The American political cycle yields what some commentators call “the never ending campaign.” The aim of this module is to investigate the American electoral and party system. It will examine the primary system, Congressional and Presidential elections and the role of parties in each. In particular, it will examine how federalism affects US parties and elections. The module will cover the historical origins of the primary system in subnational, national, and presidential elections, the role of political parties in American society, the consequences of the electoral system on the ideological positioning of the parties and candidates, and attempt to place the US in comparative perspective. The scheduled format for the module is for a two-hour weekly seminar.
- Module Supervisor: Lawrence Ezrow