POS 2009 AMERICAN POLITICAL PARTIES
Is the party over? Or has it just begun? These two contradictory statements about the state of political parties in American politics will be examined with a view toward the perennial issues that surround political parties in America including the organization of potential voters, information dissemination, providing 147opposition research148 on opposing candidates, as well as the creation of the party platforms that national candidates will run on. The course will also examine the changes that have come about in American political parties as a result of new technologies that have helped to define the 147constant campaign148 even while changing the rules of the game of party politics in America. The course will also examine 147third-party148 candidates and the unique structural obstacles faced by third parties in the American political system.