Module 1 (Unit 1) Objectives

After you have completed this unit, you will be able to:

1. Identify and evaluate resources for studying political science.
2. Evaluate the theories and styles of democratic government.
3. Describe sources of American political culture and compare America’s political culture to that of other democracies.
4. Analyze the experiences, philosophies and ideologies that influenced the formulation and adoption of the American Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
5. Evaluate the major principles of American democracy developed in the Constitution and explain their justification.
6. Evaluate the motives of the framers of the Constitution.
7. Explain the Constitutional basis of federalism.
8. Evaluate the causes and impact of changes in American federalism since the writing of the Constitution.
9. Trace the expansion of national power and assess attempts to reverse this expansion.
10. Analyze the implications of federalism as a foundation of American government.