POL 2301, United States Government

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

4. Discuss how the U.S. government functions and interacts at the federal, state, and local levels. 4.1 Describe the role of political parties at the state and local levels of politics in the United States. 4.2 Discuss how national level interest groups engage citizens at the state and local levels of politics.

5. Explain the role of political parties in elections within the U.S. political system.

5.1 Describe the structure of political parties in the American federal system. 5.2 Discuss the functions of political parties in the United States. 5.3 Explain why the United States has a strong two-party system.

6. Indicate the ways citizens and interest groups can influence politics and public policy.

6.1 Identify the chief functions of interest groups. 6.2 Discuss how interest groups encourage citizen engagement in politics. 6.3 Describe how interest groups influence public policy.

 

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

4.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 9, pp. 327–361 Unit V Assessment

4.2 Unit Lesson Chapter 10, pp. 367–395 Unit V Assessment

5.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 9, pp. 327–361 Unit V Assessment

5.2 Unit Lesson Chapter 9, pp. 327–361 Unit V Assessment

5.3 Unit Lesson Chapter 9, pp. 327–361 Unit V Assessment

6.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 10, pp. 367–395 Unit V Assessment

6.2 Unit Lesson Chapter 10, pp. 367–395 Unit V Assessment

6.3 Unit Lesson Chapter 10, pp. 367–395 Unit V Assessment

 

UNIT V STUDY GUIDE

Political Parties and Interest Groups

 

 

 

POL 2301, United States Government 2

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

Title

Required Unit Resources In order to access the following resources, click the links below. Throughout this course, you will be provided with sections of text from the online textbook American Government 2e. You may be tested on your knowledge and understanding of the material presented in the textbook as well as the information presented in the unit lesson. Chapter 9: Political Parties, pp. 327–361 Chapter 10: Interest Groups and Lobbying, pp. 367–395

Unit Lesson Parties and advocacy groups, which are also known as interest groups, have existed in the United States since the country’s beginnings. While distinct in their structure and functions, both have played pivotal roles in the development and trajectory of issues and events that have shaped the fundamental character of the American political landscape. Though distinct, both political parties and interest groups offer avenues of civic engagement, serve to protect the rights of both well-represented and marginalized citizens, and work to ensure public accountability of political leaders at all levels in the U.S. federal system.

 

Read and review the Unit V Lesson within this Political Parties & Interest Groups presentation. Please note that there is audio throughout the presentation. A PDF version of the Political Parties & Interest Groups presentation (including an audio transcript) is also available.

 

Learning Activities (Nongraded) Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information. Review In order to check your understanding of the materials presented in this unit, you are encouraged to complete the following exercises, which can be found at the end of Chapter 9 and Chapter 10. Once you have completed the activities, check your answers using the Answer Key. Chapter 9: Review Questions, p. 364 Chapter 9: Critical Thinking Questions, pp. 364–365 Chapter 10: Review Questions, pp. 398–400 Chapter 10: Critical Thinking Questions, p. 400