courses of instruction - Lafayette College

215. Political Parties and the Electoral
Process. The role of parties and elections
in a democratic society. Topics include suf
frage, turnout, partisanship, public opinion,
the role of minor parties, the presidential
nominating process including conventions,
platforms, and campaigns. A discussion of
the future of the American political party
-system and the possibility of realignment
or de-alignment. Mr. Shea
217. Public Administration. Examination
of competing theories of public adminis
tration and their practical implications in a
federal system. Topics include basic insti
tutions of American public administration,
policymaking and implementation roles of
administrators, and weaknesses, failures
and reforms of existing institutions as il
lustrated in case studies. S taff
310. Politics, Policy, and Law in Ameri
can Federalism. Explores American fed
eralism as a system of democratic self-
rule and share rule, and examines how
federal-state-local government relations
shape law, politics, and policy in the
United States. Topics include: covenantal
origins and constitutional theory of
American federalism; historical transfor
mations; legal, political, administrative,
and fiscal dynamics of intergovernmental
relations; and the impacts of federalism
on such policy issues as civil rights, busi
ness and the economy, taxation, environ
mental protection, and foreign affairs.
[W] Mr. Kincaid
311. Constitutional Law and Politics in
the United States. Constitutional adjudica
tion as a political process which generated
and manages social conflicts regarding the
basic allocation of governmental authority
in the American system. Topics include ju
dicial review, limits on executive and legis
lative power, federalism, and the court and
social change. Prerequisite: G&L 101 or
permission of instructor. [W] Mr. Lennertz,
Mr. Murphy
314. Liberty in the United States: Law and
Politics. Many of the social conflicts that
the law considers relate to claims of right
GOVERNMENT AND LAW
grounded upon conceptions of liberty as
a fundamental value of the constitutional
system of the United States. This course
explores the concept of liberty, its place in
United States law and politics, and its ap
plication to questions of constitutional and
political rights. Topics include free expres
sion and association, privacy, church-state
relations and criminal justice. Prerequisite:
G&L 101,311,315, or permission of instruc
tor. [W] Mr. Lennertz, Mr. Murphy
315. Equality in the United States: Law
and Politics. Many of the social conflicts
that the law considers relate to claims of
right grounded upon conceptions of
equality as a fundamental value of the
constitutional system of the United States.
This course explores the concept of equali
ty, its place in U.S. law and politics, and its
application to questions of constitutional
and political rights. Topics include discrim
ination on grounds of race, gender, etc.,
and remedial programs such as busing and
affirmative action. Prerequisite: G&L 101,
311, 314, or permission of instructor.
Mr. Murphy, Ms. Silverstein
316. American Public Policy. A study of
governmental policy and process at the fed
eral level. The course undertakes an exami
nation of the stages of policy development. It
explores the problems of policy- making in
the modern bureaucratic state, and thereaf
ter investigates some specific policy areas in
cluding economic regulation, labor, welfare,
and agriculture. Each student undertakes an
intensive individual study of a specific fed
eral policy. Prerequisite: G&L 101. Staff
320. The Presidency and Executive Poli
tics. This course explores the dynamics of
executive politics, with primary emphasis
upon the structure and operation of the
United States Presidency. Topics include
the organization of the Presidency and the
Executive Branch, models of presidential
power and leadership, the process of pres
idential selection, relationships with other
parts of the political system, and executive
politics and public policy. Prerequisite:
G&L 101, 209, 211,217, 311, 316, or 321.
[W] Mr. Lennertz
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