Minor in American Politics and Law
The minor in American Politics and Law is designed to equip students with comprehensive insights into the political and legal landscape of the United States. Our curriculum emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach, blending theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Students have the opportunity to engage with a variety of courses that cover key aspects of American civics, policy development, and legal principles. A core objective of this program is to nurture critical and analytical thinking skills through engagement with primary source materials, real world examples of policy and legal conflicts, and current events and matters of national policy debate. Students are challenged to dissect and debate major policy issues facing the nation, fostering their ability to develop, draft, and articulate informed political analyses and recommendations on complex matters.
Rationale
Through this minor, students will develop a robust understanding of both the historical and contemporary dynamics of American politics and law. This approach ensures that they not only grasp the fundamentals but also learn to apply this knowledge in real-world scenarios. It provides a gateway to understanding the intricate workings of American governance and law, and a platform for building a career that makes a meaningful impact in society. The skills and objectives learned in the minor provide students from any discipline with core and foundational knowledge, particularly useful for students entering law school. This program is uniquely tailored not only for those aspiring to careers in the public sector, policy analysis, or law, but also for students from diverse academic backgrounds seeking to integrate this knowledge into other disciplines.
Curriculum
Curriculum (60-63 units)
Foundational (18 units):
Students must complete:
84-104 | Decision Processes in American Political Institutions | 9 |
84-120 | Introduction to US Constitutional Law | 9 |
Communication (6-9 units):
Students must complete one of the following courses:
84-250 | Writing for Political Science and Policy | 9 |
84-252 | Briefing in the Policy World | 6 |
American Politics (18 units):
Students must complete 18 units from the following list of courses:
84-280 | Popcorn and Politics: American Foreign Policy at the Movies | 10 |
84-304 | In the News: Analysis of Current National Security Priorities | 6 |
84-309 | American Political Divides and Great Debates | 9 |
84-319 | Civil-Military Relations | 9 |
84-324 | The Future of Democracy | 9 |
84-325 | Contemporary American Foreign Policy | 9 |
84-328 | Military Strategy and Doctrine | 9 |
84-338 | Analysis of US Presidential Powers* | 6 |
84-351 | Bias, Objectivity, and the Media's Role in Politics | 6 |
84-352 | Representation and Voting Rights | 9 |
84-354 | The American Experiment: Unravelling the US Electoral System | 6 |
84-355 | Democracy's Data: Analytics and Insights into American Elections | 9 |
84-365 | The Politics of Fake News and Misinformation | 9 |
84-367 | The Politics of Antisemitism | 9 |
84-380 | US Grand Strategy | 9 |
84-393 | Legislative Decision Making: US Congress | 9 |
84-402 | Judicial Politics and Behavior | 9 |
84-421 |
Advanced Topics in American Politics |
9 |
79-250 | Voting Rights: An Introduction | 9 |
79-248 | US Constitution & the Presidency | 9 |
Law (18 units):
Students must complete 18 units from the following list of courses:
84-313 | International Organizations and Law* | 6 |
84-332 | Contemporary US Constitutional Law Issues* | 6 |
84-373 | Emerging Technologies and International Law | 9 |
84-402 | Judicial Politics and Behavior | 9 |
17-333 | Privacy Policy, Law, and Technology | 9 |
66-221 | Topics of Law: Introduction to Intellectual Property Law | 9 |
70-364 | Business Law | 6 |
73-408 | Law and Economics | 9 |
76-219 | Law & Blame | 9 |
76-475 | Law, Performance, and Identity | 9 |
79-360 | Crime, Policing, and the Law: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives | 9 |
88-281 | Topics in Law: 1st Amendment | 9 |
88-284 | Topics of Law: The Bill of Rights | 9 |
*Denotes courses taught in Washington, DC, through the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP).
Students may double count a maximum of two courses with another major or minor. Unlimited double counting is permitted with General Education requirements.