The American Politics/Government course was developed through the Ohio Department of Higher Education OER Innovation Grant. This work was completed and the course was posted in September 2018. The course is part of the Ohio Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs) as OSS 011. For more information about credit transfer between Ohio colleges and universities, please visit: https://transfercredit.ohio.gov.Team LeadTimothy Kinsella                                  Ursuline CollegeContent ContributorsSharon Deubreau                                Rhodes State CollegeJonathan Kreger                                  Columbus State Community CollegeNathaniel Swigger                               Ohio State University – NewarkLibrarianTimothy Sandusky                               Ohio Dominican UniversityReview TeamRobert Postic                                       University of Findlay

CongressThe resources included here are intended to map to the following learning objectives for an American Government Course:Discuss the theoretical ideas that shaped the structure of Congress.List the constitutional powers of the legislative branch.Differentiate between the rules of the Senate and the House and how those rules affect legislative outcomes.Describe the three major policymaking functions of Congress.Discuss external and internal actors that influence the policymaking processExplain the process of a bill becoming a law.Describe the role of the committee system in the legislative process.Investigate the tension between the goals of individual members of Congress and the goals of Congressional parties and Congress as a whole.

Foreign Policy and SecurityThe resources included here are intended to map to the following learning objectives for an American Government Course:Define the nuclear triad.Define the European Union.Explain free trade vs. protectionism and explain how free trade affects different kinds of workers.Question the role of the United Nations and NATO.Compare and contrast hard power and soft power and the tools of U.S. diplomacy.Identify current threats and challenges to national security and global stability. 

Public Policy (Economic, Environmental, Welfare, Education)The resources included here are intended to map to the following learning objectives for an American Government Course:Identify different forms of taxation and how they affect different economic classes.Investigate the trade-offs in various public policy decisions (e.g. Affordable Care Act vs. free market healthcare vs. socialized medicine.)Define budget deficits and differentiate it from the national debt, and identify how government debt is different from debts held by individuals.Discuss the basics of the federal budget process and major spending items.Be able to differentiate between fiscal and monetary policy and identify the key actors for both.Explain the outlines of immigration policy and be able to define key terms like: DREAMers, DACA, chain immigration, etc.

The Federal BureaucracyThe resources included here are intended to map to the following learning objectives for an American Government Course:Explain the major functions of the American federal bureaucracyClassify the types of federal agencies within the federal bureaucracyExplain the policymaking process and power of the federal bureaucracyIdentify the different internal and external actors of the federal bureaucracyDescribe how other institutions exert control and enforce accountability over the federal bureaucracyExplain how the American federal bureaucracy has evolved over time

The Federal Judicial SystemThe resources included here are intended to map to the following learning objectives for an American Government Course:Explain how the power of the federal courts has grown over time.Compare and contrast the structure of federal and state courts, as well as the types of cases they hear.Describe the judicial selection processes.Identify the factors that influence Supreme Court justices when they decide cases.Describe the ways in which the federal courts shape legal policy and decide the scope of individual rights.Summarize the structure, features, and processes of the Supreme Court.

Learning ObjectivesThe resources included here are intended to map to the following learning objectives for an American Government Course:Discuss the theoretical ideas that shaped the structure of the presidency.Identify the constitutional powers of the executive branch.Explain how the presidency has grown and evolved over time.Describe some of the institutional advantages that the president has over other branches of government.Discuss the role of cabinet and other presidential staff in setting public policy.Explain the nature of the relationship the presidency has with Congress and the courts.Explain the factors that affect presidential success and failure.Describe the presidential election process and strategies pursued by presidential candidates.