This course teaches the origins and key functions of the American government. Topics include the Constitution; American federalism; civil liberties; civil rights; public opinion and its role in American democracy; voting and elections; the roles of the media, political parties, interest groups, and lobbying; the three branches of government; state and local government; bureaucracy; and the arenas of domestic and foreign policy. Students should gain an appreciation of the American governmental system and it functions, as well as the importance of civic engagement.

This course is based on OpenStax American Government 2e with small modifications by Lumen Learning, and the inclusion of CrashCourse Government videos.

About Lumen

Lumen Learning’s mission is to make great learning opportunities available to all students, regardless of socioeconomic background.

We do this by using open educational resources (OER) to create well-designed and low-cost course materials that replace expensive textbooks. Because learning is about more than affordability and access, we also apply learning science insights and efficacy research to develop learning activities that are engineered to improve subject mastery, course completion and retention.

If you’d like to connect with us to learn more about adopting this course, please Contact Us.

You can also make an appointment for OER Office Hours to connect virtually with a live Lumen expert about any question you may have.