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

Citizen Participation in the Political SystemThe resources included here are intended to map to the following learning objectives for an American Government Course:Examine how the presidential primary process works.Define gerrymandering and understand how Congressional districts are drawn.Compare and contrast different states’ rules for voting and voter registration and how these rules might influence election outcomes.Explain the Electoral College.

Interest GroupsThe resources included here are intended to map to the following learning objectives for an American Government Course:Define what an interest group is, its main purpose and how it functionsCompare and contrast the role of political parties and interest groupsClassify the different types of interest groupsDescribe the tactics employed by interest groups to achieve their political goalsExplain the various theories of power that attempt to explain the advantages and disadvantages of interest groupsAddress the inherent conflict of individuals in a free society pursuing their own interests and the "public good"Explain Federalist No. 10 and how it relates to role of interest groups in a democratic political system

Political PartiesExplain the role political parties play in a democratic political systemDescribe the reasons for the two-party system in American politicsDiscuss the contributions of third parties in American politicsCompare and contrast a two-party system and a multiparty systemExplain the decentralized structure of political parties in American federalismDescribe the tactics employed by political parties to achieve their political goalsExplain how American political parties have evolved over time including the transition of party-centered politics to candidate-centered politics

Political Socialization and Public OpinionThe resources included here are intended to map to the following learning objectives for an American Government Course:Identify institutions that socialize voters and teach democratic norms.Describe how affective group identities (e.g. race, partisanship) drive opinions and behaviorCritique polling methodologyUnderstand how a poll is conducted and the limits of public opinion polling.Identify the factors that influence voter turnout.Discuss how political campaigns affect votersCompare and contrast how campaigns design their message versus how voters receive those messagesUnderstand campaign messagingDiscuss how individual bias limits what people know about politics.Describe how social networks influence opinions and engagement.Discuss becoming involved in the political processExamine barriers to political involvement

The News MediaThe resources included here are intended to map to the following learning objectives for an American Government Course:Develop strategies to differentiate between real and fake news.Describe various forms of media bias and why they might occur.Investigate how news affects public opinion and the limits of media effects.Investigate how the evolution of cable news and social media has changed news production and consumption.