Reforming American Government:

This class explores the construction and evolution of American government. Over the past decade, dissatisfaction and distrust with American government has reached all-time highs and new groups have emerged on either side of the aisle to protest policymakers’ failure to respond to their interests and demand “change.” The 2020 presidential election alone brought renewed attention to issues of “court packing” and the structure of the federal judiciary, as well as the Senate filibuster. Yet, American government rarely undergoes major reforms to make it more effective, and more responsive to the public.  When, how and why are reforms ultimately adopted to American government? And what effect do these reforms, such as the advent of presidential primaries, the expansion of suffrage, or the decreased power of congressional committees, have on representation? Among the topics addressed in this course: how the founders reformed the “first” American government through the Constitution; how democratic institutions such as Congress and political parties, as well as democratic rights such as voting, developed and what drove those changes; and the likelihood that American government will adopt major reforms in the future.