Learn US Politics with Film

Welcome to Learn US Politics Through Film! This course is designed for anyone that wants to understand the system in the US without getting too complicated, and using popular movies and TV shows as a guide.

Learn How the System Works in the Most Powerful Nation on Earth.

• The purpose of the three branches of government.
• Why the US Congress has two separate law-making organizations.
• The Presidential election system (Electoral College and Primary elections) fully explained.
• How the justice system sometimes produces strange results.
• And much much more!

I am not trying to change your mind about the US' System; I just want to help you understand the 'how' and the 'why' behind it.

I love teaching about the system in my home country to students abroad. I have been doing this at a university now for almost five years and I am excited about bringing it to Udemy now as well.

Nearly every country in the world is affected by U.S. policies. If you look closely enough, you can surely find some aspect of the government where you are that is based on the U.S. system. Are your politicians talking about adopting a US-style medical care, jury trial, or lobbying system and you are not sure if that is a good or bad idea? This class will help you to figure it out for yourself.

Course Format

Every unit of the course begins with an introduction of that unit's homework: a list of films to try and borrow, rent, or buy that are all chosen to illustrate a specific aspect of the US political system. The main lectures for the course are taught in screen-cast format. I give overviews of each topic and relevant case studies where appropriate. Links are provided to resources used in the lecture sessions, so you may check it out for yourself (and possibly in your native language if you need to). There is also a short quiz for each section.

Topics Covered

1. North America before the United States
2. The Constitution
3. Civil Liberties
4. Civil Rights
5. Media and Public Opinion
6. Political Parties and Interest Groups
7. Campaigns and Elections
8. Congress
9. The Presidency
10. The Judiciary
11. Foreign Policy