War for Independence
Lecture 5
1. The political system of the United States after the Revolutionary War.

2. Formation of the political system of states.

3. Adoption of the "Articles of Confederation."

Lecture 6
1. Features of confederation state.

2. The rights and obligations of the state governments with the central government and local authorities.

Lecture 7
1. The reasons of the weakness of the central government.

2. Northwestern Ordinance (1787) - the most important legal document, adopted during the "Articles of Confederation."
Theme 3. The Declaration of Independence

Lecture 8
1. The War for Independence of North American colonies.

2. Pamphlets.

3. John Lock.

Lecture 9
1. Continental Congress.

2. The causes and conditions of the declaration.

3. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration.

4. Basic ideas and principles of the Declaration.

Lecture 10
1. The human rights.

2. "Bill of Rights" and the individual liberties of American citizens.

Theme 4. The adoption of the U.S. Constitution
Lecture 11
1. The U.S. Constitution - the main tool of the American government and law of the state.

2. Reasons and prerequisites of adoption of constitution.

3. George Washington and James Madison on the need to review the "Articles of Confederation."

Lecture 12
1. Constitutional Convention (1787, Philadelphia).

2. Debate between Federalists and Antifederalists.

Lecture 13
1. The role of James Madison and Alexander Hamilton of interpret and popularization of the ideas of the Constitution.

2. "The Federalist, number 10" - the classic explanation and analysis of the national structure of the state.
Theme 5. Public authorities in the U.S.

Lecture 14
1 The three branches of the U.S. government.

2. The Constitution of the United States about separation of powers.

3. Legislative power in the United States.

Lecture 15
1. Powers and prerogatives of Congress.

2. Principles of formation and functioning of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

3. Lobbying in the political system of American society.

4. The legal regulation of lobbying in the United States.

Module 2
Theme 6. Executive power in the U.S.

Lecture 16
1. The President as the head of state and government.

2. The U.S. Constitution about the role of the president in American political life.

3. The powers of the president.

Lecture 17
1. The presidency in historical perspective.

2. "Imperial presidency."

3. Impeachment.

4. Interaction of the executive and legislative powers in the legislative process.

Lecture 18
1. The right of suspensive veto of the president of the U.S..

2. Vice-presidency institute.

3. The White House. The administration of U.S. president.

4. Department of State, Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defence: the functions and prerogatives.
Theme 7. Judicial power in the United States.

Lecture 19
1. Constitutional and legal principles of the judiciary of the United States.

2. The structure of the U.S. judiciary.
Lecture 20
1. U.S. Supreme Court.

2. Constitutional control.

2. Case "Merburi vs. Madison" as a precedent for the formation of the prerogatives of the Supreme Court.
Lecture 21
1. Courts of appeal.

2. U.S. federal district courts.

Theme 8. American Federalism

Lecture 22
1. Federalism as the form of government.

2. The principles of federalism.

3. Prerogatives and powers of the state government.

Lecture 23
1. The problem of "coincidence of powers."
2. The role of local authorities in the United States.

3. Legislative, executive and judicial power in the states.

4. The role of the legislature in the political life of the state.
Lecture 24
1. The governor and the state government: functions, prerogatives, the main activities, relationships with other levels of government.

2. The judicial system of the state.

3. Local government in the counties and cities of the United States.

4. Administrative and special districts.

Theme 9. U.S. electoral system
Lecture 25
1. Legal regulation of elections.

2. Active and passive right to vote, the evolution of active suffrage.

3. Principles of electoral law in the U.S..

4. Advantages and disadvantages of the plural (the majority) system of WTA ("winner takes all").

Lecture 26
1. The organization of the elections.

2. The Federal Election Commission.

3. Constituencies, "dzherrimendering."
Lecture 27
1. The electoral process.

2. Primaries, their classification and characteristics.

3. Ways to vote.

4. Referendum.
Theme 10. Party system of the U.S.

Lecture 28
1. The main stages of formation and development of the American party system.

2. Federalists and national (Democratic) Republicans.

3. Democrats and Whigs.

Lecture 29
1. The role of party caucuses in American life.

2. National Convention.

3. Primaries and their social function.

4. Populists, progressives and socialists in the party system in the United States, other political parties.

Lecture 30
1. The modern two-party system U.S. Republican and Democratic parties.

2. Social composition, election platform, the electorate of the Republican Party in the 2000s.

3. Political, social and economic priorities of the Democratic Party of the United States in the 2000s.

3.2 Thematic plan of practical /seminars lessons
Module 1
1 The political system of the North American colonies
2 Formation of the political system after the War of Independence
3 State in the U.S. political system. Presidential republic.
4 American federalism.
5 U.S. party system.
6 U.S. judiciary
7 Interest groups and lobbying in American politics.

Module 2
8 Demographic processes in the U.S.. Age stratification of American society in a social context.
9 Immigration processes in the U.S..
10 Social and ethnic processes in the U.S..
11 The system of education as a factor of socialization in the U.S..
12 The political system of the United States during the "cold war"
13 The U.S. political system in the modern period
14 Contemporary socio-demographic trends in the U.S.
15 Mass media, opinion polls

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 902