Disenfranchisement, Campaigns, and U.S. Election Policy
90-726
Units: 6
Description
he 2020 election was the culmination of years of intensified debates and legal battles over voting rights, election procedures, and regulations. These events highlighted uncomfortable questions about the state and nature of U.S. elections and amplified them to a new level. Are U.S. elections fair? Who can run for office? Do all Americans have access to their right to vote? Are elections subject to external interference? Furthermore, is the system broken, and if so, how can we fix it?
This class will consider these questions and more as we work to explore U.S. elections. We will take the U.S. Constitution and federal and state laws as a baseline and consider the legal and societal factors that influence the workings of the U.S. electoral system. This course will touch on topics such as voting laws, campaign finance, disinformation, and democratic erosion. Through this process, we will confront the challenges facing the U.S. electoral system and explore pathways forward for the future of democracy in the United States.
Learning Outcomes
- Summarize and describe current public policy challenges related to elections in US Politics
- Present policy solutions and recommend solutions to relevant stakeholders.
- Effectively communicate perspectives on the elections and politics in writing.
- Plan, organize, and deliver coordinated work targeted at a goal.
- Identify changes in voting rights and enfranchisement throughout history
- Analyze and apply evidence to build arguments
- Apply redistricting tools to create electoral districts and analyze the impact of the redistricting process.
Prerequisites Description
No Prerequisites