GOVT 220 American Government

The issues, interests, and institutions of American politics, emphasizing the struggle between liberalism and conservatism.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Course Guide

View this course’s outcomes, policies, schedule, and more.*

*The information contained in our Course Guides is provided as a sample. Specific course curriculum and requirements for each course are provided by individual instructors each semester. Students should not use Course Guides to find and complete assignments, class prerequisites, or order books.


The primary purpose of this course is to train the student for effective citizenship. No one can be an effective citizen without an understanding of how his/her government operates. This is especially true today because the growth in size of government at all levels has increased its impact on our daily lives. No one can avoid involvement with government. As both Christians and citizens, the student needs to understand his/her duties to the government and how he/she can defend the heritage of liberty.


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After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each Discussion will be divided into 2 parts: a thread of at least 300 words and 2 or more replies of at least 125 words each. (FSLO: CGE 2, 4, 5)

After viewing the assigned presentations, the student will answer questions about the presentations in a 3 – 5 page paper. Answers must be well organized and use proper grammar. (FSLO: CGE 1, 2, 3, 5)

The student will write a paper of at least 6 pages (not including the title page or reference page) adhering to the format specified in the Writing Style Guide. The purpose of this paper is to provide practical application of Reading & Study materials by developing concepts discussed in the presentations. The paper must demonstrate mastery of material from the lectures as well as presentation of factual materials from peer-reviewed sources. (FSLO: CGE 4)

The student will complete 12 quizzes – one per chapter – based on the required reading. 

The quizzes are open-book/open-notes, consist of 30 multiple-choice questions, and have a time limit of 1 hour. Students may take each quiz twice. 

The student will view Watch: World View I and Watch: World View II in the Learn items for the assigned module: week. The Watch items will discuss the link between competing worldviews and various political ideologies. The student will then complete Quiz: World View I and Quiz: World View II. Each quiz will consist of 25 multiple-choice questions, is open-book/open notes, is limited to 2 hours, and allows for 2 attempts. (FSLO: CGE 1, 3)


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