Expand AU Menu  Politics in the U.S.   Fall Semester Seminar,
GenEd area 4  Why is writing a check to a Member of Congress
considered protected free speech, whereas handing a police
officer a $100 bill to think again about why he pulled you over
considered a bribe, when both actions are taken to influence the
decision-making of a government official?  This course is
designed to prepare undergraduates to study -- and maybe even
understand -- the many dimensions of American politics, from how
we understand and interpret the ideas behind our founding
documents to how the practice of politics in the United States
stacks up against the parchment promises of American
constitutionalism. I do not spend much time acquainting (or
reacquainting) students with the nuts and bolts of American
government. By now, you should know how many members serve in
the House of Representatives and the Senate, whether Supreme
Court justices are appointed or elected and which amendment to
the Constitution protects the right to free spee