US Political Culture

US Political Culture (a)What values do Americans share and how can we explain these cultural traditions? (b)?Given a general consensus on the value of protecting and promoting liberty and freedom in the United States, How do we explain the vehement national debate surrounding the role of government? ?c?What are the similarities and differences between US and Australian political culture? The Presidency Tutorial Questions: (a)How has the role and authority of the President evolved over the past 200 years? (b)What is the President’s role in contemporary US policy making? Do you think the President should have more power relative to the Congress? ?c)?Describe the impeachment process. Do you think it has been abused in recent years? Topic: Political Parties and the 2012 Presidential Election Tutorial Questions: (a) What are the key features of House, Senate and Presidential Elections? (b) How does the role US political parties differ from the Australian experience? ?c) What is the electoral college and what role does it serve? Bush and Obama ?a) George Bush Jnr has been described as an unusual but effective President. Do you agree with this assessment? ?b) ?What are the main factors that contributed to Obama’s success in the 2008 Primary and Presidential campaigns? ?c) Obama promised great change. To what extent has he been successful in delivering this change? What obstacles has he faced? Essential Readings: Fred Greenstein, The Leadership Style of Barack Obama: An Early Assessment, The Forum, Vol 7 Issue 1, 2009. (eReading list) Theda Skocpol and Lawrence R. Jacobs, ‘Accomplished and Embattled: Understanding Obama’s Presidency’, Political Science Quarterly Vol 127 Number 1 Spring 2012 (eReading list) Brendon O’Connor, “Beyond the Cartoon: George W. Bush and his biographers”, Political Studies, April, 2005 (eReading list) Topic: Policy Making in the US Tutorial Questions: ?a)?What is the President’s role in the federal policy process? ?b)?Why are Committee’s so important in the US legislative process? ?c)?Why has implementing major policy reform (such as Health Care) become so difficult in the United States in recent years?