American National Government - POSC 111 Resource Guide

The executive branch of the U.S. government and its relation to the legislative and judicial branches is the subject of this engaging program. Starting with the importance of the phrase “We, the people…” the video covers presidential powers and responsibilities, the electoral college, the process of impeachment as it applied to Clinton and Nixon, and the vice presidency, as well as checks and balances, the division of federal and state power, and more.

This program guides viewers through the history of the judiciary and illustrates how it works in theory and practice. Topics include the main purposes of the judicial branch—specifically, interpreting the law, determining if laws are unconstitutional, and applying the law to individual cases; the various divisions and levels of courts, such as lower, appellate, and specialized courts; the unique powers of the Supreme Court; summaries of famous Supreme Court cases; and more.

Although the office of the president personifies American leadership, the legislative branch was actually designed to hold at least as much power as the executive, if not more. Many Founding Fathers envisioned Congress as the primary governing body, given its closeness, politically speaking, to the people. This program examines the origins, history, and activities of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

List of streaming videos about political science streaming videos in Films on Demand.

Includes 8 brief streaming videos, transcript, and diagram of the legislative process.