Amer Pol Party/Interest Group

Prerequisite: POLI 172 This course is an examination of American political party organizations, political leadership, finance, campaign techniques, the historical development of the American party system, party identification, legal controls over parties, the functions and methods of pressure groups and their interaction with policy makers, the role of surrogate organizations such as the media and political consultants, the significance of political parties and pressure groups for democratic ideology, and the problems of political leadership in a democracy. Offered periodically.